The Journey Ahead

As we wrap up the year - 2009 - I look back with sadness, delight, love and yearning on the year we had. Rather than recap it (there were some tough moments, some eye-opening moments, and some really critical moments that have advanced my life's momentum) I'd like to look forward to next year - 2010 - and what it might hold.

May 2010 be a year of living in the moment. I'd like to spend the year seeking out the enjoyment of the here and now - not looking too far into the future, nor lingering too far in the past, but really experiencing life as I live it. (Maybe 2010 will be the year of my tattoo?)

Let a focus of 2010 be on relationships. I love my husband, my family and my friends, but I find that in the hustle and bustle of the day to day activities in life I let some relationships fall through the cracks. I want to be the friend and family member that others know they can call on for help. I want to be the wife that gives her husband the best part of her day, not what's left of her day. I want to be a pillar of support in the relationships in my life.

Allow for good health in 2010. I think I've been blessed and healthy throughout my life. This year I'd like to get back into better shape, eat well, exercise, you know the "resolution" drill. But I want to do it with a focus on feeling good.

Opportunities in 2010 for personal development and fulfillment. Spiritually, I'd like to continue on the journey I began this year. I feel excited to have started attending church again, I'm reading my bible, and participating in a small group through church. I'd also like to continue to develop my personal/professional leadership and networking through the Leadership Henderson program that I am currently participating in. Finally, I would also like to read a little more and write a little more.

I am a big believer in making the most of a situation and being masters (or mistresses) over one's own fate. That being said - 2010 looks like it's going to shape up to be a fabulous year! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

I just want to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone!

I so love this time of year and am looking forward to all of the final preparations and family togetherness over the next few days. I have the day off tomorrow, so I will be picking up a final gift or two, and some extra fun stuff for wrapping. I also hope to get all of my wrapping finished up tomorrow because the days are getting busy!

Our line up for the next couple of days is pretty busy - but definitely lots of fun! Tomorrow evening Jimmy and I will be having dinner with our friends John and Christina. They're in town for Christmas, so we're really looking forward to seeing them. Wednesday evening we are attending Christmas services at Central Christian Church. We're excited to be taking my mom, and possibly my dad, along with us. Since we've been going to church regularly lately it makes Christmastime even more special. Then Thursday is Christmas Eve! We have dinner at my older sister Corey's house with all our family, then we head over to Jimmy's mom & dad's house to eat and open presents with them. Christmas Day we mosey over to my parent's house for breakfast and gifts - my mom told me they strategically stuck all of our presents in the back of their tree this year since we're always the last ones to show up! I'm sure we'll be spending some time at Jimmy's parent's house on Christmas too.

As all the hustle and bustle builds over these few days leading up to Christmas, I can't help but think of some of my favorite Christmas traditions from growing up. I remember driving around at night, looking at Christmas lights (I actually just did this weekend before last with my parents again!), doing our countdown calendars (and always putting the old maid on Mom's birthday), sneaking peeks at the presents - under the tree and hiding away under my mom & dad's bed too, and that feeling that I was never going to fall asleep on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning couldn't get here fast enough!

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Thankful Thoughts #6

On this, the last day of November, I have one more Thankful Thoughts post that I'd like to share. I am so thankful for my health and the health of my family members. I am thankful that I can stretch and walk, and even run if I want to. That I can lift and jump, push and pull, and climb and bend. I'm also thankful for the sturdy arms of my husband that wrap around me and for the strength of his heart that supports me. I'm thankful that all my family is in good health - my grandma, my parents, sisters and nieces, inlaws and cousins. May good health be with you all!

Thankful Thoughts #5

In my job I find fulfillment, excitement and enjoyment. I am so thankful for my job - not just because I'm able to pay my bills, but because I love what I do. I think it's so hard to figure out what you want to be when you grow up when you haven't really experienced anything. I kind of fell into my job by happenstance and am so thankful that I did!

Sure there are things about my job that I don't love, but the things I do love outweigh the things I don't. One of my favorite things about my job has been doing the baby storytimes. I love being one of the first people that babies share books with. It is so wonderful to watch them grow up and continue coming to storytimes. I definitely have some favorites and it's been fun to watch them grow up. Here are a couple of my favorite stories/memories:

Christopher started coming to my very first storytime session. He was pretty little and continued coming to my storytimes until he turned 18 months and graduated to the toddler storytimes. I was filling in for the toddler storytimes one day and his mom told me, "We were just talking about Miss Marcie on our way here. Christopher told me he thinks that Miss Marcie probably drives a motorcycle!" How cute is that!

One of my other favorites is Mikey. He was a little baby when he started coming to my storytimes and has since outgrown them too. But during one of our storytime sessions (he was probably just over a year old) he came walking into the library with his mom (by the way his mom and big brother Jon-Jon are great too!) and his mom says, "There's Miss Marcie - we've been talking about you all morning!" So I greet them, and Mikey comes walking around my desk saying "Marcie." Wow! This little guy was probably only saying a few words at that time and he loved coming to the library - singing songs and sharing stories - so much that Marcie was one of his first words!

It is so great to see the way parents start sharing books with their babies based on the modeling behaviors that they see in storytimes. Making books fun is so important!

Finally my favorite, favorite, favorite little storytime attendees have been my nieces. :) They are fantastic anyway, but I love sharing what I do with them!

I don't think that I could possibly be as happy at any other job right now in my life. I love good books, and I love sharing them with others. From babies to grandparents - it's definitely a perk of my job!

Thankful Thoughts #4

I'm so thankful for my faith. I think it's something that I've really found more recently. As a child I would go to church on and off, I always believed in God and Jesus Christ but was never in a situation where I thought a whole lot about my faith, nor did I question it. As I got older I fell away from the church and was just living my own life - still believing, but not really putting my faith or religion at the forefront of my life. However, Jimmy and I started attending church again earlier this year, and I am so thankful for the place it now has in my life.


We tried a couple of different places and have recently found our home at Central Christian Church. I wasn't too sure of it at first - it's huge and I oscillated between feeling like I could practice my faith anonymously (thus more personally to me) and feeling lost in the crowd. With the onset of our "Neon Faith" series, Jimmy and I joined a small group and have come to find a place where we can share in bible study with our group and talk about our faith and the role it plays in our life. In this series we also have shared daily devotionals with each other and have begun praying together. I think our growth in our faith has really spurred more growth in our relationship, and individually.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity to learn more about my faith, the bible, and Jesus Christ. I know it is through my faith that God will move in my life and help me to be the person that I am supposed to be.

Thankful Thoughts #3

Happy Day! Today I'm thankful for my optimism. I know a few people that are always seeing the dark side of things and it makes me crazy! I am so thankful that I was blessed with the ability to see the good in situations and people.

I think optimism goes a long ways toward being a happy person and living a fulfilled life. Don't get me wrong - there are times when I am down and out and nothing seems to have a positive side to it - but those times are few and far between. I am generally a happy-go-lucky gal who focuses on the positive things (there is something to be said for the power of positive thinking).

Thankful Thoughts #2

Hello Again -

Today's installment of my Thankful Thoughts puts my family (both my blood family as well as my in-laws) on my list!

I feel so blessed to have such good examples of love and marriage from both my parents and Jimmy's parents. I also love the fact that both of our families are so close knit. I know can I turn to anyone in either of our families with any problem, issue or question.

I really feel that family is the core of who I am. I have been lucky to be able to surround myself with a family that lifts me up - they are all such wonderful people and bring so much to my life.

I love you all! :)

Thankful Thoughts

So, in an effort to blog a little more here's my plan for November: Thankful Thoughts. Since we have Thanksgiving this month, I am going to post a series of posts about what I'm thankful for these days.



First and foremost on my list of things I'm thankful for is my husband, Jimmy. He is such a wonderful man and husband. Amidst everything he goes through he still goes out of his way to make sure I'm happy and taken care of. We've been through a lot this year - both on our own and together - and I don't think I would have made it out the other side in one piece if it weren't for him.

Jimmy loves me unconditionally - he loves my faults and imperfections. He loves me passionately - with zeal and affection. He loves me steadfastly - with respect and honor. He is the man of my dreams and then some. He is my best friend, my confidant, my lover, my greatest supporter, my foundation, my strength, my wings, my co-conspirator, my voice of reason, my quiet companion, my biggest fan, my true love, really my everything. I honestly don't know where I would be in this world without him.

I love you, Jimmy...and I am thankful for you every moment of my life.

Brimming with Stuff...At a Loss for Words

So many things to post about:

Beautiful Trip to Oregon
Delicious Food in Oregon
VooDoo Donuts
Kendra & Kevin's Wedding
My Own Six Year Anniversary
Leadership Henderson Program
Engagement Photo Shoot (as in I was the photographer)
A Full Week Off from Work

...yet my fingers are listless as I type and I can't come up with the right way to say anything right now. As I enjoy the last few days before heading back to the real world (work), I'll think about posting, but probably will nap instead. So, for now, here are a few photos - after all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Beautiful Sunset - Cannon Beach, OR (by the way this was taken from the balcony of our room - it was wonderful to fall to sleep to the sound of the waves crashing)


This was a delicious grilled peach salad from a quaint little restaurant in Portland, called Meriwether's. I still am wishing I could eat it every day - it was fabulous!


A bacon maple bar from VooDoo Donuts - need I say more? It might not look super appetizing, but it was oh so good!


Kendra & Kevin's Wedding - It was a beautiful beach wedding. I love weddings - it's really exciting to think back to my own wedding day and how much joy I felt during that time (and still do!).


Alexis & Eric's Engagement Photo Shoot - It was a lot of fun and we ended up with some really good pictures. I hope it gets me back into photography...I haven't been taking many pictures lately.


I don't have photos for any of the other things I wanted to blog about, but maybe I'll revisit them with the actual stories. Until then...

Yippee!

Jimmy and I leave day after tomorrow for a quick getaway to Oregon for a wedding. I am so excited about our trip - and could really use a few days away! I will post a real post after the trip with our adventures. Things to look forward to: review of VooDoo Donuts (can't wait!), pictures (I'm taking my good camera even though I don't usually on trips since it's so big), the wedding (Kendra and Kevin - congrats to them - I love weddings), and any other adventures we might have along the way!

Back to the Basics

So, when I first started this blog Jimmy and I thought we would go eat at new restaurants and review them on the blog. We only did it once, but here's the newest (and second ever) review: Hot N Juicy Crawfish!

Jimmy's buddy, Jesse, knows the owner and helps out at the restaurant when needed. He'd mentioned it to Jimmy a couple of times and told him we should come by and eat, but we never did. Then, enter Sarah - the new teen librarian in my department - she says she and her boyfriend Thorin saw this crawfish restaurant on Man vs. Food and wanted to check it out. And I was like, wait, that's the restaurant Jesse keeps telling us to go to. So, we made our plans and decided to try it out this past Saturday.

Mind you, I am not the most adventurous eater ever. I do like to try new things, but seafood usually is not my forte. But I decided I was game and should give it a try. As it's getting closer to the Saturday Jimmy is bringing up crawfish to everyone and I can start to see he's a little nervous about it. He keeps hearing all this talk about you're supposed to tear their head off and suck out their brains - gross.

Finally Saturday arrives and we stop by and pick up Sarah and Thorin and head to Hot N Juicy Crawfish on Spring Mountain near Decatur. The place was hopping - there were people waiting outside and the minute you walk through the door your nose is greeted with the delicious scent of Louisiana spices. Yum.

Jesse sees us and leads us to a great table he's been holding for us. The tables are covered in plastic. Jesse starts us with our drinks, bibs (yes you need them) and explains the menu to us. The items at the top (crawfish, crab legs and more) can be ordered by the pound. They are boiled in a water with some spices. When they come out of the boil you have your choice of seasonings (including Louisiana style - which is just straight out of the boiling water, lemon pepper, garlic butter, and the Hot n Juicy special) and hotness (from mild to extra spicy). Further down the menu are all things fried - shrimp, calamari, fries, soft shell crab, and chicken.

We ended up ordering two pounds of crawfish - one pound was Louisiana Style and one pound was the Hot n Juicy Special - both pounds we ordered spicy. We also got a pound of snow crab with the lemon pepper seasoning, fried shrimp, calamari and a basket of fries. We added a couple of cobs of corn and a couple of potatoes - these are boiled and thrown in with the crawfish.

Each item comes out as it is ready. Our crawfish came out first. It is tied up in clear plastic bags. There are no plates, no silverware - you just dig in with your fingers and be grateful for the full roll of paper towels on your table! Now, the crawfish come out looking like little crawfish - heads (with eyes), pincers, legs, the whole shebang. In order to eat them, you twist their head off, crack into their tail and pull the meat out of the their tail. I was a little squeamish about digging into the first one, but quickly overcame the squeam-factor. The actual meat was delicious - worth the effort it took to get to it! And there was definitely some kick to it! The snow crab was perfect - once you cracked it open the meat came out in one giant meaty piece. The shrimp was perfectly fried - it was battered like catfish and scrumptious. The calamari was by far the best calamari I've ever had! All in all it was absolutely wonderful.

Our service was fantastic. Our cups were constantly being refilled - which was necessary with all the spiciness of the dishes. Jesse took care of our dinner for us - so I'm not sure what the prices were - the menu states market price for most of the items, but I have heard they are very decently priced.

I would definitely recommend Hot N Juicy Crawfish! It was great food and a fun environment. I think it's definitely a fun meal to share with others so that you can take advantage of ordering and trying lots of menu items. Definitely two thumbs up!

Who Am I?

I am wife who would do anything for my husband. I would carry the burdens of a country to lighten his load in the slightest. I would take his stresses, fears and sleeplessness onto myself, to make it easier for him. I love him with my whole heart and he fills that heart up with his love for me. He rejuvenates me when I’m on empty.

I am a daughter who still does what she can to make her parents proud. I continue to try to excel at what I do so that my parents can look at me with pride and love. When I look at them I see the values and morals they instilled in me and am proud to call them my parents.

I am a sister who wants a good laugh or a good cry, in turn. I can offer up my shoulder to the girls who share my blood whenever they need and know where I can find a shoulder whenever I’m in need.

I am a friend who loves sharing in good food and good conversation. I can be guarded but the best of friends know that I would do anything for them, expecting nothing in return.

I am a librarian who holds one love above a good book: being able to share that good book with others. I am passionate about doing what I can to contribute to a literate community and am grateful for the opportunity to share my talents with others.

I am an auntie who loves her girls. I will have children of my own some day, but until then I will cuddle, read, play, and laugh with my nieces - then send them on their ways.

I am me - still in the works. I have a lot I still want to become, but I am who I am and I am comfortable in my skin.

Simple Pleasures

I've really been making an effort to stop and enjoy some of life's simple pleasures lately.

Some of my current favorites are:
*The sound the wind makes in a palm tree
*Pillow talk
*A delicious iced coffee (currently hooked on The Coffee Bean's Caramel Latte, but settling for a not quite as delicious much cheaper home-made iced coffee)
*Hannah's face when she sniffs the air
*Good conversation with old friends
*The Ting Tings
*Dinners with family

Whatever simple pleasures life offers you, don't forget to stop and take notice!

Secrets...

Have you have ever had a really good, juicy, if-you-only-knew secret? I can't think of a time when I've had one. I wonder if no one tells me their secrets, or if no one I know has good secrets? I don't think I've ever really had good secrets - for two reasons. One: I'm a good girl at heart so I've never really had a juicy secret of my own. Two: I'm an open book. So, if I did have a juicy secret everyone would probably know.

So, if anyone has a good secret they want to share, I'll keep it for you. :)

Today I Will...

*Buy something unexpected and fun at the grocery store
*Take a picture
*Wear a skirt
*Play secretary at Jimmy's office
*Enjoy life

Hope you all have a great day too!

Some Thoughts About My Dad

I've always been a Daddy's Girl. From as long as I can remember, I looked at my dad with love and awe. I turned to him when I had a problem, I listened to his anecdotes, and I knew he was the greatest man in the whole world. He went to work everyday to support his family and take care of his wife and daughters. When I was young my dad was not a man of many words, but I always knew he loved me and my sisters...even if he had funny ways of showing it. I remember many a morning that Dad would be on a kick, chasing us around and tickling us until we laughed so hard we couldn't breathe! Even though it seemed annoying at the time, I know now that that was a way for my dad to show his affection. As he's gotten older, he's gotten better about saying things that are on his mind and in his heart, but he's still great at showing his family how much he loves them. He's the first one to volunteer to help fix a car, or move a family, or build a house. If something needs to be done, my dad is right there to help us out - no matter how big or small the project is. Through his actions it is evident there is nothing he wouldn't do for his family. I'm thankful to have such a great dad. Happy Father's Day! I love you, Daddy!

Introducing the Law Offices of James J. Smedley, Esq.

So we did it! Jimmy has opened his own firm the Law Offices of James J. Smedley, Esq. I'm so excited about our business and what it means for our family. I think it's been one of the best decisions we've made. If you need help with a legal problem, or know anyone who does, call Jimmy. Here's his website: www.smedlaw.com. All of his contact information is there. He deals in almost every kind of law.

Happy Mother's Day

I want to send a big Happy Mother's Day out to all moms, but special ones to those mothers in my life.

To my Grandma - Happy Mother's Day and thank you for everything. I have such special memories of having fun at your house. We could always show up for milk with a little bit of tea or a round of The Twelve Days of Christmas - all we had to do was walk across the street. You had plenty of aprons and shoes for dress up - though my sisters and I always coveted the hot pink heels. When I was little I just thought you were a fun grandma who loved her family very much - as I grew up and learned more about your life, I realized how strong you are and how much you sacrificed for your children - for many years of your life, you truly lived for them. Thank you for being such a good example.

To My Sisters - Watching the two of you as mothers has been delightful. You are so similar and so different - and I am learning a lot from both of you. Corey - You've been a mom for almost eight years now! It is so evident that you love your girls and wouldn't trade motherhood for anything - however, it's also nice to see that it's okay to get frustrated and want to give them up for a day! I see your love for those girls and how you're the hub of your family - it really suits you. I'm proud of you and the choices that you make in raising your family. Ashley - a brand new mama - Happy First Mother's Day to you! What an exciting time in your life - your excitement and awe over Layla is present in all you do - seeing that in you makes me excited to be a mom one day too. I think you have grown up so much in the past couple of years and you're a great mom! You and Kelly have been put through a lot, but you lean on each other for strength and support - and I think that's key in raising a family. I'm proud of you too!

To My Mother In Law, Sun - Thank you for accepting me into your family and sharing your son with me. I feel so lucky to have in-laws that are so supportive and who genuinely want me to be a part of their family. I am also glad for the example you and Al set for Jimmy - we are lucky to both come from families where a marriage is something that lasts - even if there are trying times that need to be worked through. Happy Mother's Day!

To My Mom - Of course a special Happy Mother's Day to you! You have been there for me since forever, and I am grateful for all of the love and support I have received from you. I am blessed to have a mom as wonderful as you to learn from. As kids, me and my sisters got to be kids. We never had to worry about anything - you made sure our lives were fun - from making the video for Stacy, to playing "Restaurant" at lunch, to rummy games into the middle of the night. You made sure we were happy and when something did go wrong you fixed it. And, even as you were playing pretend with us, you were also making meals, washing dishes, doing laundry and sometimes working. But we could feel that we were a priority - it's easy to see now that the things you did were always for us and our family. As I grew up I see your devotion to your family. I also see how lucky I am to have you for a mom. So much of who I am today I credit to you. I know I can still turn to you with whatever problems I have - and even though it's not as easy to make them just go away - it makes dealing with them much easier knowing I have you in my corner. Thank you so much for giving me the support all through my life to grow up and be me! I love you!

Thoughtless

Every time I think to myself, "Hmm...I really should do a new blog entry" my mind goes really blank. Then I think to myself, "Hmm...I don't really have anything to say." So, I usually think about coming back to the blog at a time when I have something to say. So, in an effort to continue posting regularly, I think I need to write whether or not I have something to say! :)

I remember when I was in high school I kept a journal like nobody's business. I wrote in it all the time, my most private thoughts. With a blog, it's a little more public (not that there are secret crushes and awful teachers to write about now), so I feel inclined to censor myself - mostly out of a desire to not bore my four followers (thanks, guys!). So, I apologize in advance about the fact that this blog is really about nothing.

I do enjoy writing though - and I want to do more of it. My blog is a good place to do it, but I think I need some direction. Maybe I should start looking for some "prompts" and write from there? Hmm...that's a thought!

In other news - Jimmy has filed his S-Corp papers for his business and is in the process of filing for his state and county business licenses. He ordered his computer (which I think will arrive sometime next week) and his furniture - desk, his chair, and two guest/client chairs (which I think might arrive week after next). So things are moving along quite nicely there. He's also lining up some clients and doing some networking. Exciting stuff!

We have a wedding to go to next weekend. John, who was the best man at our wedding, is marrying his fiancee, Christina. Jimmy is his best man. He has bachelor party duties this weekend and is looking forward to meeting up with some old friends he hasn't seen in a while. I am looking forward to the wedding - I love weddings. I haven't decided what to wear yet though!

We've attended church a couple times in the past month. We've gone to The Crossing - which is a non-denominational Christian church. It's clear on the other side of town (Windmill and Buffalo), but we really like it there. It's so different from any church I've ever been to, but it's really refreshing and contemporary.

Well, I think I've reached the end of what I have to say for today. Hopefully my next post will be a little more exciting! Thanks for enduring! :)

Techno, Bach & Latin Beats

Good Morning World! I am sitting peacefully in our office this morning checking e-mail, FaceBook, etc. I'm looking at photos on flickr when Jimmy wakes up. He says to me: "You gotta check out this song I made." Jimmy has a musical instrument called a Juno G - it looks like a keyboard but it's actually a synthesizer. He can make different sounds and beats and record them with other musical things. So, he plays me his techno song - I'm not super big on techno, but it's pretty cool he can make that. Next I hear piano and ask "Hey what's that?" To which his reply is "Bach." He didn't make the Bach song, it was preloaded in his Juno. Also preloaded were the Latin beats he played next. The possibilities are endless...

Speaking of endless possibilities we've decided that Jimmy is going solo in his practice of law. He has an office and a possible client already! How exciting! He has a few things to get taken care of, but should be open for business pretty soon. So, if you know anyone who needs a lawyer, send them our way! :)

And, my big 30th birthday is tomorrow. After much drama that doesn't need to be gotten into here, my original birthday plans are off - but new ones have been made. Tonight we are spending time with all my family - Ashley, Kelly and of course Layla are in town. We were going to barbecue, but the wind has been out in gale forces, so I think we'll be having some sort of indoor dinner instead! Tomorrow morning Jimmy is taking me out for brunch. And we'll have the traditional spaghetti birthday dinner with Jimmy's family. I'm just happy to be celebrating with those who want to celebrate with me! Also, I think Jimmy got me a birthday surprise! We usually shop together for birthday presents so we get what we want. This year there isn't really anything that I want, so I think we're going to book a room on the strip for a night or two and get massages and have a little "staycation" as they're calling them these days! However, he did say he wanted to have something for me on my birthday - I imposed a price limit though - and I'm excited to see what he comes up with on his own! :)

Well, I guess I am signing off (to sounds of chimes - compliments of Jimmy and his Juno)!

I Promise (AGAIN) to be a Better Blogger

Wow! Where does the time go? How do I go so long without posting when I have every intention to do so? Ah, well...such is life.

I went to Kansas City and visited Stephanie and Faith last month. We had a great time. I love those girls and it's like no time has ever passed when we get together. :) Here we are at a wine-tasting event. We mostly just spent time together doing what we do best - talking - we were communication majors after all!


Now we're in April. Jimmy had his birthday a week and a half ago - 31. My big 3-0 is coming up next weekend. I remember thinking I had life all figured out when I was younger. By 30 I was sure to have started a family, worked in a high-power corporate environment and be ready to settle into life at home as a mother. How funny that seems now. :) I am proud of where I am and what I have done - and I wouldn't change a thing. I love my job and want to work for at least another year, maybe two before giving it up for a family. I love Jimmy and feel so lucky to have such a wonderful and fulfilling marriage - I don't feel like I have to add anything to it at this point - it's great as is! So, all in all, I'm really happy in my life right now.


Jimmy quit his job a couple of weeks ago. The stress at his firm was crazy and it was having ill effects on everything - his health and mental state, our relationship, you name it! So, he quit. He's not working right now, but is seriously considering opening his own firm. When we first started talking about it, it made me pretty nervous - but now I'm really excited. I'm excited at the possibilities and the freedom. I think it will be a great move and now is the time to give it a try.


In closing - I promise to try to be a better blogger. Even if I just do short posts when I have nothing to say. Here's to blogging!

Random Fun Stuff

My last post was a little heavy, but I'm feeling more light-hearted today and wanted to post some random fun stuff! First, I went to a yoga class again this morning. I went a few weeks ago for the first time and this was my second time. It's a really good class. The place is called Blue Sky Yoga and it's on Charleston and Main St. in downtown Las Vegas. They do the classes by donation and the instructor, Cheryl, is great. I love it! I go with my friend and hair lady, Susan. We have a blast. And, I'm really proud of myself because I've never really taken a yoga class - only done yoga videos - and I'm able to mostly keep up and do everything. It's really great for clearing my mind and generally making me feel good!

My next fun thing is that I started twittering...as in on twitter.com. It's fun - I got Jimmy to make a profile too, but I doubt he'll keep it up. :)

I'm going to Kansas City on Friday! My two best friends from UNLV are Stephanie and Faith. Stephanie comes out to Vegas about once a year and I usually see her then. I haven't seen Faith since we graduated in 2000. So, Stephanie, who lives in New York, and me are flying out to Kansas City to spend the weekend with Faith. It is going to be so much fun! I really need a little getaway. I think this will be a great way to kind of reset my frame of mind.

Things are falling into place at work - since being promoted to Department Head I've been feeling like things were totally in limbo - we were understaffed, I didn't want to overstep, and I felt generally worn out and ragged. Well, we've posted to fill our unfilled position (Teen Librarian) so I'll be able to give up some of those responsibilities once we fill the position. Also, I am settling into my new desk in the office (which still feels a little weird because that was Kenna's place - but I'm working on getting past that) and starting to think about some focus for our department. I think we're in a great spot, but there are some projects I would like to undertake. I'm feeling really positive about work right now.

We had a really fun dinner last night. Jimmy, Elizabeth, Seth, Caprice, Jasmine and I all went to Grape Street. We had a delicious dinner and fabulous conversation. We decided to form a dinner club and meet out once a month at new restaurants - we may even write a book. I think we're planning on trying a Peruvian restaurant next month - what fun!

My bangs are growing out. This is a good thing! And I think I'm going to go for a pedicure on Wednesday. :)

Well, I think I'm going to head downstairs to see what Jimmy wants for dinner tonight (leftover pizza?).

A Hard Goodbye

Last week I lost my beautiful friend, Kenna. I’m still struggling with letting her go, but I guess that’s part of the process. I have really only lost grandparents in my life and what a different experience this was. I am trying to think about the last time I saw my grandparents before they died, and all I can think is that they were fine, then they were dead. With Kenna I watched her die. This has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to experience and it continues to be very hard. Kenna was fine too, and then all of a sudden she had cancer. I watched her go from a beautiful vibrant young woman to beautiful young woman who struggled for the last breaths she took. I am thankful that she is not suffering anymore, but I still don’t understand why she had to suffer at all.
I met Kenna in May of 2006. She came out to Henderson from National City, CA to interview for the Youth Services Department Head position. I remember pulling for the other candidate (because I knew her), but being so thankful in the long run that we ended up with Kenna. She has truly been an inspiration to me. She came into the position so quietly. I joked that I had to jump out of my seat and into her path in order to get her to say hello to me! She took a little time to become accustomed to our family at work, but she eventually fit right in. She had an excitement for kids and for making our children’s department a more kid-friendly place. So, what did she do? She painted! She turned our walls from drab (gray) to fab (multiple colors, shapes, etc.) in no time. She wasn’t afraid to try something new. She was also so warm and sweet – things I will always remember with Kenna and work are the “storytime room” and her “okay boys and girls” during storytimes.
Outside of work, Kenna was a great friend too. She loved hosting game nights, going out to eat or whatever we happened to be up to – she just wanted to be a part of the action. Her sense of humor was great – we laughed a lot together. We were able to go to Chicago together to attend a library conference and I feel lucky to have spent that time with her. We hung out and really got to know each other better. We tried to take a train from our hotel on the outskirts of town to a theatre downtown where we were watching the musical, Wicked. This was the first night of our trip – we hurried to our hotel, changed into our cute clothes and walked the two blocks to the station. Well, apparently the train was undergoing some renovations – so we travelled at about 30 miles an hour into town. Then we exited the train and had to get on a bus to get the rest of the way. When we got off the bus, I led us in the wrong direction for about three blocks, so when we turned around we had about six blocks to walk – in heels – before we hit the theatre! What an adventure. Needless to say we hailed a taxi for our outings for the rest of the trip. Her go-with-the-flow personality made the adventure fun.
When Kenna was diagnosed with cancer in July of 2008, I thought for sure a mistake had been made. Then I fully believed she would get chemo, or a surgery, and the cancer would go away and she would be fine. I think it was in September when I came to the realization that she wasn’t going to be fine. She was so upbeat around her friends that it was hard for us to tell that she was hurting so much and that her body was being taken over by the cancer. She didn’t want us to feel bad or suffer at the thought of her pain, so she hid it. We never really had a serious talk about the fact that she had cancer and the fact that it really really sucked! I wanted her to scream out and be furious about it – but she wanted me and all of her friends to be okay, so she didn’t do that in front of us. For awhile I didn’t know if she had accepted her situation, but looking back now I believe she was aware of the fact that she was dying, she just chose to deal with it privately because she thought it would cause less pain for those around her. What a noble, beautiful thing. She was always looking out for us…putting others before herself.
We were able to have some fun times in the seven months after she was diagnosed before she left us. We had chats when I would take food over for her and her family; Kenna, Elizabeth and I went shopping for a wig when she started losing her hair during chemo; we had a pink wig picnic; decorated for Christmas; and celebrated her birthday. It was great to do these things with Kenna, but looming in my mind was always – Will this be the last movie Kenna sees in a theater? Will she have another Christmas? Another Birthday?
I have learned that life is precious. We can’t get so caught up in the things we do that we don’t enjoy our time on earth. I hope and pray that Kenna is in a beautiful place – looking out for all of us. I know that no matter what her beautiful spirit lives on. It lives on in everyone she touched and I promise to keep her memory alive. I love you, Kenna!

A Post Just To Post

So, I don't really feel like I have anything to blog about, but I'm trying to be a good blogger, so I'm posting. But, I'm also forewarning - this might be a boring one so if you have something better to do - go ahead, I won't be offended!

My house is all put back together - well, mostly. The pipes are done, the holes are patched, and the walls are painted - and I'm working on getting things back in cupboards, cabinets, etc. This little project did assist in the streamlining and simplifying though - I am the Queen of Tupperware Storage Bins at this point in time. I'm hoping eventually I'll get rid of enough stuff so that I won't have anything to put in my bins! :) Also, I did take some pictures of the holes and new pipes, but I've been too busy/lazy (I'm not sure which one) to get them onto the computer thus far.

We went to a couple of Superbowl parties this past weekend. The first one was at Jimmy's old fraternity advisor's house, Jeff. He had celebrities there - Carrot Top, Louie Anderson, and possibly others! :) We left that one early though - it was packed and we stood through the first quarter of the game and part of the second. Then we headed to my mom and dad's house for the rest of the game. My mom was stoked - she's a big Steelers fan so the game went nicely for her. Jimmy, Corey, Mom, Saydi, Heidi, Abbey and I spent a good portion of time singing our hearts out in the Florida room though. I love building memories with my nieces - I hope they look back on them someday and remember they are loved and they had good childhoods. I feel so blessed to have come from such a great family and I hope they feel that way someday too!

Other than that it's pretty much been the same old, same old for me. Work has been busy for both me and Jimmy. We wanted to go skiing over President's Day weekend, but now it's practically upon us and we haven't made any plans...we might be out of luck on that this time!

Until next time...

Bored at Home...with the Plumbers

So - I have very important things to blog about (namely a new baby niece), but let me start with where I am and what I'm doing. Actually, let me back track to a couple of months ago when we started receiving letters about how the pipes in our house are most likely bad and going to start leaking down the road, so the builder has contracted with a plumbing company to refit all of our pipes! Wow!

So after calling last week to schedule our appointment, we had our walk through on Wednesday and work began today. On Wednesday I met with our project manager (Maria from Plumbing Express - very nice) - she informed me that the process would take about four days (Day One: Cutting holes and actually doing the repiping work, Day Two: Await inspector's approval and start patching drywall, Day Three: Finish patching drywall, mudding, and texturing, Day Four: Painting and completion) and I have to move half of my life into various corners so it's out of the way of where they need to cut into the walls to repipe.

So, I spent Wednesday and Thursday evenings moving everything out from under the cabinets in my kitchen and bathrooms, removing everything from the tops of the cupboards in the kitchen and on top of the fridge, clearing out our coat closet (for access to downstairs bathroom), and the biggie - moving Jimmy's work table and our big shelving unit from their normal places in the garage to the middle of the garage (no parking in the garage for me for the weekend!).

Jump to this morning - Maria rings our doorbell at 6:50 this morning and work is about to begin. I was watching TV while the guys start bringing some of their things in - one of them mentions they will need to move our couches, so I say sure no problem, I'm going to head up to our office - please let me know if you need anything. So they work their way upstairs - laying down drop cloths, putting plastic down, making sure that they'll catch any mess and keep my house clean. Well, I balance my checkbook, upload photos on flickr (of the aforementioned baby niece), chat with Nicole at work, check e-mail and play a little TextTwist - all to the background noise of holes being made in my walls, pipes being run and shouting between workers of instructions to each other (I think that's what was happening, but I'm not proficient in Spanish). Things seem to be going well, all in all.

About a quarter to eleven it gets really quiet - and I think, ah, perfect time to run downstairs and get the books that Elizabeth let me borrow (I forgot to check some out on Thursday and I'm about 25 pages away from finishing The Memory Keeper's Daughter, the bills I need to pay, my keys (so I can run down to the pool to use the restroom), and something to drink. Well, I start down the stairs and everything is completely encased in plastic - taped down, sealed up - I'm not getting in. That's okay, I think, I'll head back upstairs and wait for them to come back. At this point I decide I'm pretty bored and wish I had more to do. More importantly - I wish I could cozy up on the couch and watch All My Children!

So I hear them come back around 11:30am, I wait until about 12:30pm and head downstairs. Of course, Hannah has barked and growled at them when they came in and then spent the rest of the morning on my lap at the computer. At this point (when heading downstairs) she's in my arms. I head over to where a couple of the guys are working in the kitchen and say - Do you think it would be at all possible to get my keys and purse so that I could run out to get some lunch. The nice man replies, sure, sure. I say I'm sorry to bother him. He has to cut into the plastic and stretch to retrieve my purse and keys from the kitchen table. Next, I say, also I think my flip flops are on the floor here. He grabs them too. I apologize profusely - he insists it's fine.

I work my out between ladders and tools and call Corey from my cell phone in the car. Luckily Jarvus is home and I can run over and use their bathroom since I didn't want to make the workers search for my other set of keys with the pool key on it. So, I drop in on Jarvus and the girls - who are happy to see Hannah - and use their restroom. Next stop - Del Taco for a Number 4 (I think - two chicken soft tacos, fries and a cherry coke - ask my about my caffeine consumption later) and a bottle of water. My fridge is taped up too so the yummy Fresh and Easy food (a couple of soups and pastas) will do me no good while I'm home with the plumbers.

Then it's back to the house - by now it's raining pretty good by the way - I love the rain. When I get back home I try to have Hannah go potty, but of course she will not since it is raining. So, we head back in through the garage and snake our way through ladders and tools and return to our safe-zone - the office! I eat my tacos and start my blog entry.

As I am writing right now they are cleaning up and I think testing my faucets. I swear I hear water running. I think this is a good thing. I was supposed to have them here until 4:30 this afternoon, but it looks like I might get to watch some of my recorded episodes of All My Children this afternoon after all. I'll pictures of the holes when they're gone and post them later!

On to the important stuff - my little sister Ashley gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Layla Mei on January 14th. Jimmy and I headed out to see them (and proud papa Kelly) this past weekend. For anyone who doesn't know me very well, let me tell you - I love newborns. The newer, the better. I think they're perfect up until about six weeks or so. They sleep so much, and are used to the warm quarters of the uterus, so they snuggle right into you when you pick them up. I love them.

Little Layla Mei is beautiful. I'm only posting a couple of non-identifying photos here since my blog is open to all readers. You can check out more photos on flickr (note to my family who doesn't use flickr - these photos are mostly set so just friends and family can view them - if you set up a free flickr account I can add you to my friends/family list so that you can see them). She weighed seven pounds one ounce and has the most perfectly round face you've ever seen. I snuggled up with her over the weekend and didn't want to leave her when we had to go. I swear if they would stay that little forever I would have twelve of them! I can't wait to see her again. Ashley and Kelly are doing well - they are adjusting to parenthood and I hope they continue to rely on each other as they continue this journey.

In another interesting aside - we stayed at the Abbey Inn while we were in St. George visiting. My parents had stayed there while Ashley was in the hospital and said it was nice. They particularly said the suites were nice. So, we get into town about 5pm or 5:30pm and pull into the Abbey Inn. We walk up to the desk and Jimmy tells the lady that we don't have reservations, but would like to get a room for two nights. So she asks if we want a king bed and I ask if she has any suites available, to which she responds, oh like an Anniversary Suite? We ask what makes it an anniversary suite and she tells us it has a fireplace and a hot tub - Jimmy makes cracks about a Honeymoon Suite and the deal is sealed. We book the room. It was fun - here's a picture. The dresser and night tables were all mirrored, there was a zebra throw on the bed and lots of fluffy feathery pillows. It was a hoot!

I decide to try out the hot tub on the first night. So, I start filling it up and hop in - only to have to wait seriously about 20 minutes before it's full. When you put the hot and cold water on full force it comes out way too hot - so I would run the hot water for a while then turn it off and let just cold water run - it took forever to fill. While I'm waiting for it to fill, I'm trying to figure out how to turn on the jets - there are little round things on the edge of it and I am sure you have to turn them to get the jets on, but it doesn't seem to be working. So Jimmy comes over to check it out - at this point it's about half full - he sees that one of the little round things can be depressed - he does it and the jets start shooting water out right at my face! Eeek! So, by the time the tub is actually full and the jets are functioning properly I am so hot because of the water issues and I am ready to get out. I get out and can't cool down, but luckily a quick cool shower under the dual shower heads helps - along with the 50/50 ice cream bar that Jimmy got for me from the vending machine!

All in all we had a great time. We are so happy for Ashley and Kelly and their growing family! We know they will be wonderful parents and I look forward to snuggling more with Layla!

What Is 2009 All About

So, while working out the other day with Elizabeth (and coincidentally, her brother Seth came along), we were talking about New Year's Resolutions and so forth. Well, everyone knew what they wanted to do in 2009, but I couldn't figure out what 2009 meant for me. So, after finishing our workout I returned home and started to clean my bathrooms. It was when I got almost through the third one (we have two and a half, actually), and I was tired and smelling of bleach that I decided there had to be a better way - a better way to keep things clean, a better way clean them when needed, just a better way in general...so hatched my idea of what 2009 is all about for me - Streamline & Simplify!

I am not making a resolution because I honestly think that resolutions are easily forgotten, and even more easily broken. So, instead I have a focus for 2009 - Streamline & Simplify! Over the course of the next year I plan to pare down the things I don't need. I have decided that it is a reasonable goal to throw away, give away, or donate at least one thing every week. Once I have everything pared down, it will be easier to keep track of what I have. Also, by cleaning things out (for example the makeup under my bathroom sink) I can make room for organization and efficiency (storing cleaning items under said bathroom sink so I don't haul my cleaning supplies up and down the stairs every time I need to wipe down my sinks!). I'm looking forward to lightening the load and having a more efficient outlook.

I have asked Elizabeth to ask me what I get rid of every week as a way to keep me on top of the game - but feel free to ask me too - or give me pointers or fun tips on how you stay streamlined and simplified! Happy New Year!