Facebook Amusement

So a friend posted this on her facebook status (The Law of Attraction is real people! I was at work thinking about my wonderful husband for the past hour, positive thoughts & experiences & then he just shows up! He had an odd errand that put him in the neighborhood, otherwise he would not have been anywhere near here! How cool is it that the universe shifts to bring us those people/places/things that are supposed to be in our path when we desire it!) and I thought awww how cute (think Shrek).  

However, I now realize it's true!!!  The other day I was thinking how nice it would be to have a big juicy steak cooked to perfection on the grill, and I was having all kinds of positive thoughts about it and I looked out the window, and what did I see!!!

A big juicy steak looking at me :) hehehe!!  Too bad it wasn't mine or I probably would have just had to butcher and eat it.  Now I just have to be careful not to step in its poop.

Irish Tales

So in moving to Ireland I was told that the Irish police don't carry guns.  However, just a few weeks after moving here we were travelling through Kells on our way back home from the shops and all of a sudden a Guarda car almost rams into a small silver car, then they jump out guns drawn and ready to shoot, they pound on the window (I was pretty sure it was going to break) and then they arrest two "skangers" (lawbreakers) as the call them here.  While watching this happen, I of course noticed the fact that they had GUNS and then of course I got a good look at them cause I had to find out what they were since they looked like semi automatics.  Sure enough, they were carrying Sig Sauer P226's.

(it looked pretty similar to this only the light was right underneath the barrel and the whole thing was silver looking)  It was a pretty cool stick up if you ask me!  So now I know I have to be cautious of the Irish police and what the Irish people say ;)

Twins on a Trampoline

A few months ago I was at my parents house and my brother's twins were over.  While playing with them I thought it would be fun to play on the trampoline.  They thought it was pretty fun too. 

Ella's Turn

This is going to be fun! 

Her legs went up like this every time I bounced with her.

Keep going!

OK, that's a little high!

Hey, why am I not still down there bouncing

Emery's Turn

Ummm, I think I'd rather be playing with Grandpa

OK, maybe this is fun

Yep, this is fun!

CAPAWHAT?!

I noticed on my sister in law's blog that it has been 5 months since I last blogged.   My life has changed considerably in that 5 months and honestly I've had a ton to blog about because of all the changes in my life, but then I haven't really had the time or desire.  Maybe another day.  For today I'm just stressed.  Owning a business, being a mom to 3 kids, being a wife to a very abitious and also lately a homesick and very bored man, being in the primary presidency at church, being a landlord and owning a lot of debt is all just weighing down on me lately.  Sometimes I mistakenly believe I am more capable than I am. 
The last time that thought crossed my mind I decided that before my mom put in her new carpeting in a couple weeks I would paint most of the rooms (VERY TALL rooms I might add) in her house.  After about an hour and a  half and one coat of paint on the ceiling only, I decided that I was crazy, and the next time my alter ego Super Woman decided to show up she was going to be kicked to the curb.  Amazingly with the help of my mom and sister (who must have their own alter ego super women as well) we completed the very large and physically draining job before the new carpeting arrived.  It was very nice!  Apparently the million+ times I told myself while completing that job, that I was NOT repeat NOT super woman, didn't sink in.  A few months later I was off on Vacation and met my soon to be husband.  I'm pretty sure my shoulders are more sore now than they were after I finished that paint job. 
hmm...
We have plans to leave on vacation this weekend to Kentucky to visit family. 
hmm...

Boy o'Boy

Abigail!

Three years ago today, this little cutie decided to make her appearance in the world.

Happy Birthday Abby!

You're Auntie Christy Loves you!!

Summer!!

Corpus Christi here I come!! :) Im so excited to be going to the beach this weekend to finally get some sun on these pasty white legs of mine. I love having fun friends who have fun friends in great places to visit.

On Being Spectacular

I read the following quote here today...

"If your time is unscheduled, you are SPECTACULARLY ineffective and inefficient. It's because you don't treat time as your most precious resource, so you squander it."

I found myself quite guilty and then took solace in thinking that at least I was spectacular at something :) hehe!!

Note to self: it's time to change

Productive Day

Load of laundry done. Check
Payroll complete and money recieved to cover it and bills. Check
Work for the day complete and errands run by 2 so could start painting. Check
Drilling rig part recieved after 2 month wait, so it will be up and running soon. Check
One room w/closet and trim completely painted, second room started. Check
Birthday package for missionary brother sent. Check
Lots of missionaries fed. Check (This was my parents check but I thought they did Great so I had to mention it)
Wrote on blog. Check
Happy Day!

Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Melodie Beattie

Gratitude is my favorite reciept.

I wish I were better at expressing it because frequently I feel like this:

" I awoke this morning with a devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I would add family to friends as well, although, they are generally one in the same.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thanksgiving!

I really enjoy Thanksgiving, in fact it's probably one of my favorite holidays. Lots of really good food :P, relaxation, family time, expressed gratitude and remembering all the things you have to be grateful for (and I always have a lot to be grateful for :). A few months ago my brother got out of the Navy in Virginia Beach, and he planned a weekend visit that turned into a semi permanent stay, leaving all his apartment stuff with a friend and in a storage unit. So, my mom decided to book a condo there for Thanksgiving week, so we could get all his stuff, and enjoy a vacation at the same time.

The view from the condo was fabulous:

Even when it was raining, which it did a lot while we were there!

It wasn't one of the best trips I've been on, there were lots of unfortunate incidents during the week. The 22 hour trip there and the 2 day trip home were both miserably long, but with only one ticket and a 3 hour lunch waiting for the rental truck to start working again, we made it there and back again!! My mom was sick most of the trip, and got me sick at the end, my brother's soon to be Mother in Law (Kelly) was in an accident that totaled her car, Dan scratched a car with his rental truck and a large coldfront complete with a sleet storm moved in while we were packing his and his old roommate, Billy's stuff up. We did, however, get to enjoy watching several groups of dolphins, surfers, and kitesurfers swim by, walks on the boardwalk, lots of Christmas lights, and some very delicious food and desserts. I also really enjoyed meeting and getting to know Kelly and having Thanksgiving dinner with her and Billy. It definately made me happy for my brother that he will have such a nice wife and mother in law, and since I didn't do a post for it before I'll say it now. Congratulations Dan and Lindsay!!

Why did the chicken cross the road?

I finally downloaded some of my pics, and came across these:

Shortly before Thanksgiving, this little guy showed up at work. I knew the unemployment rate was getting bad, but this poor guy had some terrible timing :). Apparently, however, someone in the area was "interested" as he was gone the next day. Happy Thanksgiving to whoever got him, lol!!

Abby!

I love my little Abby!! She is so adorable, she was at home with my mom (hopefully Lacey is enjoying the rest time with little Brigham) when I went home for lunch and we had a good time! We ate a few M&M's had some crackers and cheese and ham, fed the neighbor's pony and went and looked at the choo choo train, and the donkeys that go hehaw! She has the cutest most infectious little laugh! :) She also now knows who her favorite Auntie is :)

Rain :)

I Love the rain!! Its been raining her for 4 days, and I'm loving it. I especially like that it cools things off, cleans my car, I had way too many bugs on the windshield that are now gone, :) leaves behind beautiful greenery and flowers, and just makes me happy. It's not the regular rolling thunder and lightning we often get in Texas, that I also really enjoy, just a nice drizzle and occasional downpour that is cleaning everything up and making the weather a nice average 75 degrees. Just perfect for opening the windows and/or doors and letting in the cool air :).

The Newest Whitworth

I Love new little additions to the family!! Especially little cuties like this:

CONGRATULATIONS! Seth, Lacey & Abby!!

Change is Good!

I've always enjoyed change, in fact, I get pretty bored when things don't change too much in my life. I had been thinking too, that I was ready for a change in my life and the learning that comes from it. So, not too long ago, I rented out my house and moved in with a friend (first time for that, never really had a roommate) and so far so good with the renters and roommate. Since then, several not so fun things have happened, ie: falling off a horse, car problems, friends, and work issues, etc. I've noticed though, that even, and probably especially in the not so fun changes, I've learned a lot, including things in areas I hadn't even expected to learn things in. So, I've decided that I still really like change. I like learning and understanding more and having new, different, and often challenging experiences.

Car Problems :(

I really hate car problems, and New or Used, it doesn't matter, they always cause me problems. A couple weeks ago on my way home from church, I hit something in the road and bam, there went my tire. So I pulled off the freeway (fortunately there was a really close exit) and pulled into a parking lot and in my sunday dress had to change a flat tire. It wasn't the first time I've had to change a flat but it was certainly Not Fun!! I was glad I didn't have the white skirt on that I had planned to wear that morning. I was also glad that at least this time while I was waiting for my tires to get in, because they always have to order them, that I didn't get a second flat like I have before.
Then, this morning, I went out to go to work and my year and half old car wouldn't budge. I couldn't get the stick to shift into any gear other than park, and I have an automatic transmission, so I couldn't really force it to shift. So I was stuck, and to top it off, I had accidentally left my phone at work. Fortunately my roommate hadn't left for work so I borrowed her phone and left a message for my sister (the only number I could remember) and she came and got me.
So, now I have to find a Chrysler dealership, a way to get my car over to them, and then hope they will honor my warranty. I really hate car problems.

Schlitterbahn here I come!!!

My super cool roommate invited me to go with

her and some of her family here:

*I hope they don't mind my use of their pics. They even have a blog :)

I always like to try new things and see new places,

and I've never been, so I'm really excited!!

Blogs & Friends

I really love my friends, and I love reading about some of the small things that happen in their lives. I feel like I get to know them better because they share the funny things, interesting goings on, opinions, and bits of their life that you don't often get in day to day conversations. I also like having lots of friends and think blogs make it easier to keep in touch with their life. I love blogs and friends!