Joyannaisms:

I love you more than Christmas!

Me Thinks

I need new decorating for this place, but can't decide what to do.
My calendar is suddenly so full, and not one client on the books for the month.  How did my life get so complicated???
Josh so far is doing great at wrestling, he hasn't gotten hurt yet, thankfully.  He also seems to have a natural ability.  I watched him last night and any time a kid got him down, he would immediately try to be the one on top.  Good job!
Maybe he'll be ok.

:)

I haven't forgotten about this blog.  I've just been busy.  Also my diary is getting all the good stories lately :)

I'm finally on vacation and have been doing things I've been wanting to do for a awhile.  Not all of them, because well, -0 temps keep me from doing many of them... like sledding with the kids.  Booo.  However, I've been able to organize my computer a bit, started a few blogs that I was meaning to start, tomorrow I'll need to try to get back a book I had to return to the library before I was done with it.

Joshua starts wrestling this week. I am sick, nervous about that.
In November I went to one of Jacob's tournaments.  There were some 8th graders wrestling on the mat in front of me.  I was on the first row.  They were just little boys.  One of the boys got hurt so badly.  It was horrible to watch him sitting on the mat in pain, holding his bent arm, all of these adults around him not knowing what to do for him and him crying from all the pain.  I cried too.  Then grandma came down out of the stands and called his mom and they took him out of the gym.  My heart then was filled with so much fear for my little Joshua who wants so badly to be a wrestler too, just like his big brother Jake.  I asked the coach sitting next to me how often that happens, "More than you think it would", was his response.  My heart sank all the way down into my stomach.
For weeks the check for Josh's wrestling sat in my purse.  Waiting to be mailed.  I couldn't let go of it.  Every time I saw it in my purse and thought of mailing it the vision of that hurt little boy came back hauting me.  I finally let it go in the mailbox.  Tuesday he starts.  I think he needs a Preisthood blessing.

New Blog

I did it! I opened up a blog dedicated to Thursday's Thumbs!  Check it out http://thursdaysthumbs.blog.com/ 
I just wish I could find that picture I used back in the day when I first started doing TT. 
Join me over there each Thursday as I rate products and items we've tried through that week!  Also feel free to drop me any suggestions.
Want to try something but are too chicken?  Tell me about it and I just might try it for you!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Gina!

I'm so excited about you turning 40 before me!

Don't light the house on fire!!

Make a wish! Oh heck, make 40 of them!

Grrrrrr

11:12 am
I have the grumblies.
I'm frustrated with spending my time doing stuff I don't want to do, so now I have the grumblies. I should be thankful instead I have the stuff I have to do, but right now my mind is in the wrong place. I was so busy getting Christmas put together, I didn't have time to play.
I want to be outside playing with my kids instead of meeting deadlines, when I called "vacation!". Can't help when babies are born, and I am glad for the images I got and the money I made and the family I met and hope I see again. So I should be thankful right?
I'm just grumbly.
One thing that got me excited today was the thought of reviving my Thursday's Thumbs. Thinking about it....

2:20pm
Now, I've almost single handedly gone through a bowl of M&M's as I've worked here today. I have laundry sitting in the dryer because I haven't folded the last load that came out. I'm contemplating tossing it all on the couch and sorting it out later when dh is at the job interview.
Oh yeah, have I mentioned he has an interview today for a temporary, part time job with an tax prep place? He does. Sometime around 4 I think. He has to be up at 3. Wish him luck.

We had a pretty good Christmas! The kids got a lot of fun things. We spent the evening at Joel’s sister Sarah’s house. The kids had fun sledding down the hill with their aunt, uncle and cousins. I had fun hanging out and talking to family.

I got something I’ve been wanting for several years. A big beautiful warm electric blanket. Every night for the last couple of years I have put on socks and warmed my side of the bed with a hot pad while I brushed my teeth before going to bed. My next big item on my wish list is a towel warmer. I found one at Bed Bath & Beyond but it seemed too small for our new big fluffy towels I got on Black Friday or I would have bought it right then and there. I wish it had been bigger. I bet it feels so nice to step into warm towels in the middle of winter!

I also was lucky and got to talk to several family members in the last few days for the holidays as well. I don’t have any family here in Minnesota, and sometimes I really miss them, especially on the holidays. I wish we could travel there in the winter, but my mom always insists that we won’t miss anything good and also I’m chicken to travel in the snow, especially in the mountains. I suggested to Joel that maybe next year we could go spend the holidays in a cabin somewhere in MN. There’s one that we found that had indoor plumbing and it would be really fun to spend a week there… I bet it would cost a fortune though.

Spoiler Ahead!

For Christmas I got the movie Julie and Julia. If you haven’t seen it yet, read no further. If you have, read on! I loved it! Mostly. I didn’t like that in the movie they said that Julia didn’t like Julie or her blog. So terrible! I appreciated the part at the end where Julie didn’t hold that against Julia and it didn’t keep her from finishing her project. I also loved the butter tribute she left with the painting of Julia. I did love learning more about Julia and watching Meryl Streep portraying her was fascinating. I loved the relationship between Julia and Paul. I also loved all the French words. French is such a beautiful language. I took a few years in High School, but I barely remember anything. I love listening to people speak it. I looked up her blog and read the last few entries and then later while looking up pictures of her I ran into Julia Powell’s current blog where she tells about reading at bars and such. I’ll have to look into it more. I wonder if she has any children yet, or if this whole thing has taken over her life.

-End Spoiler-

Jaeden lost a tooth last night while she was sleeping. I hate the tooth fairy. She’s just another reason why I feel like a big fat liar. Her and Santa are in cahoots with each other and they have it out for me. Forget my kids, I’m the one that’s going to need hours on the therapy couch when my kids are all grown! Joel insists that we participate in the deceitful tradition, but I have moral issues with it and my conscience bothers me so much, especially when the kids ask me questions and I have to come up with a spur of the moment lie.

_Can't L_ve W_thout "_"

_ love _. _ can do so many th_ngs w_th _. L_ke go on vacat_on, or go eat _ce cream. _ makes l_fe complete. Today wh_le _ was at Wal Mart, wh_ch surpr_s_ngly doesn't need an _ to spell, _ was text_ng Jacob w_th my new Blackberry, wh_ch also doesn't need an _ and all of a sudden my _ went out! _ texted to him "My eye went out!" _ thought maybe _t was a gl_tch _n my phone and turned the phone off and then back on aga_n, but the phone was dead. NOOOO!!!! _ have fallen _n love w_th my l_ttle record keeper, not_f_er, messenger, calculator, ema_l sender. How can _ l_ve w_thout _t!? Joel took the battery out and put t back _n aga_n. Slowly the phone came back on, but stll no _. Th_s _s not the worst of _t because Joel called the company we bought the phones from (we got 3 w_th our plan) and they probably forwarded the call to _nd_a because the serv_ce rep. d_d not speak very good engl_sh, wh_ch does need an _ to spell. Now they want us to send the phone back before they w_ll send us a new one. That seems k_nd of a r_poff to me. The last phone _ had the company sent me a new one and _ sent them m_ne back _n a bag that came _n the new one's box. That _s the last t_me we buy someth_ng not from a br_ck and mortar store! _ am so bummed about th_s because _'ve been watch_ng and wa_t_ng for a deal that our fam_ly could afford and now that we got _t, _t sucks rocks (_ know M_chelle, _t should only l_ck rocks, lol). So now we w_ll be w_thout our 6513 number for who knows how long. _f you are one of the people who th_nks you should have another cell # to get a hold of us let me know and _'ll get to you w_th a number.



Ok, I can't carry on typing without an I anymore.

This was really frustrating for me tonight because I realized how late it is in the month and how much I don't have done and need to get done in the next few days and also our family is going away tomorrow night and had plans for the day to spend at Macy's and also Jaeden has a talk to give in Primary and I have two sharing times to put together... AAaaargh!!! Also I had no stocking stuffers and also I have to get 4 more presents and I have to make at least 4 more batches of caramel... and... and....the list goes on and on... I feel a vein throbbing in my forehead.

Today was a huge reminder for me how precious life is and how much I take for granted. I don't want to take things for granted, I really don't. I want everyone in my life to know how much they mean to me and how much they enrich my life or my family's life. I'm so thankful for our ward members and for our families and how blessed my life is having them in it! Richard was only a year older than Joel. This surprised me. I didn't realize that until today at the funeral when I was reading the program. As I watched the Brooks family follow Richard's casket out of the chapel I thought about how young Debbie looked. Far too young to be following her husband's casket. I said a prayer right then, please let me be old with a cane before I have to follow any one's casket out the doors of our chapel. In the parking lot I had to let Joel know that I love him. I don't say that often enough and more so lately, because our relationship has been strained more so lately. But I do love him and I want him to know that. My life would have a very big hole in it were he to be gone from it.

The other day I turned 38. I don't feel 38.... I feel late 20's. I was soooo sick that day. I spent the day on the couch pretty much. My VT JoAnne was so sweet! She brought me home made chicken soup with home made noodles and home made bread. It smelled so good and was so hard to wait until the next day to be able to eat it! I've had a lot of people say to me, "If I lived closer I would.... " But she actually did! That gave me so much relief because I didn't know if I was going to be able to stand to make dinner or work with food, the way I felt. The family gave me a heavenly chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on it. I had to wait until the next day to even dare trying it. All day long Joy made me cards and wrote me love letters. She's so sweet. I just love that little girl! For my presents that night the first one I opened was a new smoke detector. We have a stupid one by the kitchen that is the wrong kind and goes off every time something burns even just a little. And once that goes off all of the ones in the house go off because they are all wired together. Poor Joel has been woken up once a week lately because of it. I think that was more of a present for him, hahaha. Then they brought out my real present which is a cute little black Dell Inspirion Netbook. It's so cute! :) And get this, it fits into my purses I made!

I love it! Thanks!

I'll just be glad to have this whole week over and done with. Which reminds me, I have a talk to write for Jaeden so I better stop writing here. Bye!

While I'm on vacation

I decided to take a vacation from photography during the winter. Pretty much the only people who want outdoor portraits in the winter are engaged couples.
Tonight at Jake's wrestling meeting for parents they were asking for another photographer to help out this year. They had another mom helping and wanted a second. I don't know what she's shooting with, and I would feel bad if the boys ended up with not so many pictures, or blurry point and shoot kinds. I've already decided to take off from portraits for the winter and thought, "why not?". So I volunteered myself for the other position. Who knows, it could be fun.
They didn't have very many of Jacob last year and that bummed me out, so at least I know I'll get some of my kid this time.
I need to be at all the tournaments and they want a couple of each kid, I think whether or not they are wrestling that day.

No Haunted Leg

I ended up making Jacob come home early from camping with the scouts and spent the day from 9am to 4:30pm shopping. I can say that I am nearly done with my Christmas shopping. The last things I need to get are going to have to be purchased on Black Friday... yay me!
I feel so much relief!
Today Jake and I are going to a Vikings game courtesy of JoAnne. Thanks JoAnne! Hope you are enjoying Chile!
She and her husband were supposed to be joining us, but then she got an offer she couldn't refuse, to go to Chile with her dad for a couple of weeks.
We'll miss her, but enjoy the game the same.
Poor Joel is getting stuck at home because of his new calling. It's tithing settlement time and he has to stick around the church for the bishop. We'll miss you too Joel!
I'm soooooooooo looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner! I love my mother-in-law's cooking. Last year she even made the terducken taste good enough that I didn't mind the strange duck inside my turkey and chicken pieces. Usually the thought makes me gag, but I didn't mind last year. Only took me 18 years. I hope it's as good this year because she's doing it again.
I finished up another purse again this week also. I gave Joy the brown and pink one and made a blue and brown one for myself that I like much better. It goes with more of my clothes. I promised Jaeden I would make her one now, but I have to take her to the store to pick out her material. I love that they love the things I make for them! Here's the one I made for myself.

Got cheese to go with my whine?

I hate being so negative. I really try to be like President Hinckley, looking at the brighter side, finding the silver lining, etc. But I am just at my wits end right now and I'm feeling overwhelmed! I don't know how my mom did it with 6 kids. I feel like there's not enough hours in the day to get done what I need to get done, plus what I'd like to get done, plus what the kids want done.
Jake's wrestling is starting next Monday and I am sooooooooo dreading it. It's so much time and I really rely on him to help me get my things done... like babysitting so I can get grocery shopping done. I have to pick him up every day at 5 at the school because for some reason he can't ride the activity bus home.
I need to look at that "Simplify" sign by my door more often.
I'm so behind in my Christmas shopping. Usually I am done before Thanksgiving. I know what I want to get my kids and I buy it before they fly off the shelves on Black Friday. I hate knowing what I want to get them, and then not being able to find any at the stores.
This year- I have no list, no clue.
I've been meaning to go all week long, but one thing or another has come up that's left me without a babysitter, or my free time was snatched up by something else and still here I sit with only one toy purchased. I bought it 3 weeks ago.

Now, the kids are out of school all next week...one would think I've have plenty of time to go... not so! Jake's wrestling starts on Monday and his coach wants him at the school even TWICE a day. Once in the morning for a few hours, then home for a couple hours for lunch and then back at the school again for a couple of more hours. Don't they know I like to stay out all day and then take it all up to storage before I come home?! I don't want to go out for a couple hours here, come back home, take kids somewhere, hang out at home while kid is gone, go get kid, go out again, etc. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
I know I'm just being a big fat whiner.
I'm ok with that today.
I'm just at the point where I have to say, "Not one more thing!!!!"
I've had to turn down clients now also, because of this crazy schedule. That's not good. We could use the extra cash. But then on the other hand there's times, like today, where I have a client and it gets cancelled due to something or another and boy does it feel great to have that extra time to get something else checked off my "to do list". I'm sorry about her daughter's bangs, but it was great all the stuff I did get done today. I was sad when I was on a roll and it had to come abruptly to a halt because I just remembered that the scouts have a sleep over tonight! UGH! One more evening I won't get a dang thing done... grrrrrrrr!
Excuse me, but I really have to say that the scouts going camping every month is getting freaking annoying. It always seems to be on the worst possible weekend for our family and everything has to get put on hold because we depend on Jake so much to keep our family life going. The scouts need a new goal.

I think tomorrow I will wake up sick. What will I have? A haunted leg.

UGH!

You know what? I wish when I took time to do something for me that everything else wouldn't get backlogged!

Bag it!

I have been in a mood lately. A mood to make crafty, fun, trendy stuff.
The other day when I was looking for a camera strap cover I found this tutorial for a really cute bag.
In all it took me about 7 hours to make but during some of that time JoAnne was over working on her camera strap cover, so it wasn't completely dedicated time to the bag. I really like how it turned out and have plans for a brown and blue bag to make next. Now that I know what I'm doing I'm sure it will take less than 2 hours. lol!








Those are polka-dot pockets inside :)

It's not my birthday

But I got flowers anyway.

Jaeden thinks they aren't roses because, "roses are red" and these are white. They smell sweet just the same.

Today

I did something for me today! :) YAY!
I've been dying to get my hands on a cute cover for my camera strap. Today I decided to spend a little of the money I made doing sessions on one, but as I looked, I couldn't find one I really wanted to plunk 20 bucks down on (well maybe one). But then I remembered one of my friends showing me a link to a tutorial making one. "I can do that!" I thought. So I googled "camera strap tutorial" and found one that looked simple enough for me. I have some material I wanted to use but ended up running to the fabric store for complimentary prints to go with them. I'd also found (while looking for camera straps) a pattern for a super cute purse that I decided to buy material for and try to make. While I was there I saw that a bunch of things I'd been coveting for years were on sale and even some on clearance! Whoopie!!!
So here is my first strap I made. It's made out of flannel that has a pink and green butterfly print with 70's style designs. I love it! It also grips my shoulder better than I thought it would. It also has padding on it so I hope that it will be both comfortable and absorbent on the days I'm working a hot wedding!