hello new year's eve.

my goodness.
it's been an eventful 2008.
from getting used to a 40 hr
work week for me
to new schools for the kids and
a forever home for all of us.

the election went the way i'd hoped


a new car is added to the list of
things i adore...

and more time with family makes 2008
memorable.


here's to hoping 2009
is hiding its share of happy surprises.

the holidays 2008.

our christmas was spent at
my mom's house this year.

what a mis-matched bunch we are.
:)
you can tell by my expression here


that i was shocked to hear
i am going to be an auntie.
again.
thanks to this gal.

she says if its a girl i get to keep her
because she wants another boy.
apparently they have named it
ghostrider.
i kid.
i kid.
all joking aside-
i am happy for her.
babies are always good news in my book.
always.

now on to
christmas pics of the kids.
she got what she wanted

and something i wanted her to have-

she is in love
with domo.
all things japan, really.
we all miss it, in our own way.
i think i was too much of a spoiled american
the last oh, six months we were there.
i was over it and wanted to leave.
now i am in a better place
(emotionally)
and i just want to go back.
but i digress...
i loved this pressie
for him
the bestest.

i read that book to him
every. night.
when he was a kid.
and he had it memorized.
and we loved it.
so when i saw that tee
at urban outfitters last week
i had to buy it.
had to.

hope your holiday was filled with
the stuff that makes a holiday memorable.

obviously mine was!!
oh, & a quick p.s.
here's a shot
of the photo project
in the new casa:
only one wall is done
in the living area.
looks a lot better in person.
love the mis-match of non pic items
and family pics.


i'm stuck on what to do above the t.v.
it's the part i am always stuck on.
in every house.
and we've moved a lot.
so that's a lot of stuck.

the cards are next...

what you just heard was
a sigh of relief.


the tree is up.

one more week
until i have my own internet.
i am DYING without my daily dose.
no, really, i am.

at least we've gotten some good memories
out of this internet/cable tv drought.
the family has watched no less than 5 christmas movies
together!!
BOTH kids and both james and i
sometimes my sister and her girlfriend too.
that makes me happy.
family christmas memories...

while the pirating is good.

i better catch you up quick
before the wi-fi heist is up...
this past week:

this kid was awesome in the talent show.


i had thanksgiving dinner
with this crazy bunch.


and this place is no longer empty.


i missed you all something crazy.
i'll be back to regular blogging soon.
the first avail appt AT&T had was dec
TWENTY SECOND!!

oh yes we'll be there.

with tickets in hand:


after we sign on the dotted line
for this:


oh, and a quick P.S.
because i believe in the power
of the support we can give each other on this www:
crowdSPRING, hire Kelly Purkey for your new Community Marketing Manager!

i had a craving.

and i caved.



i think it had been
about 3 years
AT LEAST
since my last nachos bell grande.

no really.
i'm getting back on track this week.

:D

riddle me this.

how can a simple
HAIRCUT
make my 12 year old look
five years older
INSTANTLY??



help me.

because weekend blogging is where it's at.

i was tagged on wednesday
by my favorite brasilian
and didn't even realise it until
today...
(i fall so behind in the blog M-F)

also, i know that october was the "pink" month
but really, should we limit our support of the research
to find a cure for breast cancer to one month a year?
me thinks not.

so here you are:



i'm tagging:
dani m
jen
missy (who just lost a dear friend to breast cancer)
mel
vee
k8
and
stacey


* One in eight women or 12.6% of all women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.

* Breast cancer risk increases with age and every woman is at risk.

* Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.

* Seventy-seven percent of women with breast cancer are over 50.

* Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause of cancer death in women 55 to 74.

* Risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, early menstruation (before age 12), late menopause (after age 55), current use or use in the last ten years of oral contraceptives, and daily consumption of alcohol.

* Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival.

Facts taken from Women’s Health

And now here is the tag and the rules:

1. Put the logo in your blog.<---check

2. Add a link to the person who shared it with you.<---check

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs<---roger that.

4. Add your link to the list of participants below<---not sure how to add all those links
they didn't work when i used the ol' ctrl C = ctrl V maneuver...but colleen has them on her post!! :)

5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.<---check.

and not because thanksgiving is next thursday.

my jeans were a lil bit tight
this morning.

time to switch strategies.

(edited: YES!! thank goodness.
kimmy's right. thanksgiving is next thursday.
phew)

obamanator.

on the fridge this morning:


(click on the pic to enlarge)


that's mah boy.

more on the ren faire.

what to say?

it was a lot of fun.
there was plenty of faire food

fried alligator?!

fish & chips.
that's more like it.

interesting shops

with interesting wares

i was especially fond of the
'sumbitch' container.

exciting and hilarious shows...

unfortunate outfits galore...

i'll give you a moment to let
that sink in...

also some interesting ones
(i'm a narnia fan, can't help it)

this dude just creeped me out...
but it was an interesting outfit

i kid you not
there was even a wedding.
like for reals
a wedding at the ren faire.

who does that?!

two in a row

new record for me
since i started working.
do i get a prize?
:)

lots of nothing to tell
last week i was lucky to get
a lunch date with my man.
best soul food around:
mama lee's

then this past weekend it was time for another
road trip with the bff, her pirate and my lil pirate.
we went to the ren faire in houston

i'll share more on that
when i have more time.
it was FUN though!!

took some time to chill

and because i'm a dork
the sight of the red cup
the other day
surprised me and
made me all warm inside

does it have that effect on any of you?

that's all you get for now peeps.
xoxo
until the weekend....

our answer.

and i am so proud
to have been a part of it.

happy halloween!!

i'm ready.


T minus 3 hrs and counting...

well well well

the long day wasn't so bad.
by 5 o clock i was going cross-eyed
at the sight of numbers
and i wanted to be at home
in my pajamas
on the big red couch

relaxing with a glass of wine...
but it wasn't so bad.
that being said
is it too early to think
i'm getting used to waking up early
and staying awake with a smile on my face?
i am known to scare small children and kittens
if i'm up too early without much coffee.
ha!

the swing of it.

i started a new position at work today.
i quite enjoy the mondaythrufriday of it
but all of this learning has me exhausted
by the time i switch to auto pilot
for the 40 minute ride home.

i'm told it will get better.
tomorrow is the long day.
8-7. yes. a 10 hour day.
i'm seeing a lot of coffee
in my future.

haircut and of course i bought it.

late work day today.
so i had the chance to get
my hair did.

we're getting closer to the goal!!

and just to add the proverbial
frosting to the cake,
i picked up this lil gem

half off.

good day, peeps.
already.

:)

on quick trips.

last sunday we took a quick trip
to san angelo
to visit the hubby's family.

the boy one always goes through
his paw-paw's video cabinet
to see if there's something new
to take...
i don't know why he bothers.
the videos are always the same.
here's the perfect example:

as we drove around
we noticed that it looked like
san angelo is revitalizing
the downtown
which makes me giddy.
i will always love the downtown.
always.
i'm all for it as long as they
leave my favorite wall alone.

when we lived in san angelo i never truly
appreciated this wall
so i thought i should take a pic
before they do something silly
like paint over it.
i doubt they would.
not even a punk kid would dare
do anything to deface the texas flag.

that's just small town manners
i guess.

with nothing of importance to share.

but i want to point out that
1) i'm sharing.
and
2)i'm here. alive.

exhibit a:
bff and i noticed these
cuties on the shelf of the new target
last week.
i noticed how much the one on the left
reminds me of, well, me.

exhibit b):
loving the art on the walls
at the bucks lately.
caught a snap of one in particular
that inspired me.

it's the layers, i think.
i'm inspired by meaning beneath meaning.
the ever-changing picture
as it were.
then we have exhibit c):
i saw this
and had to take a picture
of a picture
of the perfect hair style
for me.

i'll print it out and take it
with me next time i go in for a trim.
i have a looong way to go.
so for a while it will be just a
trim trim, no cut cut.