Presents

Miss Sarah had a birthday a couple weeks ago. This is what I sent her:

A shirt I hotfixed with a rhinestone "5"

A set of jammies with a funny thing she said stenciled on them

and little treat bags for her and Sam

Here she is in her "5" shirt with flowers from her daddy for her flower party.

I just love this picture of her getting her toenails painted! I miss her and wish I could have been there to celebrate her birthday with her in person!

Since Today Is My Birthday...

And I am turning 37 (ACK! Where has all the time gone!?)...

I decided to share 37 Random Facts About Me

1. I think it would be awesome to learn to fly an airplane.
2. I have been parasailing and loved it!
3. I would really love to go hang gliding.
4. Bungee jumping doesn’t appeal to me because I think it would yank my back completely out of whack and I would hurt.
5. For one whole summer, I wouldn’t (or would only rarely) swim in our pool when I was younger because of all the snot I always saw people wipe from their noses.
6. I thought it was cool when my cousin Camille plugged her nose when she swam, so I did too, and now I ‘have’ to plug my nose.
7. I absolutely LOVE L-O-V-E LOVE riding on a boat, in the front with the wind in my hair.
8. I love wind.
9. I would really, really like to prove to myself that I can make money at a great job that was meaningful to me.
10. I would REALLY like to feel up to doing more than lying in bed all day every day. REALLY.
11. I love heat. When I was in High School, I had a heater in my room and knew how to use it! I think I probably kept it at about 75º in there.
12. I love sunshine and spring and summer and dislike fall and winter.
13. I don’t like mushrooms. All I can think about is that they’re fungus.
14. Sometimes I eat cinnamon straight out of the spice jar.
15. I think hairspray is icky. I don’t like the smell. I don’t like the feel of it in my hair. And I really can’t stand the feeling that it is on me anywhere, and it feels like that once you spray it on your hair, because that stuff goes everywhere.
16. My favorite meal in college was Special K cereal. But that was also when I really got into learning to like vegetables.
17. I don’t like chocolate. Well... not that much.
18. I like chocolate chip cookies, but pick out some of the chocolate chips. Ok –I’d pick them all out if I could.
19. I don't really like candy.
20. I do (unfortunately) like baked goods and bread.
21. I think carrot cake (without raisins or nuts) is way better than chocolate or vanilla cake.
22. I don’t tolerate a lot of noise very well.
23. I feel things extremely deeply.
24. Life would be a lot easier if I didn’t.
25. I read constantly. I often have a novel, a self-help or health-type book, and something else like a church magazine going at one time. I can’t focus well on the non-fiction, but I like to learn that stuff so I try. I have to have a good novel going at all times.
26. I am very interested in alternative medicine.
27. I really like things to be pretty and am very aesthetically-minded. Ie: cool fonts, pretty paper, my surroundings, clothes, etc.
28. I’m kind of scared of people.
29. I like words. I LOVE word games. One of my top favorites is where you make as many words as you can out of another word.
30. I write to people better than I talk to them.
31. I wish I had more kids. Like 4 altogether.
32. But I would need MUCH better health.
33. I love water. It is the only thing I really like to drink.
34. I think the voice is the best musical instrument. (not mine)
35. I like to travel and see different places. I even like to be in different cities that are near to me just to be there and see what they are like.
36. I like natural foods and rarely eat refined sugar. I try not to eat processed stuff.
37. I don’t eat or drink dairy, except for cheese, which I seem to tolerate just fine.

Me in 1974 (age 2) with Jeff

To Curt

a.k.a Curty, Cuteski, Curt the Dirt Squirt, and MacGyver.

You are one of my favorite people. I'm so glad I got to grow up with you as my brother. I remember being so proud of all my scrapes, cuts and bruises when we compared to see who had more. And I know that you have exceeded my score by at least a trillion. I remember running away to the barn, and you taking your food sticks. I remember feeling like I wasn't all alone in the world because of you. I felt like you "got" me when we were little and trying to figure out life. I remember looking up to you, even though you were my little brother. I still do. Even though you don't love being social, you have such an enjoyable and lovable personality. I have always loved your sense of humor and your sense of style.

People in the neighborhood used to call Curt MacGyver because he could make anything out of anything. The legendary fort with electricity, the luge run he built in his yard this year, and much more. He is always doing fun and crazy things. My mom was tending his son Andrew and they were talking about Curt's big rocks in his yard that he uses to build obstacle courses and mountains for his little all-terrain remote control car to climb. She said, "I wonder if anyone else has a dad as crazy as yours." He pretty quickly responded, "My dad." (pretty smart for a little guy. My dad is definitely the pre-cursor to Curt.) And then as he was walking away he said, "And I'll probably be like that."

Because you know - dads who build Luge runs, obstacle courses and motorcycle and sled/snowboarding jumps in their yards are where it's at.

I love you Curt!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! And thanks for being a great brother.

The End of the Rainbow

At Christmastime, I got to take my cute little nephew Andrew with me to JoAnn's. I absolutely couldn't resist letting him pick out his own fabric for some jammies. First he was kind of leaning towards the red valentine fleece. Then he found the Snoopy St. Patrick's Day and was all for that! Then he was super good while I did the rest of my shopping there (decorating my thread rack with gummi lifesavers.) He was so fun to have along. I even bought him his own little retractable tape measure since he promised he wouldn't complain when I had to measure him. He told me jokes and wanted me to tell him one, but he told me it wasn't funny because he'd heard it so much already. (Curt's "freep who.") I just have to think about him and that kid makes me smile.

When I made the kids their stocking jammies at Christmas, he said "Hey - you should have made it so the stocking would open, so we could put things in there!" I had actually wanted to do that very thing, but by the end of those, I was definitely ready to be done, not to mention I was out of time! So... we decided this shirt HAD to have something that opened on it. At first, we were thinking of a shamrock and then we thought of a pot of gold and got really excited! I had a bunch of sewing to finish before I made these, but it turned out so perfect, because these were finished last week, which just happened to be... the week of Andrew's birthday! (He's a Valentine's baby - no wonder he's such a sweetie.)

The best part of all was when he got up from his party, picked the pjs up, and with a sly grin, stole away to his room to put them right on! Now THAT is why I love to make stuff for the kids. Aggh this kid is CUTE! He was even sick that night, but he was so sweet, polite, happy and grateful for every single present.

Oh - and he is holding chocolate gold coins in his hands. This is what he was dying to have to fill his pot with. Thanks to Gram for going all the way out to Zurcher's to get them!!! He walked around all night proud as punch having them in his pot.

That was a good collaboration. I think Andrew and I need to work together more often.

THIRTEEN!

Hi. I've been under a rock for a while. Or kind of like 6 feet under. With a breathing tube. At least that is what I have felt like.... so I have been missing from blogsville, but I am alive again and that is a beautiful thing.

My question is -

How does this:

Turn into this?

Seriously?? Where did the time go? Jake turned 13 last Sunday! He is such a ray of sunshine and I am so grateful he is my boy. (I am still calling him my "boy" even though he is 2 1/2 inches taller than I am!) He is a kind and caring kid who loves hanging out with friends, doesn't like much of the food I make, loves his little baby brothers (his dad's), doesn't like homework, has a propensity for noise, likes his percussion class at school, is fun to hang out with, and who lights up my life.

13 Things about Jake

1. He's an extrovert and he loves to be around people and where the action is.
2. He's funny and he LOVES funny things.
3. He loves gadgets and everything at Think Geek and Extreme Geek.
4. He is smart.
5. He has lost all but one baby tooth.
6. He is 5' 6 1/2"
7. He craves down time and freedom to do whatever he wants.
8. He loves music (and is an expert on the drums on PS3 Rock Band.)
9. He is great at figuring out technology.
10. He is a ray of light.
11. He is not judgmental of others.
12. His favorite TV shows are Mythbusters on Discovery, and Ace of Cakes and Challenge on Food Network.
13. He has strong family values and loves family.

Scent-O-Matic

So, on top of the aforementioned awesome tickets, Jake also gave me my favorite kind of gift --- homemade! How cute is this? See how the nose is smelling the delicious nature scent? I love it! This is the top of the box. And here is the inside:

I don't even know if he knows what potpourri is but he made me some! He used hyssop from my dad's garden, among other nice smelling plants. It has a lovely smell. He thought of this all himself because he wanted to do something extra for my birthday, just from him. He really is a sweetheart. My most prized possessions are the things he has made me or the notes he has written me. I'll have to share some more some time!

The Epitome of Hyperbole

I had the sublime pleasure of going to a Brian Regan show last night. Oh man is this guy hilarious! I haven't laughed that hard and that long for... well maybe ever! My cheeks still hurt today! THANKS SO MUCH Jake and Jo for the tickets. And for going with me. Suz- I'm so glad you went too! "These guys are surly! I'm going back to the news team who cares!" and "Normal-sized guy!" If you haven't gone to see this guy, you need to! At least check him out on Youtube. He actually does comedy that is refreshingly clean. He shows it can be done - and I think that takes real talent. It was so cool to go to something this awesome that I could bring Jake to! At one point, Jake was lying on the ground shaking so hard from laughter. If my night wasn't already made, that would have done it! I think we all had those moments where we literally could not stop laughing. Ahhh them's some good times!