Happy Thoughts

•Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast.

•Fruity Pebbles

•A good book to Read

•A BIG helper in the garden

•Clean sheets to sleep in

•Backyard in ready for parties!

•Going to park

•Flowers blooming 

•Chai Lattes

•Relaxing here with the good book while big helper waters the gardens

Feeling Refreshed

I haven't been posting much the last few weeks. I haven't really been very "happy" and it's kind of hard to explain why. Nothing major has happened or gone wrong, but I still feel kind of blah. It's weird because in so many ways I am thriving and happy, but it seems like all I can focus on is the things that aren't perfect, the things that I want.

At first I thought maybe the problem was my relationship with Adam. Although that is not perfect, it really isn't the deep issue. If we are meant to be, we will. And I'm content with that. I know he loves me and I do him, and it's not like I want to get married tomorrow. Yes, eventually I want to have at least one more child, but really, I don't see it happening for myself for a few more years, with Adam or not. I am enjoying my time with Brody right now.

I think my problem is I just want to reach the top, at everything. So right now, all I see is what I need. I need a new car, I need some new clothes, I need to paint my basement, I need new appliances. I am not focusing on what I have.

SO last night, instead of making one of my daily TO DO lists, I made an I HAVE list instead.

And I feel great today.

Tomorrow, I am going to do anther Happy Thoughts post. Because they are my favorite, and I have a lot to be thankful for.

Birthday Bash! (Brody overload)

SO my baby is officially 4!  (These pictures are backwards again.  For some reason, on my laptop they load in the opposite way they do on my PC.  Who knows.)

Here's me and my besties.  I love them.

Here's Brody and his new Big Wheel.

Here's the birthday boy ready to blow out the candles!!

Walkie Talkies!  Awesome present.  Over.

SOOOO excited for this one.  He's been eyeing this since Christmas.

Playing on his new leapster.

His favorite - Iron Man costume.

Iron Man action figure.  His old one lost a leg in battle.

Opening his leapster.  (If you noticed that he started out wearing pajamas, and wasn't when he opened his mask, it's because I was saving the mask for later that day, and he was so bummed that he didn't get it, I surprised him with while he was in the bathroom. :)

Sorry for all the pics of Brody.  It's been a busy weekend.  His birthday was Friday, his party on Saturday.  I had weekend guests, and we went out Saturday night after the party until late.  Sunday I worked in the yard, of course.  I went to bed around 11 last night and Brody even let me sleep until 8 today!  I felt great after so much sleep.  So I was outside painting the wall again at 9:30 this morning.  It now has 2 coats on and I like it.  I have a pic, but haven't downloaded it yet.  I can't believe the weekend is over already!  BOO to going to work tomorrow!  :(

Making lists

Well, I have been at work for about 3 hours now today, and so far all I have done is facebook, read a few blogs, and make lists. Lots of lists.

Brody turns 4 on Friday, and I have his birthday party Saturday evening. So I made a list for that, actually two, one of who is coming for sure, and the other of things I still need to pick up, bake, cook, wrap, clean, etc.

I am also hosting our 10 year alumni party at my house, which is is 2 weeks. So, another list of RSVPs for that night, plus who is golfing and eating pizza the next day. Plus a TO DO list at my house for this.

I am kind of bummed because I know there is no way my dad will have my bathroom done by then. Even though it's been over a year and he promised me it would be done by this weekend. It is hopefully going to be an outdoor party (please don't rain) so I really wanted my bathroom to be remodeled by then, it is the ONE ROOM in the house that everyone will for sure be visiting. So it's disappointing. I've been focusing most of my efforts on my yard, and have made some great imporovements out there. I have 1 coat of paint on the huge wall outside, but it needs probably 2 more. The color is a browninsh green, but in direct sunlight, (which is most of the time) right now it just looks like wet concrete. Hopefully more coats of paint will help. It's still an improvement though.

I also still have holes in my ceiling were all the new light fixtures are suppossed to be. I have them all bought, and they are just laying around the house waiting to be hung. I'm not crossing my fingers on this one either.

AND it's Memorial Day weekend, and it's going to RAIN. Thursday through the middle of next week. Awesome. Which means the birthday party will be inside, no painting the wall, no gardening, no going to Yankton to go boating with friends, no surprising Brody with a trip to the zoo. I think I might bust out the paints and canvas this weekend and let him go to town with that.

What about you, are you being productive at work today, and what are your weekend plans??

Mother's Day!!!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day weekend!!  I did.  I think this was my favorite one yet (of my 4!!)  Brody was such a sweetie.  Being a single mom, I never know if I should even expect anything, but my family always pulls through.  Here he is, emptying the dishwasher for me, just like his Uncles told him too.  (Yes, it's still the old one.  Haven't quite gotten a new one yet!!)

This is a bouquet I got from my mom.  So pretty.

And here is my little man, with his bouquet for me.  He had a choice of about three things to get me, and he chose flowers, and picked them out himself.  I love him.

Adam was great this weekend too.  I wasn't expecting to even see him, because of planting and working long hours, but he made it over here a little after midnight Saturday night, to tell me happy mother's day.  He appreciates what I do, and it's so nice to hear from a "non" family member.  I bought myself a treadmill (for mother's day, well that was my excuse anyways.)  and he is going to try to get out of fieldwork sometime this week to put it together for me.  I can't wait.  

I participated in a Mother's Day Swap this year.  I am so glad I did!!  I met a great blogger who was my partner, A-Priori Mommy.

She got my the PERFECT gift!! Check it out - (modeled so nicely by the Brodster and his goofy smile.)

A NEW BAG!!!!!  You all know how I love those - from American Eagle, my FAVORITE store, a $10 gift card to AE and a lavender eye pillow that she made herself.  It smells SOOOO good!!

It's perfect timing too, because I need to go to AE before the end of the month.  Actually, I'll probably go this weekend and get a new outfit for my upcoming high school 10 year reunion.  I'm hosting it at my house.  Should be interesting!!  Oh - and have you guys SEEN the new kids line at AE!!!!!  Shoot me!  I've only gotten Brody a pair of shorts and a hoodie so far, but OMG it's SSOOOOOO adorable.  

To see everyone's elses swap packages, visit Moody Mommy here.

As if my swap partner hadn't already made my day, she also passed on this really sweet Adorable Blog Award

Jo's blog is great if you haven't checked it out yet.  She has an adorable son and loads of fantastic giveaways.  Stop by and show her some love!

I'm going to pass this award onto Kelset at Authentically Me and Hollie at All Things In Moddy.  Both of these blogs keep me smiling!!

Happy Belated Mother's day everyone!!

8 Things

I was tagged! This time by Christina at Rant-Rave-Roll.
Time to play along!

8 THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

• Brody's birthday (May 22)
  
• finally having my bathroom remodel finished!
  
• summer!
  
• going to the zoo
  
• seeing Adam tonight
  
• my high school reunion
  
• street dances and weddings
• working in my yard tonight
  

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY

• worked full time job
  
• worked part time job
  
• read to Brody
  
• email/blog/facebook
  
• made and sent out Brody's birthday party invites
• started planning his birthday party
• ate 2 cookies and a cupcake (whoops)
• played outside with Brody, and helped my dad load up some more random bricks from my yard.
  

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO

• only work part time so I would have more time with Brody
  
• speed up my life a year years so I would already be married
  
• buy a brand new car
  
• work from home
  
• have more free time to get back into art
  
• go on vacay to vegas again (soon)
  
• take Brody on a Disney vacation
  
• see my best friends more often
  

8 SHOWS I WATCH

• The Office
  
• Grey's Anatomy
  
• The Biggest Loser
  
• The News
  
• Flip that House
  
• anything on HGTV
• Jon and Kate plus 8
• Ellen
  

8 PEOPLE TO TAG

• Pooba
  
• Miss Blondie
  
• John Deere Mom
  
• Liz
  
• Carebear
  
• Meg
  
• Linda
  
• Krystyn
  

AND I'm spent.

WOW.  It has been a busy weekend.  and I stayed HOME all weekend, except for a trip to Menards/Bomgaars/Lowes.

Here's what I got accomplished in the last 2 days:

1.  Spent $120 on perennials, mulch, new gloves, potting soil, a new hose and nozzle between the 3 above stores.

2.  Weed, weed, weed.

3.  Clean out underneath the humungo christmas trees in my yard (4 bags of TRASH and 3 trips to the dump with dead branches, and pine needles.  Looks MUCH better.

4.  Planted all of said perennials.  I can't wait, it looks great (except the wall has not been painted yet.  Hopefully next weekend, when brother is back to help??)

5.  Raked out the other side of the house, watched as my dad killed about 12 snakes.  Ugh.

6.  Got out patio furniture, hosed it all off.

7.  Added new mulch to my roses.  Wished I had bought more mulch to do the whole flower beds, but not yet.

8.  Cleaned out my closet, took a bunch of clothes and other stuff I've been meaning to take up to the new 2 you store.  

9.  Posted 2 of the storage cabinets I have in my garage on craiglist.  I REALLY need to get rid of them. 

10.  Started cleaning out the storage cabinets.  I had to stop when I almost touched a BABY SNAKE that had somehow managed to be on the THIRD shelf in one of them.  Seriously, how did it even GET there????  So I called my brother to come and "take care of it" for me, and by the time he got here, it had mysteriously dissapeared.  I still don't know what to think about that.

 

11.  Had a planning meeting with two other classmates to plan our 10 YEAR REUNION.  Wow.  It's unbelievable.  But, the first get together is at my house, and it's only 5 weeks away.  Yikes.  We got the planning started and now I am BUSY with that.  Have to have the invites/itinerary out in a week.

12.  Realized Brody's birthday is only 3 weeks away, and I need to get his party planned, and invites out for THAT too.  Which means I get to plan TWO parties.  Ahh.

13.  Got all the laundry done, except for bedding.  

14.  OH - and I almost forgot the most important thing - I walked downstairs Sat. morning to start the laundry, walked into the downstairs bathroom to get a few towels and found the WHOLE Bathroom floor covered in AN INCH OF WATER!!!!  Great.  Somehow, and I really don't KNOW how, the toilet got a huge crack across it.  That toilet hardly EVER gets used.  It's a mystery.  But now, I also need to replace the tank on the toilet.  I have dad and the brothers working on finding one (FREE) for me.  Because that's the last thing in the house I want to replace.

15.  Managed to fall asleep before 10:30 both Friday and Saturday nights, and it's looking good for tonight too!!  My shoulders are killing me, darn sunburn!!