Lottery

 So the lottery must be super high... I really have no idea.  I don't play nor have I been watching TV.  However, there are a few tell tale signs that lead me to this conclusion.  Utah doesn't have a lottery.  Nevada doesn't have a lottery.  This is how my town (in Arizona, which DOES have a lottery) has looked these last couple days. 

We had to go 5 miles an hour down our state highway just to not kill anyone on our way home from work.  Cars parked for at least 100 yds around the "Dam Store" (yes that's what it's called, fer rills!).  Anyway... I had to take pictures.  Word on the street is some people waited in line for over 3 hours!

Walk of Hope

 This year it was a huge privilege for me to get to attend the Walk of Hope.  I was sure with national board that I wasn't going to get to go.  However, I worked it out to get some help from the AZ K-12 Center with national board and co-ordinate it with the Walk of Hope (I hate giving up things that mean a lot to me).  This also gave me an opportunity to see my dear friend who just moved down to the Phoenix area.  They also attended the Walk of Hope with us. 

The giveaways were AMAZING!  Thanks to everyone who was so generous!

There were a TON of people there.  It was a pretty awesome sight to see!  John and I didn't actually walk this year, but we volunteered getting a few things ready and hung out with our friends who had some other obligations and arrived a little after the group started walking.

It was great to get to see Lisa and Mya (hope I spelled names correctly!) who I met at last year's walk IRL.  It was also great to get to know I was in a place with other people who have felt the way I feel.  The lady who won the IVF cycle last year was there with her new baby.  That was a highlight for me... to know that some people find success... for REAL.  To see that little baby was life altering, I can't explain it in words the brain shift in my thinking that happened with seeing that little one.  But it was all very very good.

Also, having people I know there supporting me was priceless.  It meant more than they will ever know.  Thanks for all you do!

4 Days

I have so much to say about the Walk and my trip to Phoenix and life in general right now... but this will have to do for now.

4 DAYS LEFT!

On Friday I will pack up the big blue monster (the national board box) and send it far far away to be scored...

Then comes the best part, Spring Break begins!

I CAN DO THIS!!

Walk of Hope Scottsdale Giveaways 2012

I must say, I've loved volunteering for the 2012 Walk of Hope.  I've gotten the fun job!  Go shopping, find products I love and then solicit their shops and hope they're willing to take the leap for RESOLVE.

It has been really fun to try and find people willing to share their talents to better our cause and I've been so THRILLED with how amazing people actually are.

These are the shops that are donating items to be part of our giveaways on the day of the walk.  You should come, even if its just to win some of these amazing prizes!  Some I'm sure you've heard of, some I'm lucky enough to own products from.

Here's the list, in no particular order, with links to these shops.  Please support them, they've been so generous to support our community!

TKIDesigns has donated this oh so appropriate waiting necklace.

Suzy over at That's 2 Darn Cute donated one of her Chance to Hope bracelets.

Swish Designs is donating a gift certificate for a set of adorable Worth the Wait birth announcements.  I will use these one day if its ever my turn!  I LOVE them!  You like them too?  Go tell her on facebook!

the R house couture is donating a running t-shirt.  (they don't have it currently listed in their shop... but I've seen it on there before, plus everything they do is amazing!)  I have their eventually necklace, their brave necklace, and their everything happens for a reason necklace.   Plus I sent their fresh courage take necklace to my sister and have gifted their items to a few blogging buddies.  Serious love I have for them!  No joke! 

Metal Stamped Memories is donating this believe necklace.  I love the copper and silver together!  

Hope of my Heart is donating her For this child I prayed necklace.  GORGEOUS!  

Starz Jewelry is donating Her Hope and Pomegranate necklace.  I am in LOVE with this necklace!!!  I was given this Hope necklace by my SIL for Christmas a couple years ago.  I love it, too!!  

Jillianmb8 donated this have faith necklace.  Isn't it fantastic!  This phrase is something that can pertain to every situation in life.  

BugABoo Jewelry donated this Someday I will be a Mom locket.  One day I will own one of these lockets... This sentiment is one of my favorite.  Because one day, I will be a mom! :)

My Emmy baby is donating one of her customizable onsies. Here's the example she has up in her shop.

The Fertile Garden donated one of her beautiful bracelets.

There are a few additional shops, but I haven't heard back from them confirming their donation and allowing me to use their pictures and mention their donation.  So this may be updated later.

Thank you again, to all of the shop owners for supporting us!

11 days

In 11 days...

The blue box and ALL hundred or so of its contents will be out of my life FOREVER!

I will have much less stress in my life!

It will be SPRING BREAK!!!!


Now all I have to do is survive...

If I survive the next 11 days, it will be a MIRACLE!

I'm praying, are you?

Sister Update

It didn't work.

The surgery that is.

I got a call on Monday from my sister, on her mission.  (LDS missionaries don't call home, unless it's Christmas or Mother's Day.)

She told me she's in MORE pain than she was.  The doctor wants her to get Lup.ron shots.  He also said she may have to have another surgery.

I feel how let down she is through the phone.  She has a lot of guilt because she feels she can't do all the missionary work she should be doing. (her words... not mine)

Advice?

I said I didn't ever go that route but then again surgery worked for me.  Here I am 10 years later (knocking on wood) better off than I ever thought I could be.

Do you have Lup.ron horror stories?  Or did it do the trick for you?

I told her not to google it... hopefully she listened!

Advice appreciated!

New Hair

Last year's new hair

New Hair

That's right folks, I got my annual hair cut (yes it has almost been 1 whole year since I last cut it off!).  I told John the only way he got one was if I did too!  Plus Great Clips was having their annual $6.99 hair cut sale... can't beat that!
Even more importantly, I didn't cut it all off.  Just a few layers and got rid of all the dead stuff.  I also bought bobby pins for the first time in my life.  All my fly aways when I'd wear a ponytail was getting annoying!  We'll see how long it lasts!
Pardon the poor picture, I'll take a better one soon!

Unsettled

Have you ever felt like there's something someone isn't telling you?  It's an unsettling feeling!

Yup, I feel that way.  I have a feeling (and have for a while) that a close friend of mine is pregnant and doesn't want to/know how to break the news.

If it's you, just tell me ;) You don't have to be stealthy and try and keep your secret.  I'm in a good head space, promise.  Plus it helps that I'm super excited for your already!

And if its not true... then no harm done right?  Because I'll just keep feeling this feeling for months and months until it happens.  I've done that a couple of times!  Right about when I give up and admit, okay, I must be wrong... they finally fess up!

A Pretty Perfect Day! *Updated with PICTURES

Today was amazingly simple, busy, and perfect all in one nice little package.  We did some service, ate good food, and spent quality time together.  Plus, more FREE stuff!

We started by taking my friend to the airport.  Our closest airport is Vegas.

Then we went to Paris for breakfast... yes technically it was The Pairs Las Vegas, but it was as close to Paris as I'm getting any time soon!  We ate at Mon Ami Gabi, which is right on the strip across from the Bellagio fountains.  We sat on the street and people watched.  We had a lovely waitress and as busy as everything was around us, relaxed a little.  It was exactly what I needed.  My lemon strawberry skinny pancakes (aka crepes) were divine!  Not to mention their delicious bacon... I don't know what they do to it but it was amazing! And yes, we're still talking about our breakfast and what we can eat next time we go!

After that we went to Costco... the Business Center version.  (If you have one of these near you, you HAVE to go check it out.  70% of the stuff they sell isn't at the regular Costco.  We LOVE it!)  We had to buy all the food for the youth fundraiser dinner at church on Wednesday night.  Lets hope we calculated everything right and didn't forget anything!  I can't wait for this dinner to be over.  We stopped at a couple other stores too.

Luckily we brought coolers with us to put everything in to keep it fresh, because on the way home we stopped for an hour or so at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  It's NASCAR weekend in Vegas!  Not having TV we hadn't realized it was so soon this year!  Anyway, we stopped and went through all of the free fan sponsor tents and events.  We got some free hats and t-shirts plus a bunch of other stuff.  The highlight by far was me turning around to see in the midst of the crowd John jumping up and snagging a free hat being thrown into the crowd.  John's favorite part was being a plexiglass all away from The King himself.  Yup, that's right Richard Petty happened to do an interview in the Sprint Fan Zone while we were there!

It was awesome.  John's commented all night on how cool it was to be so close to him and how its just now sinking in.  Love it!  When the race started for the Nationwide series they started shutting all the booths down... but not before I got a free massage!  It was amazing and definitely too short and something I need to do again! Right as we were getting ready to leave the Nationwide series started and the air force did their fly over.  These pictures don't do them justice.  They were so close, and so fast!


We had some great conversation and a ton of fun!


These two had a fun day together without us too!  They're ready for bed!

The squished bug on the bottom of your shoe...

*This is a downer post.  I'm feeling very needy, whiny, and witchy.  Proceed with caution at your own risk!



Multiple times every day one asks others and gets asked by others "How are you?"

In our society it has become synonymous with hello.

Most of the time I answer with the every typical, "I'm fine. How are you?" in return.

However if someone asked me right now, "How are you?" I'd respond with "I'm feeling like the bug squished on the bottom of your shoe, being drug around everywhere with pieces of me scattered behind."  

Just today alone I've had pieces of me break off in multiple various settings.

First, there's all the upset in blog land.  I know it really had nothing to do with me, but I did voice my opinions when bloggers I read asked for them.  This is my safe place and its felt very much not like my safe place lately. Too many egg shells to walk on. In fact, I have felt out of place and like I have to censor myself, which I hate feeling that way this is my space I should say what I'm feeling!

Then there's  the huge chunk of me left in national board that keeps getting drug back and forth and ground deeper and deeper into the carpet leaving a nasty stain.

Then there's the normal every day life stuff picking up various vital pieces of my squished bug body...

• infertility and the latest rounds of pregnancy announcements on face book and my own BFN and need to get into see a doctor which I just don't have time for right now...
• students not listening in class and state testing coming up just a month or so away, 
• financial worries because, let's face it... I'm a freaking teacher who would qualify for the free or at least reduced lunch program at school 
• co-worker drama Oh my gosh the drama is awful I'm so sick of it and it makes me want to quit my job 
• and trying to take care of myself Ha this piece was eaten by the dog! 

And then there's my church calling responsibilities scattering pieces of me the squished bug into various crevices  in the bottom of your shoe. Not really settling anywhere because I'm not sure any of this is going to actually work out with me serving with the youth because I might get kicked out of church for harming another human being.  I never have liked the drama, didn't when I was a teen, still don't now.  However, now, the drama mostly comes in with the other leaders.  Maybe when the stupid fundraiser dinner is over it will be better.  Planning this has been a nightmare because some other leaders wanted the youth to be in charge, but the youth haven't done anything so its left me scrambling to do things last minute.  UGH!  Then I get the evil eye from other leaders because they didn't know it was their responsibility even though it wasn't, ever.  Especially because I chose not to share it with them since they all have other things going on.  Needless to say, my trying to be nice and keep the burden myself bit me in the butt tonight.  I'm sick of giving these kids here everything.  I think they should have to earn it!  Legitimately earn it!

I'm tired of feeling over used and under appreciated.  When I come back in the next life, I want to come back as Tuffy.  A dog who is loved more than he knows. A dog who can love unconditionally right back. A dog whose biggest worry in life is when I'll finally leave so he can go back to sleeping.

I think I'm ready to go back to the witchy with a 'B' me who wouldn't keep her mouth shut when someone made her mad.  There are some days when I REALLY miss the old me, although I'm sure no one else misses her!

We had a great little meeting tonight. We meaning me and a couple other National Board Candidates.  It was fabulous to get together and chat and read things the others had written.  It was good to kind of gauge where I was at in the process and encourage me to keep going.  I may actually have some decent work to turn in by the end of the month when its all due!  YAY!  Here's to chuggin' along.

Taking a break

Today, I took a small break from what has become my life lately.  We went to lunch with a friend and then to see the movie Red Tails and finally out for shopping at Cost.co and some frozen yogurt.  It was delightful!

However, I'm totally paying for it now!  I can't believe how much I'm panicking (random side note why is panic spelled like that but you add a k when adding the ending?)

I have NOTHING done for church tomorrow where I'm teaching the lesson.  Sure I've know I was teaching this lesson for weeks and I've read through it and gotten a few ideas already and know which handout I'm using... however still not ready enough for me!    Also, my young women were supposed to have invitations and fliers ready to hand out tomorrow to advertise for our big annual fundraiser, but they don't have a computer and they never contacted me... so I'm SURE it's not done... so I should have a back up ready to go when they aren't prepared.

Plus NATIONAL BOARD is the newest swear word in my life!  The next 28 days may kill me!  I am not completely done with any of my entries.  I am only partially done with 2 and I haven't even started #1.  I'm crazy and stupid for putting this off so long and for thinking this was ever a good idea and for going along with the crowd.

Okay, now that I've gotten that all out of my system I'm off to at least prepare a lesson and get a flier together for tomorrow... just in case! Then off to bed for some sleep.

A chance to slow down

Life has been chugging along.  Supremely busy as usual.  Trying to get everything done.  This video was perfectly timed.  It is beyond amazing!  I love these guys and everything they do is amazing!  This one I even used it in class for our descriptive writing this week.  Enjoy, and you're welcome!