tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72961567697315758852024-03-13T19:23:16.986-05:00I'm just sayin'Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-71862790678744656722013-12-31T08:55:00.002-06:002013-12-31T08:55:27.669-06:00Happy New YearOne year and sixteen days ago my life was forever changed.<br />
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2013 will never be a favorite year of mine but I still can't bring myself to speak too badly of it. The worst things I've ever experienced occurred this past year with the deaths of Scott and both of our dogs, so it has certainly been the most difficult year of my life but good things happened, too.<br />
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My children are happy and healthy. We are back home in a new house and close to most of our family and friends. The kids love their new school and friends and it's wonderful to be back at our church home.<br />
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As I look forward, I find myself at peace. I survived an entire year of milestones without Scott and even though I dreaded each and every one of them, I know I'm stronger because of them.<br />
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I'm hopeful for 2014. God is with us all and He never fails to love and bless us, giving us everything we need, especially when we struggle. I could not have made it through this past year without Him.<br />
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Sending all of you much love as you ring in the new year! Thank you for all of the love and support you've given me and my family. May God bless you!<br />
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<br />Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-8416845672538171342013-04-04T23:18:00.002-05:002013-04-04T23:18:36.936-05:00Happy Birthday, ScooterDecember 15, 2012 my life was forever changed.<br />
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My husband, my best friend and my soul mate passed away.<br />
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It's now almost exactly 4 months later and I am facing yet another "holiday" without Scott. I made it through Christmas, our 15th wedding anniversary, both kids' birthdays, both of our mother's birthdays, my birthday, Valentine's Day, and Easter but tomorrow is different. Tomorrow is Scott's birthday.<br />
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I'm not going to lie, I've been dreading facing his birthday all week. The idea of celebrating his birthday without him is strange...and sad. It's yet another event that makes me realize what happened <i>really did happen</i> and I hate it. It sucks. Plain and simple.<br />
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But, I can't lay around and wallow. I have our precious children to take care of and I have myself to take care of, too. And, to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of crying. I should've run out of tears months ago but, yet, they still fall frequently. I imagine Scott watching me from Heaven saying, "Honey, cut it out! I've never seen you cry this much in all the years I've known you!" He's right but that's what you do when your heart has been broken.<br />
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I don't want Scott's birthday to be a sad day for us or for anyone who loves him. If he was still here with us, we'd be laughing and having fun. We'd be celebrating his life. Tomorrow should be no different. Yes, we are devastated that he is not here. Yes, it hurts. But, that does not mean his life shouldn't be celebrated.<br />
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Scott was full of life. People say that a lot when loved ones pass away but, with Scott, it was absolutely true. He put his heart into everything he did. "Go big or go home" should've been his motto because he never half-assed anything. From his RC cars to his computer games, his cigars to his beloved iPad-temperature-controlled smoker, he enjoyed life to the fullest.<br />
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Scott was the smartest man I've ever known but he never made me feel dumb. He irritated the piss out of me sometimes but he always made me laugh, even when I didn't want to. He loved to have fun and he always had a joke to tell. He made me feel beautiful, always told me he loved me, and whenever he was recognized for his hard work, he always gave me the credit.<br />
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I'm not trying to make Scott out to be perfect because he wasn't. He was perfect for me, though. We often talked about how obvious it was that God made us for each other. Scott would say it was because no one else would put up with him. I agreed. :-)<br />
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But, of all the things Scott loved, nothing compared to his love for his family. Scott couldn't wait to have kids and we would always brag to each other about how we have the best kids in the world. He loved Mackenzie and Jack so much. It breaks my heart to know that they have to grow up without Scott but I take great comfort in knowing that he was the best dad to them in the few years they had him. They miss him, of course, and we talk about Scott all the time. They know that he is in Heaven and that we will see him again.<br />
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One thing that really stood out to me in the midst of all the craziness that happened the first week after Scott died was seeing how people outside of our family reacted to his death. I've never seen so many grown men cry. It warmed my heart to hear so many co-workers, even people who haven't worked with him in years, say such wonderful things about Scott. I don't think he had any idea the impression he left on people. If he did, he'd just laugh it off and change the subject.<br />
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I'm so proud of Scott. I'm proud to be his wife, his partner, his biggest fan. <br />
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I'm thankful for Scott. I'm thankful for our 15 years of marriage and for our amazing children.<br />
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God blessed me when he placed Scott in my life and He has blessed me even during my grief. The kids and I and all of our family members have been completely surrounded by love, peace, prayers, and grace these last four months and I've seen God every step of the way. <br />
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Will I cry tomorrow? Probably, yeah, at some point. Am I crying now? Of course. But, I will also be celebrating the amazing life of the best man I've ever known. I think he deserves it.<br />
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So, cheers, to Scooter! I know you will have a wonderful birthday in Heaven, Honey. <br />
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I love you and miss you, just sayin'...<br />
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Jiff<br />
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<br />Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-23150262692353001512012-11-17T23:56:00.005-06:002012-11-17T23:56:42.725-06:00This Really Happened!For those of you who follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter, you know that I just spent an amazing week in Los Angeles, camping out in "Tent City" to see the world premiere of The Twilight Saga:Breaking Dawn Part 2 movie.<br />
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In order to mentally prepare myself for this trip, which there really is NO way to do, I started tweeting a list of things I hoped to accomplish...a bucket list, if you will.<br />
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So, to tell you all about my trip in the shortest way possible, I'm going to repeat part of the list here and let you know if I was able to scratch anything off of it. If you'd like to know more about the best trip I've ever taken (besides my honeymoon, of course), feel free to ask in the comments.<br />
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MY BD2LA BUCKET LIST:</div>
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<b>1. To make it to Tent City!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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It's an important item to list because you have to do TC to get to the Black Carpet! Summit/Lionsgate had us all jumping through hoops and waiting for weeks but we finally received our confirmation email. We, then, took that email with us to officially register and get our camping spot!</div>
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<b>2. To see the Hollywood sign!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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It was far away but we saw it!</div>
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<b>3. To watch a talk show being filmed!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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My group of friends and I were fortunate enough to be in the audience when Stephenie Meyer was on the Jimmy Kimmel Show! It was so much fun! During his opening monologue, Jimmy showed some footage that had been shot during the first day of TC and I was in it! I actually screamed out loud during the filming! LOL</div>
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<b>4. To see The SHRINE, AKA, the hand and footprints of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner! </b> *CHECK* *CHECK* *CHECK*</div>
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For different reasons, we ended up seeing it THREE times! It is a must-see for any Twi-fan!</div>
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<b>5. To hug as many of my Twitter friends as possible AND get pics to prove it!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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I didn't get everyone but I got a lot! I'll have to get the rest of my Tweeps at the next Twi get-together! ;-) I won't post any pics here because I did not get permission beforehand.</div>
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<b>6. Take pics of my bestie, JennyKate, planking!</b> *NO CHECK*</div>
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I have a nice collection of pics with JK planking in various settings and was really looking forward to adding a "Planking in LA" pic but, unfortunately it did not happen. I did, though, get this gem! </div>
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<b>7. Reunite with my TwiTarded/Forks peeps!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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It makes me sad that I do not get to see these ladies every day so I was thrilled when I heard the group was meeting for dinner and drinks at our hotel!</div>
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<b>8. Meet Stephenie Meyer! </b> *CHECK*</div>
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I still cannot believe this happened! I was one of 700 campers who were chosen to get a personalized autograph from and take a picture with the woman who started it all! And, yes, I cried after it was all over.</div>
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<b>9. Get on that black carpet!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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My group was in the first 100 campers selected to be on the black carpet! It was so exciting to be there and I am now completely prepared to do more premieres!</div>
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<b>10. Get as many autographs of the Twi cast as possible!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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I didn't get everyone but I got enough to cover to photo mattes!</div>
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<b>11. Get Kristen Stewart to sign a pair of pants that she wore as Bella in the first Twilight movie, that I just happen to own! </b> *NO CHECK*</div>
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I was very sad that I was unable to achieve this goal. She, Robert, and Taylor were running very far behind because of all of the press they did on the black carpet. They all tried very hard to get to as many fans as possible but, unfortunately, my group was skipped by, both, Kristen and Taylor. Kristen did acknowledge the fans and was very apologetic.</div>
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<b>12. Meet Robert Pattinson and offer to help him with his southern accent for his next role in the movie "The Rover!"</b> *CHECK and NO CHECK*</div>
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This was a moment I had fantasized about for a long time but, let me tell you, there is NOTHING you can do to prepare for when this happens:</div>
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JK took this pic of Rob looking at me and I swear, I don't even remember it happening! I remember Rob giggling a lot and I remember asking him to sign two different things (which he did), and telling him "thank you so much" but that's it. It was all such a blur that I completely forgot to mention the southern accent-thing! Oh, well, I'm sure he'll do just fine without my help. ;-)</div>
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<b>13. Watch Breaking Dawn Part 2!</b> *CHECK*</div>
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OMGosh, y'all! As if being on the black carpet wasn't intense enough, all of the TC campers got to see the movie before it was officially released! I won't say anything to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it yet (and, if you haven't seen it yet, what on earth are you waiting for??!) but I will say it is AH-MAZING!! I don't think I've cried so hard at a movie since "Steel Magnolias" but it was worth it. And, watching it with a theater full of hard-core TwiHards? Priceless. </div>
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My week in LA was truly an experience of a lifetime and I'm so thankful I was able to go! The movies may be over now but the story and characters will live on forever in my heart.</div>
Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-24134408233773350012012-11-05T14:08:00.003-06:002012-11-05T14:08:59.420-06:00My One and Only Spa DayWow, it's been 6 months since my last post? I'm such a blog-failure! <br />
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The last time I blogged, I told you all about my horrifying experience getting a spray tan and I promised I'd tell you about my 'spa day' from years ago next. I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to sit down and write. Truth be told, I've been writing all summer.....I just haven't been writing for this blog. I'll try very hard to manage my writing time better. :-)<br />
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So, here it is. My one and only day at the spa. Please be warned: there are boobs and nakedness mentioned in this story. I apologize in advance.<br />
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After Mackenzie was born, my husband, Scott, wanted to do something nice for me. This was before the term 'push present' was commonly used, which is good, because I absolutely hate that term. Anyway, Mackenzie was about 6 weeks old, which means I had spent those 6 weeks in a dazed stupor, sitting on the couch without a bra, breastfeeding constantly. At least, that's how I remember it.<br />
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So, when Scott suggested a day to myself at a spa, I jumped at the chance. Well, not literally. Jumping without a bra, especially when you are breastfeeding, is not something I recommend.<br />
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My trip to a local Houston spa started off really well....once I got used to the robe I had to wear. Apparently, they didn't have any 'plus sized' robes so, I had to do some major wrapping and tying to get their largest robe around my post-baby body. And, even though I'd spent the last few weeks at home with my boobs all out, walking around a building with strangers everywhere while only wearing panties and a robe, did not make me feel relaxed. <br />
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I enjoyed most of my spa treatments so, I'll focus on the one I didn't enjoy: the full-body massage. This treatment took place later in the day and was something I was really looking forward to. My only concern was that my boobs were going to explode because, at this point, it was the longest I had gone without feeding or pumping.<br />
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I walked into the dark room and met my masseuse. I really wish I could remember this guy's name. I've told this story so many times, he should get proper billing. I was immediately uncomfortable with being given a post-baby massage by a guy but, of course, I didn't say anything. I just wanted my massage so that I could go home.<br />
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I started off lying on my back. My robe was off but my body was covered by a sheet. The guy, let's call him Bob, would uncover a small part of my body, work his massage-magic, then cover it back up before moving to another part. That I could handle and soon felt very relaxed.<br />
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The relaxation was gone as soon as Bob asked me to roll onto my stomach. Panic started to set in as I realized how engorged my breasts were and I knew there was no way I could comfortably lie down on them. I did the best I could but it was like trying to balance on a beach ball (or two), if you can imagine. Sorry, for the visual.<br />
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My boobie-worries were quickly set aside, though, when I realized I was naked. Yes, I was naked earlier, as well, but I was covered with a sheet. Now that I was on my stomach, there was no sheet and images of my nude, post-baby body lying butt-up on a massage table was making me freak out just a bit. In vain, I reached out like I was looking for the sheet or anything to cover my body. Bob noticed and asked if I was cold.<br />
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Um, yeah, Bob. That's it. I'm cold. Because I'm NAKED! That's what I wanted to say but, instead, I give him a polite 'yes', thinking he will simply put the sheet back.<br />
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Guess what.<br />
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He didn't cover me with the sheet again.<br />
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He picked up a hand towel, yes, you read that correctly, and rolled it long-ways and....wait for it.....<br />
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Covered my butt-crack with it. I. KID. YOU. NOT.<br />
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Wow, thanks, Bob! That towel on my crack really warms me up! I might just break out in a sweat now!<br />
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Needless to say, I was frozen, not knowing what to do other than endure the rest of massage.<br />
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After it was over, Bob stepped out of the room so that I could put my robe back on and try to find my dignity.<br />
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I thought my time with Bob was done but, no. Bob had more plans for me.<br />
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Bob wanted to talk. <br />
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He asked me how I enjoyed the massage and if I was relaxed or not. Of course, I lied and said, yes, Bob. It was great and I am very relaxed. I was willing to say anything to get out of that room.<br />
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He then asked me to close my eyes and think of the first color that pops in my mind. I did as he asked and said "Purple". I'm not sure why I said "purple" other than the fact it is my favorite color but it was exactly what Bob wanted to hear. He went on to tell me that the color purple signifies the most relaxed a person could be and the fact that I said "purple" meant he did an excellent job. He was so happy with himself that he told me he was leaving the spa and starting his own business. He even gave me a new business card and asked me not to tell the owners of the spa we were at.<br />
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When our chat was over, I went to the dressing room, quickly got dressed and left without getting the 'makeover' part of my spa package. A few hours later, the spa called and asked if I wanted to reschedule and I politely declined. <br />
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I haven't been back to a spa since.Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-67190873255755658132012-05-29T15:24:00.001-05:002012-05-29T15:24:23.355-05:00Mystic Tan Mishaps!I like to think of myself as being a fairly intelligent person. Most days I function well, making smart decisions that affect, not only myself, but my family as well. Today is not one of those days.<br />
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For those of you who know me really well or have known me for a long time, this will not be surprising to you. I frequently make stupid decisions or put myself in stupid situations. Let me see if I can think of some examples.<br />
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I remember being a pre-teen and going to the doctor. I was beyond mortified when I was told I had to put on one of those paper-gowns in order for the doctor to do his exam. That meant, I had to be NAKED! The nurse and my mom stepped out of the room because, yes, I was so modest I could not undress in front of my own mother and, when my mom came back in the room, she found me clutching the gown to my body. I was so nervous about getting undressed and putting the gown on that, when I put my right arm through the armhole, I ripped right through that sucker like I'd just turned into The Hulk. And, then I did the same thing with my left arm. So, I was basically sitting there with the gown covering my torso and my hands trying to hold up the sleeves. Did my mom ask for another gown? No, she laughed so hard she had mascara running to her chin...throughout the entire exam. <br />
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Then there was my first (and only) all-day spa experience, which really deserves it's own blog post. Let's just say it was an equally embarrassing day featuring my breastfeeding boobs, the color purple, and a hand towel covering (or not covering) my hiney. Its fine...go ahead and request it as a blog topic, if you really want to hear the story.<br />
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So, do you see what I mean about normal events becoming horrifically humiliating events in my life?<br />
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Well, read on to find out what happened today.<br />
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I am not a "tanned" kind of girl. I am very pale and I burn easily, then I tan. Unfortunately, the only places I seem to burn and tan equal the area commonly referred to as a "farmer's tan", especially if the farmer tends to wear short-sleeved V-neck t-shirts a lot. I know that sunbathing and tanning beds are not good for you, which is why I have been interested in spray tans or "Mystic Tans" for many years now. I don't want to be "bronze"; I'd just like to even out the tan I have on my arms (from mid-bicep down) and the deep V on my chest with the rest of my body...just a light "healthy" tan, nothing too fake looking.<br />
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I've known a few people who have gone the spray tan route and have had fairly good success but the main thing that has kept me from attempting it myself can be found in an episode of Friends. You remember the one where Ross goes to get a spray tan and he misunderstands the directions and ends up getting sprayed 4 times...in the face. Of course, he comes out with an orange face and there is nothing he can do about it until it fades. EVERY time I consider getting sprayed, that is what enters my mind. EVERY. TIME.<br />
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Go ahead and consider the above paragraph as foreshadowing, ok?<br />
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I am having some professional pictures taken this weekend and they will be taken outside, so I thought now would be a great time to finally try out this spray tan thing. Again, I want to look "healthy" not orange. Even skin tone, not partially tanned. I will also be spending the next few weeks at the beach and at the pool so I thought, a little tan would make me feel more confident in my bathing suit as well.<br />
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So, I'm in the room, talking with the helpful lady who works at my local tanning salon when she tells me that I need to wait 4 hrs, at least, before bathing. Oh, and don't get in a chlorinated pool. And, don't get in salty, ocean water. Wait, what?? What is the point of getting a tan if you can't do those things?! I explain to her about the pictures I am taking and that I, also, will be in ocean water, as well as, chlorinated pools next week. She told me that I will be fine for the pictures but the pool and ocean waters will pretty much wipe out any spray tan I have. <br />
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I'm fine with this, since I mainly wanted to be tan for the pictures, but I honestly don't see the point of doing this very often.<br />
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The lady then shows me how to apply the protective cream to my hands and feet and then where I am to stand and how to hold my body while the spray is doing it's thing. She tells me to push the green button when I'm ready and it will quickly begin spraying. When it stops, I am to turn around and the spray will then get the back side of my body. She also shows me these little nose-plug-things I can use so that I don't breathe in the spray.<br />
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I am usually a mouth-breather because I have a hard time breathing through my nose but I really don't want to breathe tanning fumes, so I choose to use the nose-things. <br />
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Ok, so I'm in the booth, standing the way I was told to stand, and I push the green button. A few seconds later, I am bum-rushed with tanning spray and, guess what, I can't breathe. It was horrible. I couldn't take a deep breath with the nose plugs in and because of the spray attacking me, so I open my mouth to breathe and, of course, I'm now tasting the junk all over my tongue. <br />
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I am literally having a small panic attack when I realize the spray has stopped. Then it starts again and I think to myself "Was I supposed to turn around already? Maybe after this spray I'm supposed to turn around?" I was so busy trying to calm down and breathe that, yes, I didn't turn around in time. When I realized this, I quickly turned my back to the spray nozzles but then it stopped. Like, stopped as in, it's over, thank you very much, get out, you idiot. I was freaking out! Not only did I just pay $20 for a one-sided tan but I just paid $20 for a double-dose one-sided tan!<br />
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Needless to say, I rushed home and immediately jumped in the shower, washing and willing the tan solution off my body. So far, I haven't noticed any change to my skin tone and I hope it stays that way! <br />
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I know by tomorrow I'll be able to laugh about this but, for right now, I'm still trying to catch my breath!Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-31480436450340282032012-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:002012-03-12T07:00:59.864-05:00My turnContinuing the birthday post tradition, today I'm putting myself in the hot seat. I've had a lot of fun and crazy experiences in my 37 (gasp) years and I thought it would be fun to share some with you. Grab you some popcorn and laugh at my expense. Just don't choke! I cannot be held responsible for anything other my stories.<br />
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1. If you haven't already figured it out, my birthday is the day after Jack's birthday. He was the best birthday gift ever! Much better than the tubal ligation I had on my birthday, after he was born.<br />
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2. When I was very, very young, my favorite song was "Funkytown", my favorite movie was "Grease", and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) was my celebrity crush.<br />
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3. When I was in first grade, I wanted to be a comedian. That quickly changed to being a rock star, which I still want to be when I grow up.<br />
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4. The first time I went to New Orleans, I was 11 or 12 years old. We, unknowingly, arrived on Gay Pride Day and ended up seeing some pretty interesting things. That night, New Orleans was put under a hurricane warning and our hotel was evacuated, so we just drove back home.<br />
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5. I went to my first concert when I was in 3rd grade and I've been rockin' out ever since.<br />
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6. I saw Sha Na Na when I was in college and was pulled on stage to slow dance with the lead singer during a song. As we turned to where the singer's back was facing the audience, I grabbed his butt. My mama told me to!<br />
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7. A few years back, my 2 high-school besties and I saw Jimmy Buffett in concert in Houston, Texas. When we were leaving our hotel to walk to the show, we entered an elevator with about 10 other Parrottheads. We were almost to the lobby when the elevator fell 1 1/2 stories and became stuck in between the lobby and basement. We had to wait for the fire department to come and pull each of us out before we could make our way to the concert!<br />
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8. I've seen KISS in concert 3 times. The last time, I painted my face to look like Peter Criss' face. For those who don't know, he was the drummer with the cat make-up. No one believes me when I tell them this but I have pictures to prove it!<br />
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9. It took me 5 1/2 years to graduate from college because I changed my major 3 times. 9 years later, I went back to school to get my teaching certificate because I never used my original major.<br />
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10. While I was in college, I was initiated into Phi Mu Fraternity. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I love being a Phi Mu Lady.<br />
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11. When I was high school, I volunteered for Bill Clinton's first Presidential campaign. He came to Lake Charles, La and I met him. He had very soft hands, like he had never worked a day in his life.<br />
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12. I went to both home games when the Houston Astros played in the World Series. The first game I attended is one of the longest World Series games ever...14 innings! It was nerve-wrecking, to say the least.<br />
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13. I met Scott in a Louisiana video poker truck stop/restaurant when I was 20 and he was 27. We dated off and on (more off than on) for the next 2 years. July 25, 1997, he asked me to be his girlfriend. The following month we drunkenly declared our love to each other on Bourbon Street and I started crying because I couldn't cook. September 27, 1997, he asked me to be his wife. December 31, 1997, we were married. Best. Decision. Ever!<br />
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14. I rode on the back of Scott's motorcycle from Houston all the way to Sturgis, South Dakota for Bike Week, earning my Iron-Ass Award and bragging rights from my in-laws. The truly amazing things is that I packed for an entire week in ONE SADDLE BAG!<br />
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15. I went to FORKS, y'all!!<br />
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16. And, this year, I'm going to LA to camp out in Tent City with thousands of other TwiHards for the Breaking Dawn 2 premiere!!!!<br />
<br />Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-21978933532631343342012-03-11T08:14:00.001-05:002012-03-11T08:14:32.854-05:00Jack's TributeToday is Jack's 10th birthday. This, of course, means he gets a post dedicated to him, just like I did for Mackenzie a couple of months ago. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the sweet goofiness that is my son!<br />
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1. Some of you may have heard of the blog and/or TV show called "S#@t My Dad Says." Well, I should have started a blog called "Stuff Jack Says" because, over the years, he has said some of the funniest, craziest, and sweetest things I've ever heard. If you're a Facebook friend of mine, you have more than likely read some his comments and observations and laughed along with me. I"ll try to remember some as I type this tribute.<br />
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2. Jack used to say that he didn't want to grow up and leave me and that, when he gets married, he'll live next door to me. Now, he says he wants to stay a bachelor so that he doesn't have to have S-E-X. I can't wait to remind him of his words.<br />
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3. When Jack was born, he went through the birth canal so quickly and hit the vaginal wall so hard that he was born with 2 black eyes. I know now that this incident set him up for a life-time of being accident prone in some of the most cringe-worthy and smack-your-head ways. For example:<br />
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4. When Jack was 9 months old, he fell down the stairs in our house, from the very top to the tile floor on the bottom. It truly was one of the worst days of my life. He had a huge knot of his forehead and bruises on his head and face. Exactly one year later, he did it AGAIN! That time, he barely had time to bounce before I grabbed him off the floor.<br />
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5. When he was in preschool, he got his knee stuck between 2 wooden slats on the playground equipment. It looked like his knee was out of socket but, after rushing to get X-rays, we learned that everything was fine.<br />
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6. He lost a tooth at a restaurant while biting into a hamburger and almost lost it forever when it fell on the floor under the table.<br />
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7. He swallowed a tooth once while he was sleeping. A few days later, the Tooth Fairy left him $1 and a note, asking him to be more careful because she did not enjoy retrieving that particular tooth. The note and dollar were found on the back of the toilet, BTW. :-)<br />
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8. If you look back through my posts, you'll find one about our trip to Washington, D.C. last summer. It was during this trip that Jack fell off the Lincoln Memorial porch and then vomited in the White House front lawn. Yes, this really happened and it is a story that we will tell for the rest of our lives.<br />
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9. Jack doesn't ever want me to diet or exercise because he likes me "fluffy." I let him live after saying that because he is my son. And I love him. And it's kind of cute. And I use it as a reason not to diet and exercise.<br />
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10. Jack was born with a tongue-tie (like his Mama), which caused him to have low muscle tone in his mouth (unlike his Mama, who had a lisp). This, in turn, caused him to have a speech delay. After many years of speech therapy, I am thrilled to report that the boy NEVER shuts up. EVER. Sometimes Scott and I look at each other and ask "Remember when he couldn't talk?"<br />
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11. While we were visiting a church here in Oklahoma, he was so "into" his prayer, he fell out of his chair. Seriously. His eyes were closed and he simply leaned forward and fell onto the floor. We almost had to leave early because we were laughing so hard. And, when I say "we", I really mean "me". I didn't think I'd ever stop laughing. It was a million times funnier because we were supposed to be quiet.<br />
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12. He loves video games, Super Heroes, and dinosaurs and says he wants to be a paleontologist, as long as he can work in a museum close to his family. He doesn't want to be gone for very long if he goes on an expedition. Total sweetheart, I tell ya!<br />
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13. The other night he told me that he didn't want to grow. When I asked him why, he said "because I'm perfect the way I am!" I couldn't agree more, Jack.<br />
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Jack is my darling boy and I am trying not to spoil him too much because I want him to be a good husband to his wife. I have a feeling I am failing, unfortunately. He is such a goofy, smart, loving little boy and I can't wait to watch him grow up. I am also looking forward to having to, literally, look up at him when he is older.<br />
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Happy Birthday, Jack! Here's to an accident-free year! Hey, I can dream, can't I?<br />
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<br />Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-19397949880471205702012-03-04T21:24:00.001-06:002012-03-04T21:24:58.841-06:00Self-acceptanceIt's been a while since I have blogged about my weight loss. That should clue you into the fact that there has been NO weight loss in quite some time. At the beginning of last summer, I had lost 30 pounds while following the Jenny Craig diet plan. It's been about 9 months since then and I, unfortunately, have gained all but 4 pounds back.<br />
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I've been trying to figure out how I feel about this. I'm kind of wishy-washy about it, to be honest. Of course, it is not good that I have gained weight and I am not happy about it but I really don't seem too bothered by it either. When I first started Jenny Craig, I was miserable. I was completely disgusted by myself and at an all-time low, self-esteem-wise. Now, I am pretty much at the same weight I was then but I feel much better about myself. Crazy, huh?<br />
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I know I should lose weight. I know I am not at a healthy weight. I know I should work harder. I know. I know. I KNOW. But, truth be told, I don't really want to right now. Call me content. Call me lazy. I'm just not into dieting and exercising at the moment and, if I'm not feelin' it, it's not gonna happen.<br />
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I really think God has been leading me to be more accepting of myself, flaws and all. I know He doesn't want me to be unhealthy but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm supposed to be this big forever! I just feel more comfortable with myself now and that peace can only come from Him.<br />
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I'm slowly getting motivated again. I'm starting to do Zumba through my Xbox Kinect and, occasionally, I make myself get on the treadmill while Mackenzie is at swim practice. I can't stand the thought of "dieting" or watching every bite I take for the rest of my life so, I figure, it's best if I get active first. Once exercise is more of a habit, I'll tackle my food issues. It's been a life-long battle of mine and I don't want to battle it any more but I know I can't be a sloth forever. I truly want to be active and healthy. I just don't think "active and healthy" necessarily means I have to be a size 2, 6, or even 10. <br />
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This isn't meant to be a Debbie Downer post or a pity post at all. Seriously, I am fat and happy right now. I'm just trying to kick myself in the arse and get myself motivated to do <i>more</i>. I believe it's always a good thing to grow and improve yourself whenever you can, as long as you are doing it for the right reasons.<br />
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God loves me unconditionally. So do Scott, my family, and, hopefully, my friends. ;-) I even love myself, flab and all. But if I could lose the big roll around my mid-section, I'd be even more content with myself. I'm just sayin...Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-15002558560151541292012-02-22T18:15:00.004-06:002012-02-22T18:15:59.216-06:00My Breaking Dawn Part 1 DVD Midnight ReleaseI think my dream job, outside of being a rock star, would be Party Planner. I love anything with a theme and I always over-do. Case in point: my party for the midnight release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 DVD. Just look at the pics!<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfj8385FEPibzpb66apqRwmiZ3tfMEjIRXX24ubssf1uale0uIO-YQvJU08aSxsk_WN_iwhX6mz-rCrDJUwEC14n8ZHsxbBH5u_mRANr9PII-Fv7lDro9N7g963-Pdop9tWcdMPQ_6Q8/s1600/IMG_1709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfj8385FEPibzpb66apqRwmiZ3tfMEjIRXX24ubssf1uale0uIO-YQvJU08aSxsk_WN_iwhX6mz-rCrDJUwEC14n8ZHsxbBH5u_mRANr9PII-Fv7lDro9N7g963-Pdop9tWcdMPQ_6Q8/s320/IMG_1709.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devil's Food Cupcakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib87s5iVVEXodyOJ8Au0Fr7VIXK_qQJlpjodmO2kDGGvBC2-a0cmrE6WJYVwH-vSN9D4jzzcRktHkEKmxFwsf4WOoE31Yj0ZxMaum2P03534xkjN9DgOvs3P94332okMA5eSX4eblVek4/s1600/IMG_1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib87s5iVVEXodyOJ8Au0Fr7VIXK_qQJlpjodmO2kDGGvBC2-a0cmrE6WJYVwH-vSN9D4jzzcRktHkEKmxFwsf4WOoE31Yj0ZxMaum2P03534xkjN9DgOvs3P94332okMA5eSX4eblVek4/s320/IMG_1710.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very Cherry Volturi Shots and Lemon Venom Shots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GTZgGMUxAr__LS4w2f-MJ88J1YZLsyfNnXoKCN8RI9fZziVZl4hoqYM2RsISLdUa9G_2YzOwDHXicvQxhl-WpVRsgDWeHNUsfAdzNOaAP13hCoVghUTGhNVFzy10FaA-ktQR8h6GAqY/s1600/IMG_1711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GTZgGMUxAr__LS4w2f-MJ88J1YZLsyfNnXoKCN8RI9fZziVZl4hoqYM2RsISLdUa9G_2YzOwDHXicvQxhl-WpVRsgDWeHNUsfAdzNOaAP13hCoVghUTGhNVFzy10FaA-ktQR8h6GAqY/s320/IMG_1711.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Chess Board </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeDHzlm-BPFArh8PDweD5CTBHulKeZxG-WfktMGVJEW30VmeI5YhMnEq-m6J52PuJV7UmFyPO-Ortr7XvSiVD7-1dKJlmUqOaZ37jqy_s5XyBPU1skgDElJdRmLxSCRdQTDsYtx59nRg/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeDHzlm-BPFArh8PDweD5CTBHulKeZxG-WfktMGVJEW30VmeI5YhMnEq-m6J52PuJV7UmFyPO-Ortr7XvSiVD7-1dKJlmUqOaZ37jqy_s5XyBPU1skgDElJdRmLxSCRdQTDsYtx59nRg/s320/IMG_1712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vampire Bite Cookies</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxAjGFbGzeHobq-JF11MsgwwyGwnE4lY1H2unHKTVZozjdMBLHKIQpHTzJ8N6QuSsKB1khZ4uOiJ3gGF1-hNVrymGjjm1gcIF3bcgvtlF1biADebYDxm3n8wiYp5-C18SYpdsU3phGuI/s1600/IMG_1713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxAjGFbGzeHobq-JF11MsgwwyGwnE4lY1H2unHKTVZozjdMBLHKIQpHTzJ8N6QuSsKB1khZ4uOiJ3gGF1-hNVrymGjjm1gcIF3bcgvtlF1biADebYDxm3n8wiYp5-C18SYpdsU3phGuI/s320/IMG_1713.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another chess board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsskzA9dPJSJA6eEGPzekgd1_pdD4j81-1OxGGY77I9ZwddDwYuKO71JKF_wBBi8gO5Uph93f7aOMXqg-EzE03Xn9ycy-_Wb7Q0hG9T7Cufn8LWZ9XMsbB8VBxbv2YZFG6jGsMkkzsbvo/s1600/IMG_1714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsskzA9dPJSJA6eEGPzekgd1_pdD4j81-1OxGGY77I9ZwddDwYuKO71JKF_wBBi8gO5Uph93f7aOMXqg-EzE03Xn9ycy-_Wb7Q0hG9T7Cufn8LWZ9XMsbB8VBxbv2YZFG6jGsMkkzsbvo/s320/IMG_1714.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Lemon Venom Shots</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGoc8mZoNZrGDbqpe0WClDFyLH_kj203rt4M0Kz5bI2UAdHnLfOcwJLuSY36fSMBSHqYN6oqcMwxRmBRjMYXqo7_ZKCdOmVEh7YY3MNx0J3LxG0x1tJV2b7kzNjPkHUaonnVme2vnb8o/s1600/IMG_1715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGoc8mZoNZrGDbqpe0WClDFyLH_kj203rt4M0Kz5bI2UAdHnLfOcwJLuSY36fSMBSHqYN6oqcMwxRmBRjMYXqo7_ZKCdOmVEh7YY3MNx0J3LxG0x1tJV2b7kzNjPkHUaonnVme2vnb8o/s320/IMG_1715.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Movie props</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT0w4KTV_GdXJy0aZCGHFRxcf3TtJPDmI1vLSdeZ0Y8Axoaw8ikkXz6UQX04kQLX_sUkpcX26L0ki61EjWWaV3tTzoVa2udZrmpcIm-6sUqLNX-bv41wUJjxY75V_QXg_nYaw9IHERzw/s1600/IMG_1717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT0w4KTV_GdXJy0aZCGHFRxcf3TtJPDmI1vLSdeZ0Y8Axoaw8ikkXz6UQX04kQLX_sUkpcX26L0ki61EjWWaV3tTzoVa2udZrmpcIm-6sUqLNX-bv41wUJjxY75V_QXg_nYaw9IHERzw/s320/IMG_1717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The table!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp8frDon0_dxU9jC-JAc3RfqpLD19Vz-DzeJpPI0-j2NADssNKYZJfSQcEmEMDZ0BKkBIdZ9HegjrWWwLQuhcONfWgQjuPZt9p5HCxhe-xBSFlmx1uYw4Zq2U4vAggYGibfm6aWYbt7Y/s1600/IMG_1720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp8frDon0_dxU9jC-JAc3RfqpLD19Vz-DzeJpPI0-j2NADssNKYZJfSQcEmEMDZ0BKkBIdZ9HegjrWWwLQuhcONfWgQjuPZt9p5HCxhe-xBSFlmx1uYw4Zq2U4vAggYGibfm6aWYbt7Y/s320/IMG_1720.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella's Bloody Punch</td></tr>
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Now, guess how many people were at my party? 3! Yep, all of that food was for my TwiBestie, JennyKate, my hubby, and myself! I just couldn't help myself. I was so excited for the DVD release and party that I went a little crazy.<br />
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Not pictured are the mushroom ravioli flown in from Bella Italia in Port Angeles, Washington that we had for dinner, the feathers I left on JK's bed (along with a sign that said "Edward can bite me any time"), and the canopy tent that my hubby set up in our living room, so that we could have our very own Tent City!<br />
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Even though I went a <i>little</i> overboard, we had a blast that night, watching all four Twilight movies and staying up until 5 AM talking about everything under the sun!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafVDDOsakPBfL01KcpGr0X84truHSwS10PYoED-SdhALlqMbZ07-u_LRwq54yd1_mV-wnvhKfnLWZxeCLaB2MBACbqrIRzx9g0_oNq1f-R9baCfZfJN4fFDkZQ6rMn3kdzN4s0xxKpgo/s1600/IMG_1729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafVDDOsakPBfL01KcpGr0X84truHSwS10PYoED-SdhALlqMbZ07-u_LRwq54yd1_mV-wnvhKfnLWZxeCLaB2MBACbqrIRzx9g0_oNq1f-R9baCfZfJN4fFDkZQ6rMn3kdzN4s0xxKpgo/s320/IMG_1729.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JK and me with our DVDs!</td></tr>
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Did any of you celebrate? If so, how?</div>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-12179343778582697102012-02-14T21:37:00.001-06:002012-02-14T21:37:36.730-06:00Puppy LoveBecause today is Valentine's Day, I thought I'd pay tribute to a couple of people that I spend every day with. A couple, so cute, they deserve their own blog post: Bella and Harley.<br />
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Before you accuse me of losing my mind (again), I don't mean <i>that</i> Bella. I am talking about my English Bulldog, Bella, and her canine bestie, Harley!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g9K-kajyJQXUcPiTGUKOla6ocfdFeCKkuOrttkZ9jNn7LGaVWgfkUgig2W2fTmYQR26Ewe2IfguRADUj_p8EN00JvD77LVzDule4SZlC50z2JGixP5EY5pJ4OJbhhT2AK7P4Bt95zAw/s1600/blogger-image-1863087076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g9K-kajyJQXUcPiTGUKOla6ocfdFeCKkuOrttkZ9jNn7LGaVWgfkUgig2W2fTmYQR26Ewe2IfguRADUj_p8EN00JvD77LVzDule4SZlC50z2JGixP5EY5pJ4OJbhhT2AK7P4Bt95zAw/s320/blogger-image-1863087076.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't they adorable?!</td></tr>
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Bella and Harley are about as opposite as they can be but they love each other, I am sure of it. Harley was 12 years old when we brought Bella home and, over the past 2 years, he has graciously let her demonstrate her typical bulldog characteristics. Basically, that means he lets her run all over (or bully) him. They used to play fight and chase each other all the time but now that Harley is a very old dog, they sleep. All. The. Time. Here are some pictures to prove how much they love each other. Or maybe, they are just really lazy!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsghs70ZvGnY88CsYqyz4okkgtBn08-1S0r41H9HbgMy5cr8sPoWPaOhJUIZwOoJg_tw3CCF_UW8jY2uTiifsZMBoJtqAFdA-RCWmJovyjYA2Lf0_kyKsDX-eHtFtVOW2Gepa8IHaiCns/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsghs70ZvGnY88CsYqyz4okkgtBn08-1S0r41H9HbgMy5cr8sPoWPaOhJUIZwOoJg_tw3CCF_UW8jY2uTiifsZMBoJtqAFdA-RCWmJovyjYA2Lf0_kyKsDX-eHtFtVOW2Gepa8IHaiCns/s320/photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella's first Spring, back when she still had loose skin!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz883dBz6jqhyNCuXogu3fU2_Y7mp_bcqez0vBlc9UoYgBv_vY6Hy2ZeHEUS-JMNjQL9fDOVhZwpsp-Ma6Hp7I48mJu0pwbTj1n8mJl_IHU5IYia3qYt4vpoQkvb3seEh2DXitZ1KsL4/s1600/IMG_0418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz883dBz6jqhyNCuXogu3fU2_Y7mp_bcqez0vBlc9UoYgBv_vY6Hy2ZeHEUS-JMNjQL9fDOVhZwpsp-Ma6Hp7I48mJu0pwbTj1n8mJl_IHU5IYia3qYt4vpoQkvb3seEh2DXitZ1KsL4/s320/IMG_0418.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shaved Harley loving on Bella, who does not look happy to see me.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCTzg1vGXi_jMhBTlYQ1bSyuDmrern9sAyj2XivRdVUxabmZVyTa35aiHJSQ0xC3yB1bv3oQOROUIVOOmANmCk27N2gzGsDOSBIgulMugYE1ptdU4wLCM4WP9MI7m69mCwwGk4AWuUCg/s1600/IMG_1749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCTzg1vGXi_jMhBTlYQ1bSyuDmrern9sAyj2XivRdVUxabmZVyTa35aiHJSQ0xC3yB1bv3oQOROUIVOOmANmCk27N2gzGsDOSBIgulMugYE1ptdU4wLCM4WP9MI7m69mCwwGk4AWuUCg/s320/IMG_1749.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Bella's tongue is stuck out like that, she is doing some serious sleeping!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRU5-juKlSytNsAUo_dVcqZb8nAxfjF1o-eqxsE7bPYGPwVsg_SbDU-nAoFM6wt2u5Jywpl2gtyeuZGGtIVwoIHaEX9J7nchDwkdktVApk1o6PeKNEFDDA_IwIDHJBIGEZNAE9osFzJE/s1600/IMG_1603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRU5-juKlSytNsAUo_dVcqZb8nAxfjF1o-eqxsE7bPYGPwVsg_SbDU-nAoFM6wt2u5Jywpl2gtyeuZGGtIVwoIHaEX9J7nchDwkdktVApk1o6PeKNEFDDA_IwIDHJBIGEZNAE9osFzJE/s320/IMG_1603.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how they spend every day...all snuggly and comfy!</td></tr>
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I hope you have a had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Happy Puppy Snuggles to you all!<br /><div>
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<span id="goog_1214221417"></span><span id="goog_1214221418"></span>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-39337220137849781402012-02-09T18:29:00.001-06:002012-02-09T18:29:40.024-06:00Spreading the Love!Let me preface this post by saying the idea I am sharing below is NOT original. I totally stole it from a friend's friend's blog post last week and tweaked it to fit my lifestyle, meaning I bought bowls from Hobby Lobby instead of mailboxes from Target. Now that that is all clear, looky at what I've been up to!<br />
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Valentine's Day is not a big deal to me. It is not nearly as important as Christmas and Easter, or even Mardi Gras, are to me. That doesn't mean I don't like to participate, though. For the past couple of years, I've been lazy with my Vday activities: buying the usual cards and candies for my family and making the kids pass out those dumb fold-over cards to their classmates. Usually, the most thought I'd put into the holiday was making a special themed breakfast and/or dinner and that was it. My family and I are very affectionate and tell each other how much we love and appreciate each other many times throughout the day, not just on February 14th. This is why Vday doesn't mean much to me.<br />
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This year I wanted to do better. I wanted to put more effort into the holiday and do something special, not just on the 14th, but every day in February leading up to Valentine's Day. The idea is simple: write down something you love about your special someone and give it to them every day. In the original blog post, the writer placed her love notes in the cute red mailboxes that you can find in the dollar bins at Target. BTW, they are still available; I saw them today! Unfortunately, my neck of the woods does not have a Target less than 45 miles away, so I bought adorable heart-shaped bowls from my local Hobby Lobby. What you put the notes in is SO not the issue. Use what works for you and your family. The important thing is <i>what</i> you put in your notes. I wrote 14 things I loved about each of my immediate family members, trying to personalize them as much as possible. "I love the way your eyes sparkle when you smile" is much sweeter than "Your eyes are pretty", don't you think?<br />
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If you were wondering, yes, I did buy an extra bowl just in case someone would like to write a note to me but I did not expect them to. This was something that I really just wanted to do for my husband and children; something special from me to them, letting them know that I love them for many reasons...not just because I "have" to.<br />
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I'm not very crafty but, this type of thing, I can handle! I picked out a "filly" font to type my notes in, along with my family members' names, and printed them out. I cannot cut a straight line to save my life, so I used craft scissors to cut a pretty edge around the notes. Voila'! Simple but sweet!<br />
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They immediately loved the idea and wanted to make some notes for me, as well. I love sharing my notes with my family but I have really gotten a kick out of what they have written to me. Some of my favorites so far are:<br />
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"I love that you hang out with kids (teach)" from Jack. So sweet!<br />
"I love how your eyes make me feel reassured" from Mackenzie. Awwwww!<br />
"You've got great legs!" from Scott. *giggles*<br />
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I love this idea so much, I think I'm going to do it throughout the year! It has definitely become a new Simpson tradition!<br />
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So, what are you waiting for? There is still time to tell your loved ones how special they are to you, so do it!!Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-6598210904809404712012-01-31T21:15:00.001-06:002012-01-31T21:15:59.592-06:00My Travel Wish List2011 was a year full of traveling for me. I traveled more last year than I ever have in my life. So much so, I am now referring to it as The Year of the Suitcase. Or maybe I'll call it The Year That I Finally Started Checking Off My Travel Wish List. Ok, maybe that's a bit too long but you get my point.<div>
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I love to travel. Love, love, love it! Road trips, flying, family getaways, and girlfriend get-togethers...I love them all! If I could (meaning: if I was rollin' in the dough) I would travel all the time! I love exploring new places, staying in nice hotels, eating out, taking a ton of pictures...it makes me feel free. I also love returning to favorite locations for the same reasons.</div>
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Because I love traveling so much, I have a "Travel Wish List." This is a list that I've compiled throughout the years of all the places I want to visit, at least once, in my lifetime. A Bucket Travel List, if you will. Or is it a Travel Bucket List??</div>
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Last year, I was able to scratch off 2 locations, Washington, D.C. and Seattle/Forks, Washington! I totally just realized I went to BOTH Washingtons in the same year! SMH! They were both dream-come-true vacations but, unfortunately, I wasn't able to do/see everything I wanted to, so I can't mark them off my list completely.</div>
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So, without further jibber-jabber, here is my Travel Wish List (in no particular order):</div>
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1. Washington, D.C. - We didn't get close to doing everything while we were there last summer. Next time, we have to see the Library of Congress, the Declaration of Independence, a few more museums, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the inside of the Washington Monument. I also would like to see the White House without my son vomiting in the front lawn.</div>
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2. Seattle and Forks, Washington - I'd love to go explore Seattle some more and see the Space Needle. As far as Forks goes, I really don't have to go back for the Twilight stuff, except for when I take my mom. She will never forgive me for going to Forks without her! The next time I am in the Forks-area, I plan on renting a cabin on Second Beach and then take my time exploring more of La Push and seeing the Sol Duc waterfalls.</div>
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3. New Orleans, Louisiana - Yes, I have been to New Orleans many, many times but it has been 14 years since I was there and I am dying to go back! I really want to take the kiddos and show them the beautiful culture the city has to offer...and then I want to leave them with family so that I can meet my NOLA-area Tweeps on Bourbon Street!</div>
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4. New York, NY - Of course, it has been a dream to go to NYC...all the sights, shopping, and excitement! I'd love to go during the Christmas holidays to see Rockefeller Center and the big Christmas tree. I also want to see as many Broadway shows as possible!</div>
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5. England/Ireland/Scotland - These three places have always been at the top of my list. There are simply too many places to visit and things to do to mention here but, WHEN I go, it will be the trip of a lifetime!</div>
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6. Australia/New Zealand - Again, I've always wanted to travel to New Zealand but the desire is even stronger now that The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and both Hobbit movies have been filmed there. And, since Australia is close-by, might as well mark that one of my list at the same time!</div>
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7. Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida - I LOVE Disney World and it will always have a place on my list.</div>
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8. Los Angeles, California - Being a fan of music, TV, movies, and pop culture all of my life, I have been dying to travel to LA for as long as I can remember. I have always wanted to see the famous "Hollywood" sign, Rodeo Drive, and movie sets, as well as, anything else that has to do with the entertainment industry. This is the year that I MUST go. I mean, REALLY. As in, I'm gonna throw a very ugly 30-something year old fit, flailing and crying on the floor, if I can't go. That might be a slight exaggeration but not by much. For those of you who don't know, this year marks the end of the Twilight Saga. The greatness that is The Saga will live on forever but this is the last time there will be a Twilight Saga movie premiere and I want to be there! I know quite a few Tweeps that were there for the epicness last year and even more are going this year! It will be a week of tents, Tweeps, celebs, and amazing fun!! I know some of you think I'm crazy, including my husband, but this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that I hope I can take this November! *bats eyelashes at Hubby*</div>
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9. Hawaii - because everyone wants to go to Hawaii!</div>
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10. Cleveland, Ohio - because I want to see the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and I couldn't leave my list on an odd number. :-)</div>
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What travel destinations do YOU dream about?</div>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-32260889146803673652012-01-14T11:37:00.002-06:002012-01-14T11:37:33.864-06:00An Ode to MackenzieIn honor of my daughter turning 11 today, this post will celebrate the awesome-ness that is my Mackenzie Drew and highlight some of my favorite Mac moments and traits. Enjoy!<br />
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1. When Mackenzie was just a day old, she would pick her head up and look at me as I held her and talked to her. I imagine her thinking, "Ok, Mom, I'm out now. You can highlight your hair again...soon, please."<br />
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2. When she was 2 or 3, she asked me why my "tee tee" had a beard. This is probably be one of my all-time favorite Mackenzie stories ever. I should be embarrassed but I just can't be...it's funny, pure and simple.<br />
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3. "Harry Potter" has been her boyfriend since she was 3 years old. She would even say his name in a British accent like they do in the movies. Also, in her preschool class, she had a "boyfriend" named Thomas....who had black hair, green eyes, and glasses! The only thing missing was the lightening bolt scar, I swear! <br />
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4. I have always referred to her as "Scott with a vagina" because she looks and acts just like her daddy. She does share some of my traits, though, like....umm...hold on, let me think of some.... Well, we both really like music and movies....we love staying in hotels.... Yeah, I'll have to come back to this one.<br />
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5. Mackenzie is quick witted and has an awesome sense of humor (there's something else we share!) but I do have to remind her occasionally that not everyone considers sarcasm as a form of entertainment.<br />
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6. She loves dogs almost as much as she loves her family. I fear for when she moves out of the house and can have as many dogs as she wants...<br />
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7. Mackenzie loves to irritate her brother but she is very protective of him in that "I can mess with him but you better not" kind of way. I can't wait for them to be teenagers! *sarcasm*<br />
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8. Although she likes watching those annoying Disney shows, her favorite TV channels are The Food Network and HGTV.<br />
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9. She says she hates Twilight and thinks Robert Pattinson is ugly. I can forgive her because I KNOW that will change in 2-3 years. <br />
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10. Although, Mackenzie has never "lived" in Louisiana, she bleeds Purple & Gold through and through. That's simply good parenting skills, I'm just sayin'.<br />
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11. Of course, she's very tall for her age (5'3" and growing) and is very skinny but that does not mean she is weak. Let her give you one of her rib-crushing hugs and you'll see what I mean!<br />
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12. She set her sights on joining the local swim team, worked hard during 3 months of lessons, and achieved her goal. I was so proud to see her succeed.<br />
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13. She thinks I'm beautiful and should not wear make-up. This is another trait she shares with Scott and not with me. ;-)<br />
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Mackenzie is a beautiful young lady with an infectious laugh and loving heart. She has blessed me in more ways than I can count. I look forward to watching her change and grow and I can't wait to see what's in store for her.<br />
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Happy birthday, Precious Angel!!<br />
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<br />Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-52621510309520438092011-11-24T10:50:00.001-06:002012-01-31T21:47:39.614-06:00ThankfulAll month I have been reading Facebook posts from my friends that list the things they are thankful for. I've been meaning to jump on the daily "Thankful post" bandwagon but haven't so, I'm just going to post my list here. Enjoy!<br />
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1. First and foremost, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I am nothing.<br />
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2. I am thankful for His Will in my life...the things He has done, has not done, will do, and will not do. His Will is perfect; mine is not.<br />
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3. I am thankful for my husband. He accepts me and loves me unconditionally. He make me laugh every day and he allows me to indulge in all of my Twilight craziness, even if he rolls his eyes while doing it.<br />
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4. I am thankful for my children. They are, without a doubt, the two best things I've ever had a hand in creating and I thank God for allowing me to care for them while on this earth.<br />
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5. I am thankful for my family...the one I was born into and the one I married into.<br />
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6. I am thankful for my friends. I've been blessed with friendships with people from all over the world and I love each and every one of you!<br />
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7. I am thankful for Facebook for allowing me to reconnect and keep in touch with my family and friends.<br />
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8. I am thankful for Twitter for allowing me to meet so many funny, interesting, and crazy TwiHards!<br />
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9. I am thankful for my Bville friends...I'm glad we have each other to vent to! ;-)<br />
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10. I am thankful for my good health and that of my family.<br />
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11. I am thankful for the talent of singing and the desire to share it with others.<br />
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12. I am thankful for my blue jeans still fitting even though I gained back most of the weight I lost last year.<br />
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13. I am thankful for our house, cars, and food in the pantry.<br />
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14. I am thankful for Apple products.<br />
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15. I am thankful for chocolate. And Diet Coke.<br />
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16. I am thankful for Twilight. Shocker, I know! The Saga has rekindled my love in books, given me some delicious eye-candy to enjoy in the movies, and lead me to meet some of the best ladies ever!<br />
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17. I am thankful for music and movies.<br />
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18. I am thankful for my dogs!<br />
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19. I am thankful for coffee and, more importantly, Creme Brulee creamer.<br />
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20. I am thankful for my country and the freedom that goes along with being a citizen.<br />
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21. I am thankful for my part-time job....I get to play with kiddos and make a little extra spending money!<br />
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22. I am thankful for LSU football.<br />
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23. I am thankful for being a true Southerner.<br />
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24. I am thankful for modern medicine.<br />
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25. I am thankful for indoor plumbing.<br />
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26. I am thankful for pizza, quesadillas, and pumpkin whoopie pies.<br />
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27. I am thankful for my two refrigerators.<br />
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28. I am thankful for Clorox wipes.<br />
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29. I am thankful for the Internet.<br />
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30. I am thankful for YOU!!<br />
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Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!!Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-45478797944716708262011-10-19T16:39:00.000-05:002011-10-19T16:39:06.570-05:00The Thwilla Story - for DangrdafneThe purpose of this post is to tell my fellow TwiTard and Tweep, Dangrdafne, a story that I meant to share with her while we were in Forks. If you have zero interest in the 100 Monkeys, you might want to skip this post, unless you like to read stories that poke fun at my husband. If that is the case...and, really, who DOESN'T like to poke fun at Scott...then by all means, proceed. <br />
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Scott and I had the incredible opportunity to see the 100 Monkeys in concert in Dallas this past August. If you haven't already, feel free to scroll down and read my post about it later. :-)<br />
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On the 100 Monkeys' latest CD, Liquid Zoo, there is a song called The Sound. It is a very catchy song with a nice groove and Scott and I both love it. In the middle of the song, for reasons I cannot for the life of me explain, there is a rap. Yes, a rap. It is my least favorite part of the song but, even still, it is catchy. The guy who does this rap is not an actual member of the group. His name is William but also goes by "Thwilla". I guess that is his "rap" name. Thwilla travels with the band, doing PR stuff and probably anything else that is needed, so I am hoping that he is not wanting to venture into the rap music business full-time. *collective sigh of relief*<br />
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Some of the lyrics (I think the "catchiest") of Thwilla's rap are:<br />
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'Cause you're bad</div>
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You know this</div>
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Your Dad</div>
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He noticed</div>
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Let me interject some information for those who don't already know Scott or myself very well: my husband is 7 years older than I am, which makes him *cough* 40-something *cough*. NOT that he looks "old" or anything....he really doesn't. In fact, he still gets carded at Buffalo Wild Wings. I just feel it is important to know this before I finish the story. A little foreshadowing perhaps??</div>
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Sooooo, we are in Dallas, having a blast at the show, when they start playing The Sound. Scott and I were both happy because we like the song so much but we were also giggling because we knew the stupid rap was coming up. I was standing in the second row, dead-center, in front of the stage, which is where Thwilla was doing most of his rap. Scott was standing directly behind me. Thwilla gets to the "Your DAD, He noticed" part and...wait for it...POINTS DIRECTLY TO SCOTT!! I don't know if he thought Scott was my dad or some other chick's dad or if he just could tell that he most likely is a dad but it was still freaking funny! At least, I thought it was funny the next day when Scott finally admitted what happened. He, of course, did NOT think it was funny and he STILL doesn't think it is funny! Which makes it even more funny to me!</div>
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That's it! That's the Thwilla Story, Dangrdafne! I told you it probably wouldn't live up to the suspense and it is probably more entertaining when told in person but, at least, I finally told you! I hope you were able to giggle a little bit while reading. ;-)</div>
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For the record, I totally missed the pointing by Thwilla because I was fixated on Ben G and his beautiful solo that gets trampled by the rap!</div>
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This is a pic of Thwilla from the Tulsa show. Scott wasn't there but I texted him this pic and told him Thwilla was looking for him! I'm so mean!!</div>
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<br /></div>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-37530123581725164402011-10-19T09:15:00.004-05:002011-10-19T09:15:52.046-05:00FOOORKS2011!!I know, I know. I've been home from Forks for 3 weeks and I am just now blogging about it! Sorry!<br />
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I've been trying to decide <i>how</i> I want to approach this post. Do I spill the beans on everything that was said and done while I was in Twilight Heaven? Do I keep all the juicy details to myself and let you squirm until you completely forget about me and my trip? Decisions, decisions.... <br />
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Ok, enough squirming! I'm not THAT mean...usually. I think I'll just give you a brief review, since most of you follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter and were bombarded by posts and pics as the trip happened anyway. My next post will be tips and advice for those of you who plan on taking your own trip to Forks one of these days!<br />
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What can I say? My trip to Forks was simply amazing. I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that I have traveled, not only to Forks, Washington, but to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. It is unlike anywhere I have ever been and, if you haven't been there, you should plan a trip ASAP!<br />
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We (my most-awesomest roomies, JK & M, and I) started our trip in Seattle. We were only there for one evening and half the next day but we filled that time with as much fun as we possibly could. We saw the Space Needle (from a distance), some really cool buildings, and Pike Place Market. We took pictures of, what we thought was, the very first Starbucks. Then, we took pictures of the REAL very first Starbucks! And, to make that achievement even better, we realized we were there on National Coffee Day! How perfect? Seattle truly is a beautiful place and I would love to go back with my family and spend more time there.<br />
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JK & I enjoying our National Coffee Day iced coffee from the REAL original Starbucks!</div>
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From Seattle, we rode the ferry to Bainbridge Island. Riding a ferry was a first for JK and M, which I thought was funny but I'll admit, this ferry ride is much prettier than the one to Galveston. I'm just sayin.... During our 3 hour drive to Forks, we passed through Port Angeles and stopped to take pictures of Crescent Lake. My words and pictures simply do not do the scenery justice. It is just like the Twilight books describe but even better. Everything really is covered in green and moss and ferns really cover the ground like grass. I was not a listed driver on our rental car agreement, so I was able to sit in the back seat and look out the windows and into the woods whenever I wanted. I could almost swear that I saw a vamp or two running through the forest but that could also have been the car sickness I experienced throughout the trip. ;-)<br />
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HWY 101 and Crescent Lake...breathtaking..</div>
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The girls and I were beyond excited about arriving in Forks. So much so, that every (and I mean EVERY) sign we passed that had the word "Forks" on it elicited a scream from us that could almost break glass. Finally, in the distance we could see THE sign. Yes, the "Welcome To Forks" sign. The sign that made it sink in that, yes, we were in the Twilight Heartland FOR REALIES. There may have been a tear or two or, at the very least, some moist eyes... *insert scream!* See? It still has that effect on me. Ok, I'm better now, I promise...maybe.<br />
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Getting closer...</div>
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...and closer...</div>
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...and I'm finally in Forks!!</div>
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While in Forks, we did everything a TwiHard should do: we shopped, we visited all of the Twilight-themed attractions, we took pictures, and we even reenacted some of our favorite scenes from the movie. We also were able to spend some fun times with other Twilight fans at the Elks Lodge when we attended the TwiTarded parties. It was absolutely incredible to meet so many people from the fandom that, until this trip, I had only talked to through Twitter and blogging. I met fans from all over the country and even a few from England and Sweden! These women (and a few husbands) are all ages, races, sizes, etc but when you meet them, it's like you've known them forever. I've never experienced any thing like it, including my time in my sorority. I love these ladies hard and I wish we could see each other more often!<br />
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In addition to doing all of the touristy things in Forks, we drove back to Port A and had dinner at Bella Italia one evening. The mushroom ravioli is a must and I'm not just saying that because it is what Bella orders in the book and movie. It really is delicious! We also saw a bit of the Hoh Rainforest, LaPush, and Third and Second Beaches. We never made it to First Beach. Believe it or not, we ran out of time...in Forks! Crazy but it's true!<br />
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Bella's truck from the movie!</div>
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Mushroom Ravioli from Bella Italia!</div>
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A moss-covered tree from the Hoh Rainforest!</div>
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The Roomies and I on a driftwood tree at Second Beach!</div>
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This trip was an incredible experience. I met awesome people, bonded even more with my new besties, and saw the places that inspired some of my favorite books. And I cannot wait to do it again!<br />
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I know this post is brief...for me, anyway...but if you'd like to see more, check out my fb page!Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-5015140027933452532011-09-15T19:51:00.000-05:002011-09-15T19:51:12.392-05:00TwiHard and Proud!I am a HUGE fan of the Twilight Saga. Most of you already know this about me. For those of you who do know this or do not realize the extent of my <strike>obsession</strike> love, I'm writing this blog to try and explain.<br />
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Let me start by saying I have been a "fangirl" pretty much all of my life. I was "fangirling" waaay before "fangirling" was even a word. Can I stop using the quotes now? K, thanks!<br />
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I first started being a hardcore, obsessive fan (aka fangirl) when I discovered Duran Duran at the age of 9. I literally referred to myself as a "Duranie", if that gives you any idea how far my love for those stylish Brits went. From there, I went on to love many bands, actors, books, and movies, specifically The Beatles, Queen, Poison, Kiefer Sutherland, Viggo Mortensen, Harry Potter, The Lost Boys, and The Lord of the Rings. Nothing, though, prepared me for the world of The Twilight Saga.<br />
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I had not heard any thing about the Twilight books until the first movie was about to be released. I remember seeing the trailer for Twilight and realizing that "Cedric Diggory" was in another movie and I was so happy to see his gorgeous face on the big screen again. I soon found out many of my friends had been reading the books and loved them, so I immediately asked for the book set for Christmas!<br />
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Because my husband and mother love me so much, they each gave me the set...one on Kindle and the other in the hardback form. Because the hardback set was on back order, I started with the Kindle books and was instantly hooked! I read the first book within a couple of days and HAD to see the movie. Lucky for me, it was still showing in my hometown on New Year's Eve, so I "made" Scott take me to see it for our anniversary! Romantic, right? Yes, for me...not so much for Scott. *Love you, Honey!*<br />
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I finished the series within a few days and my life was forever changed. I know that sounds so dramatic but that was how I felt. I didn't want the stories to end. I wanted MORE. So, I did what every other Twi-fan did, I read the books again....and again.<br />
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Fast forward a few months and my mom and I were adding fuel to our Twi-fire by attending the first TwiCon in Dallas. Not only were we able to meet many of the stars of the movies, but we also met other fans. This was a big deal to me because I realized, outside of my mom (who is also a huge fan now), I had no one else to share my love and devotion for all things-Twi. Yes, I had friends who had read and loved the books but that was where it stopped for them. Sitting with my new Twi-friends in Dallas, discussing the books and movie (this was before New Moon was released) in great detail, I felt relief...I felt <i>free.</i> Free to embrace my inner TwiHard and wave my Twi-flag proudly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me (in my Team Rathbone shirt, of course) and some new TwiHard friends at TwiCon!</td></tr>
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Believe it or not, it is NOT all about the movies and stars for me. First and foremost, I love the books. I think the story is original and wonderful with amazing characters and settings. I love that it does not follow the usual vampire lore with garlic and coffins and such and I love that it is a story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Notice, I said "people" not just women. In fact, after my TwiCon weekend, Scott read the books to see "what the fuss was all about" and he admitted that he liked them, too. By the way, he's Team Alice.<br />
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Having said all that, I also love the movies...mostly. I have quite a few problems, gripes, and opinions with the movies (I probably need to save that for another post) and so I keep them separate from the books in my mind. They are not perfect but I love them for what they are. I also love the actors in the movie...mostly. And I'll just leave it there. ;-)<br />
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So, now it's almost 3 years later and I am way deep into the fandom. Thanks to Twitter, I have made friends with other TwiHards all around the world and it is amazing to be able to call these women "friends." In fact, I am meeting quite a few of these new friends in less than 2 weeks when we all travel to Forks, Washington (where the stories take place) to see where the author, Stephenie Meyer, got her inspiration. My new bestie, JennyKate, is traveling with me and our other roomie, Michelle, has promised to have bail money set aside for us. Not that it will be necessary or anything.....right, JK? Although, it would be funny to say we got to ride in the Forks Police Chief's cruiser...but I digress.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nope, no bail money needed for us in Forks!</td></tr>
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I promise to keep you updated with our Twi-adventures on all of the usual forms of social media and, if you want a postcard from Forks, you still have a few days to get me your mailing address!Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-45778743710879563652011-09-05T16:12:00.001-05:002011-09-05T16:12:53.776-05:00My 2 Nights with 100 MonkeysI love 100 Monkeys. <br />
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This statement may confuse some of you. You might be thinking "But, Jennifer, I thought you collected ladybugs?" or "Why 100 monkeys? Why not just 1 or 2?" Let me explain.<br />
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100 Monkeys is a band. Specifically, they are a band of incredibly talented and passionate musicians who also happen to be sweet, funny, and down-to-earth guys. Oh, and they are very easy on the eyes, I must add. It is nearly impossible to describe their music because it covers almost every style imaginable from rock to funk to blues to country. When explaining their sound to others, I tend to simplify it and call it "good time party music" but it is so much more than that. Their songs are fun and quirky but also serious and melancholy. <br />
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The first time I heard of 100 Monkeys was 2 years ago while I was online purchasing my ticket for TwiCon in Dallas. For those of you who don't know, Jackson Rathbone, who plays "Jasper" in the Twilight Saga movies, is also in 100 Monkeys and the band was playing a concert at TwiCon. This lead me to visit their website and check out their music. I only listened to snippets of a couple of songs but I could tell that it was different to what I normally listened to, so I decided to wait and see how their concert was. <br />
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In short, it was, well, short. I think they only played 4 or 5 songs but it was great all the same. What impressed me the most was, what the band refers to as, "The Monkey Switcheroo." These guys can each play multiple instruments, so they switch or change instruments depending on what song they are performing. It is incredible. It keeps things fresh and entertaining and it is so much fun to watch. They also take suggestions from the audience for an "improv" song every night! Needless to say, I instantly became a fan and even skipped the "Volturi Ball" at TwiCon to see them perform at a local Dallas club and then again at the after-party.<br />
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I've been a fan for 2 years now, following their website, facebook pages, and Twitter accounts, as well as buying all of the music they have released. They have only gotten better over the past couple of years, with their music and style gelling into a perfect eclectic sound, and I have been chomping at the bit to see them live again. <br />
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As soon as their summer tour dates for this year were announced, I made arrangements to see them in Dallas and Tulsa, just 3 days apart. To say I was giddy with excitement is putting it mildly. I was bringing Scott with me to Dallas but he was less than thrilled. I "encouraged" him to listen to their CDs but he was still unsure. I assured him that he would love them once he saw them perform live.<br />
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In Dallas, we were fortunate enough to get VIM (Very Important Monkey) tickets that allowed us to attend a "soundcheck party" with the guys. This "party" included a short acoustic set and the opportunity to take a picture with the band. We also received a t-shirt and autographed picture. It was incredible! There were only a handful of fans there at this time, so it was very intimate and special. Scott was griping that he was the only guy in the audience but I could tell he was having a great time.<br />
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We spoke to the band briefly while we took our pictures and they were so nice. They loved the fact that Scott was there! I imagine they don't get a lot of men at their shows, especially ones who will take a picture with them or ask for an autograph!<br />
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An hour later, the "real" concert started and it was nothing less than amazing. Bleeding Horse Express was one of the opening bands and they were great! If you like gritty, Southern rock music, then you should definitely buy their CD. Of course, the Monkeys rocked the house and Scott was able to witness me "fangirling" first hand. I even made some new facebook and Twitter friends in the audience, including some that were at the same TwiCon that I attended 2 years ago! <br />
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Having said that, let me clarify that I am not a fan of 100 Monkeys just because Jackson Rathbone is in Twilight. Being a fan of Twilight lead me to discover 100 Monkeys but I am a fan simply because I love their music. Seeing them perform live and witnessing their pure talent and love for what they do only makes me love them more.<br />
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The night was incredible and Scott even had fun, with the exception of a "Thwilla moment", but I'll save that story for later. It's best told in person, any way. We talked with the guys some more after the concert and they autographed a couple of things for us. I just can't gush enough about them!<br />
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Fast forward to 3 nights later..... Scott did not go with me to the Tulsa concert but my friend JennyKate did. I was so tickled that Scott and JK both saw their first Monkey show with me!! <br />
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Again, the show was great even though they didn't seem as energetic as they did in Dallas. I assumed it was because the Tulsa show was in a smaller venue but it could also be because they were exhausted! I got their autographs <i>again</i> and spoke to Jackson about being at the Dallas show. He remembered meeting Scott and even mentioned TwiCon for some reason but there is NO WAY he would have remembered meeting me there 2 years ago. I think he was just trying to be nice but, who cares?? He could've babbled about anything and I would've been thrilled! I also talked with Ben Johnson from the band and told him about a Twitter account that was dedicated to the fact that he wears tan pants all of the time. He laughed and assured me that he does, in fact, have more than one pair of tan pants. It was a very funny moment which, incidentally, awarded me with many cudoes from other Monkey Junkies and gave me even more facebook and Twitter friends!<br />
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It has been almost a month since seeing 100 Monkeys in concert and I miss them so much! I would watch them perform every night if I could! It's a good thing there are so many videos of them on YouTube. In fact, you can watch the 2 videos I posted from the Tulsa show to see the guys and have a giggle at JennyKate! I also posted the improv song from Dallas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI5Ii7DVt08">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI5Ii7DVt08</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmKzUomMpCM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmKzUomMpCM</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnNf897zRw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnNf897zRw</a><br />
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Thanks, again, 100 Monkeys for an incredible tour! Can't wait to see y'all again!<br />
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Please, check out their website at <a href="http://www.100monkeysmusic.com/">www.100monkeysmusic.com</a><br />
<br />Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-69053416246008676232011-09-01T18:44:00.002-05:002011-09-01T18:44:56.188-05:00Summer ReflectionsNow that the kiddos are back in school, I guess it is time to catch you all up on our summer vacation.<br />
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This was one of the busiest summers we have had, I think, and that includes the summers in which we moved. We ended up going on 4 road trips this year and the trips were spaced out about every 3 weeks or so. When I say "road trips", I do not mean being in the car for a couple of hours. I mean, we put in some <i>major</i> windshield time. Ok, let me rephrase that: the kids put in some major DSi time, Scott put in windshield and iPad time, and I put in windshield and iPhone time. Clear as mud? I thought so! </div>
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Also, to pass the time while traveling, we did what we always do when we are in a car: we counted "Beep-Beeps", aka VW Beetles. So, here is a recount of our travels and, yes, how many Beep-Beeps we saw.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDMW43N3wQMEdH5smYG5YpzLtW_dei_FYmBr_WsZ_-Y9mLinoIdt_VvRWf9kODK9UNx3cy35IslmGuZOSZ9zhbaz631tnj-EMCswbhH2R92e55nSRp5mx0T7ppkLfZQKLPDlL7k3KPck/s1600/DSCN3661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDMW43N3wQMEdH5smYG5YpzLtW_dei_FYmBr_WsZ_-Y9mLinoIdt_VvRWf9kODK9UNx3cy35IslmGuZOSZ9zhbaz631tnj-EMCswbhH2R92e55nSRp5mx0T7ppkLfZQKLPDlL7k3KPck/s320/DSCN3661.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<u>Trip #1 West Virginia/Washington, D.C.</u> </div>
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I've blogged about two exciting events that occurred on this trip, both of which involved my children getting hurt, but we did have fun in other ways, too! We drove through 8 states and D.C., saw so many beautiful places, and got to spend some wonderful, quality time with Scott's parents. You'd think with as much driving as we did on this trip, we would've seen tons of Beep-Beeps but I was disappointed with our total being only 56. Maybe I set my expectations too high. </div>
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<u>Trip #2 Louisiana</u></div>
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The kids and I drove down to La. to visit my parents for my dad's birthday and Scott flew in to spend Father's Day weekend with us. We were there for about a week and we had a wonderful time eating, spending time with our family, and more eating. Did I mention we ate a lot? Every time I plan a trip to La, I make a mental list of all the places at which I want to eat. The food is so good in La, I just can't help it! Seriously, though, on this particular trip, I gained 5 pounds...in ONE week! I only gained 2 in DC! And, then I go and gain 5 more in La! I should have walked to Louisiana instead of driving! Anyway, speaking of driving, on this road trip, we saw only 29 Beep-Beeps.</div>
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<u>Trip #3 SE Texas</u></div>
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This was the same drive as the trip to La but we were able to stop in the Beaumont, Tx-area, where we celebrated the 85th birthday of Scott's Grandma Cele. This also was a great time, spent with more family members, including a very memorable canoe trip in the rain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXs2Xo0hBTeuZfoSzEoZqB3faP4MWLxBjkYxp1zSndgshqc3Sf9AyXm3kVWIZctOpj6XI0GfJwM76EXKIbQ4t0gVo_YogzC9bpYS5KqWMoOb7l7FWRbbEMa0oFvsYpwGfyuil_Zt3wP4/s1600/IMG_4303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXs2Xo0hBTeuZfoSzEoZqB3faP4MWLxBjkYxp1zSndgshqc3Sf9AyXm3kVWIZctOpj6XI0GfJwM76EXKIbQ4t0gVo_YogzC9bpYS5KqWMoOb7l7FWRbbEMa0oFvsYpwGfyuil_Zt3wP4/s320/IMG_4303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<u>Trip #4 Iowa</u><br />
This trip was unplanned but wonderful all the same. Scott's grandmother (his dad's mother) passed away, so we drove to Grinnell, Iowa for the funeral. Grinnell is a charming town surrounded by beautiful corn fields and we were happy to finally see where Scott's dad grew up, even though we were sad about the reason we were there. Believe it or not, we did not count Beep-Beeps!<br />
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In between Trip #3 and Trip #4, Scott and I had a little weekend get-away to Dallas to see the 100 Monkeys in concert and I'll be blogging about that incredible night soon!<br />
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I also wanted to let you know that I will be traveling to Forks, WA at the end of the month! All of you fellow TwiHards know the significance of this trip and can probably feel the excitement vibes I'm sending right now!! I can't wait!! Of course, I'll be blogging, tweeting, and posting pics on facebook but I also wanted to offer to you the opportunity to receive a postcard from Forks! If you would like for me to send you a postcard from the actual post office of Forks, WA, let me know and send me your addy in the comments, on fb, by email, which ever method you prefer, and I'll make sure you get one!<br />
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Hope you all had a fabulous summer!! Can't wait for Fall!<br />
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Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-3575116702463671862011-07-31T20:12:00.006-05:002011-07-31T21:03:34.847-05:00My Ben Affleck pics!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_43rngZmAumR_CyIJZjdF3xdyiUv9f2rcO0UKDXFtjYLoIHvhOFidAT7plbwCConFggXCJYvNInyrbEntmHR_MSp2Z6Va6RD9HBgdKP3jKY7EXo29kGBAhlKxqZeLpp2RraoVY3DLYYA/s1600/IMG_0554.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_43rngZmAumR_CyIJZjdF3xdyiUv9f2rcO0UKDXFtjYLoIHvhOFidAT7plbwCConFggXCJYvNInyrbEntmHR_MSp2Z6Va6RD9HBgdKP3jKY7EXo29kGBAhlKxqZeLpp2RraoVY3DLYYA/s320/IMG_0554.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635690859856989346" /></a><br /><div>Ben is right behind the guy in the brown shirt.<div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFFnmGF_ycjTIUoQK4mnMnMfEQDZzEuzOzzqTICJMwQKi5JpyG1VE9GvoBGs8VVI4QLsRZUPjIGFBwhiuLuujX-KBwjyHHtJNN8KhdT88XTlRX0yMJDDLnH0lKWyYBtqTei70PKrraMw/s1600/IMG_0552.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFFnmGF_ycjTIUoQK4mnMnMfEQDZzEuzOzzqTICJMwQKi5JpyG1VE9GvoBGs8VVI4QLsRZUPjIGFBwhiuLuujX-KBwjyHHtJNN8KhdT88XTlRX0yMJDDLnH0lKWyYBtqTei70PKrraMw/s320/IMG_0552.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635690857224676882" /></a><br /><div>This is the best pic. You can clearly see Ben....he's so cute!!!<div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMHQ1g9p1UbgA5nfxDtHAIMhMqi6k6l4ugS2lTLKSR2DRN3fTi76Ef5BJQU4vv0vWCp_x9BgRVqDQW1VLHpKndMPZrJwNMd-HIFSIqH_yFykWH7mTYZXTbBLW0TSGkCd9jmZNuDLHC78/s1600/IMG_0548.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMHQ1g9p1UbgA5nfxDtHAIMhMqi6k6l4ugS2lTLKSR2DRN3fTi76Ef5BJQU4vv0vWCp_x9BgRVqDQW1VLHpKndMPZrJwNMd-HIFSIqH_yFykWH7mTYZXTbBLW0TSGkCd9jmZNuDLHC78/s320/IMG_0548.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635690850491819282" /></a><br /></div><div>I promise Ben is somewhere behind that screen!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVYEG1CnuiJf_btiTeaN3Stq6Nz1KB1G8h1AGeTdUoumWSu7BEzSJXFS9NxIwXUkfeSKgNHH6-FCDbK6y60zBNWw1fJybwyqwEHpQ-6NslqgSCkJmZL9b4T0n85eDG9dvWQdrZyIKRpU/s1600/IMG_0546.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVYEG1CnuiJf_btiTeaN3Stq6Nz1KB1G8h1AGeTdUoumWSu7BEzSJXFS9NxIwXUkfeSKgNHH6-FCDbK6y60zBNWw1fJybwyqwEHpQ-6NslqgSCkJmZL9b4T0n85eDG9dvWQdrZyIKRpU/s320/IMG_0546.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635690847470223442" /></a><br />I've been asked to post the pictures I took of Ben Affleck while he was here in Bartlesville filming a movie last fall, so here they are!<div><br /></div><div>You must forgive me for two things: First, the pictures are NOT great but they were the best I could do with my iPhone from across the street. Second, I still have not figured out how to put my pictures exactly where I want them on my blog, so they are all at the top of the page! Grrrr!</div><div><br /></div><div>When I took these pictures, my kids and I were about to leave their karate class, so I was unprepared to take "real" pictures. We spotted the filming taking place and ran to the sidewalk across the street, immediately spotting Ben. He and the other actress in the pictures filmed a scene that had them walking across a side street while talking. We then hopped in the car and drove into a gas station parking lot near by and watched them finish their scene.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to get better pictures but I'm also a 'fraidy cat and I didn't want to get yelled at by any of the crew. I also believe that actors/actresses should be left alone while they are working. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the filming of the scene ended, Ben walked into the gas station. Someone said he was "using the facilities", so I wasn't about to bother him then either! The kids and I were excited enough with our amateur ninja skills, so we left the gas station and went home.<br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-24767693173430467772011-07-28T10:39:00.004-05:002011-07-28T12:07:50.677-05:00"They're gonna put me in the movies...."Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that, after moving to Bartlesville, I'd be so close to Hollywood. You might be thinking that being in the 100+ degree heat this summer has finally gotten to me and I've lost my mind but it's true! The part about Hollywood, not me losing my mind...although, if you ask my husband, he'd beg to differ.<div><br /></div><div>Shortly after moving to Bartlesville, a major motion picture (that is still without a title) starring Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz, and Rachel McAdams began filming and locals were clawing at the opportunity to be an extra or help on set. I, of course, was no exception. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was unable to attend the casting call because we traveled down to Texas that particular weekend but the kids and I were able to watch Ben and another actress film a scene downtown one evening. Yes, we totally stalked him and I have the pictures to prove it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward to this past May. A friend of mine who did attend the casting call and was on their email mailing list, received a notice about another motion picture being filmed close-by and that there was a scene being filmed in which they needed about 300 extras. This email also mentioned that the movie was starring Jackson Rathbone and immediately, my friend knew to forward the email to ME. </div><div><br /></div><div>For those of you who don't know, Jackson plays "Jasper" in the "Twilight Saga" movies. He was also in "The Last Airbender" (as well as other movies), is in a band called 100 Monkeys, and is one of my very favorite celebrities. I've met him a couple of times and I've also seen him in concert. I just simply adore him. So, the idea of being an extra in one of his movies was just too tempting to pass up!</div><div><br /></div><div>The email said the scenes to be filmed were going to take place at a rodeo and to just show up. Sounded perfect to me....except I've never liked rodeos but I was willing to make an exception for Jackson. Being the awesomely cool mom that I am, I also asked the kids if they'd like to go with me. Not surprisingly, Jack said "No" and Mackenzie said "Yes." It also helped that one of the other stars of the movie was Bailee Madison, who Mac knew from "Wizards of Waverly Place."</div><div><br /></div><div>We got up and left early on a Sunday morning and drove about 2 hours to where the scenes were being filmed. We were supposed to wear "rodeo" attire, if we had it, but we didn't, so we did the best we could. After waiting for about 30 minutes, the crowd of extras was herded, I mean <i>moved</i>, to the rodeo stands. There were 3 sections of bleachers and we were asked to take a seat in any of the sections. Mac and I found two spots at the top of the first section that I was very happy with because it had a board I could lean up against. We were there for only a few minutes when one of the staff members asked everyone on our row to come back down. He then weeded out those who were wearing "rodeo attire" and placed them back in the stands. Mac and I, along with a few others, were moved all the way over to the third section. I was bummed at first, especially since they focused a lot of the filming on that first section, but, honestly, I was just happy to be there.</div><div><br /></div><div>We filmed many scenes of the crowd "reacting" to different rodeo scenarios. The main guy dealing with us (not sure if he was an assistant director or what) would run around the rodeo grounds and give us clues on what we were supposed to be reacting to. He'd run quickly and throw his hands in the air and we'd scream, cheer, clap, stand, whistle, wave our cowboys hats, etc. If he fell, we booed and acted disappointed. There were even times when he pretended that he was doing a dangerous trick and we acted like we were scared for his safety. We also showed our relief when he completed his amazing "trick" safely. It was really fun and I loved seeing so many "regular" people in the crowd getting into character.</div><div><br /></div><div>On a side note: I did become annoyed with the "AD" once when he was talking to the people in my section. He said, "Hey, did you know that Jasper is in this movie? You know, Jasper...from Twilight?" Dude, the man's name is Jackson, not Jasper! You're working with him; get his name right! But I digress....</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of Jackson, being the Twitter addict that I am, I already knew from Jackson's tweets that morning, that he wasn't on set yet but that he was on his way. I was constantly looking around, trying to see if he was there yet but, unfortunately, he wasn't filming any scenes during the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a couple of hours of filming on one side of the rodeo arena, we were herded to the opposite side to film some more. This time we were treated to a brief show by The Sweethearts of the Rodeo, which was really good. Like I mentioned before, I've never been a fan of the rodeo but I can appreciate the talent that those ladies have when working with their horses and putting on a rodeo show. Also, just to clarify, this movie isn't about bull riding or calf roping or things like that. It's about trick-riding. We also filmed many scenes with Bailee (and her stunt person) doing tricks.</div><div><br /></div><div>After being there for many hours, Mac and I decided it was time to go home, like most of the extras. A few were staying to shoot some night scenes and we could have too, but Mac had school the next day and we still had 2 more hours of driving ahead of us. After leaving the bleachers, we stood in line to fill out paperwork so that we could get paid. That's right, we got paid for this! Woot! The line was right outside a big tent where the cast and crew were eating their dinner and guess who was there eating! Yep, Mr. Rathbone himself was sitting at one end of a table while James Cromwell, who is also in the movie, was at the other end. I was so excited! </div><div><br /></div><div>The extras were warned not to take pictures of any kind while on set and to not bother the cast. Being the good girl that I am on most days, I obeyed my instructions and didn't take ONE picture. Not one! I also wasn't about to bother any one while they were eating, celebrity or not. I personally think that is incredibly rude but it didn't stop others from interrupting Jackson's meal and asking for a picture or autograph. Of course, he was gracious and did what the fans asked for, smiling the whole time. I mean, he IS a Southern gentleman after all.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also knew that I'd be seeing him again soon (which I will blog about in a few weeks), so I was just fine stepping back and observing him do something "normal", like eating.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we were finished with our paperwork, Mac and I walked to the car and started to leave. I had just put the car in "drive" when I looked up and saw Jackson walking back to his trailer! He was right there in front of us all by himself...a fangirl's dream! Again, though, I behaved myself. My mom couldn't believe I didn't use that opportunity to talk to him but I'm pretty sure he would've started running if he saw my car heading his way, so I drove the other way, leaving the rodeo and Jackson behind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mac and I were exhausted, completely sunburned, and my butt hurt for days after sitting in bleachers for 7 hours but it was worth every minute.</div><div><br /></div><div>The movie we worked on is called "Cowgirls n' Angels" and will be released sometime next year. Whenever you see the rodeo scenes, look for a bright turquoise shirt and a green and blue plaid shirt in the crowd...that's Mackenzie and me!</div><div><br /></div><div>The Ben Affleck movie is still being called "Untitled Terrence Malick Project" and is also supposed to be released next year. You can read about both movies and see a few pictures on www.imdb.com. </div>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-52267426009750701872011-06-06T20:46:00.004-05:002011-06-06T22:08:17.931-05:00Jack's first day in DC.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPGfobmlMptjAyhIlLMsOGW0N5iN8zjo1-MjeM4hmUYO5usxphUr_Qw1QVARExutCE1sNsYh2bFENNMIQ79kp2F0eC4cb8OL2bX4UnG9YxMSfYn__M9UIq79f0BEeoJl7rcfwPLf8Y1Q/s1600/IMG_3874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPGfobmlMptjAyhIlLMsOGW0N5iN8zjo1-MjeM4hmUYO5usxphUr_Qw1QVARExutCE1sNsYh2bFENNMIQ79kp2F0eC4cb8OL2bX4UnG9YxMSfYn__M9UIq79f0BEeoJl7rcfwPLf8Y1Q/s320/IMG_3874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615308653716877074" /></a><br />This story takes place on our first day (evening, really) in Washington, DC. Please, keep in mind that it takes place the very same day Mackenzie burned her leg. Also, keep in mind that, if you know my son, Jack, at all, the following story would only happen to him.<br /><br />As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, on our first evening in DC, we took a chauffeured tour to the most famous monuments and memorials in the capital. Jack was especially excited to see the Lincoln Memorial. He played Abe in a school play just a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to see "himself" sitting in that big chair!<br /><br />We spent some time on the front steps of the Lincoln Memorial and then went inside to view the statue of our 16th president. It is absolutely amazing. I could've stayed there for hours. Any words I use here to describe the memorial will not do it justice. Just know that, if you have not seen this in person, you must do it and soon! <br /><br />After we were inside for a while, my mother-in-law, told us we should go to the back of the building and look at the columns. Ok, so picture the front of the memorial: many steps leading up to where Lincoln is sitting in his chair, right? Well, there is also a porch that wraps around the building (or most of it) and in the back part of the porch are many beautiful columns. Sounded great to us, so that is where we went next.<br /><br />On the back porch, there is a really cool-looking ceiling. As I was taking a picture of this ceiling I see Jack out of the corner of my eye holding on to one of the columns. Scott and I both tell him to be careful and he answers that we shouldn't worry because there are steps right below the porch. Are you seeing where this is going yet??<br /><br />As I was taking a picture of all of the columns lined up on the back porch, I heard a high-pitched scream. I immediately ran to the column that Jack had been near and, sure enough, he had fallen down. He had been trying to wrap his little 9 year-old leg around the first column when he slipped and fell onto the first step and then rolled backwards onto the second step. These steps are not like the one in the front of the memorial; they are much bigger. I'll have a reference picture posted on facebook after I post this for you to look at.<br /><br />As soon as he fell, Jack popped right back up. He never blacked out. In fact, we are quite certain that he didn't hit his head at all, thank You, God! He was, though, immediately sore in his shoulder and lower back. He was also shaken up a bit but, he seemed to be okay. By the way, that high-pitched scream I heard did not come from Jack as he fell. It came from his sister who watched him fall. :-(<br /><br />Soooo, we leave Lincoln, view the equally-amazing Korean War Veteran's Memorial, and then hop in our "limo" for a quick drive to the White House. As we are walking to the front lawn of the White House, Jack mentions to Scott that he thinks he is going to throw up. Scott immediately associates this with a possible head injury and becomes concerned that Jack might have a concussion. He pulls Jack to the side to look at his pupils and asks Jack if he really thinks he's about to be sick. Jack answers by turning and vomiting right in the grass...of the front lawn....of the WHITE HOUSE. I actually started looking around to see if the Secret Service was going to jump out at us! Did I forget to mention that it was just after 10 PM when this was going on?<br /><br />After he finally stopped being sick, we called our wonderful driver to come pick us up and he took us to the nearest emergency room. There Scott, Jack and I stayed until 4 AM, when we were finally told what we expected all along: Jack was fine. The doctor didn't even want to do a CT scan because there were no signs of any head trauma and she didn't think it was worth getting zapped with radiation. The only thing we can think happened was, simply, bad timing. Or it could have been bad fish from the sushi place where we had dinner that night...<br /><br />Anyway, if anyone in my family is going to fall off the Lincoln Memorial and then throw up in the White House front lawn, it will most definitely be Jack! I still can't believe that actually happened but I look forward to a lifetime of reminding him of what he put us through! Actually, I say that for Jack AND Mackenzie because, remember, they both got hurt on the same day! Yes, our first 24 hours in DC consisted of Mac getting burned and Jack....well, Jack being Jack.Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-18534967181611936262011-06-06T18:35:00.006-05:002011-06-06T20:34:05.711-05:00It's a good thing Mackenzie loves soy sauce!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixcKUt6DxiWxmLkPs9D5lwnyzr3XYv61DKo9SSiZWc0io8gav20V748qd3mADBdhE06oMQmfsTLQIjcqKrJqeWmww0oEnBdaIS18gO9AhTtuJRj1otTu0apYVyx3FTB0G9upd0R3Y4Dg/s1600/IMG_3780.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixcKUt6DxiWxmLkPs9D5lwnyzr3XYv61DKo9SSiZWc0io8gav20V748qd3mADBdhE06oMQmfsTLQIjcqKrJqeWmww0oEnBdaIS18gO9AhTtuJRj1otTu0apYVyx3FTB0G9upd0R3Y4Dg/s320/IMG_3780.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615284970017037794" /></a><br />As I mentioned in my previous post, we took 2 days to drive to Washington, DC from West Virginia. On our second day we stopped to get gas, as we frequently had to do since we were traveling with 2 Harley riders. During this particular stop my precious angel of a daughter, Mackenzie, hopped out of the truck to go visit with her daddy, who was putting gas in his bike. <br /><br />Now, Mackenzie has been around motorcycles most of her life and has been told many times to stay away from the motorcycle muffler that gets incredibly hot when the motor is running. The muffler gets so hot, in fact, that it takes quite a while for it to cool off once the bike is turned off. Unfortunately, though, while talking to Scott, she forgot our warnings and got a little too close to the bike. She touched the front of her leg to the hot muffler and received a third degree burn in the process. My poor baby! She was in pain but she handled it well. We had Neosporin and band aids with us but we knew we'd need to get some more supplies for our trip. My mother-in-law declared that we needed Silvadene (not sure I spelled that right) but was not sure we could get it without a prescription. We drove to the nearest Wal Mart Supercenter, where Linda spoke with and, most likely, begged the pharmacist for a dab of the miracle burn salve. The pharmacist could not give her the salve without a prescription but did have a suggestion for us. <br /><br />SOY SAUCE. Yes, soy sauce. The pharmacist told my mother-in-law to soak Mackenzie's wound in soy sauce a few times a day to draw out the moisture and prevent infection. Sounds crazy, right? Well, guess what! It WORKS!! I kid you not. For the next few days, we soaked her burn in soy sauce and even put some on her bandages for her to wear all day and it looked great the entire time. <br /><br />We did take Mackenzie to an urgent care facility 5 days later just to make sure we were doing the right thing, even though there were no signs of infection. The physician's assistant said it looked great! She still couldn't give us a prescription for Silvadene because it can't be given to children but we left with another type of ointment and security in knowing Mackenzie's leg will be just fine.Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-47052850775751401652011-06-06T13:57:00.005-05:002011-06-06T15:15:44.413-05:00Our Trip to Washington, DC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSSdy2-suFZP28RLmN75EzAaZXPIvwGdaWV_O1-qgGxtJ-CQTSVXq7tiOHf3sj1sMCPB112fOIplvsSvIPYtdROOSAR5x7h0cGKEJAKnNP6arhXxaVvNzSL3w7l8skL_7tB1uV8tTo4w/s1600/DSCN3648.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSSdy2-suFZP28RLmN75EzAaZXPIvwGdaWV_O1-qgGxtJ-CQTSVXq7tiOHf3sj1sMCPB112fOIplvsSvIPYtdROOSAR5x7h0cGKEJAKnNP6arhXxaVvNzSL3w7l8skL_7tB1uV8tTo4w/s320/DSCN3648.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615201189324418370" /></a><br />We just returned from a 9 day trip to the West Virginia/Washington DC area and, man, did we have fun! It has been 5 years since we have taken a family trip like this but this one was so good, I'm ready to plan the next one...and it better happen sooner than 5 years! There are a two stories from this trip that will be shared in their very own blog posts but, in this post, I'll give you the basics of what we did.<br /><br />We drove, that's what we did. We drove...and drove...and drove some more. Including Oklahoma, from where we started this trip, we drove through 6 states in 1 day. 16 hours in a truck...with two kids, 1 husband, and a lot of electronics....AND we were towing a motorcycle on a trailer...AND it drizzled/rained the entire time. Yep, that pretty much sums up Day 1. It really wasn't as bad as it sounds. Scott and I traded off driving, while the other read or slept. My kids were practically raised in a car, so as long as they had a DVD to watch or a video game to play, they were golden. We arrived safely to my in-laws' house in West Virginia and quickly settled in for our exciting vacation.<br /><br />Before I go on, I want to encourage all of you to take yourself or your family on a <span style="font-style:italic;">driving</span> vacation. That is, a trip where you drive to and around your destination, instead of flying. I totally understand the convenience of flying but everyone should drive on, at least, one vacation. I promise you will see so many beautiful things. <br /><br />I have seen some beautiful scenery in my lifetime but the drive from Oklahoma to West Virginia was one of, if not THE, most gorgeous drives I've ever been on. Growing up in Louisiana, I've seen my fair share of trees but that was nothing compared to all of the trees I saw on this drive. There was green everywhere! And hills! REAL hills! I loved to look down and see the little communities and houses nestled in the trees. You read that correctly... I had to look <span style="font-style:italic;">down</span> to see the neighborhoods from the interstate. There were even times where it looked like we were driving into gigantic heads of broccoli! At least, that's what it looked like to me, with all of the trees everywhere. Now, to be truthful, I don't think my kids looked up from their electronic devices once during the drive, so they totally missed all of the green but they can, hopefully, experience it again and appreciate it when they are a bit older.<br /><br />The second day of our trip involved more road time but this time I was driving the truck with the kids and my mother-in-law, Linda, and Scott and his dad, Jim, rode motorcycles. We did some local sightseeing, including the New River Gorge Bridge, and then stayed the night in a hotel. We drove through even more rain on this day than the day before and our "Harley Guys" were soaked to the bone, so we were all happy to make a stop for the night.<br /><br />The next day, we visited Manassas, Virginia, where the Battle of Bull Run occurred. For you Civil War buffs out there, 2 battles actually occurred here but the memorial mainly focuses on the first battle because it was the first major land battle of the war. I love American history and was beyond excited to visit this Civil War battleground. There is an enormous statue of Stonewall Jackson on his horse, overlooking the fields where his men fought and died, that gives me chills just thinking about it. <br /><br />From Manassas, we drove to Washington, DC. That evening we rented a limo, which was really a Suburban SUV with a driver, and toured the mall, where most of the memorials in DC are located. I cannot accurately describe how it felt to finally see these memorials in person. I've wanted to see the mall since I was a kid and to be able to see it and share it with my children was simply amazing. It is my firm belief that every American citizen, history buff or not, should visit DC at least once in their lifetime. It will change you, I promise.<br /><br />We spent the next 2 days touring DC and didn't even get close to seeing all that we wanted to, so I am now wanting to plan "DC Trip #2" SOON! <br /><br />After DC, we drove to Maryland and visited the Antietam National Battlefield, where the bloodiest Civil War battle took place. Being on the fields here and in Manassas was so moving. I was standing on the same ground that all of those soldiers and officers and, even President Lincoln, once stood, fought, and died on and, not to sound too hokey, it was like I could feel their presence and the importance of their actions. <br /><br />We spent the rest of our vacation resting and hanging out with my in-laws in their home and then spent another 15 hours in the truck driving home...this time in complete sunshine so that I could enjoy the view even more.Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296156769731575885.post-77610274962867766252011-06-06T12:15:00.006-05:002011-06-06T12:50:18.449-05:00Welcome back!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzae6Opii2Zs4FAwaT-mX2_-8dTXk2prMs3nGOc3mz7EMcvu-Swvu0zzG_orwehZ5BnBaeDXCww2wFe__xyiOn0nQorstwn2HwsiLCxs07iQSZg1v8KWmomfu1yC2kVjDwiqGpvMQLhQ/s1600/IMG_0621.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzae6Opii2Zs4FAwaT-mX2_-8dTXk2prMs3nGOc3mz7EMcvu-Swvu0zzG_orwehZ5BnBaeDXCww2wFe__xyiOn0nQorstwn2HwsiLCxs07iQSZg1v8KWmomfu1yC2kVjDwiqGpvMQLhQ/s200/IMG_0621.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615165279232678018" /></a><br />Well, hello, there! I cannot believe it has been 7 months since my last post! I am such a bad blogger!! Please don't take my absence personally. I think about blogging all of the time...I even have a list of things to blog about; I just haven't actually sat down and written anything. <div><br /><div>I still put too much pressure on myself about writing rather than just DOING it but I hope to change all of that starting today! Yipee!! In fact, I have so much to write about, you may be bombarded with a few updates today. I'll try to pace myself, though. I'll also try not to write a post that is the size of a novel but we all know how I like to ramble....</div><div><br /></div><div>With all of that being said, I'll give you a quick update on my life from the past 7 months:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Christmas was great because, well, Christmas always is great. It was different because we celebrated it at home by ourselves for the first time. It was nice in many ways; lonely in other ways.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>2. We experienced our first blizzard! And then the next week, we experienced it again! The second week of snow wasn't technically called a "blizzard" because there wasn't enough wind along with the snow but we received about 20 inches of snow both weeks, which is more than this small family from Louisiana has ever experienced at home! We loved it! School was cancelled, as well as, Scott's work for a few days, so we just stayed home, played in the snow, read by the fire, and drank coffee all day....bliss.... </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Now that we are out of April, everyone in my family is another year older. I was not really looking forward to admitting that I am now 36 years old but, for some reason, whenever people ask me my age, I have to stop myself from saying I'm 37! I am not 37 but that is the number that pops into my head when I am asked. Just the other day Mackenzie corrected me about that. I said something about being 37 and she said, "Uh, Mom? I thought you are 36?" I have no idea why this keeps happening. Maybe it is a sign of old age.... :-)</div><div><br /></div><div>4. I still want to be Ree Drummond's, a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman, best friend. There, I still admit it. I just want to cook with her and hang out at the ranch. Heck, I'll even help homeschool her kids!</div><div><br /></div><div>5. I still can't run more than 12 minutes straight but I am trying! I made it through week 7 of my Couch 2 5K app for the second time but then went back to earlier weeks that have more intervals because that is what I prefer. I still want to be able to <i>truly</i> run a 5K but it will just take more time for me to get there. Also, for those of you keeping count, I have officially lost 30 pounds! Before my vacation last week, I'd lost 32 pounds but then I went on vacation and, well, you know..... Any way, it is still a wonderful accomplishment. I'd like to lose about 20-30 more but I'd like to see if I can do it without Jenny Craig's help. There is nothing wrong with JC. I am just tired of relying on her food so much and also paying for it. So, this week, I'll be doing it "alone" and, hopefully, I'll be closer to that 32 pound loss again. I'll keep you posted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, well, so much for this post not turning into a novel....talk to ya again soon!</div>Jiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724580846247421691noreply@blogger.com1