Hello again....

Well it's sure has been awhile! School started, Halloween has come and gone and now Thanksgiving is but a mere memory. I feel like I've been away for a million years! It's been an interesting and somewhat sad autumn in my household. The kids and the hubs are great, I however, have been diagnosed with diabetes, which let me just say SUCKS! It really is overwhelming, and so much to learn. Everyone has been kind offering advice, cut out all candy, don't eat bread, go on Atkins! There's more to it than that. It's been a learning process for sure, but hopefully I can figure it all out. My wonderful Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. CANCER SUCKS! He is a former smoker, and had no real symptoms, other than the tumble he took at my niece's field hockey game. He fell asleep and just sort of rolled down onto the grass, he hurt his arm and when he went for xrays they saw "something". Turns out to be cancer, tomorrow is the broncoscopy, let hope the news gets better.

Well that was all the depression I can deal with for now! I started to crochet! AHHHH another craft! My poor husband is gonna kill me! It's fun though! I learned via DVD just like I learned to knit. Made my first blanket, thank you very much! Gave it to a friend's new grandson.

My house is deocrated, the tree is up, and I am done shopping so yeah me! Now I just have to wrap!

Summer Stuff!

Jordan & Hannah & the Phillie Phanatic!

It's August and it's hot as hell here in NJ. I cannot believe how unbelievably stinkin' hot it's been this summer! It's like NJ was moved to the equator! I hate it! Although my power company loves me, because all of you who know me know how much I hate to be hot! So it's a major score for the power company!

Anyhoo, we've had a nice summer so far. We did a little local site seeing, Philadelphia and the historical area, very nice! It's only 10 minutes from our front door, the place where our country became a country and we just this summer went to so take a look. I guess it's one of those things that we take for granted. The girls had fun and so did I.

Ben Franklin at the Constitution Center

Independence Hall - Philadelphia 2010

We also went to the shore. Now here in Jersey went don't go to the beach, we go down the shore. Before anyone comments,

NO, IT IS NOTHING LIKE THAT RIDICULOUS SHOW ON TV!

I lose brain cells when the commericals come on for that train wreck!

We go to Long Beach Island (LBI), beautiful white sand beaches, totally family oriented and just a relaxing fun time! I am not at one with the sun however. For some reason I really pissed the sun off at some point in my earlier years and now I am a target for the sun's evil rays! I sat under an umbrella, with a towel across my legs, one around my shoulders and applied sunscreen 3 times an hour and still got sun poisoning! GOOD TIMES! It didn't ruin my vacation, it hit when I got home though! Jordan and Hannah were practically growing gills at the shore! It was so fun to watch them enjoy the ocean!

Hannah getting ready to hit the waves!

Jordan on her boogie board!

Mom, Michelle & Taylor, see my umbrella!

We have weak trees...

I don't know about you, but I really never think that trees can "break". I know the leaves fall off, branches die, some have annoying little fruity things on them and the stupid squirrels fight for the last one, but "break"? Really? Last week our apparently "fragile" Bradford Pear broke. Yes there was a storm, but not the kind you think would do this sort of damage. We woke up to 50% lying on the backyard lawn. I never thought it was a BIG tree, but damn, when that sucker fell over, OMG it was huge! I went out to inspect after 2 cups of coffee and a shower and it was like wild kingdom! Chipmunks, Cardinals, squirrels, a few Blue Jays, 2 rabbits, all I needed was a partridge in my broken pear tree and I'd be set!

We decided that the best thing to do was to cut it all down. Not a cheap thing to do mind you, but these 3 wonderful, I do believe half primate men came and chopped it up, put it through the wood chipper, cleaned up and were gone in under 2 hours! It was amazing! Now my bedroom will offically have sun ALL DAY LONG! As most of you know I HATE being hot so this is not a good thing for me. But my weak tree is gone, I don't have to clean up and someone is getting some decent mulch! I recycle, just on a larger scale!

A teenager has arrived.....

Well, it's official! I am now the mother of a teenager! UGH! When the hell did that happen?! My daughter Jordan turned 13 today! She is such a great kid! I just hope that as we muddle our way through the next chapter in our "story", that she isn't as difficult as I remember being! I did very well in school, had great friends, was involved in lots of stuff, but I knew how to push my Mom's buttons better than anyone! I just had to get the last word every single time! Jordan is not like me in that respect! Thank goodness! She's a great daughter, sister & friend, and I am so lucky that she's all ours!

Hannah turns 10 in March. Let's see how that goes! I need a drink.......

Summertime & Snuggles!

It's been too long! Sorry I haven't been back writing anything since April! School is always nuts the last 2 months and needless to say I was a slacker with my blog. So to the few that occasionally take a look, I'm sorry!

We have a new addition to our gang! As some of you may remember, our chubby cat Casey, passed away in October from complications from her diabetes. We were all so sad and had thought long and hard about another four footed friend. Well my weekend job, which I will talk about next, happens to be right next to a Petsmart. I sometimes go in and look at the animals for adoption. I always adopted my cats, saving a life made me feel good! Anyway, I was looking at all the kittens, now seriously who doesn't love a kitten, they're cute, fuzzy, cuddly and just plain adorable. I would have the kitty fixed, but I was on the fence about declawing. Yes, I've done it in the past, but I'm older and wiser and wasn't sure how I felt about it. The $600 plus price tag for spaying/neutering and declawing was a bit daunting as well. They had a cute calio cat they had named Boots J, she's 1 year old, spayed and declawed. She was left at a veterinarian's parking lot. He took her home and his Jack Russell chased her everywhere! The vet felt bad and put her up for adoption. So.......I'm sure you can guess where this is headed right? Welcome to our family Snuggles (Boots J, really?!)!

She's so cool! So cuddly, and fun! The girls love her and so do we! She fit right in from the beginning and keeps us smiling everyday!

My weekend gig! I am still working as a demonstrator for a national craft company! It is so fun! The store I am at is great! The employees are so friendly and nice! I may not have sold TONS of stuff, but it's nice to have fun at your job! We have a few weeks off, and then back to work!

CHICAGO BABY!

I'm home! It was so fun! I met some wonderful women and even a few great dudes! I will be demonstrating the Cricut Cake! OMG it is so cool! I have an Expression and this is it's "fraternal twin" that only does icing sheets and gum paste! Can't wait to get mine and start playing!
The hotel was great, so was the food, but my experience was completely enhanced by two amazing women! Ava & Tina, or Critter and Pickle as I've come to know them! They made my weekend! They kept me laughing and kept me from getting in trouble! Ava told us stories that literally made me lose all control of bodily functions and Tina was there to "Poise" the support! Between goats, hamsters, poise pads and cupcakes I can't think of more fun and laughs like I had in Chi-Town with these two gals in a long time! Here's some pictures!

Ava (aka Critter) & Tina (aka Pickle)

A New Venture!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything! Sorry if anyone was following and got bored! But I'm back and with a new job! I will be demonstrating the Cricut at my local Michaels' store! Pretty cool huh?! I filled out an application online a while back and they contacted me last week, five hours of phone interviews later, Voila! I'm hired! I get to go to Chicago for 4 days for training and other info. Could be fun that's for sure! Let's see what happens!