things i wonder about....

....if i'll ever get tired of watching blaine sleep.
....if'll i'll ever be dedicated enough to do the following;
..write a novel
..learn another language
..get my degree (in what, you ask? i don't honestly know :)

....if i'll ever want to exercise.
....if i'll make someone else's life better because i've been a good friend.
....if my dream of living as the amish will come true.
....and if (i know, i know...a direct contradiction to my previous "if") i'll ever learn how to ride a motorcycle.

Here are some excerpts from my current read that I found amusing...

Odd Hours- Odd Thomas, self-narration; When I peered under the table, I noted an eight-inch-diameter drain with a slotted grille. Considering that Magic Beach had no history of floods, I supposed that this design feature facilitated the hosing-out of the room after unfortunate accidents.
This is one of those sobering circumstances in which my overheated imagination, if I were not careful, could cause a portion of my cerebellum to melt down, and set my hair on fire. I counseled myself that I remained in the United States, which was not Cuba Venezuela, or even Mordor.


Again, an Odd Thomas self-narration; Taped to the walls were charming drawings executed by children of various ages, all featuring a smiling bearded man in white robes, who I assumed, because of his halo, must be Jesus. The Son of God, inadequately but earnestly rendered, was engaged in all manner of tasks that I did not recall being recounted in Scripture.
Jesus with hands upraised, transforming a rain of bombs into flowers. Jesus smiling but shaking his finger at a pregnant woman about to drink a bottle of beer. Jesus saving a stranded polar bear from an ice floe. Jesus turning a flamethrower on stacks of crates labeled CIGARETTES.

putting 2 and 2 together...

..all by himself! He hasn't been able to build a car, motorcycle or airplane yet but he'll get there some day soon. I love watching him put his imagination to work~

workshop fun....

This past Saturday, I had the extreme good fortune to attend a writer's workshop. That would have been a lot of fun in and of itself. But two authors that I really love and respect put on this workshop....amazing! If you haven't read it yet, Fablehaven is a really neat series definitely worth digging into. It's classified as a young adult novel but is a good read for any age. Brandon Mull was very funny and kind (I got him to sign my book, hehe). And if you are any kind of science fiction fan at all, you will probably have read Ender's Game. Wonderful novel (as well as series). I felt so blessed to have been able to participate in such an event. What a lucky girl am I!!

ps... i don't know why one picture is bigger than the other...my post looks top-heavy, lol.

easter sunday....

Happy belated Easter everyone!

glam, glam, glam!

Have you ever been watching a movie and see an outfit that just speaks to you? I wanted to highlight some of my absolute favorite looks. Please enjoy and feel free to share you own cherished ensembles!

PS I realize that 3/4 of these pictures are of Audrey Hepburn...believe me, it makes sense. The pictures are from the following movies; Sabrina, National Treasure and Funny Face.

its my little deuce coupe...

"you don't know what i got!" Thought I'd start this post off with some Beach Boys lyrics. Last Saturday the sun was shining, a good omen for a GREAT day! Michael and Blaine had a kind of daddy/son date to the car show, which they both loved...and I love them!!!

what better gift?

I ask you, really. My lil man in a box :)....potty trained! hahahahaha Seriously, it's the best thing ever! He is one super pooper, lol. love you and miss you all~

how much is that doggie in the window?

chocolate lab



shetland sheepdogs



puggle



When Michael is done with school and we're in our own house again, we'll be getting Blaine a doggie! We wanted him to be old enough to help take care of him/her. These are the three types of dogs we're looking at. I'm WAY leaning towards the shetland sheepdog. They're gentle, smart...and just the right size :). What do you all think? Kelly, I know you have ideas...am I right in thinking you'd pick the chocolate lab? lol.

ode to my son...

I love it when he wakes me up in the morning....I hear the pitter patter of chubby feet.
When he's frustrated with me and breaks down in tears, I like to pick him up and hold him close until he likes me again.
The warmth of his hand when he places it in mine is joy, even if it means we're just crossing the street.
I'll kiss his boo boos and he'll calm down immediately. He kisses my boo boos and makes me smile.
He's my shadow when I vacuum.
When he's tired, happy, or sad...he loves to stroke my hair so soft it almost lulls me to sleep.
And I really love it when he feels comfortable enough and safe enough to fall asleep on my lap.
From beginning to end.

birthday boy....

a playdoh oven.....



time to blow out the candles....



rockin' our party hats....




thank you oma and papa dennis!


Or should I say, birthday BIG boy? Blaine is 3.....3!!!! I just can't believe how fast time has gone by. I know that's a very cliche thing to say, but it's true! And I'm a little sad that he's not a baby anymore...and he will never be a baby again. He doesn't seem to mind though. He had a great birthday and we all know that he's a whole year older, taller, bigger, smarter, funnier, happier, sillier and sweeter. Thank you God for giving me stewardship over such an angel~

ps... sorry about his nakedness...but we're in the throes of potty-trainingdom and its less messy this way lol :)

i love being a girl....

....with short hair, lol. I'm thinking about cutting all of my hair off. Don't act like you're upset, I've never had great hair. Some people just wear short hair better than long, I think. I've posted some celebrity photos so that you'll see what I mean. Let me know what you think :).

PS Kelly... i kind of stole your idea, do you forgive me?

ideas for toddler fun?

And learning? It's been snowing off and on a lot lately and that means, not much time outside :(. I'm running out of ideas, lol, any tips? We've done playdoh, coloring, reading, fort building, obstacle races and bean bag (I used rice though) toss. I'd like to keep my lil 3-year old busy so that neither one of us loses patience, hehe. Our new potty training regime helps to keep things exciting...but we want something more! So any ideas would be most welcome, I thank you~

truly evil villains....

I thought it would be really fun to reminisce over my most favorite literary villains.

Numero Uno; Professor Umbridge, introduced in the 5th book of the Harry Potter series. She is so truly, deep down inside, festering with pure evil. She even trumps He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the creepy category. I mean, come on...let's give it to the guy...he had a very unhappy childhood. And if you've ever watched Law in Order, you know that this is an automatic get-out-of-jail free card. We should really pity him. In fact, I'm so not afraid of him that I feel confident in saying/typing his name. Voldemort. There, I did it. Give it a try...fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself. Anywho, back to Umbridge. She just smiles in that fake nice way...ick...and wears a bow...ICK...and has a fondness for all things kitten. *shudder

Number 2 on my list goes to Monsieur Rigaud. A murderer and a little bit of a dandy to boot. He loves to stir up trouble in Little Dorrit. Fortunately...a house falls on him in the end. Wish I could say the same for Delores Umbridge.

Number 3; Senator Palpatine/Emperor. Star Wars' most hated bad guy. We can't really use Darth Vader because he kind of redeems himself in the end...and he does that by throwing the Emperor into, what looks like, a giant generator. If the Emperor hadn't been doing his little electric voodoo move...he might have survived the fall. He is a Sith Lord after all. I didn't mean for that to rhyme.

Number 4 on my list is a man that I have never honestly even read about. I've been digging into the Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories but have yet to get to Professor Moriarty. I'm just assuming he's going to be a really great bad guy.

PS. My pictures always post backwards no matter what way I upload them. Sorry about that...work your way backwards!

little dorrit...

I just finished reading one of THE best books I have ever read. Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens, is such a sweet, full and intriguing novel. The characters are so diverse...some being quirky and wholesome and others are down right malevolent. I also encountered a personality that is probably one of my most favorite in all literature! If you've read it before, that man is Mr Pancks. If you haven't read it before, that man is still Mr. Pancks lol. So I guess you will just have to read Little Dorrit and find out why! Leave me a comment and tell me who your favorite literary character is, I'd love to know!!

A very heartfelt thank you to a wonderful sister, Alayna, who made my little boy's Christmas special! He loves his new bicycle....and yes, it is a tricycle but he will not call it that lol. Thank you, thank you and thank you again!

there and back again....

So our trip did not start out at all how we planned, but it worked out in the end anyway (and was much more adventurous lol). We had such an exciting, wonderful, peaceful, busy and all-around excellent time it was hard to leave. I'm glad we have so many people that love us out there and that we love in return!

5 pretty funny movies...

1. Galaxy Quest - Okay now...I'm a Trekkie and this movie kind of makes fun of Trekkies...but it's too hilarious!! A lot of good one liners.

2. Junior - Arnold Schwarzenegger pregnant? I mean honestly, what's not to like?

3. Mrs Winterbourne - This is funny and sad in parts. It has an interesting storyline...you should check it out.

4. Mystery Men - hehehe, eheheheh....lol.....just funny and so very weird!!

5. Some Like It Hot - Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis dressing up as ladies and both fall for Marilyn Monroe. Again...how could this NOT be funny?