movies are awesome!

just a quick note because i have to sleep.  


today was a very blessed day!  work went well, productively, got some things scheduled for my july vacation.  woot!  we had a celebration of 25 years today & there was cake but i didn't have any because i didn't want any and even tho ppl kept "encouraging" me to have a piece of cake, i said no thank you.  now, if it had been carrot cake, i probably would have wanted a slice (and would have had one)!  : )  


mom, anthony & i went to Transformers 3 at 7.  OH MY HECK!!!!  hilarious, awesome, actiony, sweet, JOSH DUHAMEL HOTNESS, and of course my unconventional boyfriend, Optimus Prime (even tho toni thinks he's hers... uh...no!  LOLOLOL j/k,i can share)!  : )  really, really enjoyed this movie!  it's quite long, and feels long, but in the kind of way that is good.  it feels like a lot is happening, and i didn't want the story to end, so i was happy that it wasn't ending.  ya know?  maybe not, but it makes sense in my head.  heh.  


AND i got to see an amaaaaazing HP preview!  YES!  two weeks, just two weeks!  : )   : )  : )  


mom had a couple movies that she was taking back - battle: los angeles & Beastly.  so, i finally watched Beastly!  hooray!  a couple of things - vanessa hudgens is kinda creepy looking now.  is it her cheekbones?  idk, but it was a little distracting.  and, of course, the book is better.  having said that, however, i also want to point out that i enjoyed the movie & think it works well for anyone who knows the beauty & the beast storyline, but not necessarily the beastly storyline.  ... 


anyway!  zzzzzzz.  LOL  take care & ttf!!  


p.s. - it's HOT out there, so drink that water!!  


oh yes, and i nearly forgot the day's postcards!  

these are from croatia, the netherlands (love that quote!) and pari.  


ttfn!  have a blessed Friday!  FRIDAY!  : )  

o r e o

i bought a package of summer oreos tonight while grocery shopping.  they have BLUE creme in the middle.  it's a really pretty blue, too.  lighter than this blue: 

uhhhh, i like paint swatches, okay?    :)  

but still pretty.  i haven't bought oreos in forever because it takes me so long to get thru a package that by the time i get 3/4 of the way thru the cookies are stale & have to be used for ice cream topping or something, except i don't really do that, i just throw them out.  then i feel badly for wasting food and so i don't buy them again.  *laugh*  but i couldn't resist the blue creme!!  


i also got some milk, and having just had a couple drinks of it, i was reminded of howmuchilovemilk!  i hadn't had any for a couple days.  i was feenin.  i'm a dairy feen!  LOL  j/k ... well, unless it's cheese.  then i am totally a dairy feen!  (fiend fiend fiend)   : )  


what other fun things did i get at the store?  oh, finally got a new cd case that will hold 112 cd's!  woot!  i was way tired of having all the cases in the car & taking forever to find the cd i wanted - oh which reminds me that i found my good charlotte cd tonight!  woot!  i have been wanting to listen to it for a month at least, but couldn't find it!  then tonight when i was moving my cd's into the case, voila!  there it was in a random case.  happy dance!  : )  i wanted to get Tangled, but could not find it, so i got When In Rome instead.  josh duhamel, you make my eyes happpppy!  (going to see him in the new transformers tomorrow, i hope i hope!  i know shia is the "star" but to me, it's all about JOSH!)


ummm... i switched chairs at work, and i like the back support of the new one, but every time i get up or even move a certain way, my setting shifts & i feel like i'm being thrust out of the chair!  :|  i've gotten into a routine of adjusting it 20 times a day, but i'm worried that one of these times it's just not going to work!  *laugh*  ah well, i guess then i'll go back to my old chair... but i do have to say that my back is feeling better w/ the new chair... 


there was a baby mouse outside... i didn't get to see it but trish said it was really tiny.  i hope it's okay & found its mama!!  actually, maybe it's better if i didn't see it... *sniffle* 


work was nice today.  crazy busy, but i had my first official one on one w/ my new manager, and even tho a fire drill interrupted out meeting, it was a good one!  AND i have been wanting to volunteer for a certain team ever since i heard about its implementation, so i asked the boss & she said i am already on it!  woot!!  so i am quite excited by this opportunity!!!  : )  


i left at 5:30ish & picked erin up for dinner.  we went to rudy's & had a nice time chatting.  :)  i tried something new, also - a chimichanga.  i know, can you believe i'd never had one before??  it was goood, too!  


after i took her home, WM was calling my name.  heh.  plus, i had to get gas.  speaking of that!  normally w/ the WM gift card you get like 3 cents off, right?  well, tonight gas at WM was $3.29 - which is great considering it's been coming down recently & i thought had stuck at $3.36 - and so i put in my gift card, and the numbers changed to TEN CENTS off!  woooot!  so i got gas for chloe for $3.19!  (there is still a little piece of my soul that just shriveled at being happy for $3.19.  that piece of my soul thinks there's no legitimate reason for gas to currently be more than $2.50/gal.  and even tho that looks high to normal eyes, but looks DARN GOOD right now!)


*yawn*  must sleep!  :)  hope your wednesday was nice & that everyone beats the heat tomorrow.  heat index of over 100.  eep!  stay cool, bloggy peeps!!  <3 ya!!


ttfn!

Just can't get enough!  : ) 

another late night, but productive day, so it's all okay.


got my vacation for july squared away - i'm gone 3/5 of the fridays!  lol  des moines/mason city, harry potter, and chicago.  woot!  praise the Lord for road trips & movies!  


speaking of movies - just saw the trailer for transformers 3 which opens ... well, NOW, actually as it's 12:01 am as i type this!  lol  hey, i'm still up, i could run to the theatre... but no, i'm going to bed.  mom, anthony & i are planning to see it on thursday - after we have dinner & drop leyton off at home!  i don't think he's ready for transformers in the theatre... 


today the president was around our area.  he ate at a famous local restaurant, not really because the food is superb but because of something he told the owner the last time he was in the area campaigning.  y'all know i'm not the biggest obama fan, but i think the fact that he remembered about that phone call, that promise he made, and made time to keep it on this visit... well, i think that was pretty neat of him.  


when i got home, i had popcorn & an omelet for dinner.  odd combo, i know!  i watched switched at birth, secret life, and then caught up w/ some desperate housewives.  : )  chatted w/ erin for a bt & we're gonna do dinner tomorrow.  fun times!!


but now i really really have to sleep!  i have meetings tomorrow!!  


ttfn!

oh, monday, how you vex me sometimes!

thankfully today wasn't all THAT vexing.  this morning was insane, tho... i had so many things going on, and was on the phone all morning for various things!  10 calls before lunch - highly unusual!!  but one of the calls was double duty about vacation/timecard stuff and ALSO visa stuff!  whoohoo!  LOL  


got some nice compliments about my haircut.  : )  mel said i was brave to have cut it myself.  really, it's more because i was tired of the long hair & didn't want to pay someone to cut it, so more cheap than brave... LOL  


was at work til 5:45 & i could have stayed later to finish the day's vacations, but i was just "done" at 5:30!  so i did my closings & booked it outta there.  had to stop at walgreen's, and then home sweet home.  : )  i made a yummy pasta & sausage dinner, watched the world according to paris & a jackie chan movie which i really liked - the accidental spy.  i thought i'd seen it before, but i must've been thinking of a different movie!  it was cool, tho.  and i liked that jackie chan was his character's name, too.  LOL  


oh, kept getting wrong numbers on my cell tonight.  twice it was the same number - and once was AFTER i'd answered & told them they had the wrong number!  ha!


so, tomorrow i'm thinking will be another long day, unless my morning is problem-free & i get whatever it is i have scheduled for the morning actually accomplished... *laugh*  either, way, tho, it will be BLESSED!  


i hope your day will be blessed as well.  :)   love ya!


ttfn

lighter

today, i ... 


cut my hair: 

saw my cousin teri for the first time in years.  she & two of her kids & one of her nephews were here visiting.  we had a canasta party at her mom's (aunt janie) w/ my mom, grammy & aunt jan.  

she & mom were partners & they won, but grammy & i were a close second!  : )  it was lots of fun & great to see her!  and her kids are awesome!!  and i included that second picture because grammy's smiling in it.  : )    

watched The Happening.  that is a weird-butt movie!  


watched the last 3 episodes of this past season of Chuck.  LOVE IT!  i also watched a couple episodes of The Collector.  oh, canada, how i adore you.  : )  


... and i think that was it for my adventures today!  the Lord blessed my day so much!  i hope yours was blessed, as well!  : ) 


ttfn!

field trips!

hideehoooo, bloggy peeps!  how was your saturday??  


today was quite a lot of fun for me!  : )  i slept til 9-ish, did a load of laundry, loaded the dishwasher, wrote something that had been on my heart, and then headed over to mom's for breakfast.  well, more brunch, really, since it was 10:30.  *laugh*  it was yummy, tho - eggs & cheese, bacon, sausage & cinnamon toast.  oh, and hazelnut coffee.  mmmm!  


the kids were watching some sort of weird dinosaur movie.  there were also lemurs in this movie.  ?!  


they played some sword fighting & outside a bit before we left... 

we left about noon for the botanical garden.  anthony's dad & stepmom were married there, and they had a brick commemorating the event on the walkway to the koi pond.   

we liked the ducks, the reaaaaallllyyyy awesome waterfalls, and that koi pond.  everything was so pretty, but would be gorgeous in the sunlight, i'm sure.  

my favorite were the phantom petunias.

leyton found a nickel... 

oh, and in the gift shop, leyton blew on a train-shaped whistle - which meant i had to buy it.  i was like, "Don't put your mou...oh crap."  cuz he'd already started blowing the whistle!  darn it!  ah well, at least it was only $3, but still.  :|   


then we were off to the next leg of our journey, the john deere pavilion to look at tractors & construction equipment & lawnmowers!  : )  leyton noticed right away that there was a new digger on display out front.  heh.  and anthony had been complaining about going - he didn't want to - but he had so much fun.   my thought was "typical pre-teenager attitude" but i am doing my best to get him to stop acting like that and think about how his attitude could hurt feelings and also cause stress.  idk if i am getting through to him on that or not!  


anyway, i'm just glad we all had fun!!  : )  

 "aunt carrie, the ppl need corn!"  too cute!  : )  

after our explorations, we went into the gift shop so i could get some postcards & the boys each got something - leyton got a digger & anthony got a color-changing JD cup.  i got an ottumwa works 100th anniversary cup.  i was happy to see that cup, because i think it's neat that the company honored one of their units in that way!  


we went to DQ for lunch, and i had a tiny strawberry shake because it sounded good.  and it WAS good!  (and also, my blood sugar was on the low side of the range for 2 hours after my meal, so praise the Lord for that!!)  


the boys did really well on our outing, i was quite proud of them for the most part!  we did have a couple meltdowns each, but everyone had a good time, and it was a blessed day!  : ) 


i took the boys back to gramma & then came home to watch random shows (jamie oliver's food nation, new USA show Suits, lifetime show The Protector, and of course OLTL & GH from thursday & friday.  and i'm probly missing something.  *laugh*  everything was good, tho, and i really like both Suits & The Protector, altho i was annoyed w/ the "stunt language placement" of suits.  i will never understand why shows think they have to add in swearing or nudity "because they can."  it takes away from the awesomeness of the storyline & acting, IMO.  


oh yes, on a side note - i was outside when the neighbours let their dog out to potty.  it's been rainy and for whatever other reason, the dog didn't want to pee.  so they are YELLING at this dog in very mean voices (there's a difference btwn stern voice and mean voice) - "GO!  GO!  NOW!  GO!"  i was thinking A) i'd be nervous to go, too, w/ ppl screaming at me and B) some ppl just shouldn't have pets. my neighbours are really nice ppl, and helpful, and i like them.  i just did NOT like the way they talked to the dog.  (however, i guess i can understand the mean tone because i think prior to going out, the dog had peed on their carpet.  still... idk, i just don't like when ppl treat others or animals that way!)


okay, i think that's it for today!  :)  sending out postcrossings, so i should have more postcards to share soon!  :  )  i also really need to get on the ball w/ writing some other peeps back!  (sorry, micaela!)  


ttfn!!  

the greatest Love story ever told

who loves you more than anything on this earth, more than anything in the universe?  only One.  your husband or wife loves you, and hopefully is faithful to you.  you are hopefully faithful to them.  your parents, siblings, children, friends, love you.  


but no one - no one - loves you like He does. 


John 1: 1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.


John 11:35
³⁵ Jesus wept.


i love that verse.  even tho He knew that He had the power to raise lazarus from death, he was so moved that He cried over his loss.  more than any other verse in the Bible, i think this one shows His love for us as individuals.  it shows that when He was physically on earth, He loved His friends 110%.  


John 13:1-5
¹ It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.


He knew that His time on earth was coming to an end.  He knew what agony awaited him, and yet His thought was always, always for His people.  He washed His disciples' feet - even the one who would betray Him.   


John 13:34-35
 ³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”


We are to follow His example, to love one another.  He spoke this commandment to us.  He spoke of loving our neighbor as ourselves as the second greatest commandment. 


Matthew 22:36-40
³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”


How can we deny that He is the God of Love?  even on the cross, as He was suffering a most painful physical death, experiencing the worst of humanity - His thought was of those around Him.   


Luke 23:27-28a; 34; 39-43
²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them,“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; 


³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”



³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
 ⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
 ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[d]”
 ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

(all passages via biblegateway.com)
How can we not do our best to love others who slight us, to forgive even tho we sometimes have a hard time forgetting, since we are not God.  And if we are called to love, how can we hold back that love?  


He loves us SO MUCH.  He created us, He watches over us, and even tho He doesn't make everything perfect for us all the time - He is here for us,  


Jesus loves you.  Our Father God loves you.  the Holy Spirit loves YOU.  


*hugs*  i love you, too.  : )  


ttfn!  i'm off to play w/ my nephews!  

hanging out w/ the boys

Today was the boss’s retirement.  Happily, I was not called upon to give a speech about the gift we gave him, because it hit me as I saw his daughter taking pictures of everything – my dad didn’t get to have a retirement party.  I’m so grateful that we had his surprise party for his 60^th birthday.  I’m so grateful that the Lord gave Mom that inspiration – because party planning is so NOT her forte, so it had to be God.  I didn’t really connect that “boss reminds me of a younger dad, boss is retiring, perhaps this will be emotional for me,” until I saw his daughter taking the pictures… I was distracted by the other things, the cruise director things, and then the possibility of speaking in front of everyone.  I was focused on THAT stuff, and not this other emotional stuff. 

 

Huh. 

 

The party was really nice, tho, and I only teared up  a couple times, and I got to talk w/ his wife & daughter & meet some ppl I talk to in email all the time for the business but hadn’t met before.  J  and of course there was cake – carrot cake!  Yay!  that’s my favorite of the offerings – chocolate, vanilla, carrot – carrot!!!  J  He still forgot to bring back my Firefly DVD’s, tho… LOL  good thing I know where he lives!  ;)  

here're some pictures of the basket - i hope the boss likes it!  he likes JD & hawkeye stuff, wine & coffee, and a particular local restaurant.  so, we gave him all that and more!  : )  and yes, that is ELVIS coffee!  woot!  

the rest of the day was pretty much a wash.  i mean, it was productive in the sense of getting things done, but it didn't FEEL like it.  LOL  so when 4:30 came, i booked it outta there.  i thought about stopping at marty's to pick up the kids, but decided to pick up dinner from CFA & Wendy's & have some quiet (haha, i watched The Voice & Burn Notice) time.  : )  baked potato from wendy's and chicken nuggets from CFA.  they're right next door to each other, so it was quite convenient!  and i put my yummy salsa from adolph's on the potato... mmmmm!

i got to chat w/ april while watching my shows, and she was catching up on the voice, too, so that was fun to chat about!  

around 8:15, mom called to say she had to work late & could i go over to marty's to pick up the boys.  LOL  ironic, no?  so i left a little after 8:30 (had to finish BN first!), got the boys, chatted w/ jen & hung out at mom's til about midnight.  it was fun, but the boys were just AT EACH OTHER 3/4 of the time!  and yet - i am going to take them to the botanical gardens tomorrow.  together.  for hours.  in public.  LOL  pray for us!!!  : )  

no, seriously.  please keep them in prayer that they'll get along and not pester each other, and me in prayer that if they DO pester each other, my patience and correct handling of any situation that comes up will come into play.  thanks!!

anyway, we played Sorry! (i won, woot!) & ate cinnamon toast & watched a disney movie about the civil war.  who knew disney had a civil war movie??  we only watched 1/2 so idk how it ends up, but it's about spies from the north infiltrating the south to blow up railways.  leyton got it because it's called Great Locamotive Chase.   heh.  after the popper's penguins thing, i wasn't expecting him to actually sit still for it.  but he DID!  we were snuggling on the couch watching, and he was asking intelligent questions, which i thought was cool.  

okay, dudes, i have gots ta get ta bed!  i hope your friday was a FUN DAY and that everyone is enjoying the weekend.  : )  i enjoyed some OLTL when i got home at 12:30, love love love!  

ttfn!

oh, postcrossings from hawaii & russia today...