Photo Resolution 2010 and Wordless Wednesday

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Darlene, Bren, and myself
Blogging buddies who are now "in real life best of buddies!"

A Wish Come True

Do you have blogging friends that you feel you are destined to meet one day? I don't know about you, but I have made friends through blogging that truly feel like family to me now. Incredible relationships have been made and it's something I think only bloggers can understand. It's hard for non-bloggers to imagine the connection that blogging brings to others, but it most certainly does. I wouldn't trade my blogging friends for anything and they truly are my friends. They are sisters of the heart!

I have one such sister of the heart that I have dreamed of meeting and I knew one day it would eventually happen. Janiece and I have been blogging friends for over a year now, meeting through her sister Darlene. Darlene and I have been able to get together a few times during my trips to Phoenix, but being that Janiece lives in Idaho, I knew this would be a little tricky and would have to be orchestrated.

In May, Janiece had a heart transplant in Salt Lake City and has been staying in Utah with her brother and his family. I knew this would be my chance to finally meet her so we drove a different route home from Colorado, going through Salt Lake City this time. When we arrived in SLC, I read a message from Darlene on Facebook saying they were now back in Idaho! Oh my gosh, my heart sank!

We decided to stay in SLC for a few days anyway, taking in some sights and even meeting up with a dear friend from CA for dinner. I was bummed to say the least about Janiece but then I got the best message ever. As it turned out, Janiece had to be back in SLC for a doctor's appointment on Thursday. It looked like we were going to be able to meet in person after all! We made plans to meet for lunch!

On our drive to the restaurant, I remember thinking how I wasn't nervous at all. Here I was meeting someone I had never met before, yet I cared and knew so much about. I was meeting a sister of the heart!

Meeting Janiece was everything and more than I had imagined, plus, I even got to meet and visit with her daughter Kira and SIL Sergio who are here from Argentina. I've seen so many photos and read about Kira and Sergio so this was a hugh treat for me. And if that weren't enough, my sweet sister of the heart Darlene was there also with her adorable little son. I tell you I hit the jackpot! I can't even begin to tell you the joy I felt being with these incredible people. It was a dream come true and I will carry around these memories for a long time to come!

In true blogging fashion, pictures had to be taken! Here is a picture of myself with my sisters of the heart, Darlene and Janiece. In front of Cafe Rio no less, another wish come true!


Not the best picture of myself but a treasure just the same. I have to ask though, what is up with all that wind in Utah!? You might as well just not brush your hair at all in the morning!


This is a picture of the beautiful newlyweds, Kira and Sergio, with Darlene's son Ham in the background...


Thank you Janiece, Darlene, Ham, Kira, and Sergio for wonderful time spent. It was a wish come true!

Seeing Places We've Never Seen Before

Sadly, we left Colorado yesterday for home but we're taking our time on the road and we took another route home this time around. We've never been to Salt Lake City so we decided to drive that route and to also meet up with a few friends at the same time.

I fully intended on getting together with 2 very dear blogging friends, Janiece and Darlene (they're sisters), but I just learned they are in Idaho right now. Talk about disappointing! Janiece recently had a heart transplant and has been staying with her brother and his family here in SLC where her surgery was performed. Her sister Darlene from AZ is here visiting all of them and I was hoping to meet up with them both. Darlene and I have gotten together a few times when I've been in AZ but I've never had the chance to met Janiece. I really thought this was going to be the time but it looks like they've gone to Idaho for a few days where Janiece lives. We we're so close Janiece!

We were able to get together for dinner tonight with one of our very good camping club buddies, Donna. Donna is an attorney and took a job here in February. Her sons are in college and don't want to move, plus they would lose alot of money if they were to sell their home in CA right now. Donna's husband and sons stayed behind in CA while she is working here in SLC. They moved their RV here and she is living in it for the time being. Donna flies home every other weekend to be with the family and granted, it's not the perfect scenario, but it's working for them right now.

We went to a neat place for dinner, the Red Iguana. When we drove up, I realized it's a place I've read about in blogland and was thrilled to be able to try it out for myself. The food was delicious, but more importantly, the company was awesome!


If you've read my blog for very long you know that I am a devout Christian and am very true to my faith. I am happy to say though that today I got a glimpse of something that is very near and dear to many of my blogging friend's hearts. I got a glimpse of Temple Square! I love my LDS blogging friends dearly and I've come to love their religion because I love them! I love learning about other people's faiths and I cannot wait to visit Temple Square for myself. It's on my SLC "must do" list and hopefully tomorrow is the day! By the way, eating at Cafe Rio also made the list!

Greetings From Colorado!

We haven't even been in Colorado for 24 hours yet we've been to Urgent Care twice already. Once for me and once for my mom.

I was sick the whole drive to Colorado and spotted an Urgent Care only a few miles away from my parent's house when we arrived. Once we dropped off Jake I headed out to see a doctor. I really enjoy the drive from CA to CO but I was so miserable I didn't enjoy any of it. We spent Sunday night in a small city in Utah and we stopped at the local medical center on the way out of town. I walked in asking for treatment and they said they couldn't fit me in. I was so upset I cried all the way back to the car. They held my ability to feel better in their hands and they turned me away. I was crushed. I knew I just needed a z-pak (Zithromycin) for an upper respiratory infection and thankfully, I got the prescription for it at the urgent Care in Colorado and already feel much improved.

We wanted to go out to lunch today and as we were headed out to the car, I watched as my mom took a spill in her driveway so off again we went to Urgent Care. As it turns out, she broke her foot and is now in the big black boot and using crutches. It brings back all too familiar and recent memories for me!

On a happy note, I had my daughter pick a number today for my 500th post giveaway. She picked #22 since today is the 22nd (and my 30th wedding anniversary by the way!), so congratulations to my fellow nurse Tauna! I'll get the monogrammed plate sent out to you Tauna as soon as we return home.

Thank you all for joining in on the giveaway fun!

500th Post and A Giveaway

Just recently I wrote my 500th post! I'm at 514 now and it's really unbelievable to me. I guess a girl sure can write about alot of random stuff if she puts her mind to it! So in honor of my 500th post, I think a giveaway is in order!

Not to long ago I bought a cute housewarming gift for a friend that bought her first home. This darling monogrammed plate and stand...


Of course, I bought one for myself and I'd like to send one to you too with your initial! Just leave a comment and be a follower of this blog. Those are the only 2 requirements.

I appreciate followers and I truly appreciate all of the comments that are left here. Blogging and the friends I've made in blogland have enriched my life so much. I'm so thankful for each and everyone of you.

So leave a comment, be a follower, and you'll be entered to win one of these adorable monogrammed plates for yourself. We're going on vacation Saturday but hopefully I'll be organized enough to pick a winner on Monday. That's my goal anyway.

I'm also hoping to have monthly follower giveaways to show my appreciation (plus, I just love giveaways!) So stay tuned!

My Friend Carol

It is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you our beautiful friend Carol passed away early this morning. Her weak body wasn't able to fight off the infection and she went into cardiac arrest in the wee hours of the morning. This time they weren't able to bring her back.

The details are still sketchy but we do know that Paul, Carol's husband and one of the dearest people on earth, is in route right now from Las Vegas to their home in Long Beach. I'm so worried about Paul and her sons, please continue to keep them in your prayers. Carol was outgoing, vibrant, and the rock that held her family together. This is a devastating loss for so many.

I knew without a doubt that if I asked for prayer, that you, my wonderful blogging friends would be fervently praying on Carol's behalf, and I thank you! Thank you to each and everyone of you that took the time to leave a message saying you were keeping Paul and Carol in your thoughts and prayers. Your comments mean so much! Although our prayers weren't answered as we wanted them to be answered, I truly feel that we'll have all of the answers to all of our questions when we get to heaven, and that's where I'll see my beautiful friend Carol again someday!

As information becomes available, I'll let you know more about what caused all of this. We're all just shocked and devastated.

Thank You!

Two sweet blogging buddies passed this on to me recently and I want to say thank you for sending this my way. Thank you Janiece and Lou Ann!

With this award, I'm supposed to list 7 interesting things about myself. Well, I don't know about the interesting part, but here goes:

1) I have a sister who always dreamed of becoming a mother. I never gave it much thought, yet I'm the one who became a mom. Both of my sisters never had any children.

2) I've broken 2 bones in my life. Both involved little dogs.

3) I always wanted to become a teacher but ended up becoming a nurse. Funny thing is, I "teach" everyday as a nurse.

4) I don't advertise it, but I'm pretty much a vegetarian.

5) I've worked at my job 7 years and have never been late once (now that I've typed this, I'll probably jinx myself!)

6) I graduated mid-term my senior year. Although I never went to summer school, I had enough credits to graduate early.

7) I enjoy reading and love books. I have books all over the house but mainly keep them stored in a bookcase upstairs. They are in alphabetical order by author. Can you say OCD!

If you haven't received the Beautiful Blogger Award yet, please take it from me as a thank you for stopping by. I always always appreciate your visits, your comments, and especially your friendship, thank you!

Please take a few minutes and stop by Janiece's and Lou Ann's blog to say hello. You can visit Janiece here and Lou Ann here.

There's A First Time For Everything

And last week was the first time I had ever tried this...


Am I the only one out there who had never heard of or tried Fry Sauce before?

A few weeks back my blogging buddie Andie, who was visiting relatives in Utah, mentioned Fry Sauce in one of her posts. I commented that I had never tried it and low and behold, that sweetheart sent us a bottle. She said she couldn't picture me going through life without ever trying Fry Sauce!

Not only did I try it, but I bent my "no fries" rule and went to Wendy's for some fries. Wendy's has the best fries and if I'm going to bend the rules, I might as well go for the best! I've given up french fries completely and haven't had any in months but I wanted to taste it for myself...


Pretty darn good stuff I might add! It tastes like Thousand Island dressing and I love Thousand Island dressing! We don't have Fry Sauce here in CA (is it only a Utah thing?) but Thousand Island dressing or a mayo/ketchup mixture would be the next best thing.

Thank you Andie for making sure life didn't pass me by without trying Fry Sauce. My life is now complete!

A Little Of This and A Little Of That...

It's a cloudy, dreary day here today and rain is in the forecast. As my friend Jill puts it, it's the type of day where you just want to "stay in the cozy!"

I went out yesterday looking for replacement items for my kitchen shelf. Do you remember my recent shelf disaster!? Well, we bought some very sturdy hooks and re-hung the shelf without difficulty. That baby is going nowhere now!

A few years back, I bought 6 of these beautiful green Bordallo Pinheiro plates, hoping that I would eventually have a shelf to display them on. They are the cabbage design...


I happened to find these plates when I was out of town and I got them on sale for some ridiculously low price. All of them broke when the shelf fell and wouldn't you know it, now I cant find a single one anywhere. I know Bordallo Pinheiro dishes have become popular and Ebay shows it. I thought about buying some on Ebay but they're much more expensive these days. Fortunately, we go out of town at least once a month so I'll just bide my time until I find more.

I had a green, white, blue, and silver theme going on for the shelving. I had more blue/white things at home plus I found a few things yesterday so I'm starting to decorate it again...


Just a funny story about this flower arrangement. I bought this a day or so before the disaster. It went well with my idea of white and the green in it matched the Bordallo plates nicely. Well, as you can see it got a little damaged in the fall...


What's so funny is that my husband told me I should just spray paint the styrofoam green. I told him he's thinking like a true blogger! Really, painting the styrofoam is a great idea! I'll go to Michael's this week and find a green paint that matches.

While I was out and about yesterday I noticed that the stores are in full Valentine's Day mode. I jumped on the bandwagon and picked up 4 cute burlap bags. They're just perfect for a Valentine's Day gift project I'll be working on soon. Aren't they cute!


Well, that's about the extent of the excitement around here! We did do a few little fun decorating projects last week that I hope to share with you soon.

Within the last few minutes, as the weatherman predicted, it's started raining. I love the rain and we need it here in CA.

Oh, and before I forget, Macey is back in the hospital again. We took dinner over to them on Wednesday night and Macey was complaining of a headache. They had the lights turned down low and we're trying to keep things very quiet for her. Yesterday she told her mom Robin that her left side was going numb, she had a bad headache, and her ears hurt. They called her doctor who was in San Francisco and he told them to bring her back to the Long Beach Hospital and he would fly home today. He fears she has an infection due to the flap recently being sewn back on her skull. Please keep Macey in your thoughts once again. Her time at home was short and she's scared, but she's clinging to her favorite Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Well, I Had My Cry...

And I do feel a little better, thank you. I was doing ok until I started reading the beautiful, heart-felt comments you all have left me and well, that did it. The tears started rolling! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment to encourage and lift me up. I appreciate every single one and I certainly appreciate every single one of you. Blogging friendships are real and I treasure this part of my life. I think about my blogging friends constantly and when you hurt, I hurt, and I know you feel the same. That's just one thing that makes blogging and bloggers so unique and special.

I had my ortho appointment yesterday and all went well. I was thrilled when the doctor said I'd do fine without a cast and that I could use the big black boot instead. At least I'm able to shower and not have to hang my leg over the tub like I did yesterday. So much easier!

Brandon is still in the hospital and looks like he may be there for a few more days. They are giving him pain meds for his stomach and back pain but all of his tests have come back negative, thank goodness! They thought he may have ulcers but I think they've ruled that out. It wouldn't surprise me. Brandon keeps all of his worries and stresses inside, just like I did when I was younger. I probably still do to an extent but the difference is that I've learned to give my worries to God. That's exactly what God wants us to do but it's not easily done, especially when you're young and want to be in control. Brandon is very quiet and sensitive and it's like pulling teeth to get information from him. He gets anxious and stresses easily but keeps it bottled up inside. Poor thing needs to realize that it's futile and just not necessary. As much as I tell him to give things to God, to let God carry his burdens, he obviously still carries the load on his shoulders. It's not easy being young but Brandon makes it harder. It breaks my heart.

It's funny how kids from the same family are so different. My daughter is very open and discusses so much with us, often calling and asking for advice or for us to pray about something for her. Brandon on the other hand, completely opposite. I don't know why he feels like he has to go it alone. Again, it breaks my heart and it's something that can reduce me to tears in nothing flat. It sure didn't make me feel any better that I couldn't go be with him in the hospital yesterday but hopefully he'll come home to recuperate for a few days. No matter how old you are or how in control you think you are, you need your mother at certain times (even if she is on crutches!)

I didn't mean to spill my heart out like this, I'm sorry, but our kids can make our feelings so raw sometimes. Thank you for listening and especially thank you for your prayers. They are very much felt and appreciated!

Yes, It's True...

As crazy as it sounds, I truly did leave...



and drive straight to...



But I had 2 really good reasons...


Blogging friends Bren and Darlene. The 3 of us were able to get together last year while I was in AZ for parents weekend and lucky for me, we were able to meet for dessert this year too! These women are not only blogging buddies, but they have become treasured friends. I am so thankful for the many relationships that have developed through blogging. I really didn't know what to expect when I started blogging but one thing is certain, I have been blessed by it.

Darlene and Bren, thank you for such an enjoyable evening. I love it when we get together, there's always laughter, great conversation, and delicious desserts! Hopefully it won't be another year before we see each other again!

*** Have you ever met a blogging buddy in real life? ***