Holy Cr*p... I really need to stop doing stuff like this...

So I was stressing the other day with so much to do to get the house ready for the Home video tour taping (for listing it) and I decided I really needed a break just to chill for a few minutes. So, stupidly, I got on the computer and I got onto ebay and ubid and a few other auction sites, just to look. Now in the past, I have thrown a lowball bid in here and there never thinking I'd ever win the item -- whether or not I even wanted it wasn't important. It was the principle of the thing... winning something for a really low-ball bid is just kind of cool. And in the past, I've never won. Except for once. So I figured, hey, what the heck, I'm going to check out the laptops on ubid and see how cheap I might find one. MISTAKE #1...

Followed shortly after by MISTAKE #2... I threw a bid out there for a decent laptop totally refurbished with a warranty, big enough to hold all my now computerized recipe files and several other things... remember, I don't win with low-ball bids. Well, this time I won. And I bought myself a laptop. Ken is going to be mad at me when I get the courage to tell him.

And that leads me to MISTAKE #3... I haven't told him yet. So if you're reading this, honey, take a few deep breaths and count to 10 before you come looking for me. If family is reading this, don't ask Ken anything about said laptop. I'll tell him... soon. I just thought I'd get it off my chest here first... dumb, dumb, dumb, but still a little exciting.

Time flies!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. And there's been a lot going on in our world. Probably the biggest news is that we're moving to Ohio in June, once the kids are done school. We'll be listing the house the beginning of April and taking it from there. Not surprisingly, the kids took the move news well -- they're pretty flexible and willing to experience life's adventures along with us.

So I have a few weeks to get the house in tip-top shape -- the realtor will be having someone come in next Thursday to tape the video for the online video tour. And then they'll be doing the realtor luncheon the following week. I really don't have a lot of time and the kids are going to have to get and keep their rooms clean, beds made, etc. Then there's the cupboards to clean (inside and out), windows to wash, closets to declutter... holy cow! I have a lot to do so I'm going to go and get it done.

Just playing with digiscrappin...

I make lists

Ok, there it is. I am a list junkie. Using a list helps keep my organized. Making a list is just like making a plan or a blueprint. Lists make me happy. And crossing things off the list, well, that's better than therapy and THAT makes me happy too.

I'm not the kind of list maker who has to make a new list once the old one gets messy or has been marked up or with items crossed off. No way! I like to see my progress, whether it's household chores, a grocery list, or a list of errands to tackle. And if I don't have a list, you may notice a lost look on my face... I really NEED my "organizational tool".

So there you have it. My admission. I am not looking for a 12 step program, I just wanted to put it "on the table" that I LOVE lists!!

We made it at Lowe's

I love this pic... Madi looks like a little bug... such a CUTE little bug, though. It was taken at Lowe's Hardware during a kids workshop.

We were at Lowe's earlier this week and Madi saw a flyer for the Saturday Kids Workshop. Please, please, please can we do it? Sure, why not. It was free. And it was something we could do together.

So we did. And it was a lot of fun.

Madi thought it was cool that she got her own apron and safety goggles and even cooler that she was able to use the hammer on her own. I read the instructions and she did the rest. And she was so pleased with the end result: her new jewelry box!

Truly Grateful

Just a short little post today to let you know how grateful I am for my awesome husband, fabulous kids, and fantastic friends / family. I'm very blessed and truly grateful for the amazing people in my life who really make a difference every day.

January Sucks!

I've been reflecting on January, thrilled that it has come and gone. I think of all the months of the year, January is the worst. It's gray and cold. I don't like gray. I don't like cold. And this January was worse than others before.

My sweet Grandma Cahoon died on January 13th. She was such a good woman and she was my absolute favorite. She was my "go-to G'ma". For as long as I can remember, she was always the one I shared my secrets with. She was the one I went to when I needed to unload about ANYTHING or when I wanted to share an experience or when I had a question about who-knows-what. She was there and she would listen, love me, feed me, and talk with me. She never flinched at my questions, never told me I was silly or foolish.

She listened when, as a teen, I ranted about the unfair rules of my parents. She laughed as I shared college stories and experiences. She hugged me as I cried about the most recent "break up" and she'd offer advice, solicited or not. She'd tell me what life was like for her when she was my age -- whatever age that was at the time. We shared. And I loved her.

Funny and cute -- inside and out. Clever and witty. Spiritual and unwavering. Straight shooter. Prim and proper. Card shark. Fashion lover. A walking contradiction.

I'm sad that she's gone. Sad that I won't be able to hear her voice again. But I'm glad that she's reunited with Grandpa in Heaven. I know that's where she is. She lived her life loving God, building her testimony of Jesus Christ and she never wavered from the course that would take her back to Him. I'll see her again, but I'll miss her until then.