Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I hope all have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! I thought I'd share pictures of the military guys in my life! The picture below is of me (I'm a 13 year vet of the Air Force too just chose not to wear my uniform), my 4 brothers and my Dad. The 2 brothers in white hats are retired Navy, the guy in blue is a recruiter in NC and the one in the sailor uniform is actually stationed in Iraq right now! I also included a picture of my Dad when he was younger and in the Coast Guard! The next picture is of my DH (or hunka hunka burnin love!) and of course, my son who is in the Navy and stationed in Guam! I have pictures of my maternal Grandfather who was a doctor in the Army Air Core and was stationed in India! Military seems to run in our blood I guess! LOL!










Enjoy!

New Header Photo!

It's Springtime so it's time for the birdie to go and flowers to go up in it's place! Here's another "Breanna Original" for my header! She took this picture in my Grandmother-in-law's garden last year! I really liked it so it's the header picture....for now! She has so many great selections to choose from I might have to change it again! LOL!

Enjoy!

Here I Am!

The funniest thing keeps happening to me! The other day I was walking down the hallway at work and saw this lady I knew! When I walked into my office I'll be darned if she wasn't walking out! Now it was really getting weird when I started seeing her at my house...... LOL! It was ME! LOL! Seriously, things have been so crazy busy between home and work I was running into myself coming as I was going! What kept me so busy that I haven't been on here, have missed a swap I really wanted to do and more?! Well at work it's not only report card time but we're deep into winding down the 07/08 school year AND winding up (yep - winding UP!) for next school year already! After printing over 1,000 report cards, doing untold numbers of audits and filing out the, well you know - I'm still going strong! I haven't even been running as I've had a mystery pain in my side that is aggravated by running. This pain is baffling the doctors as they x-rayed my pelvis and did an ultrasound and found nothing! Weird thing is though.... the pain is in my left side under my ribcage! I'm thinking like a real estate agent here perhaps but, isn't location everything?! I have gotten some good drugs (hello valium!) off of it but, well, I took two and let's just suffice it to say... not doing those anymore!LOL! I'm dealing with it as best I can while the doctors look up their anatomy books to decide what to do next (my elbow x-rayed perhaps?!) My DH is out of the country this week too and took my camera with him, well okay he took the family camera with him so I haven't been able to take any pictures unless I used my camera phone! Bless the inventor of that little baby! So anyway, that's me for the last week or so! Crazier then usual but still here! LOL!

Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

I was thinking yesterday, no pain involved here either! Here I am in D.C., it's Cherry Blossom Festival time and we have yet to go! We're hoping my brother can come up the last weekend of it and we'll see it for, what may be, our last time! When we went last time it was gorgeous! Sunny, a little cool but nothing beat the flowers! So here are a few pictures from a couple of years ago

My DH took this great picture and I just love it! We have it as our screen saver too!



Here's a close up!




The festival is set up all over with lots of events and, is it ever PACKED! This is the only shot of the lake/pond we could get! Sorry but we're in it (the "Polo pals"! LOL!) and blocking it but you can see some of it - just enough to tease! Doesn't it make you feel warm?!



I added this shot of the White House too. It's another picture in our screensaver too. It's beautiful and both my DH and daughter claim to have taken it! LOL! They had their own cameras and were taking pictures of everything! There is actually a fence around the WH but you just have to stick your hands and camera through to get a shot "bar free"! LOL! It was also taken a little later in the year as you can probably tell by the flowers!

More Fun!

Note - the first posting of this had to be deleted due to spam! Darn creeps!

Woooo! I'm having so many fun days lately I almost don't know what to do! LOL! Sunday my friend Vanessa and I ran the Washington D.C. St Patrick's Day 8K race! It was cold, it was windy, I was thinking "we're totally crazy for doing this...." but, we had SO much fun anyway despite it all! Big waves to Vanessa you're an awesome running partner! Poor Vanessa is seriously going to have to consider weights in the hem of her pants next time as she had a hard time running in the wind! It's one time I'm glad I have a little weight on my body I wasn't as easy for the wind to blow around! LOL! We did it though! We both finished in good times too! YEAH for us!! Enjoy the pictures we took before, during and after! LOL! I guess you can tell who the "scrappy runners" are huh?! LOL!

This is just before the race. We're smiling now because we're warm! Starbucks is good for more then coffee sometimes! It's where we waited for the race to start. Don't we look "cute" in our matching tees?! We had matching glittery hair scrunchies too! Vanessa is such a great friend! I had a ton of fun with her!



Here we are enjoying our run mid way and smiling despite the huge cold windgusts in our faces! True scrappers huh!





We did it! Here we are still smiling at the end! Actually I think the smiles were frozen on our faces by then! LOL! We were glad to be done! LOL!



Now, on to the next race.........

Another Fun Day!

If only I could have these kind of days more often! It is Read Across America week and the kids were challenged for reading several books! If they read 3500 books the principals had to wear their jammies to school! Well, being the team players we are, a couple of us in the office wore ours too! Don'tcha think we look happy?!! This is me and my "chingoo" (Korean for friend) Robin! She's so sweet! I love her jammies with all the coffee cups on them! Mmmm love my java too! Iwas a big hit with Sponge Bob on my jammies! They were, of course, quickly confiscated by Breanna when I got home! LOL!

Dreams CAN Come True!!

It's Sunday here but, for me, it was "funday"! WOO HOO! I had a dream come true today courtesy of "that boy's" Dad!! Don't worry it's all innocent! His Dad has a 2002 metallic red corvette that makes my heart just race with the thought of ever driving it! Heck just talk about it or, hold me back here, put the key in my hand and you should get the paramedics on the line! Can you say major heart palpitations?! LOL! Well today I don't know what was going faster - my heart or the corvette! I GOT TO DRIVE IT!!!!! I went by to pick "that boy" up to go to the mall with Breanna and asked if there was anything I could do for him since Chantal (his wife and friend of mine) was gone and he had been having foot trouble! I was thinking maybe run to the store, bring something back.....! LOL! Totally not expecting that, this dream, would happen today! He told me, "matter of fact yeah I do" and said "it's a nice day to drive the vette"! My thoughts at the time were, OMG tell me he didn't just hint that I could drive it......... he did! HE REALLY DID! I didn't hesitate to park my car and jump right in and off we went! I wasn't even thinking as I left Breanna and that boy home alone! If you know me that is "big"! LOL! LOL! Anyway, little excited here can you tell?! LOL! Here are a couple of pictures of me and "the CAR"! LOL!

This is at my house when I went to show Brian and get my camera - had to have pictures!


Here's proof I actually got to sit in the drivers seat! I'm in love!!



I'm sure I fit the profile of a total dork as excited as I was but, heck, I sure was a happy dork today! Thanks Clay for an AWESOME Funday!

PIF - Let's Have Some Fun!

PIF?! What does that mean?! It means "Pay It Forward"! It also means fun, freebies and sharing! YEAH! Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Pay It Forward - Blog Candy
Nardi, a really cool Stampin Up demo from an awesome, warm and fun place - Australia, offered some Pay It Forward blog candy for the first three bloggers to leave a comment and I just happened to be one of them.

In return, I am to Pay It Forward (PIF) on my own blog. Hence here I am...

If you want to join in the fun:
1. You need to have your own blog so that you can then PIF.
2. Then be one of the first to comment on this blog post and I will send you some blog candy.
3. Just remember to PIF on your blog and send out a little something to the first 3 people who comment on your blog.
And the cycle of PIF will continue to bless and brighten one another's day. It is that simple!

So on your marks, get set....POST!!! First three to the comment box will need to start stalking their mail boxes! ;o) The surprise will be all yours.

Wanna play?!

Wanna visit Nardi's blog too?! Here ya go....

www.cardbynard.blogspot.com <-- I tried for a hotlink but it was being crankier then me this morning! Just cut and paste this into your browser and it will work for you!

Mail Call........

Who wouldn't want mail to come in these little cuties! My daughter is so crafty too! When she's in the mood, as only a mother of a teenager can relate too, she'll craft with me! The difference between her and I, at times, is she'll complete a project first! LOL! This is no exception as I'm waiting for the "right thing" to finish mine but here are pictures of Breanna's mail boxes she made AND already gave to her friends! We filled them with candy and red nail polish! A girl needs red nails on Valentine's day right!

Here are the fronts;



Here are the sides;



Drop a line and let her know how she did! Maybe it'll encourage her to craft with her Mom more often!

Neat Idea

I have a Dad who is hard to buy for - don't we all have someone like that in our lives?! Holidays stress you, birthdays etc.... what do you get them especially when they can buy it for themselves if they really want it right?! Well, a band teacher who works at the same school as I has a business on the side that was the best idea yet! He has a business for videography of special events such as weddings etc. I have the plans, right now to have him put pictures on a DVD of my parents through the years and each of us children! There are 5 of us, I was cursed, I mean blessed with 4 brothers and I have pictures of all of us at different stages of life that would be an awesome DVD for my Dad to watch! I lost my Mom 3 years ago so including pictures of them at different stages of their marriage would be great! I also asked him to help me repair a photo that I had glued into a picture frame of a calendar I had planned to give my Mom the same year she passed away. It was my favorite of my 3 kids and I thought it was ruined! He saved it and I am so grateful as he did an awesome job! So I thought I'd share this awesome idea with you as I'm sure he can help anyone even through the mail! So if you're looking for a good, no make that great gift idea, then check out his website at http://www.beltwayvideo.com/index.html - tell him Michelle sent ya!

Give it a thought, or two!

Okay John, there's the plug I promised! You really did a great job and I am thankful!

New Picture

Do you like my new picture I just put up?! It's the one on the top of my blog! My 14 year old daughter took that picture while we were in Wisconsin recently! She has such a good idea for some awesome pictures! I wish you could see her whole album! Anyway I hope you like it!

Wisconsin Holiday Visit

Doesn't just looking at this picture make you cold?

We're home from Wisconsin now! A day late and more then "a" dollar short, but we're home! The picture above is from the front door of my in-laws house and is the reason we're home late! We were freezing our hineys off in this snowstorm! It waited until Friday, the day we were supposed to leave, to show up! We got somewhere around 8" all together. We got to the airport to leave and wouldn't you know it the airport closed down! They told us our flight would be the first one out but, wouldn't you know it, as soon as we get through security they cancelled our flight!Shheeez! We wound up having to spend the night at a hotel (lucky we got a room!) the next day we took a shuttle to Chicago to catch an earlier flight then they originally told us. We had to fly through Minneapolis to get back to DC! Funny how that system works! We got home around midnight Saturday worn out! It was an awesome vacation though. My husband has the best family - how they all get along is beyond me but they do! I hope you all had a good Christmas holiday too!

I Should Be Cleaning But.....

Okay my dear sweet beloved husband has been gone for 8 long, long, long (did I say long yet?) days and is finally coming home today! I really should be cleaning but I found the coolest "thing" on another blog! It's a "creative" test and apparently I'm a little on the creative side! LOL! Surprise! Try it out to see how creative you are too;

You Are 83% Creative

You are an incredibly creative person. For you, there are no bounds or limits to your creativity. Your next creation could be something very great... Or at least very cool!

How Creative Are You?

Somehow I don't think my honey will care how creative I am when he sees my creative mess all over the kitchen when he walks in the door! Gotta get moving here!