i wanna...

be a blog of note!  lol  i love looking up the BoN's and finding gems!  i don't think my blog is as interesting as some of them - and yet i think it's quite a bit more interesting than others.  LOL  i mean, some of the blogs that are BoN'd haven't been updated for years?  what's up w/ that?  how do they get on the "committee"'s radar?  


heh.  anyway, found a new one today, which i thought was about cheese, but it's really not.  i like the cadence & style, and she is FUNNY!  so, go check it out, eh?  : )  


today was crazy, crazy, CRAAAAZY.  2010 claims coming in at all angles, ppl rushing to get it in by the deadline.  and having to do it all alone, which was a first.  i've been doing this particular job for many years, always w/ at least one helperbee.  and even tho the claims-load has changed and reduced, my total workload has increased quite a bit.  so to be on my own has been a challenge.  BUT, God is awesome and i was able to get everything entered by 5:30.  which meant i was able to make it to dinner w/ these two: 

leyton seems like he has gotten taller since last week!!  heh.  

sorry for the blur... i think photographer leyton got something on the lens!

i had a delicious meal of crab cakes & cinnamon apples, w/ a DELICIOUS spinach salad to start.  YUM!  : )    and it's mom's (and her very own twinkie's) birthday tomorrow, so i bought dinner.  : )  i had $10 off, too, because i'd been given gift certs when i bought the boss's gift cert for christmas!  woot!  


when i got home, i watched White Collar (*hearts*) and chatted w/ april (*hugs*) and had some awesome mail!  seriously, this girl spoils me, she does!  

seriously, so sweet to send me some yanni love!!  *HUGS*  thank you so much, micaela!!!  : )  


i also got a beautiful postcrossing from finland: 

and a card for free oil changes for a year from saturn!  sweeeet!  blessings, blessings!


i picked up bret from the mall at 9, and we had a good chat on the ride home.  


the pain is still hanging out, but it's 100% better at this very moment.  please keep praying, i can feel them and i appreciate them and i know the Lord can and will heal me.  !!!  


*hugs*  and now i must go to sleep, and be prepared for tomorrow - when everyone who didn't get their claims in yesterday emails/calls to see if we received them... oooh!  


what'd you get up to today?  i hope the Lord blessed you!  


ttfn!

a prayer

dear Lord, 
please bring Your healing to us.  please heal the pain my body is experiencing right now.  please heal the pain, the cause of the pain, the source of the pain.  You alone are the GREAT Healer.  You alone have me in Your hands.  


dear Lord, 
please bring Your healing to lauren.  she is so young, and has been fighting this disease for so long.  


dear Lord, 
please bring Your healing to jen.  please heal her heart and open her to Your love.


dear Lord, 
please help me through the stress that is tomorrow's 2010 cutoff.  please quiet the anxiety, and wash over me with Your blessings.


i love You, Lord.  thank You for Your healing.  thank You for Your mercy and Your love.


amen.
****
please join me in praying for healing, not only for me but for anyone you know who needs His touch right now.  


thanks!  


ttfn.

post 400

goodness, i write a lot.  LOL  


my day was filled with memorials, claims, and vacations.  tomorrow will be filled with much of the same.  altho more claims than anything else, as the deadline for 2010 is thursday.  and the claims just keep getting crazier!  *laugh*  i was so irritated today w/ one of them - and then i talked with the lady who turned it in & she was the nicest person!  lol  so, i am resolving to not be irritated w/ whatever claims come in.  ppl have waited til the last minute, and if their claims aren't right, they aren't right.  i will do whatever i can to help each and every person... and hope that they LET me help them.  LOL  


i worked til 6:30 & then after work, i was going to meet mom at mo' brady's for dinner, but she didn't end up getting off til way later!  d'oh!  so i got gas at WM ($32, eep! and that is CHEAP!  LOL) & got the mail & then fixed pasta & meatballs for dinner.  


got to chat w/ april for a bit & watch more SMK.  : )  i'm almost done w/ season 2, tho!  *pout*  when does season 3 come out??  heh.  


so, yeah, this is my 400th post, just on this blog!  LOL  i know i don't really have a "niche."  i mean, i write a lot about not a lot.  lately, especially, i've been feeling kinda ... like i have so much to say but not!  i've been working so much, i feel a bit like i'm spinning my wheels.  or like i'm not getting enough sleep.  or i'm getting too much sleep.  or... i don't know!  all i want to do is sleep lately, but then i don't want to sleep because there's so much i want to do when i'm not at work!  *laugh*  i want to keep up w/ my darling friends, spend time w/ mom & the boys, hang out w/ friends... i want to be there for everyone, and yet sometimes i get wrapped up in me i forget to ask about ppl.  


how are YOU doing?  are you feeling overwhelmed?  tired?  in pain?  loved?  needed?  enjoyed?  i hope you're feeling all of the good & none of the bad in that list!  : )  


Jesus loves you, and so do i!  ttfn!

marching penguins

oh, monday!  it wasn't so bad because i slept til 10.  : )  


and then an episode of SMK before heading to the bank & then work.  heh.  it's cutoff time for 2010 claims, and of course ppl wait til the last possible minute to submit them.  so this week is gonna be off the hook crazy!  *laugh*  and i have a doctor's appt tomorrow so there goes an hour... 


ah well!  such is the life, yes?  : )  i picked up arthur's for dinner - braunschwegger (? sp?) sammich & a bacon & cheese baked potato!  i also had to stop at the WM pharmacy & i found a cute thomas the train easter egg for leyton!  : )  when i got home, bret was home!  hooray!  we watched No Ordinary Family & then he borrowed the car to go to young men's Bible study, and i got to chat w/ april for a bit while watching... SMK, what else?  lol  i'm not going to have time to take it back to exchange til later in the week, so i might as well finish watching it.  i just learned from my cousin jenni that her mom, my aunt judy, loves SMK, too.  woot!!  and oh my goodness KRAMER from seinfeld is on the episode i'm currently watching!!  LOLOLOL  he's a thug!  


i wrote out some bills & registered some postcrossings, and that's about it for my evening!  *laugh*  gonna finish this disc & hit the hay, i think.  what'd you get up to today??  


ttfn!!

 canadian turtle!!  <3  

 Russia 

Latvia 

Yanni Weekend - AWESOME

first of all, you'll want to check out all the food we ate this weekend.  : )  


oh, fabulous saturday!  all week the weather had been calling for snow & blusteriness on saturday, but the day dawned sunny & actually kinda warm!  i got up & ran over to jan's before mom picked me up at 10.  the drive was nice - even tho penelope tried to take us down some goofy roads... i think she was trying to avoid the tollway!  on our detour, we stopped at this little cemetary to look around, and found this really pretty headstone.  i love the name, too!!  

we made good time & everything, getting to IKEA around 1:30-ish.  

i love IKEA.  it was mom's first time, and she had lots of fun, too!  AND i found more postcards, which were marked down to 50 cents for each package of 5 cards!!  : )  super sweet!!  


we went to our hotel for a couple hours of cards 

& then it was time for... 

$20 for parking at the sears centre?  really?  they be craaazy!

it was so awesome!!  i didn't get my shoutout (*pout*) but it was still a lot of fun & AWESOME music as always!  i took some pictures, but they really didn't turn out very well.  i should have brought my bigger camera!  anyway, here are a couple of the shots - we were in the WAY HIGH UP section.  the touch the sky section as i like to call it.  LOL  

it was kinda scary.  i mean, i love being up high (hotel rooms, especially - we were on the 6th floor at ours & i just really enjoy it!) but i sorta felt like i could topple over at any minute!  one guy nearly did fall when he was climbing over seats!!  (of course, he'd been drinking...idk why anyone would be drinking at $8 a glass!!)


i can't wait to go to the next concert!  he said he'd be back next year!  : )  : )  : )  


after the concert we went to bennigans for dinner & then SLEPT!  comfy beds, but kinda lower than other beds at other hotels, which was a little weird.  this morning we got up & were out around 11:30.  had brunch at the hotel eatery (good omelets and yummy coffee!) & then checked out the pool - they have a cool mushroom waterfall thingy: 

that'll be fun for the boys if we stay there again when we visit!  we went to the container store before leaving town, and that place was pretty neat.  lots of boxes.  LOTS!  ; )  

the drive home was really nice, lots of stops & we listened to penelope & went the scenic route.  there was a really nice winery, which if we hadn't been anxious to get home mom said we would have stopped in!  

all in all, a lovely weekend & i'm very glad i decided to do payroll when i got home.  this way i get to sleep in til 10 or so tomorrow!  which is really a wonderful thing, especially since i've been in SMK land, and it's currently TWO AM?!!  seriously, i need to get to bed after this episode!!  : )  


how was your weekend??  ttfn!  

lee & amanda, yanni, & well, what else do you need???

*sings*  all you need is love.  lalalala love!  


well, and the Lord.  He is love.  LOVE.  


okay, so today was a lovely friday!  productive, which is how we all know i like my days!  LOL  i haven't really been able to say much about work lately, other than that it's been productive!  there's been a lot going on, but it's just - even when it's different, it's the same, ya know?  lots of changes happening.  one awesome thing - my 5 year anniversary is coming up in may!  i got to pick out a gift (i chose a watch) and i might get to have cupcakes.  idk, i haven't heard about that one yet.  lol  


i actually left ... well, no, i was done working after 8 hours (just 8!), but then i chatted w/ marty & had to balance my checkbook before doing some shopping.  i didn't really plan on "shopping"... i was just going to WM to get SMK!  i went to WM.  i did not find SMK.  :(  i did find two more seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger, tho.  : )  hey, if i couldn't have bruce, i was gettin' chuck norris.  ; )  


my next stop in the hunt for Lee & Amanda was borders.  jana had suggested amazon, but i didn't want to wait for it to be shipped to me, i wanted to watch it now!  lol  april suggested barnes & noble, but borders was closer & i didn't really want to go to the mall if i didn't have to.  

april & bruce.  seriously, she got to TOUCH LEE!  

there was no lee at borders.  i also looked for Yanni's book, to no avail.  what's the dealio, borders?!  you didn't have Keep Calm & Carry On, either.  pooh.  i found the book about our local ball park that has a bunch of aunt dorothy's photos in it.  i didn't pick it up today, tho i will add it to my collection soon.  : )  the dedication is so sweet, to aunt dorothy & uncle frank.  : )  actually, i almost left completely empty-handed, but as i was leaving, i noticed a Dilbert book on sale for $2.97!  i love having a phone w/ a camera - i sent joy a text w/ a picture of the book asking if she had it yet (i love dilbert, but she is an even bigger fan than i am!).  : )  she doesn't, so it shall be her easter present!  WM & target both have so much cute stuff for easter baskets, too, for the kiddos!  while i was waiting for her response about the dilbert book, i found... and this really makes me happy... 

seriously!!!!!  : )  idk if i've ever talked about my adoration of nancy drew & the hardy boys, but i read both series voraciously all through jr high & high school!!!   this is one of those pocket books, with "nancy's" secret journals, notes, clues, oh my goodness!  toward the end it talks about the history of nancy drew (and briefly, the hardy boys), the family syndicate that created her, and how she changed thru the 40 years of the original books.  


and then... 


then...oh, people, if i'd needed any proof that picking this book up was the right decision - in the back i got a FABULOUS SURPRISE - nancy drew POSTCARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  : )  i just discovered that after i scanned the book in just now.  LOL  


whew!  so, anyway, after borders i went to best buy & finally found SMK season 2.  : )  : )  : )  i picked up dinner at hungry hobo & made it home around 7.  immediately started watching SMK.  i *heart* this show so much!!!!  april & i got to chat as we both watched for a little bit.  love it!!  we talked about how we love that lee is always such a gentleman, how he's always guiding amanda w/ a hand on her back or holding her elbow... i love the chivalry!  i love that the men wear suits and the women are usually dressy, too.  and the scenery!!  this season they are doing a lot of european travel, which has been fun!  


oh my heck, i'm just typing away and watching lee & amanda, and i just realized it's 1 AM!  


i gotta go to bed.  LOL  mom's picking me up at 10.  YANNI YANNI IKEA WEBER YANNI YANNI YANNI!!!!  : )  


ttfn!  

oh yes, and a postcrossing from belarus.  the words are a prayer for the suffering, poor and ruined (not sure exactly what the sender meant by that last part!).  prayers are always good - i certainly pray for you, and appreciate your prayers for me!!  

ketchup/catsup

oh yeah, i forgot to share... THIS:

cutest packaging!!!  : )

ttfn!

a trip to target

today was kinda a wacky day.  i was up early.  i slept well (yay!).  so many crazy things going on at work, i don't even know how to explain them!  day went by suuuper fast, tho!  the boss came in this morning & said a line from the turkey drop episode of WKRP, and then ended up pulling the scene up on his phone, and leaving while 3 of us watched/listened to it.  HILARIOUS!  did you ever watch WKRP?  ("in ciiiincinaaaatttiiii")  i love it!  johnny fever, venus flytrap, randy travis, les nessman... the whole cast full of hilarious and talented actors!  


anyway, so that was a good middle to the morning!  : )  


i left at 5 & met mom & the boys at chick fil a for dinner.  except i was way earlier than them cuz they got a late start, and i had to potty, so i just went in... oh my goodness, the anxiety this would normally have caused me!  PTL i hardly had a twinge, tho, maybe because it was just a good day or maybe because i know them/they know me there and so it was a "safe" place for me.  the manager opened up a line & waited on me himself, and we chatted & whatnot.  i sat down & actually ate some of my food while playing on FB & waiting.  


mom & the boys were in moods, but only little ones, and it was a good hang out anyway.  the cow was there, which leyton LOVED!  there would have been some cute pictures except my camera was at home because i haven't changed back to my normal purse yet.  d'oh!  one of dad's friends/former co-workers who retired from that job now works at CFA, so we visited w/ him a bit.  he's a greeter/host/not sure what you call him, but he's perfect for the job cuz he's friendly & chatty!!  


leyton did get a little overwhelmed in the play area when there were some really loud girls in there! oh, but the craft tonight was decorating flower "pots" & planting seeds.  leyton made his pretty much right after getting to the restaurant (first thing he saw was the cow & made a bee line to say hi before he'd even taken his coat & hat off!!).  : )  a little later, there was a small boy, maybe leyton's age or a little younger, and he came over to look at the "pot" so leyton told him where he could go to make it & mom was like, ask your mommy or daddy, and so leyton went over to this little boy's dad to tell him where he could go to make the flowerpot!!  it was too cute!  he has such a generous heart, i pray that the Lord protects it!


i love my phone, btw.  so grateful to aunt jan for even getting me started w/ a cell phone, and to mom for buying this one for christmas!  i got to IM w/ april for a bit, just enough to hear a little about her day & for mom to say hi, but the fact that we could chat even briefly in IM format (which, is basically texting only faster, right??) while i'm at CFA... idk, was just a little amazing & stuff.  *laugh*  


so, after dinner & hanging out, i headed over to target to get the new Yanni cd to prepare for the concert (2 days!!!!) & i also planned to pick up SMK season 2.  first of all, i found these adorable lindt/lindor chocolate bunnies & frogs & carrots... and some chocolate eggs, and easter baskets for the boys.  haven't decided if i'm going to mail easter baskets to all the nieces & nephews yet, but if i remember next week, i probably will.  : )  i found a cuuuuute purse that i might get later, too - it's just like my purple purse only smaller!  mmmm!  oh oh oh!!!  while i was in the chocolate aisle, there was a guy looking for suckers.  so i was helping him look, cuz all we could find was chocolate.  so, he found a big bag of lollies, finally (dum dums, woot!) and he said, "how do you like them apples?!"  and i burst out laughing & said, quite truthfully and amused, "oh my heck, i've had that line going thru my head all week!!"  i've also used it a couple times this week in random conversation, and marianne watched good will hunting the other night, which of course made me think of it even more.  LOL  just funny how things happen like that sometimes!!  


what else?  oh, i found a FLUFFY ("it's so fluffy!") soft lamb for leyton.  or me.  or leyton.  or more likely me.  *laugh*  anyway, found a lamb, it's adorable, and it will be living w/ someone who will love it & squeeze it.  : )  i got the yanni cd, and also the Voices cd because i didn't get it from the last tour.  then i looked for SMK.  and looked.  and looked.  *cry*  alas, it was not there!!  what the heck, super target?  that was SO not super of you!  *pout*  


i guess i'll have to check out WM tomorrow after all.  april & i are hoping to watch an episode "together" on sunday!  : )  (our obsession w/ SMK - she is a bigger fan, i can admit it, but only because she has touched the greatness that is bruce boxleitner.  *wink* - is a long and beloved tradition!)


anywhoo... bret wanted to use the car, so i came home & watched White Collar (neal!!  peter!!) and mr. sunshine (LOL) & read some blogs.  bloggity.  


oh, and received a postcrossing from australia!!  :  )   

i think that's all i have for you today.  i feel like today should have been friday because this week has been so loooong!  but TGIF & praying that all the achiness will go away & that it'll be a wonderful, fabulous day for all of us!  *hugs*  take care & TTFN!  

wheeee-wendesday

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


i got to chat w/ april tonight.  :)  we talked about SMK SMK SMK!!!!!  and also life, and our days, and our aches & pains.  heh.  


watched The Good Wife (excellent episode!), NCIS (mmmmark harmmmmmon yummmmmmmmm!), NCIS LA (lots to be happy about w/ this show for sure!).  : )  


work & payroll both went well.  


do you ever wonder why we all let ourselves be pulled under by political lies?  as a country, i mean.  i'm on some  "left" mailing lists and some "right" mailing lists, and most of the time i think if i was only receiving one and believing everything they told me, it would be so easy to be brainwashed!  the other side of that is, who to believe??  meh.  


i believe in the Lord, in His salvation, His healing, His love, His mercy, His law.  that's what i believe.  i believe some things have shades of gray - but HE is not one of those things.  He is the RIGHT in right v. wrong.  


i hope you have felt His love today!  


ttfn... the countdown to yanni continues... 3 days!!  ; )  

image

lighting the night sky

erm.  so much for my resolve to go to bed by 11 tonight!  i just looked down & it's already 11:30.  d'oh!

the rain & thunder & lightning show has started, tho!  so i should be able to sleep well when i get there.  : )

countdown to yanni continues!!!  : )  listened to some Ethnicity today, after some Glee.  heh.  i need to get the new cd before saturday...

today is SMK DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  and yet i didn't make it to WM to get it.  :(  i had to go to hy vee after work, which i didn't get out til after 6, and so ... i went to hy vee because it's right next to the office, while WM is nearer to my house.  for whatever reason, it's just easier to get back out of the car sometimes when i go next door?  what is that about??  anyway, so i went in for cheese, burritos, and a couple other things.  then i found some yogurt, and crab ragoon, and a few other things.  when i got to the counter, and everything was unloaded, i discovered - i was outta checks cuz i'd used my last one at lunch!  d'oh!  thankfully, i remembered i had some cash stashed somewhere in my purse, so i was able to get the main things i'd gone in for in the first place (plus some strawberries, yum!).  : )  i felt bad, but everyone was like, "i've totally done that before."  so then i felt less bad.  heh.

made enchiladas for dinner, w/ some corn.  read some People & watched Friends, GH, & Castle.  enjoyable!!!  tried to catch up on some blogs, still behind on a couple, tho.  hopefully tomorrow after payroll i can read some more.  : )

and that, my dear friends, is my exciting day!  4 days to yanni!  what're you looking forward to this weekend?

ttfn!

j-e-l-l-o

do you guys eat jello?  what's your favorite?  i love jello cups, because they come in sugar-free, and are truly sugar-free, and i can eat 2 or 3 of them at a time, guilt-free!  but, have you ever noticed (or is it just me) - that the green & orange jello comes completely out of the cup, whereas the cherry leaves bits?  what's up with that?  actually, it's any red jello - cherry, black cherry, strawberry, kiwi... idk it seems odd.  LOL 


i'm watching Celebrity Apprentice tonight, along with some horatio (csi: miami), undercover boss, and i was gonna try for some Army Wives, but cbs.com was giving me fits, so instead of it taking me an hour & a half to watch 2 eps of miami, it took me like 3 hours!  yeesh!  but they were really good eps... : )  


today was a pretty good day at work.  productive, of course!  and delicious rudy's for lunch!  seriously, more mexican, please!!  oh, and i actually got to leave almost on time!!!  i don't even remember the last time that happened.  heh.  and it was a blessing, because then i was able to pick bret up as he walked home.  i don't anticipate that happening again this week, but i liked it today.  


and now misha's all moved out.  :(  well, actually, a lot of her stuff is still here.  LOL  but tim came over & hauled a bunch of her stuff out, and she's staying w/ them tonight & they're leaving for KC eaaaarllllyyyy tomorrow morning.  *sniffle*  she was only here for like a month, but i'll miss having her here!  i'm glad bret's still here.  i'll really miss him!  


oh, nuts, i forgot to check the mail tonight!  we'll have to do that in the morning.  : )  


how'd your monday go?


ttfn!  : )  

SPRING!

rain rain rain started the morning.  thunderstorms are great to sleep to, no?  : )  


pain pain pain through the day, but the Lord is healing it, thankfully.  


YANNI is less than a week away!!!!  i'm watching his live webchat from last week as i type.  : )  earlier i watched the latest Glee episode again, and caught up w/ a couple Bones eps, and later i'll watch some CBS shows.  but for right now, it's all yanni!  so fabulous, and i am so stoked for the trip to see him!!!


other exciting news for me (and april) - SMK comes out on tuesday!!!!  SMK for the uninitiated is Scarecrow & Mrs King.  love it!  season 2.  woot woot!!


saturday i picked up erin & we met juli, jill & renee at the chinese buffet for lunch & 3 hours of visiting.  jillybean brought her newest addition, 2 month old aiden.  aidan?  not sure how she spells his name!  anyway, he's a cutie patootie!  

jilly, nici (renee), erin, juli  : )  

erin & i were going to see a movie afterward, but when we got there we both were kinda like "meh" and so we just headed home.  or, rather, i took her home & then went to mom's to hang out w/ her & leyton & phil.  we took phil's car back to the rental agency (he had to get a new one cuz he was in an accident last week or the week before & totalled the car.  he's okay, tho, thank God!) & had a family field trip.  : )  

leyton had fun playing w/ my phone camera.  LOL  (well, i took the one of him helping phil check the tire pressure on mom's car.  :) )  i really enjoy the one of the stop light, idk why, it just really made me smile!  also, his squinty face ... lol  like he was anticipating a flash, cuz phil's phone has a monster flash. 

Survivor note - i love rob more & more every time i see him.  he's hilarious, and SMART!  


what else?  not much else to tell y'all right now!  *laugh*  i'll leave you w/ yesterday's postcrossings.  hope your weekend was relaxing & blessed!  : )  ttfn!  

from finland (top) and poland.  : )