2009

Happy Happy New Year, people dear!
Happy days will come to you all year!
If I had one wish, then it would be...
A happy happy New Year to you from me!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Having worked the past few nights and flying out of here in the morning, I have a million things to do today. Only one itsy bitsy problem....I have no clean clothing!! So, after a few loads of laundry are done, I will be running to catch up.

In case I don't get to tell each of you personally, Have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! May all good things come to you and yours, not just this time of year, but always!!

4 More Days! (pause playlist to listen)

GRRR

So frustrated! Due to the holiday soon to be here, I have made multiple purchases online recently. So far, at least until yesterday, my deliveries have gone off without a hitch.

I purchased a rather pricey item from Amazon, who so kindly sent it via FedEx 2-day shipping. This package was due to arrive at my doorstep yesterday. I worked the night before and last night, so I slept soundly until early/mid-afternoon and when I woke, I debated the merits of trying to get more sleep and getting up so that when the package arrived, I'd be there to sign for it. I went with the getting up idea. Anxious and excited, I waited....and waited. Around 3 pm, I started peeking out, in case it had been delivered earlier. No sign of a package. When I left for work in the evening, no package had shown up yet.

During some free time in my shift last night, I pulled up the tracking on my package. Sure enough, it said it had been delivered to my door at 2:43 pm!!!! Where is it?! There was no note saying it had been left with a neighbor...nothing! I pulled up the FedEx website tracking and noted that this package, worth about $250, had been sent to me WITHOUT A SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT!!! That's a lot of money to waste just because it could be simply dropped off on my doorstep without anyone receiving it...and no liability to either FedEx or Amazon if I never happen to actually receive it!

After checking with my lovely little older lady neighbor...on the off chance that maybe she'd taken in the package for safe keeping ('cause she's sweet like that) and finding she'd never seen it either, I called FedEx today. 10 minutes on the phone just trying to access a live person, then 10 minutes trying to get them to track down the package and all I got was...."Well, our records show that the package was delivered to your front door. I'll put a note in to the carrier, but you will have to file a claim with Amazon, as they are the ones who sent the package not requiring a signature."

Several minutes were now spent on the web, scouting out the Amazon helpline number. I finally got connected to a representative (who, by the way, obviously did not speak English as a primary language!). I then spent 15 minutes on hold while this rep. went through the exact same tracking of the package I had already done. I had to repeat my account name and address no less than 3 times to verify I had really ordered the package to MY home!

The Amazon representative finally was able to authorize a replacement....complete with 1-day shipping (and a note requiring signature for the package this time!). It all could be worse, I guess. The biggest problem is that this whole issue has cheated me out of some much needed sleep in the middle of my 6 12-hour shifts in a row. I'll be a walking zombie at work.

So, to whomever out there is the recipient of my first package...Merry Christmas! I hope that you can enjoy this item, knowing that it isn't yours and someone else paid an arm and a leg for it. Enjoy the true spirit of the season...giving? or stealing?!

Free stuff

For those of you who asked:

http://www.shabbyprincess.com/ , http://www.scrapbookflair.com/ , http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/ , http://www.rakscraps.com/ , http://www.freedigitalscrapbooking.com/

These are a few of the sites that I find FREE and cheap digital scrapbooking kits and bits and pieces. LOVE 'em!

Oh, and of course, thanks to the wonders of Photoshop Elements 7 .... which you can purchase right now at a quite reduced rate at Costco.

It's so much fun that I've just started working on the Cali. trip from this spring. I'm so glad to be able to finally put all my digital pictures to use.

Digital Scrapbooking

Ok, I just thought I'd share a little bit of the cuteness and funness (is that a word?) of this whole digital scrapbooking craze. I am making all the girls that came to my princess party a "Princess Party" storybook/scrapbook. It's so much fun. These are a few of the pages I have done so far:

How do they look?

Thanks still on

I haven't forgotten my month of thankfulness, I've just been a bit busy. With what? you may ask... Well, I've discovered digital scrapbooking!!! Sooo fun! Soo easy! And there are so many sites out there with free 'paper' and notions!!! Finally my pictures are finding a home! So, thank you to all you wonderful people at sites like www.shabbyprincess.com that are making my transition to digital scrapbooking so easy!

All the things that I've done (or at least a few of 'em)

I copied this from a friend's blog. Copy and paste into your own post. If for no other reason, than to be able to count number 100 on your score. I was only able to count 41 of them.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (or orchestra at least)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (long story but yuck)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (but I want to!)
16. Had food poisoning (multiple times)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (if anyone answers no on this, they are lying)
24. Built a snow fort (yes but they were only good until stray dogs and cats would make them their homes)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (One of my favorite trips)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (yes but only at friends and families not in public)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (do home or school project movies count?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I was a brownie and junior)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (It was really cool!)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (multiple times)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one (unfortunately yes)
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

Thankfulness x 5

I know, I've been a slacker! So, to make it up to all of you, I have a treat for you


1. I am thankful for companies that keep their promises. So....this being said...all you Dr. Pepper fans.... (drumroll......) Tomorrow, starting at 12:01 am, the Dr. Pepper website will have a printable coupon for a free 20 oz Dr. Pepper available to all here in the great US of A. This offer is available for exactly 24 hours and the coupon is good for a couple of months. Just check it out!



2. I am thankful for gravity. Without it, life would certainly be interesting, wouldn't it?



3. I'm grateful for cell phones. While sometimes it is annoying to have people be able to always reach you and expect you to always be available, it also comes in handy when your sister is two hours later than you expected her to arrive and you are worried about her safety.

4. I'm grateful to live in such a prosperous country. I know the economy is really struggling right now, but we still have so many things that we need available to us at all times. So many places in the world, people just struggle to survive. The majority of us have not only what we need, but so much more. We need to remember to give to those in need, not only in this time of year, but all the time.
5. And, finally, on a lighter note, I'm thankful for 'Psych', the show! I love that show!!! If you haven't seen it, take a bit and check it out. Soooo funny!




All caught up!!! Yay! I'm going to try to do better this next week...

I want to...

o/~Thank you for the music, the songs you're singin'

Thanks for all the joy they're bringin'

Who can live without it?

I ask in all honesty...

What would life be?

Without song or dance what are we?

So, I say, Thank you for the music,

For giving it to me. o/~

I Feel My Savior's Love

This Sabbath day, I want to express my gratitude for my Savior and for his Atonement that he paid for each and every one of us. I am most especially thankful that He paid it for me, the imperfect human that I am. Words cannot express my gratitude.

Day 3

Tonight, I am grateful for the rapidly dropping cost of gasoline! I filled my entire tank on the way to work tonight and paid a whopping $22!! Wahoo!

Giving thanks day 2

Today's gratitude item is stain remover! I'm such a klutz and tend to spill things on myself. I'm grateful someone came up with something that gets out nasty stains. When cleaning out my Grandma's home a few weeks ago, I acquired a cute, old, trenchcoat. The problem was that it had old sweat/dirt stains along the collar and lapel. Last night I put on stainstick, let it sit overnight and washed it today. What do ya know? It looks like new! :)

Month of Thanks

So, I need to express my gratitude to the makers of Burts' Bees chapstick. Without you, I would have dry, cracked, bloody lips and a raw chapped nose. All hail ye wonderful people. Keep up the good work and marvelous products!!

PS As it is a month of thanks, I wish to attempt to post at least one thing I am thankful for daily...today is day 1. Tell me, what are the little things you are thankful for?

Marooned

So, I've been stuck home for two days now. Between an upset stomach, stuffed head, leaky nose, sore throat and full body aches, I've had enough!! Getting sick is bad enough, but doing it when I can't afford to miss work really sucks.

Oh, and other news? I decided to become a brunette this weekend. Guess I got a little tired of my highlights growing out and no desire to go blonde. Thought I'd try out a new look. I kinda like it, but am also kind of unsure.

Princesses are us

Friday night was 'Princess Party" at my house. We had six cuties over for dress-up, crown making, 'fancy' fondue dinner, etc. Lots of fun was had by all. At about 6:30 pm, the youngest went home to her parents and Tammy left me alone with the remaining 5 gals.
After many hours of play, my living room looked like this.

My spare bedroom looked like this. And I was wiped out!

We were all up by 7 am the next morning, had pancake puffs for breakfast, and more fun times playing at Jo's house. We ended the weekend by meeting up with Mommys and Daddys at Chrystal's birthday party. I love having weekends off work!!!

Life is beautiful

Every other Tuesday night, our paycheck stubs show up on the company website, though our actual paychecks go through at the end of the week. Reviewing my hours, I discovered that this pay period I had 21 hours of overtime. In case anyone was wondering why they haven't seen me outside of work for a while, this should explain alot. Technically, I was only scheduled for 16 hours of overtime, but I seem to have managed to pick up an extra 5 over the two weeks. The good news is that I'm almost done!! Yay! Back to 36 hour weeks!

Lest ye think I am all work, no play, Tammy and I took the girls up the canyon last week to check out the fall colors and play. Beautiful day and not too soon....it snowed like crazy today. Also, a week ago Saturday, the girls came over for the day while Tammy and Dan helped in the moving of Grandma to my aunt and uncles' home. Sara and Jayne loved playing dress-up while Abby took a nap with my 'baby'.

The name of the game is.....TAG! (again)

Rules:1. People who are tagged need to post these rules, and 8 random habits/facts/quirks about themselves.2. At the end of the post you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names.

Eight things about me...

ONE: I went to elementary school in 4 different schools in 4 different states, and high school in a 5th state.
TWO: I organize my many books/movies by categories and authors on the shelves and if they get put back wrong, I can't find them! In fact, I tend to organize everything I own.
THREE: I snore (apparently....and apparently it's worse when I'm sick)
FOUR: I LOVE my family....ALL of it...all the many many of you!
FIVE: I hate studying, the main reason I haven't gone back to school to further my degree yet.
SIX: I don't have one favorite color. I have all sorts of favorite colors.
SEVEN: I'm a total night owl. Even when I'm not working, I tend to be up quite late and sleep in pretty late, too.
EIGHT: I love puzzles, both the jigsaw type and the brainteaser kind. Probably why I love mysteries?

Ok, now my turn....I tag:

Shelley D.
Kate
Margomas
Tammy
Jasmine
Shelly R.
Lynelle
Nanci

Tagged!!

As I've finally found a moment to catch up on my blog reading, come to find out, I've been tagged! If you are reading this, then consider yourself tagged. As I was tagged two times over, I'm going to combine them into one tag. My tag challenge to you is to do both of these.

First tag is to post the 4th photo in your 4th folder.

This is a not-so-clear-as-I'd-like shot of the sunset somewhere in Colorado on the road back to UT in August, post marital times in the fam.

The second tag is nearly the same, 5th pic in the 5th folder on your computer:

The Missouri River, also in August. It had been a while, living in the arid desert, since I'd seen such a wide river...and it is always a beautiful sight (ignore the crane!).

Old and decrepit

It's official. I'm getting old. This weekend, Kate took advantage of Conference weekend and came down for a visit. One of the objectives of her visit was to update her sadly and definitely deficient glasses prescription. She was a bit apprehensive about going to the Optometrist on her own and wished my company. I agreed, thinking that it had been a couple of years since I had had the pleasure of having my pupils dilated and eyes examined. Plus, it has seemed that my prescription was just a wee bit off all this time. Sooo...we headed off to the Optometrist yesterday morning... Kate's visit went off without a hitch....mine, though...

Dr.: "Do you like to read?"

Me: "Oh yeah!" (of course I do!!!!)

Dr.: "Hmmmm..."

Me: (ok, now what?!)

Dr.:"Well, with your eyes I think I'd recommend you buy a pair of reading glasses, just the ones you can get over the counter, like a 1+ strength"

Me: (what!!!!??) "Um, I do generally read with my contacts out or glasses off."

Dr.:"It probably will be easier on your eyes for you to do the reading glasses while keeping your contacts in. It may improve your vision and allow your eyes to relax just a bit."

Me:(like bifocals!!!???) "Um, ok."

Bifocals????? Are you kidding me??? I'm not that old!!! So, now I have a cute pair of reading glasses that get to travel around with me. I can't escape the glasses! Not even with contacts!

I wanna sleep like a baby...without a care

Tired. Yep, that would pretty much describe me. I only work four hours tonight, so I toyed with the idea of staying awake today...the full day. By now, it's too late and I really don't have the option of choice any more. The weather is perfect for sleeping. Cool and overcast with occasional far off thunder. I love this weather.

I think fall is finally arriving. Hallelujah! I love fall! Hot chocolate, brilliant warm colors, falling leaves, cool air. It's a great time of year. I'm hoping to break in my fireplace this fall. Mmm...flickering fire, steaming mug, cool night, good book...it has great possibilities!

Did I mention I'm tired?

Oops, I did it again!

Have I ever mentioned that reading is something of a downfall for me? On my nights off, I go to bed...fully intending to sleep...and start reading. Around 2 a.m., I start glancing at the clock and thinking, "Jo, this is your chance to sleep nights! Take it!". Usually, however, I am way too engrossed in the story and justify reading for 'just a little longer'. The past two nights, I've not gotten to sleep until somewhere in the 5 a.m. proximity. This severely cuts into my daylight freetime because I then proceed to sleep until 1 p.m. or later. I really am a night owl and wish everyone else were too. If that were the case, then the world would run on my unorthodox schedule and I'd get alot more done on my days....er, nights...off!

Shopping is a girl's best friend

One of the joys of being an 'honorary aunt' is that occasionally I get to totally spoil my cuties. Tonight I took Jayne shopping...a few days early...for her third birthday. Jayne's wardrobe has been sorely lacking in long pants as Sara fully wore out all the pants in the 3T range last year. So...hitting the shops, we had fun! Soon after arriving at our destination, Jayne spotted hats. She loves hats! After having to inform her that the hat she really wanted, a brown newsboy cap with a cute blue bow, was too large for her head, we settled on a fuchsia newsboy cap with rhinestones. Big surprise from such a girly girl, right? We then headed to the jeans section. Faced with a fairly largish selection of jeans in her size, Jayne narrowed down the selection to her three favorite. All three have lots of embroidered flowers, etc. The deciding factor in picking these particular pairs, however, was that all three had belts! Shiny belts! One even has a large pink rhinestone studded heart for the clasp! She just had to have them! After trying on the jeans to make sure they fit right (and Jayne had modeled them in front of the mirror in the dressing room to her heart's content), picking out a cute shirt and an adorable outfit for Miss Abby, who is also soon to have a birthday, we picked up a 'to go' bag of Oreos and headed home. By the time we arrived, Jayne had conked out in my car, complete with hat slumped over her eyes and Oreos clutched tightly. So much fun! I could shop with this girly any day!!

Climb Ev'ry Mountain!

This weekend, I had a whole two days off work. To celebrate having a weekend off, Tom and Margo, Am and Nathan, Margo's brother, Kate, and I went camping in Provo Canyon. It was gorgeous, cold, and a blast!!

After a lovely breakfast of pancakes and bacon, we (all but Margo's bro) set off on a lovely trail up the back of Mt. Timpanogos. The weather was perfect, the leaves were changing colors, the air was fresh. We explored waterfalls, played in trees and just had fun. Other than my rebellious joints and lungs, it was great! Early afternoon, Tom and Margo, Kate and I turned back with Am and Nathan pressing on. Kate and I proceeded back to my place, where we freshened up and took off for an evening of shopping (Kate's main purpose for coming down this weekend anyhow!).

Yesterday was my first day in my new calling. I'm in the nursery, which is pretty much the most fun place to be in church. The other leader and I are just newly called and are working on getting things organized, so we just let the kids play this week and had snacks. We have some pretty darn cute kids in our group, including two EXTREMELY energetic little boys from Korea who don't really know English. So much fun! I guess the Church has put out a new lesson manual for Nursery this year and it's supposed to be wonderful. I can't wait to get it!