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Because of the unbelievable friends I have, you can now find me here.

pins and needles

Waiting, sitting, sort of uncomfortable, not very fun, want to move on to something else, but I can't yet. Or I am unable to..... My sister, is about ready to have her baby. She could be having it right now, truthfully. she has bann having contractions since Saturday, her mucus plug is out, she is dilated at least to three (that was the last account I knew of), and effaced 50%, and she is still walking around with my niece/nephew in her!!!! I talked to her yesterday, and told her that the 12th was a good day to have a baby. "Well, I kind of thought that the 10th was a good day to have a baby," she responded. I am praying for her, anxious for her, excited for her, nervous for her, rooting for her, crying for her, cheering for her, laughing for her, and wishing that I could hug her. But, that will be another waiting. So for now, I sit, with phone in hand, jumping at every ring, on 'pins and needles'.

sassy shoe thursday

okay, I have had to many people tell me that they would like to take part in Sassy Shoe Thursday, but they don't have the shoes for it. now, they could be just saying that because they truly don't want to participate, and that is cool, but for the genuine excuse that you don't think you have cool enough shoes, I just can't accept it! 'Sassy' just went with 'shoe' and 'thursday' so well, but everyone has shoes ( I kind of wish it was more mode to go barefoot), and so everyone can participate. you can also feature shoes that you don't own (yet!), so for a little inspiration, and an answer to excuses, you can go and visit solestruck.com. If you don't get totally desirous of cool shoes from this site, you have way more willpower than me!

now, for my shoes. these are my newest pair of shoes, and I love them. they go with everything, and after the first painfully disastrous time of wearing them, they are fairly comfortable. but, they are brown, and I think I am getting too much brown in my wardrobe. but, I still love the shoes.

how to

I am going to try to explain how to change your blog banner. I still don't have the thing figured out since, as you can see, it is still small and not covering the entire length of the top of the page. But, if you are happy with a little box in the middle like mine, then listen in:
1. design your banner: I designed mine on the computer with Adobe photoshop. this program is amazing! There is no end to the fun things that you can make with it, but there are quite a few other photoediting programs that you can use. Another way to make a banner is on paper, and then scan it. On paper, you can virtually do whatever you want, stamp, doodle, lipstick kiss (ooh! good idea for later), have fun, and make it yours! Then, scan it into your computer, and save it as a JPEG file.
NOTE: I am giving instructions of how to load onto blogger. I think typepad is pretty explanatory itself, and myspace, well, I'll look up some helps on the internet, because that site confuses me as it is!
2. open up your blogger account, and start a creat page as though you were just making a daily blog entry
3. click the 'upload picture' button, and select the photo that you created or scanned. save the uploaded image as a 'draft'
4. open it back up and click on the 'Edit Html' button at the top. this will show you a lot of garbled letters that somehow represent the image that looks so pretty (I don't understand any of this, but I am trying to learn, and share with you, how to manipulate it): copy and paste the part that is your image onto a separate word document, just so you don't lose it. It should begin with the 'img style' bit, and don't forget the little <> arrows. They are important.
5. now go into the template part of your blog. If you have never visited this page, or have only visited it to change to an already pre-made page, it can be scary. What am I saying!??? I've been to it more than that, and it is still scary, but on this page, is the magical ability to change your blog's entire look, but I don't know how to do that, so I'll just tell the part that I know so far. IMPORTANT NOTE: save the entire script of your page as it is, so that if you mess up, you can just copy and paste it back as it was. scroll down to where it says:

body

begin content

div id =content

(or something similar)

6. paste your image's URL (all of the garble that supposedly represents your image) after the content part.
now go down and save changes. republish, and check out your new page.

7. yep, there's a problem, huh? There's still the old header, too! Go back into the template, and erase the part that represents the old header. it will be a group of garble right after your personal image, or before it. erase the whole section, but not your image's information. now save changes, and republish, you should be good.

I am still looking for information to make the banner bigger, and if there is anyone who reads this and knows how, please let me know.

I have just had so much fun with my blog, changing it, making it personal to me, and meeting or greeting friends, old and new, that I think everyone should be able to do it. if you try this and need some help, let me know.

running with weights

Please, somebody tell me, what type of suicidal moron would run with weights? What weird type of person would want to add extra weight to the amount they are already carrying around on top of two legs while they are pounding those legs into the pavement? the answer: ME. I sometimes wonder at myself

New Banner

As you have probably noticed, I have been playing with my blog sight a little bit. But, I have a small problem. I can't seem to make my banner (what do you think of this one?) and bigger. It likes to stay small. If anyone has pointers, I would be more than grateful.

Long Day

You know how some days feel like 5 days rolled into one. Well, today was one like that for me. Started off not feeling great anyhow, you know low energy, stay in bed, be a poop not feeling good. It's the first day of a doctor team which always means there are tons of little 'loose ends' that have to be tied up in the last 30 seconds before Dan and the doctors get out of the door. Of course, that all has to happen while Judah is finishing breakfast, yelling 'all dine' at me, and having to go potty (5 days with no accidents folks!). When I finally got them out the door, I just felt like crying because I had to go to Prishtina with Judah to get medicine. That sentence could have basically said, I had to go to Siberia to find a warm vacation spot, because it's about that impossible! After sitting for an hour at the agency where we get the import license, OH, wait! Judah puked in the car on the 90 minute car ride, then, I sat for an hour at the agency where we get the medicine import license, and they finally figured out who I was, what my license was, and that "no" I didn't have to pay for it because it is free medicine! Then I waited at the airport for the next four hours for a 'private' customs agent to get my boxes for me. I won't even try to explain the 'private' bit, because what I did understand of the situation basically told me that I was getting jipped somehow. Car ride home with Judah singing at the top of his lungs the entire way (not an exaggeration), get home to whip up taco salad with Judah running in circles in the kitchen (also, not an exaggeration), eat, Judah's in a bath, Dan still isn't home because he had to clear up something so that our building can be insulated, and blog a little bit. I have to finish the dishes, and I think there is something else that I need to do.....oh, well.

music

Music has always been a huge part of my world and life. So much so, that I have started arranging music in my head for different ways that it effects me. "oh, I like this song, but only for a 'I'm bummed out and droopy' kind of day". I keep thinking that I need to start a notebook full of list titles to start listing these songs in, but it's one of those projects that isn't going to change the world, my house decor, or life if it doesn't happen. but, there are few that have gotten lengthy enough that I can think of them as complete lists. One of my favorites is my morning list. There is a great song by Chris Rice that I used to hear almost every day as I drove up the airport hill at 2:00AM to chuck UPS boxes, always woke me up! I think my morning list is the list closest to coming into being. After a child, I don't wake up like I used to, but mornings always seem to have such promise and joy. Then there is the music that I like to listen to while I cook, Latin, lounge club, worship, dance, anything that will make me swing my hips and sing into the stirring spoon (not while it's dripping, of course! I'd grab a dry one). I'm a dork I know, but some of mine and Judah's favorite times are when we are rockin' while mommy's making dinner. But, then there is a list that I didn't even realizing was starting to form. The list of music that inspires me to make music. HA! it may be songs that I am not even that fond of, but a certain chord progression, a few certain 'perfect' lyrics, an interesting different voice, that makes me think that for some reason, I CAN DO THAT, TOO! I have a friend who put together a 3-CD mix of songs of her. I cannot imagine how much time and thought went into that, but I admire it. I would be terrified to begin and even more terrified to claim some of the songs that are part of me! But, I am so grateful that they are. That I can relate music to my life, to happy and sad times, and redress my day in beautiful music. It is something that I hope to instill in my children, and since Judah plays drums on everything and anything (real drumsticks!), loves mommy's cheesy 5-octave keyboard and singing with it, loves his music and has starting to try to sing along (oh, so adorable), and has started playing air guitar, I think we have that process nicely started! This makes me want to get out all of the CDs that Dan just can't stand, but I secretly, LOVE!

clarification

I forgot one important note about my 'shoe' scrap page. There is only one pair of my own shoes on that page. I took the rest of the pics from the website where I was window shopping! don't I wish they were all mine and that I had taken those pictures. hehehehee

Allow me to introduce you

Here is one of the people that makes me cry every time I see her, but in an extremely good way! Cortney, used to be Shea, now Atchley, and I met when we worked together at Scheel's. Oh, my gosh I can still remember Cindy freaking out in the back freight room, and the towers of unopened boxes of products yet to be entered into the system! And Trevor always broke the rules, on everything! So, one day I invited her to church, or maybe Gen church (don't remember), and she came! And, kept coming. And, then, she got saved! I remember the pain that she went through with her ex (she can tell you that), and her sweet, amazing heart towards him through it all! She totally impressed me and still does. Now, she is the mommy of an adorable, little man who probably speaks better than me, and married to a Godly man who loves her, well, adores her! And, today, I found her blog, and guess what? I started crying! HA! imagine that!
Cortney, I love you so much, and am so blessed that God has brought you into my life, even though the times of togetherness are very far in between! Now I get to see more of your life, Fingerpaint queen!

Sassy Shoe Thursday (addendum)

I thought of shoes immediately when I saw the weekly challenge for two peas.
It says: "They are adorable or cute or funky. They make my day, style, & outfit. I like shopping for them, looking at them, buying them, but mostly wearing them. size 7 1/2 or 8. narrow. sandals, casual, heel, or flat. I love shoes. and so do my friends, you should see some of theirs!" enjoy
~you can see some of my other layouts here. and product info, too

Sassy Shoe Thursday

I'm in love with these ones. They are some of my new all-purpose sandals. I will wear them with shorts, with pants, with skirts, with dressy, with casual, with everything. Of course, they are a little grungy looking so I'll have to temper my wardrobe, so maybe not so much dressy!

~~~
I'm kinda liking Vanessa Carlton. yeah, I know, a little behind the times. She's the type of artist/singer that inspires me to make music. I like those ones.

hand sanitizer

Sooo, I've never been the one to really get worried about germs. In fact, I'm the one that says, 'come here you grubby little street urchin, aren't you cute?! But, your nose is just running all over the place, let me wipe it for you. Oh, I don't have any tissue...well, I can wash my hands in that mud puddle over there." HA! yeah, that's pretty much a true account, too. I have always been more interested in life to worry about the things that could keep me from it. My only real problem with germy places is tables. If I lean on tables in restaurants, or desks, for too long, my elbows breakout. I know, I'm always a step aside from the norm! But, I read this article, and it got me thinking, and then I thought some more.....until I remembered where I was - Kosova, where the people throw their garbage in the river and then swim in it! So, I went back to my former conviction: If you think about it too much, you miss your opportunity to live! But, hand sanitizer is a super-handy invention!

MacKenzie River Pizza Co.

everything on the menu, every lovely bite, every interesting and sometimes scary tast combination, sounds dee-lish to me right now. And, since I have to dream about it without getting to fill the craving (I was almost in tears yesterday!), then you guys do, too! I can't bear this one alone. It's too heavy., and I'm not strong enough. Just visit here, and begin to think of the tasty pizzas that come hot and ymmy out of the oven: Thai Pie, Rustler, Bell Ranch, Madison, Good 'ol boy, every single one except the one with fish; or the delicious sammiches: M lazy 7, *new* grilled cheese, willow creek; oh, and don't forget the amazing salads, or the lodgepoles, or the cowboy nachos! (oh, my I think I might start having convulsions! there is a puddle of drool forming under my chair). If you live in a city that has a MacKenzie River Pizza Co. and you don't go there this week and take advantage of the fact that you are priviledged enough to go there, I will disown you. And, if you don't live near a MacKenzie River, and understand what a priviledge it is to live near one.....well, then you know how I feel!

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

one specially designed diamond engagement ring: $2300 (but appraised for way more!)
some minor disputes and arguments: counseling
one adorable, wonderful child and possibly others: countless millions
our first kiss on the morning of our seventh year of an unregrettable, fantastic marriage: PRICELESS!