It's That Time Again...

Hey everyone!

So it's been awhile since my last posting. I'm not even sure if there is all that much to update you on.

Let's start with the most recent topics and we'll see if there is anything else that will pop into my head that I should post.

Valentine's Day has come and gone. In preparation of this day, I spent about two weeks roughly, shopping for a new outfit to wear out to dinner with Mike. I wanted to go someplace special this year, as we haven't in the past. I was determined to find a dress of some kind and of course, that in itself can be quite the adventure. I decided to try and go shopping with someone that...well, let's just say that the relationship has become quite awkward and complicated when it shouldn't be...but anyways, moving on. It felt that each place we walked into, she would pick up something that was really terrible, saying it was cute. Now mind you, if she thought it was cute, that's great for her. She could put anything on and still look amazing...I, however, couldn't do that. I'm also a very simple and plain design person. I'm not into the frills, the bows, the ruffles, poofs, crazy patterns, etc. But no matter what it was, she kept trying to get me to try on these dresses...I was firm in saying no. I ended up finding something, but I misread the price tag, and about died! This pretty red dress was on clearance, but they still wanted $100 for it. I'm sorry, but I'm not prepared to spend that kind of money on something that I will most likely wear once. No thanks, next. That day ended with no success whatsoever. Now, this girl and I had talked about trying again the next week...however, I didn't hear from her until the night before. At that point, I had already asked my mom to join me, since I hadn't heard from her until the last minute. I don't do last minute...sorry. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. I hate the last minute thing, and not to mention, but sometimes it feels or is perceived as though the person doing the last minute thing is hoping to have better plans to come along, and when they don't, then okay, I guess I'm free....Sorry, I hate that. (Sorry for the rant).  So my mom and I headed out to go shopping. We found a dress at Kohl's and it was on sale. I really liked it and ended up going to the checkout. Now, the woman rang it up, without blinking tells me the price....the original price, $130. I asked her why it was that price, and I was told it was tax. I pointed to the tag and said, "The tag says it is on sale for $56." I think the woman might have been new, or never worked during a sale, because they had to process my card, then refund it...Great, I'm thinking...Now I have to explain this to Mike. Anyways, moving on. I found some heels, yes, I said it...heels, to go with the dress and the outfit was finished. I had got to thinking that I didn't have a nice coat...in fact, I only have one coat, and it's not a dressy one. So my mom and I headed to Kohl's again a couple of days later, and I found a $200 coat for $24. Score!

I got Mike two gifts for Valentine's Day. He didn't have a clue as to what they were, nor how I had come up with the idea of it. I found online a replica of an 1800s Ireland map. I told him that I figured that we could frame it and hang it somewhere, maybe trace where we've travelled or not, didn't matter. The second gift was a book that I made, literally, about the reasons that I love him. There are about 55 pages maybe? I designed the cover, the title, title page and then went through their page collections and selected which ones that I wanted to put into this book. It turned out really well, and we laughed as he read through each page. I can't tell you how happy I was that these gifts went over so well! I made the joke that if he is ever mad at me, that we need to read that book...but really, I don't see him getting mad at me for any reason. We're too good for each other and we respect one another so much that we've yet to fight or argue about anything. I see a great future based on that foundation! <3

Now, I made reservations at the Broadmoor Hotel for dinner on Valentine's Day. I've never been inside that hotel. I've driven by it a million times, but never set foot inside. Mike's parents (thank you for this amazing gift) had given Mike and me a gift certificate to the hotel, so we both thought it would be put to good use at the dinner. The food was great and we really enjoyed ourselves, even though it was a late night for both of us.

At dinner, there was a young couple, if you would consider them a couple, sitting behind us. They weren't yet 21, because they said no to the wine list. I think this had to have been their second or third day maybe? The conversations seemed one sided, and she didn't seem interested, and he sounded like a sleaze. No joke...here is some of the things that he said to her that night:

"After like, the first or second time I met you, I drove by your house like four times." (Creepy)

*When the band played a Beatles song* "You know Lennon and the rest of them were really great guys." (I started to drown out this conversation because it was losing my interest in how he made it seem that he knew them all personally)
"I know you said that you've never stayed here before, so do you want to? Like with me?" (What?!)

The waitress asked them if they wanted dessert, and he started to protest, but she told her that she wanted to look at them. I couldn't help but smile. Not only was this guy cheap but he was checking out every woman that walked past their table...slime ball, you're on a date!

So Mike and I compared that horrible date to the blind date that we witnessed when we went to Seattle last year. We had to laugh at how awkward and uncomfortable that whole situation was. For everyone involved and in earshot.

So, my friend, and I have been doing P90X almost daily now. Her cousin has been joining us two to three times a week. I'm definitely starting to feel it. I am feeling good about getting up early, though some mornings it is tough, and getting into shape. It's a process, but it's going to be so worth it in the end. Mike even tried his hand, as best as he could with his limitations due to his shoulder, with the program last night. I was proud of him for giving it the best that he could. I'm looking forward to getting active with him, and seeing us both reach our goals. I think we'll both be happier in the long run!

Willow has been getting cuter every day that I see her. She smiles big when she sees me, but I know that it's nothing compared to the smiles that she gives when she sees her daddy! She is getting to become super smart. She's still counting, and she's asking questions and has great hand-eye coordination! I make it a point to read and count to her each day that I see her. She started to sing to my mom's music, and so I downloaded a kid's piano on the kindle for her to play with. She really loves to push the buttons and hear music, of course, she loves to slide her finger down the whole length of the keyboard too. It's funny to hear her laugh too. Another game that I downloaded for her, is a drawing game. It's not really a game, as it just allows her to make lines and squiggles as she moves her hand/finger across the screen. The last time I was over there, she started to chase me around the table, and realized that she wouldn't catch me if she followed me, so she changed directions. I bust out laughing at her ingenuity! She thinks it's funny to chase and be chased! It's her favorite game!

The weather here has been a bit on the bipolar side.  We've had some great days that were on the warmer side, but then we'll have a week or two that are cold, sometimes miserably so. We have had some flurries, but the ground has been so warm that nothing sticks. Just because it's not sticking, doesn't mean it's still not cold...like this morning! Even being in bed doesn't help the body stay warm!

There have been a few things lately that have made me think rather hard and has put some things into perspective for me. One of them is my relationships with my friends. I have come to terms to who I would rather spend my time with, and who I don't really want to be around anymore. I feel like I did once before about two and a half years ago, where each time I was around said person, I would suddenly feel two inches tall, felt like I wasn't worth much and just down on myself. I don't ever need to feel like that, and with time, I stopped being around that person. I've done this before, and I can do it again. It's never fun to have to realize that the people you thought were good friends turns out to be lying to you and treating you like you're not important enough or whatever enough. There was a show that I had seen a while ago, one of those style shows that this woman who was getting a makeover had said that she was terrified that the people giving her a makeover would put her into a dress because all of her friends had told her that they would be making fun of her and tormenting her for being in a dress. My first thought was," If your friends are going to do that to you for wearing a dress, you need better friends." But it suddenly hit me that I'm doing the exact same thing. I've always been afraid of what people are going to say or think of me, especially my friends or "friends", but no more. I'm not sure where or how this came to be, but I really don't care anymore. Most of these "friends" that I am talking about, it's not like we have much if anything at all in common with one another. So why waste my time, energy and my feelings by continually going around for more like a whipped dog? I've finally said no more. I'm not looking back on this decision either.
As for the other half of this topic about friends, I've made a really fantastic friend, the one I work out with daily, and I see a great relationship building, and not just with her, but her sister and cousin. I can talk about everything and anything, and get some real support and advice, just like friends should be. We've got a good thing going and I can't wait to see how it turns out. In fact, we have a girl's night planned on this coming Tuesday, since Mike is working evenings that night. Dinner and a movie. It's going to be fun! I can't wait!
Now, I mentioned other relations at the beginning of this paragraph, and I can honestly say that this also applies to family. I realize that it could be considered uncouth and mean to think this way about blood, but I hate the fact that just because we're "family" means that we have to put up with the hate, anger, snooty attitudes, that "I'm better than you" mentality and the bitterness. I'm tired of it. Like I mentioned above in the friends section of this topic, I am done being the "convenient friend or family member", I am not going to just stick around and wait for you to take notice of me or say something friendly to me. In fact, I've made numerous attempts at trying to get a hold of some of them, asking questions, taking an interest in their lives, yet I am left with unanswered emails or texts or phone calls. The last time I got together with members of my family, left me frustrated, though I didn't show it, and flat out said," Never again. I'm done." I shouldn't have to feel like I'm doing something wrong by how my house is, how my personal life is, how I chose to decorate rooms, or who my friends are or even the relationship that I have with people in general. I'm not going to be that polite little girl who sits quietly in the corner while the "grown ups" talk. I'm not doing it anymore, and I shouldn't have to. If you don't like it, guess what? I've grown up. I'm not putting up with this charade any longer, and I shouldn't have to. Respect is a two way street. If you want it, try giving it first. It'll get you some where faster than just demanding it.
To better understand what I am talking about, I'll put it this way: I grew up watching every member of my family treat outsiders better than their own blood. It's still in the air as to why. Was it because we were trying to make ourselves better than what we are? Could it be possible that no one likes anyone in the family? Or are we so bitter with how our lives have turned out that we have to treat each other so poorly in order to make ourselves feel better? Pick any of these reasons, and you'll understand why I am putting a foot down and saying no more. I'm sick of this facade and I'm walking away.

I talked to my mom today about how frustrated I am about some of the current situations involving my brother and his home life, but I've been trying to tell myself that it isn't my life. However, I have a hard time just sitting there watching the things happen, and I end up venting to Mike and I always finish it up by saying how happy I am that it is him. We work well together, we are going to be doing things differently than how I was brought up, how my family was brought up and how I am seeing things happen with the others, and I just know that we aren't going to be like that.

Yes, I realize that I am going off on a tangent, but these things needed to be said. I also understand and acknowledge that this will upset a lot of people, but I have reached that point of not caring. My mentality as of late has been, "If they aren't going to waste time their time thinking about me, why should I waste my time thinking about them?" I used to fight this thought process, but after the last few months, I realize that this holds more truth than anything. It's pretty clear to me that I'm not wanted around, so fine. I don't care anymore. I have more important things that I could be doing. I used to feel rather sad about how much life I'd be missing out on regarding the others, but frankly, it's not like any of them are trying either. So why should I be the one to feel guilty?

Moving off of the depressing/running tangent rant that I have started.

Tomorrow, I am planning on trying a new photography experiment! I'm really excited and am hoping that it will turn out as cool as it does in my head! I want to tell you, but I can't give it away! If it turns out well, I'll post a sample. I'll have to run to the store to grab a few supplies, but I think this will work amazingly, if I get the right calculations!

I haven't made anything new in a while as far as meals go. I am going to try cooking chicken in a new way, and pray that it turns out! I made a whole chicken last night. I asked Mike what kind he wanted. I have made a honey roasted, a lemon rub, and a semi-spicy one. He requested a spicy one, and boy did I nail that one on the head! It was really good! I wanted more, but I've been cutting back on my portions lately. The other day, I made spaghetti, and the Italian in me wanted more, but I fought the urge to get more. I'm hoping that with the extra chicken meals and the smaller portions with the P90X workouts, that I will soon reach my goal. I'm determined to get somewhere with this, especially since I have to go to a wedding in October. I want to look good in that bridesmaid dress! Talk about pressure!

Mike's work is Mike's work. Nothing new, nothing changing...it is what it is. Poisonous!

Well, I think that does it. I'm not sure that there is much else for me to add, really. Hopefully, next posting I will have something more exciting and less ranting to post!

Until next time!

Bring it on Winter...We're Ready!

Hey all!

So it seems that we are in for another huge snow storm...at least that is what they are saying. Most of the time, the talk about it, hype it up and for what? A dusting? Maybe an inch? It's been snowing all day, off and on yesterday, but I don't think we will be hit as hard as they are saying, at least not here in town. From what I understand, those who live in Woodland Park and Black Forest have gotten a lot of snow, but here? Not so much. Maybe I'll be wrong and I can have a nice snow day or something? Haha, yeah, right.

So let me see if I can remember things that have gone on since the last entry.

Mike's job is the same. Good days, bad days. There is always something that happens and when I hear about it, I shake my head, thank God that I'm not there any more, and we move on. Mike has been really great about leaving work at work, talking about his day, but not letting it get to him or his personal home life. It's great and I'm proud of his for being awesome at it lately! I don't mind the venting or his frustrations, as I am the first and probably the only person who would fully understand what is going on and know how it feels, and it's good to hear once in a while people that I used to work with tell Mike that what happened with us shouldn't have happened. I don't know why, but when I hear that, especially from the people that have said it, it makes me feel like I really did matter to some people. I'd never go back, mind you, unless I was paid a hefty sum...like say, what I was worth doing every one's job and working everywhere in the hospital? But that is not going to happen, and I am so much happier not being there. Okay, where did that tangent come from? Who knows, but we're moving on!

About a week ago, I asked my brother to have dinner with me and so that we could talk about a lot of things that seemed to have me quite worried. After about two days of asking, I finally got him to agree to it. I felt like I was pulling teeth from an alligator! When we got together later that week, it was a great talk, which to my surprise, lasted about four to five hours! I wasn't expecting a conversation to last that long, but I think we both needed it. It was nice to be able to open up and talk to him like we used to, and I'm only hoping that he doesn't feel as though I was interfering or whatever, and I hope that this is the start of getting our once close relationship back to the way things were, or maybe just close to it. I'll be okay with that too.

A few weeks ago, I taught Willow how to break sticks. She was playing with them outside, and about hit me a few times, so I broke it, and she tried to mimic me. After taking her hands and breaking the stick, that's all she did for twenty minutes. My mom and I were laughing at her concentration of breaking sticks and finding it amusing for so long. As all things though, it got boring and we moved on to the next activity. Willow loves to read her books, and play with her plastic food. I pointed out to my mom that I had begged for years growing up to get some plastic food, but she kept saying no. She didn't see the appeal, and probably still doesn't but she loves watching Willow play with them. Willow is super smart, as she knows that the corn pieces go together as well as the tomato pieces, and she will fix them if you put the wrong pieces together. She's starting to count up to ten, though she misses four and five still, but she says one through three, then jumps to six. She's a great kid, and I'm looking forward to the next stage in her life!

P90X has been a lot of fun! My friend Ana and I have been working out for the past week or so, and we were hoping to start doing it every day (excluding the weekends) but then this winter storm hit and the roads are all icy, and we decided (with all of her weekend activities) to postpone until Monday and restart. Her cousin is interested in joining us a couple of days a week, and so far, we both are really enjoying this program! We both met at the local boot camp that we were doing last year, and after the first week, you stopped feeling like you were working out, and you weren't getting the support that you wanted or needed. When I bought the P90X program, I invited her to join me, and it's been great! There are parts where one of us is weaker and vise versa. I'm looking forward to getting into better shape and getting to where I want to be! I think that we'll accomplish this common goal!

A friend of mine is getting married in October and asked me to be a bridesmaid. She's in Missouri, and I've never been, but I'm not looking forward to the humidity and bugs...I left all of that happily in Ohio, and wasn't looking forward to seeing that again, but I'll do it gladly to see her and to be part of her happy day! She told me that her colors had an Amethyst/Purple color...I told Mike that I don't know how I'd look in that color, but then again, it might not be the color...it could just be the dress, as we all know, most bridesmaids dresses are pretty scary!

The other day, I went out with a friend to go to the mall, let her son play and have lunch. We did some window shopping as well, and I tried on about four different dresses and loved one of them, until I saw the price tag. I thought that I had seen it before going into the dressing room, but I guess I looked at the wrong tag. The dress fit amazingly well and I was ready to buy it mentally, but they wanted $98 for it, and that was the discounted price! I put it back and shook my head. I'm sorry, as much as that dress was great, I had a hard time picturing wearing it anywhere outside of maybe a nice Valentine's dinner at a nice restaurant, and I wasn't planning on spending over $100 for a new outfit to just sit in a closet only to be used maybe once a year. That's not me. When I told Mike this story, he smiles, kisses my forehead and tells me that he's glad it's me. We say that often to one another, as we hear stories from friends or past relationships that the other person would just blow money on things that are irrelevant and they don't think about what they are doing until after it takes a negative toll on them and their pocketbook. On a side note: I'm glad that it's me too!

Mike is still laughing at me, each day, for how many books I seem to be finishing with my Kindle. (Thank you again!) I seem to be finishing these books so quickly, and I have been downloading them just as fast. There have been some books that I can't seem to get into and stop reading them, only to delete them later. I've already written a bad review on one book that I felt as though I was being tortured trying to get through the first chapter! I wasn't the only one, so I didn't feel as bad about my review! Mike asks me each night when I turn it on, which book I am reading. What's it about? Who's the characters? The last time he asked me that, I had just started reading a book, was on page one of chapter one. There were no details given just yet, so I couldn't answer him. He usually laughs when I tell him that I've finished another book, then he jokes that the Kindle wasn't a good idea after all. In all honesty, I think he's just jealous!

I met up with a professional photographer here in town earlier this week. She was really nice! She specializes in newborn/kid photography. Her work is really good, but as we both know, it is one good shot out of ten. It happens, even when you're getting paid over a thousand dollars for a complete package. The meeting was for two hours, and she went over a lot of things, and even gave me an assignment so that I can improve and meet up with her again to discuss what I did. She looked over my work (the books that I've given as gifts, and my school assignments from last year) and told me a lot of great things to improve and things that she was impressed by. She told me that I would have to redo my site again, and a ton of things that made me feel as though this photography gig won't happen for at least five or more years. I still need a lot of work, as I suspected and admitted, but from her perspective, I'd need a lot more than I realized. I need a strong portfolio, and I need to take portraits of people to improve that area of my work. I'm more of a fine art/landscape type of photographer, but that isn't where the money is. It's going to take a lot of time and effort to make this happen, and it's going to be a long while before I see some progress. It's a little depression to say the least, but I know I have support from Mike and I think that is really all that I need.

Mike and I went to my annual appointment and as we were there, we talked about how we have been trying to start a family for the past year now. (A year in a week and a half). She immediately decided to do an ultrasound in the office to check for PCOS, also known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Sure enough, I have that. The great news though is that all of my endormetrialhyperplasia is completely gone! After had being diagnosed with that at the tender age of 12-13, and being medicated since, I've pretty much healed from it as there is no trace period! Mike's mind is now at ease where that is concerned! As far as the PCOS, it's nothing life threatening or anything like that. It just means that I'm not ovulating and need medication to help me. The ultrasound showed the ovaries and all of the eggs that I have, waiting to come out. She gave me the script and told me when to take them. I have to wait a bit before I can take them, but she suspects that within a month of taking it, we should see success. I'm not going to jinx anything by saying that I hope she is right, but I'm not going to play the pessimist either and say that it won't. The diagnosis makes sense though, to both Mike and me, especially due to the pains that I have during my cycles with the cysts rupturing. I've learned to deal with them, as I've always done for years, but now, I feel as though I am making so progress! The other thing the doctor told us is that women with PCOS have a higher chance of multiples, and then of course the medications can increase it as well but not as high as most people assume. I laughed at Mike, telling him that we'll probably have multiples as I have three things working against (or in favor) of that. I have multiples in my family, the meds and this new diagnosis! Maybe twins will be in our future? Guess we'll see! I told Mike that I wouldn't mind it either way, and who knows, it could be fun!

No new meals for a while. I am going to be trying my chicken cordon bleu recipe in the fancy new toaster oven that Mike's family got us! I'm hoping that they turn out! I'll have to keep you posted on that!

This year, I'm wanting/hoping to have my garden started. I still need to make a trip out to the garden shops in town to see if they have what I am looking for, if not, I can order them on Amazon. I found a bunch of nice looking hutches for a good price online. I just hope that they have them here locally. I can't wait to get that started! I'm looking forward to it a lot! We decided to put the hutches on out basketball court, as we never use it, and it will be smack in the middle of all of this beautiful sunshine!

Mike is healing quite nicely. He does his PT almost daily, except on days that he's in pain. He's feeling pretty good with his progression, as am I. The surgeon has told him that he still cannot shovel snow, but if our nice neighbors continue with their help, then we won't have to worry about that! The last snow fall, late last year, our neighbors have shovelled or plowed our walks for us. It's nice that we have some nice people in our area!

So...I think that is about it. I can't really think of much else to say, that is positive or good, let alone interesting! =) 
So with that said, I guess that I should call it a good entry!

Until next time!

10 Things to be Thankful For

10 things that I am thankful for that has happened last year, and will continue to happen in years to come.
1. Life - I know that this is a pretty generic point, but if you think about it, it's by far the most important. If it wasn't for life, where would I be? Exactly. Life is everything, and the essence of being. I wouldn't even have a list to write, if it wasn't for this major point. Life is all around us, and it only takes a moment to truly open your eyes and look at it. It's in the air we breathe, in the food we eat, and in the people around us, even those we don't necessarily like. We can make life easier by helping others enjoy it while they can. Life is too short sometimes, even for ourselves. Not only do we help others, but we need to make sure that we are taking the necessary time for ourselves. If we can't help ourselves, we can't help anyone else.
2. My husband, Mike - Right up there with life, is the love of my life. I have done so much because of him, and will continue to do things because of his unending and unfaltering love, support and words of encouragement. I often wonder where I would be today, if it weren't for his help. He has guided me through some of the worst and best moments of my life and has never held any of it over my head or with the threat of leaving me to deal with it alone. He has been my major support since the day that I met him, and has continued to do so without question. He has helped me find my path in life, and has helped me grow into a person that I am proud to be. Without Mike, I don't know how much of my life would be as fantastic as it is today, and will be in the future years to come!
3. Family - Even though we all have those days where we would rather not be a part of our crazy family, we all know that they are the spine of our lives. They help us when we need it, they are there for comfort when you are in desperate need of comforting, and not all families are blood related. If it wasn't for family, you wouldn't know what you'd like to change for the betterment of your children, your marriage and your life. Plus, you wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for your family...a la, your parents. You may not like your parents somedays, but they did the best they thought and felt they could at the time, so let it go and just be happy you are one of the fortunate ones.
4. Freedom - Again, this is a pretty broad topic. Freedom can be characterized into many different fields of interest. In my case, it's not just the freedom of the country, but the ability to be able to open life's doors to all of the possiblities that I may be interested in. A few years back, I started getting into photography, and more...this year, the doors before me are endless as I find more and more things that I want to dip my feet into to see if it is something worth pursuing. I have been granted this freedom by being with Mike, which is why he is at the top of my list. Without him, and without the freedom he has given me, I'd not have been able to tell you who I am. I have that ability of freedom to be able to discover and develop who I am and where I want to go.
5. Friends - I don't have a lot of friends, but I know that the small, select few that I do have, mean the world to me. Some of them even fit into the family category, and some haven't quite made it that far. I don't tell many people much about me unless they ask for it, but there are some that I feel so incredibly comfortable with that I can tell them anything without any repercussions of what I have said. Those are the friends that I love and want to keep close for as long as possible. It shouldn't matter how long you have gone without seeing or speaking to them, as long as you are able to pick up where you left off as if you had just spoken or seen them yesterday without feeling uncomfortable or awkward. I love that about the small amounts of friends that I have, and I hope to one day make more friends who share the same views that I do about this subject matter. I can only be the best person and friend that I can be and hope that I get the same with the ones that I have.
6. Strength - I found recently my strength that I didn't realize that I had in me. There are some days that I feel stronger than I have ever felt, but I have my days that I feel that I'm weaker than a small piece of hay, easily broken, easily forgotten, but I've never realized exactly how strong I can be. This past year, I have faced so much and have been able to keep my head held high and not allow things to get to me. I've found my voice and people have started to see me in a new light. They don't treat me in the way that they used to, because they know that I will not put up with it any more. I'm no longer that polite little child that sits quietly in the corner awaiting orders. I'm still nice and polite, don't misunderstand me, but I don't allow people to use me as a doormat any more. I think those people, if given the chance to see me again, wouldn't recognize me.
7. Life - I know what you must be thinking...I already used this for my number one. I did, but this is a different sense of the word. I used Life before in the sense of being. This time, I use it in the sense of living. Looking back over the three years of marriage, I've seen how different I've become, the experiences I've had, and the adventures I've been on. I've tasted new foods that I never thought I'd do in a million years, I've met people that I didn't think existed, and I've seen places and things that I've only dreamed about. Each day is a new day full of possibilities and new adventures with no mistakes in it. I often look back on how I used to be, with the people I used to be with, and I know for a fact that my life would have been completely different if I had stayed with those people, doing those mundane things. I've never regretted a single moment of how my life has turned out and how much I went through to get here. Things have never been so great for me, and I have Mike and Life, as well as God, to thank for shaping my future into something as fantastic as this. I know that I may not stay in Colorado for the rest of my life, but I don't fret about it either. I look at it as an adventure that is just around the corner. What new possibilities await me in my life and future? Only God can tell, but I look forward to how my next chapter unfolds.
8. Patience - If I have learned anything over this last year, it's patience. People often pray that they learn patience, and they wait almost a lifetime before getting the ability to practice it. I've been one of the fortunate ones that have learned this early, but never really put it into play until this last year. I know that I will be allowed to grow and become even more expert with this, but for now, I'm content to know that I'm getting somewhere with it at an early age. Throughout the year, I've been able to show patience with family drama, friend drama, things going on at work, waiting for the photography business to pick up, and the stress and emotional turmoil that goes on while trying to start a family. Through this whole last year, I faced depression in the face and said no. Things don't go your way, and sometimes they do. It's rare that things go your way when you want them to, but honestly, I don't think that I've ever thought about patience in the way that I see it now. God gives you what he knows you can handle, and sometimes you feel like it's more than enough, but there is a reason he does it. It's his way of providing you situations in which to be patient in. Yes, the road to get there can suck and you may get depressed, but that is also his way of bringing you back to him. I guess I should also add Faith behind patience on this one, because they are almost the same. I try to live each day as best as possible without losing hope/faith/patience in what I am doing, because it is the major lesson in which I have asked for this entire year past. I think I've started to learn the lesson and use it to the best of my natural abilities.
9. Confidence - This is still something that I am working on perfecting. I've decided to take the necessary steps in my life to make sure that I can build that confidence to where I need it to be. It's never over, as you are always trying to keep it up, and finding new ways to help boost that confidence. It's a lifelong lesson and goal, and I'm prepared to face it head on this year. I sort of pushed it to the back burner last year, and have regretted it. I don't really regret much in my life, as I am a firm believer that the things you go through, shape who you are today, and have never felt resentment or anger towards those that have caused me harm or distress, but I do regret putting this task off for so long, but no longer. This year, I am willing to face this issue and fix it. One step at a time...
10. The Unknown - There are so many curveballs that life throws your way. It's never how you deal with them that is the issue, but how you react when they finally come to your doorstep. There is no way to ever truly know when these things are going to show up, but when they do, you have to be prepared to deal with them, as gracefully as possible. Soemtimes, it's your reactions that can cause the ripple effect and cause harm to others without your knowing. The curveballs aren't always bad, they can be good too. You just need to be able to take them as they come, deal with them as best as you can, and move on. I don't know where my life will go once this is posted, and I don't know how life will become but I do know that I have the power to make it as positive and as enjoyable as possible. I have people that will support me, who will help me when I feel that I am drowning, and I have that love that will help carry me through it. If you have that, then you've already succeeded. If you don't, then that is already a curveball that you're dealing with...but the question isn't if you have that curveball, it's how are you reacting to it? Life has it's way of being unpredictable, and it's only a matter of when it happens to you. If you keep your head held high with a smile on your face, even through the bad times, people will ask you how it is you are able to smile through times like these, and you'll be able to pass on a little bit of hope for those people...who knows, maybe by doing that, you'll end up making the world a better place...one smile at a time...

New Year

Hello everyone!

Sorry, once again, for not writing often...even though I've made numerous comments about getting better at doing so...seems that I haven't kept up my end of the bargain.

Christmas has come and gone, as well as the New Year celebration...though, we don't really seem to celebrate the new year. I was in bed by 9pm. The year before, Mike and I stayed up to see the fireworks go off on the top of Pikes Peak, but they were so pitiful, that this year, we didn't bother. Not to mention, Mike had to work the next morning early, so it didn't really appeal to us. I found out that the fireworks this year were spectacular. Figures, right? Oh well. We heard more than our share of fireworks, starting at 5pm, and sporadically throughout the night and early morning. Maybe one year we will try it again.

So...let me see if I can play catch up with an entire month of inactivity.

In December, I had two photo shoots for members of the same family with their extended families. It was a good shoot, for the most part, and I can see that my talent is improving. I even took pictures of one of our frost storms after dropping Mike off at his PT appointment one day. Mike and I had talked about possibly making a trip out to Estes Park on one of the weekends that he has off, but we will see what happens. I've never been, and I've seen pictures. It looks so pretty!

My mom has moved into her house. She seems to be very happy with it. I've visited her often, and her cat loves seeing me. She always makes joking comments to me about how nice and lovey is his with me, yet I see how he is with her, and I know that he is her cat.

On Christmas eve, I went to my mom's house to meet up with her and my brother, Josh and his daughter, Willow to do our gift exchange since we were all busy with different schedules and what have you. Willow opened one of her gifts from me, on my mom's lap, and the other on mine. It was so cute!  She is such an amazing little girl, and so easy! I can only pray that my children, when that time comes, will be as easy!

Mike and I had a pretty quiet Christmas Day. We got up early, and after opening all of our gifts (Thank you all again!), we spent the entire day, playing all of the new board games that we got. There was one game that we had to YouTube a tutorial in how to play because the rules were a little confusing, but we finally figured it out, with no help from the online tutorial. Go figure! One of the games, I took over on New Years and taught my mom, brother and sister in law how to play. They seemed to have enjoyed themselves, and since then, I've brought it over to play with my mom on numerous occasions. The game is called Killer Bunnies. It's a card game, and once you start playing, it's fun and easy. If someone is trying to explain all of the individual cards, it can be confusing, so we started by playing the first game open handed, and everyone caught on pretty quickly...for the most part!

We've enjoyed all of the wonderful games and gifts that we have gotten, that even Mike was a little jealous of the Kindle Fire that his parents gave me. (Thank you again!) I've successfully finished about five books so far. Mike laughs at me each time I tell him about the latest book that I have read. Turns out, that my grandmother got one this year too! I guess it's a pretty popular gift! There are too many books that I want to read, and need to pay for them. I'll most likely pick one to purchase each month, and spread them out a bit! I'm a bookworm, always have been, so it's dangerous for me to read books and end up buying a ton of them! But, I like reading and writing, so I'm ecstatic!

I've been writing again, and I have a friend who is willing to read through the latest creation, and provide me feedback so that I may make changes, and continue on with it. If it turns out to be a good story with all of the corrections made, I might look into getting it published! One step at a time though...one step.

Mike has been getting better with each day. His work is hit and miss. The more that I hear of the things that go on there, the more I really hate that organization and makes me seriously consider going to Penrose for any medical procedures because I don't want my money to go to a place that treat people like they do. I've mentioned to Mike on several occasions that I wonder if it would take someone to die in the hospital and have it be pharmacy's fault in order for things to change, but we both laugh, because what they've done in the past is promote those people so that they can do more harm. I've wrapped my head around the idea that the reason that I was treated the way I was and kicked out was because I was saving people's lives and not killing them. I really do hope that the city's population votes to turn Memorial into a University hospital. Not only will that help with our city, but I have a feeling that the organization will make a turn for the better. At this point, I don't think there is a place that can be as bad as this one. I'm so glad that I'm no longer there!

A couple of weeks ago, I had a bad allergic reaction to something that I ate at Whole Foods Cafe. I ended up covered in hives for a couple weeks. Finally, they are almost healed! They look like old bruises now...and that is a relief! I'm still not 100% sure as to what caused this, but I'm not going to be eating at that cafe anymore. Shopping there is a different matter, but eating the things that have been prepared isn't for me anymore. Makes me worry a little if it is a food allergy, because I'll have to have it again in order to determine what caused it, and I'd rather not. I think what I'll do if this happens again, some place else, is write down everything that I had to eat, and start eliminating those items that I have often.

Our weather has been bipolar. We had a bad snow storm in December, but now it's warm, beautiful clear skies, and honestly, if it wasn't for the snow and ice patches that are still melting, I'd swear it was Spring. I'm sure that the Spring and Summer is going to be a hard one this year, given how our Winter is going. I'll enjoy this while I can, and deal with the repercussions when they happen! People are out in shorts and skirts and tank tops...in January! That's crazy!

This year, I'm planning on making our garden happen! Last year, I wanted to do it, but by the time I got the seeds and started to find a place that could work in the yard, it was too late to do anything. So I will be heading over to a garden shop and to my aunt Deborah's house to look at her hutch to see what makes the most sense for what I want to do. I have no idea what is in store for us when I start looking, but I am excited to get a garden going. We go through so much onions and peppers...vegetables really that it makes sense to start one. We also love fresh pesto! In order to make fresh pesto, you need basil and I was wondering for the last week if there was a basil shortage as no store had any! I finally found some, but it wasn't enough for us to make a lot to freeze. So, we have basil seeds and that is a priority for us! I'll keep you posted on the garden front!

My aunt Deborah, is in the middle of her pregnancy! She should be finding out the gender of the baby soon! It's all very exciting, and I'm not the one pregnant, so I can only imagine how they feel! I honestly, cannot wait to meet the newest member of the family! I'm praying that one day soon, it will be Mike and my turn!

I started my P90X workout, but then I got the hives, and I stopped. I am planning on getting a kick start on that and moving forward with my goals. I have the support that I need from Mike, and once he gets into the place he needs to be with his shoulder, I know that we will be working out together. I just hope that I don't blow my knee out once again! Once I hit my goal, I'll post pictures. I had the before already...lol.

Not much else has been going on, that I can remember anyways. This is the season for the beautiful sunsets in Colorado, and I hope that they keep improving so that I can get some great shots! Speaking of photos, if you haven't, I'd love it if you'd take a look at the site and see how much better it looks, and the new photos. Of course, feedback is always nice too, but there is no pressure.

So, I think that pretty much sums up everything...at least, everything that I can mention or think to mention! I won't be promising to write soon, as we all know how that works out for me!

Until next time!

Where did November go??

Hello everyone!

As I ask in my title, where did November go? Time just flew out the window!

Let me see if I can sum up an entire month, and see if I can even remember everything that has happened.

As mentioned before, Mike had his surgery. The damage was worse than originally thought, so there was a little more work involved than originally intended, but the doctor did a great job, and Mike has been going to physical therapy twice a week, and doing the exercises at home everyday. Each day is different. Some days are better than others, and then there are the horrible days, where he can barely do anything.

Mike returns to work this Monday, and I worry about how well he will manage due to all of the hyper extending and reaching and lifting that is required of him. I am really hoping that he doesn't try to be a martyr and tough it out, which could lead to him hurting himself, and having to start all over again.

Mike's work at Memorial Pharmacy, has been interesting, as we get little updates here and there from the staff that are considered friends. So far, since Mike has been out of there due to the surgery/recovery, three pharmacists have quit. The management has been telling other people who are thinking of looking or is looking for work elsewhere to leave. The more horror stories I hear about management, or how they allow people who are not qualified or detail oriented to work in places that you have to be top notch, makes me really glad that I am no longer there. I have a bad taste from that place in my mouth as it is, and this is just making things worse. I won't get into details, but let me just say, that if you do have to go there, double check everything that comes into your room. Also, look to see who made what, even though you may not know the names of people, it could save your life. For instance, if one of the technicians that is rather good at what she does, didn't catch this, I would have feared for the poor guy to get the medication. The story goes that there is a technician who is fresh out of school, and normally, they would have you train everywhere else in the pharmacy for six months before getting into the IV room, but this fellow was allowed in there as soon as he was hired. He claims that when he is tired, he can't do math, which is the whole job description when in the IV room and he decided to take an antibiotic that was needing to be reconstituted out of the sterile clean room, into the dirtiest place in the pharmacy, known as the break room, and place this vile into the microwave so he could dilute it faster. Someone caught him and demanded to know what the heck he was doing. Needless to say, instead of writing this guy up or firing him, they place him on the graveyard shift, where he can do the most damage. I tell Mike each time I hear stories of what is going on there, that I can't believe they got rid of me...then again, I didn't kill people, and that may be why I was kicked out. Guess it's better to kill patients off, then save them...again, I am glad that I am no longer there.

Mike's family came out for Thanksgiving. It was good to see them, and we enjoyed their company. I tried a few new recipes, though I have no photos to show, and I will have to post the recipes another time, as I am writing this at nearly 1am. We missed having the Tobins out for the holiday, but because of the newest member of the Tobin family, it was understandable.  The weather for Thanksgiving week was amazing! We only had one really cold day, and the rest was in the 60s.

Mike had a horrible migraine this morning, but has calmed it down since then. He even went to bed early to try and clear the whole thing. I'm hoping that he succeeds. I don't like to see him hurting and wanting to do things that are fun, but unable to because of his health.

I had two photo shoots within a week of each other. The first one was the day after Thanksgiving with a nurse that Mike knows, and has introduced me to when we first started dating years ago. She and her husband had me do their Christmas pictures last year, and wanted me to do them again this year, which I enthusiastically accepted. This last Friday, I took pictures of her sister in law's family. I still need to download them and work on them, so I am hoping to have all of that done soon.

Our Charlie Brown tree is up and decorated. Mike always mentions getting a real tree someday, but I am not completely sold on the idea. One, I'm allergic to them, and secondly, I've always had the fake trees, which saves money in the long run. Yes, I know that the fake ones don't look as nice, but some of them do. I guess it really doesn't matter to me either way, but I'm just not sold on them.

I am excited about Christmas though. I'm a giver and I like to get people things and see their reaction. A lot of the time, I can get things for people that they've mentioned once at the beginning of the year, and surprise them. I've succeeded in this numerous times.  I am not sure what the plans are for Christmas this year. I don't know Mike's schedule, and no one in the family has mentioned anything to me. Most likely I will get a last minute invite...if you'd call "Christmas my house at ___pm" an invite. Either way, I won't know anything until after Monday.

Monday, my mom is coming to bake cookies with me. I look forward to this every year. It's silly, I know, but it's the one tradition that has always stayed the same, no matter the changes in our lives. I have fond memories of baking cookies and decorating them with my mom and brother. I invited my brother three days ago when my mom said she was game for cookie making, and didn't hear from him until today when I practically demanded an answer, and even then, I didn't really get one. I complained to my mom of course, who had gotten the answer from him...why he sent her the answer, when I'm hosting, is beyond me and it frustrated me to no end...I vented a little to Mike, which I feel badly about. I know how much my family can bother Mike when they get under my skin. I don't mean to go off on them to him, but I don't have anyone to talk to about them.
The thing I have to remember about my family is this: there will always be the double standards when it comes to my brother and me. There is no getting away from this. For as long as both of us are alive, and I continue to put myself in my family's presence, this will always be an issue. I will never understand it either. We were both raised by the same person, taught the same things, yet we are two completely different people. I am reminded to always thank someone, whether through email or card and is expected to do it, while he walks. I am supposed to let people know if I am coming to any get togethers and when, when he is allowed to blow people off and just show up. The list goes on, but I fear that I am borderline complaining, and it's inappropriate to continue.

I've started writing again. I've got a few great stories going already, and I'm trying to get them complete, but my problem is that I want feedback on them before I continue further. I want to make sure that things make sense, that the story flows, and sounds interesting, so on and so on. I've given a copy to a couple of people, but haven't heard a word from them. It can be frustrating to be told that they will read it, and then not have it happen...so, if you'd like to help me out, please let me know and I'd be happy to forward something to you. I am looking for blunt honesty and critique. I want to maybe polish it up nicely for publishing.

Family drama continues, but what else is new? My mom moved into her new quaint little house. I have my opinions on it, as well as other matters that is not my business or my life, so I cannot mention them here. I also have many opinions and choice words for my sibling's life, but again...I bite my tongue and stay out of it. Though I've already made it know that if something major happens to a little person of blood relation, whether life changing of the bad sense or not, I will not idly sit back and say nothing. It will be a side of me that no one has seen before. But until then, I will not speak up until the time is needed.

I have new photos on my site, and more to come, so be sure to hope over and look at them too!

Well...I don't really have much else to say, so I guess I should call it a night. And thinking back on everything I have written...I probably shouldn't even post this, but I don't feel like editing right now, and I needed to post something new. So, with that said...I leave it at that.

Until next time!

Crazy Month of October...

Hello everyone!

So let's get down to the most important part of this blog.

Mike had his surgery on the 13th. The doctor was running about an hour to an hour and a half behind, but as Mike mentioned, he didn't mind because he would rather the doctor take his time, making sure all of his patients were well cared for and where they needed to be, before moving on with his next appointment. The doctor that we had operating on Mike was the best in town. After speaking with several nurses and PAs, Mike discovered that he had made the right decision about choosing this particular doctor. During the initial consultation with him, Mike had asked the doctor, about how long would it be after the procedure that he could be out skiing again. Without hesitating, the doctor replied with January. So Mike is holding him to that, and has already mentioned it on a few occasions to the doctor, in which the doctor just replies with a simple okay.
The day of the procedure was slow to begin, with the doctor being behind schedule, but Mike kept cracking jokes with the nurses, the doctors and even a pharmacist that he works with who had stopped by to check up on him before and after the procedure. When I was allowed back to the recovery room when it was over, Mike was very alert, sucking down water, Sprite and eating some crackers, all the while, still making jokes with the staff. The doctor had stopped by to tells us that things were a little more severe than he initially thought, but that it wouldn't slow down the recovery any. The tear was a little worse than he originally thought. The tear that Mike had was around the labrum muscle and cartilage. (I am most likely getting the muscles involved wrong, but this is what I remember, so forgive me if I clarify in another post later). Instead of having two screws or brackets placed inside his shoulder, there were three. One in front of the shoulder, one on top and the third in the back. They also shaved down some of the bone and scraped some off the back of the shoulder bone. When the nerve block finally wore off about two-three days later, he could feel where he was operated on, and is still in a lot of pain, but who can blame him? When I was being asked almost daily how Mike was doing, and with my responses being that he's in a lot of pain, and with each day that passes, it seems to be getting worse, I was asked why he was in such pain from this procedure...once I explained what all was involved, I got a message of wow. I related this story to Mike who then asked me what they thought was involved in surgery? But all I could do was shrug. It's hard to say what people think when they think surgery. Maybe somewhere along the line, there was a message of miscommunication or perhaps something got lost along the way. Either way, there it is.

Each day is different, however. Mike has had some good days, but then he has some rather bad ones, like yesterday and especially today. We were able to remove the bulk of the dressings off of his shoulder, after we went to his follow up appointment yesterday afternoon. When we got to the appointment, and as we were checking in, there was a typical "Scrubs" moment. There was another man who followed us into the office and stood behind us to check in. When the other receptionist brought him to the counter to help him, is where this whole funny story starts...

Receptionist: "I can help you here, sir!"
Man: "I was told to come here from the ER to see a Dr. Pack." (The doctors name is Pak. Sounds like Pawk)
Receptionist: "Okay, let me look in the system here..."
Man: "They said it was humerus but it's not humorous at all!"
Receptionist: "Did you make an appointment?"
Man: "No, they told me to come across the street and set one up...that's why I'm here."
Receptionist: "So you didn't call to set up your appointment?"
Man: "No. I'm a transfer from the ER."
Receptionist: "I'm sorry sir, but you will have to call us to set up the appointment."
Man: "I have to call you to make an appointment? So, I should just step out in the hall and use my cellphone?"
Receptionist: "There's a phone on the wall right over there that you can use. (Hands him a card) Call this number, and they can set up your appointment. We can't do it here because we don't have the program or the schedules."

At this point, Mike and I got sit in the waiting room, still chuckling about how stupid our health care system has become. The man and front desk are still in our line of sight, as the drama continues.

The man approached the desk and asked where the phone was for him to use. They point to the wall directly behind him, and he begins to pick it up as another woman rounds the corner with a piece of paper.

Woman: "Sir? You were trying to set up an appointment?"
Man: "Yes. That girl said I had to call her to set up my appointment, so I'm using your phone."
Woman: (hands him the card) Call this number. Ask for me, and I'll get you processed. Okay?"
The man takes the card and begins to dial.

Now, at this point, Mike and I are crying, we are laughing so hard, which I am sure that the other people on our side of the waiting room must have thought we were crazy or something. It also didn't help that there was some kids cartoon show that is directed towards toddlers that was playing and saying some ridiculous things, but mostly, it was this poor man trying to make an appointment. The thing that was so hilarious to us was how the people who do the scheduling, had come around the corner, and told them to call and ask for them, instead of bringing him around to their desk to set up his appointment. The whole ordeal was quite "humorous" as well as just ridiculously stupid that our health care has sunk this low...

So Mike had to order me to stop making him laugh, due to his pain, but he still thought the whole thing was funny...even today, as I write this, I still can't help but chuckle.

The doctor had come in to our room and showed Mike the pictures of his procedure, explaining where the screws/brackets were and where the tear was, as well as how far back it went. It was a rather quick visit, and we were out as soon as we got the new script for his pain meds. So across the street we went to Memorial Central, to get them filled. Mike waited in the car, as I went to the pharmacy, not the one that I worked at, but the outpatient side of things. It took them a while, longer than it should have for they were not busy, and I would know as I did do my rotation there when I was a student, and finally paid and began to leave. On my way back through the tunnels to get to my car, I ran into a former student of the Pharmacy Tech program that I helped teach. She is one of the new hires at Memorial, and I talked to her briefly...now here is my favorite part of yesterday. My old manager, who is no longer a manager due to restructure of the management in the pharmacy, happened to walk by as we were talking. She glared at me, and I very happily said," Hi Kathie!" She didn't stop walking past me, she didn't even say hello, but just grunted bitterly as she rounded the corner. I told Mike about this passing, and told him that I couldn't help but find the humor and quite frankly some closure by being so happy to run into that old miserable hag.

For those of you who don't fully know the story, Kathie was the reason that I wasn't able to stay at Memorial. She is the thorn in every one's side in the pharmacy, and she is a very bitter and difficult person. If she isn't writing you up for sneezing, then she isn't happy. She had told management when they were doing the rehiring of her position, that if she didn't get the job, then she would be quitting because she wouldn't step down to a lowly tech position...which she is a tech. So when the position went to someone else, someone with out the attitude and baggage, and quite frankly, someone who is much better qualified, Kathie ended up telling management that she would like to stay with Memorial and work as a tech. I had told Mike before this happened, that she was completely bluffing when she said that she wouldn't work as a tech, and as soon as management called her on it, she back-peddled and immediately accepted the tech position. From what I was told by the former student of mine, Kathie doesn't say a word to anyone, not even a hello, in which she has written people up for in the past, and she stays in corners of the Pharmacy trying not to be seen. But for the moment, I'm content enough to know that Karma has a way of getting back at people, and I found the whole confrontation to be very comforting. I found some closure...even in the smallest way.

So, today, Mike is not doing well, and I foresee the rest of the day being the same, and therefore, I am hoping to keep myself busy, not only in taking care of him, but hopefully to keep my mind off of any potential mood swings that may be caused to my over sensitivity to his mood. He seems fine in spirit and mood thus far, but I know that sometimes, too much pain, can be cause to a bad mood flare up. I am hoping that this is not the case, but you never can tell as each person is different.

Well, I can't write much more, as Mike is up from his nap, and I need to bring him some breakfast and coffee, but I am hoping to write another update soon.

Also, if you haven't gone to my website recently, please do and please comment on your favorites because that helps me out immensely! http://www.mfahey.smugmug.com/

Until next time!

It Must Be October!

Hello everyone!

I woke up this morning to snow on the ground! What is so funny to me, is that I had just told Mike yesterday morning that I was wishing for snow....mainly because I didn't want to have to go out and mow the yard, but also....well, honestly, that's really all the reasons for wishing for snow! Because I am a summer baby, I love the warm...but I do like snow too, it's just not in my nature to wish for it or do a snow dance!

We do usually get snow about this time, but it's usually closer to Halloween. Every year for the past four years or so, we have never failed to have snow on Halloween. It's nice to see that we are branching out a little this year!

My mom has been out of town for the week and won't be coming back for another week to follow, so I've been watching my niece, Willow. It's super cute to walk in the door and see her face light up and she comes running over to me and begins to run in place. Okay, maybe not "running" but she is telling me that she wants to be chased. I started to play with her that way a month ago, and she loves it! So, I end up playing with her like that for about an hour, before I'm needing a break! She knows that my mom is gone and wasn't quite herself the first day that I watched her, but now she is starting to become more like her old self, and that is always nice to see!

Mike's surgery is upcoming this week. Thursday to be exact. We are both looking forward to it, as much as a person can look forward to surgery, but we know that he needs it and that life will be much more enjoyable once it is complete. He has talked with a nurse that he works with in the ICU who also had this surgery done this year, though hers was much worse, as you can imagine with lifting and moving patients that are around 300+ pounds; so he has more confidence instilled in him, and he knows that this is the right move to make in the long run. He has his good days where there is little pain, but then he remembers those days that were not so great, and decides that he really does need the procedure.

I am looking forward to having him in the house with me, everyday for the next month and a half, and if I need a break, I have other things to get me out of the house for a couple of hours. I think we both have made comments that we will be watching a lot of our Netflix movies, as well as the movies that we are currently in the works with! As most of you know, I have a lot of movies, and we have only begun to scratch the surface!

Cooking hasn't been anything new, not for a while, though I am hoping to try some new things out here soon! I know that Mike wants me to make the pulled pork again, and I am leaning towards that green chicken chili one again! Either way, I'm sure I'll manage something. Tonight I am making spaghetti, and I am looking forward to some good ol' fashioned comfort food...yes, I am weird to think that it is comfort food, but oh well.

I've also updated my photography website! It's finally done! I've selected a few photos that I thought were the best and put them up, instead of having the whole lot of them up there, so it's much easier to navigate, and the layout is new too! Instead of each individual gallery just hanging in the open, they are in categories, and then you see the galleries! Much more organized too! I'm hoping to see a change in sales too, and I know that my pictures look much nicer since I've taken a photoshop class, not that I have edited my photos that much. I think the only thing I really did was just brighten the colors a little. Either way, you should hop over and take a look and comment on the pictures you like because it will help me out not only to know what people like, but also it will increase my ratings so that other people who do not know me personally, will be able to see them! So please, please, please go to the site and start rating and commenting!  http://www.mfahey.smugmug.com/

Today, Mike and I will be going to the mall to buy him a button down shirt and some new fleece sweat pants for when he has surgery. We have other small errands to run, but this is the most important...it's also going to be interesting since Mike likes to order his clothes online instead of going to a store and trying things on. Call me old fashioned, but I like to go and try things on, because the things that look good on the hanger, usually look horrible on!

I found out earlier this week, that my aunt Deborah, the eldest of the twins, is finally pregnant! She's been trying for a long time, and I am so happy for her that it's finally come! I know that they will be great parents and it will be nice to finally have a cousin in the family! Maybe one day soon, it will be Mike and My's turn! My mom said that she thought it would be funny if both Deborah and I were pregnant at the same time, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes...not in a disrespectful way, mind you, but just because I am not so sure that would be "funny" and she does have a weird sense of humor! It will happen when it will happen.

Mike is finishing up making breakfast, so I best get off and eat some good food that I did not have to prepare! So with all of that said, thank you to those who are reading my blog! I feel like I am not wasting my time after all! Keep up the reading, and I will keep up with the writing!

Until next time!