Is this thing on? I mean really?

I have just not been into blogging lately, I mean like for a really long time.  But it's almost a new year, so why not make a bit more of an effort?  Yesterday I gave the blog a remodel and refresh so we are ready to go. It will be a short one tonight, kiddos need to get to bed.

We are having a nice Christmas recovery week off.  I have been off since Friday and it has been great. I was worried at first, when Nicholas came down with pink eye last Thursday and we thought that Jackson was getting it too, but since N won't do eyedrops, the doctor gave them antibiotics and it cleared up before Christmas and J never completely got it.

Mike is sick as is our usual after Christmas tradition.  The upside is we have stayed close to home and relaxed a lot.

Since you can't blog without a picture here is my first collage I created at Picasa today (how did I not know about this).  This would have taken me 30 minutes in Photoshop and it was whipped out in 5 minutes on Picassa after a bit of fixing on the cropping.

Meet Happy the Elf he arrived on Thanksgiving night and kept an eye on N & J for Santa through Christmas. The boys were sad to see Happy go back with Santa on Christmas Eve, but I am making them a little mini book to capture all his adventures while he was here.

Be back soon!

This Man Changed Our World

Steven Jobs

Apple CEO

Brilliant Innovator

1955 - 2011

I am not quite sure I can put my finger on why the passing of this man, that I did not know personally, has moved me so much. I am sure it has a lot to do with him dying of cancer at too young of an age. And it is almost this time last year that the beginning of the end of our time with my mom began. I know my heart aches for his family and friends. That is definitely part of it.

Maybe it was because I saw the news on my iPhone. A device I cannot live without because he knew we wanted it. Maybe it is because when I got home tonight, I saw Nicholas, at almost 5 years old, glued to my iPad playing one of a hundred games he has downloaded from the App Store. Maybe it is because I cannot survive my drive to and from work without the podcasts I listen to on my iPod Touch that come to me straight from iTunes several times each week.

Our world today would not be the same without this man. And I believe we are all very lucky for it.

Rest in peace Steve Jobs.

Week in the Life - Sunday

Sunday, July 31


In Photos:

In Words:

Day:  Sunday, July 31, 2011

Wake:  6:20 a.m.

Sleep:  10:50 p.m.

Weather:  108 degrees

Work:  No thanks, hanging out today

Plan:  Dinner at Garcia’s with the Carr grandparents

Eating:  Pancakes & bacon for breakfast

Drinking:  Lots of water

Exercising:  Oops,I forgot

Listening:  Silence, 4 kids in the house are now asleep

Watching:  I wasn’t watching, but there was baseball

Feeling:  Refreshed after a good night’s sleep

Thinking:  About interior design

Doing:  Measuring rooms; and, swimming before the storm

Wanting:  To redecorate most of my house

Needing:  Money to actually do it, ha!

Loving:  Watching the Carr cousins bond

Week in the Life - Saturday

Saturday, July 30


In Photos:

In Words:

Day:  Saturday, July 30, 2011

Wake:  5:21 a.m. (thanks Marti)

Sleep:  10:35 p.m.

Weather:  106 degrees with a mid-day storm

Work:  House chores most of the day until 3:00 p.m.

Plan:  Jon & girls coming for the week

Eating:  Subway subs for lunch          

Drinking:  Pomegranate lemonade

Exercising:  Day off

Listening:  Mario Kart on the Wii in the background

Watching:  Tori & Dean on the DVR while scrapping

Feeling:  So hot today and sticky today

Thinking:  Nichols is obsessed with the Wii

Doing:  Organizing my scrap room & the coupon binder; hanging a shelf in the laundry room & new posters in the boys room

Wanting:  To create a “Cool in the Pool” mini album

Needing:  A shower every time I come back inside from the heat

Loving:  Nicholas so excited for his cousins to get here

Week in the Life - Friday

Friday, July 29


In Photos:

In Words:

Day:  Friday, July 29, 2011

Wake:  5:28 a.m.

Sleep:  1:05 a.m.

Weather:  108 degrees (or 103, but it is hot!)

Work:  Arrive – 9:05 a.m. Depart 6:05 p.m.

Plan:  To not work late tonight

Eating:  Oregano’s Grandma G’s Rosemary Chicken Potato Pizza– yum!

Drinking:  Ice Sparkling Water

Exercising:  Yoga & Stretching

Listening:  LOAD & Paperclipping Podcasts

Watching:  Did you Hear About the Morgans?; Hawaii 5-0 & Tori & Dean on the DVR

Feeling:  Free from some clutter

Thinking:  About new work assignment – a fun challenge

Doing:  Cleaning & organizing my scrap room

Wanting:  To re-decorate the guest bathroom

Needing:  A good night’s sleep

Loving:  Extra time spent with Nicholas & Jackson this morning

Week in the Life - Thursday

Thursday, July 28

In Photos:

In Words:

Day:  Thursday, July 28, 2011

Wake:  5:35 a.m.

Sleep:  11:25 p.m.

Weather:  108 degrees

Work:  Arrive – 8:53 Depart – 7:08

Plan:   Run errand at lunch

Eating:  In N Out Burger for lunch

Drinking:  Starbucks Italian Roast Coffee

Exercising:  Yoga & Stretching

Listening:  Layout a Day & Motherload Podcasts

Watching:  More Hawaii 5-0 & Tori & Dean on the DVR

Feeling:  Exhausted but happy

Thinking:  That work will never slow down to a livable pace…I guess that’s good

Doing:  Organizing and purging photos

Wanting:  A few more hours each day

Needing:  To clean out the coupon binder

Loving:  Nicholas’s excitement at learning how to play the Wii

Week in the Life - Wednesday

Wednesday, July 27

In Photos:

In Words:

Day:  Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Wake:  5:10 a.m.

Sleep:  10:40 p.m.

Weather:   104 degrees         

Work:  Arrive – 7:47 a.m. – Depart – 4:35 p.m.

Plan:  Physical therapy – trying to heel my foot

Eating:  Spaghetti       

Drinking:   Blackstone Merlot

Exercising:   Yoga & stretching

Listening:  Digi Show Podcast & weekend church service

Watching:  More Hawaii 5-0 on the DVR

Feeling:  Frustrated

Thinking:  That I need to clear my head

Doing:  Physical therapy to heal my foot and ankle

Wanting:  Wood flooring in the family room

Needing:   A more peaceful day tomorrow

Loving:  Catching up on classes at Big Picture