Thursday, May 31, 2007

Thank you MW for the wonderful travel toys for Chynna

My Secret Pal has struck again...isn't she wonderful??? This month was travel toys...I can't wait until we get Chynna so she can enjoy this wonderful gifts...

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Wacky Wednesday (Playing Cards)

You Are the Ace of Clubs

You go at everything in your life full force. You are a natural gambler.
Your life definitely has some extreme highs and lows, but you know how to ride out the low times.

A total adventure seeker, you are never satisfied by what's normal or ordinary.
You like to push limits and shock people. You're dramatic, but a drama queen.

Your life has been a wild ride so far. You have stories that people can barely believe.
And you're probably still young... with a lot of wild rides in front of you.

A gamble you should take: High stakes roulette

Your friends would describe you as: Crazy

Your enemies would describe you as: Demented

If you lived in Vegas, you would be: A high roller


This is soooo not me, I'm soooo not a drama queen, please!!!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

A surprise visit from my nephew, niece, great nephew, and great niece

I just love getting surprises, and Sunday I got a great surprise....

along with my nephew JoJo, we got a surprise visit by my niece Katrina and her two children my great nephew Damion and great niece Angeliena who came by the house for a little cookout...

I can't believe how big Damion (now 2 1/2) and Angeliena (now 16 months) are getting...and it really is hard to keep a straight face when they do something they shouldn't...one example...Damion who is mostly potty trained was too busy playing to remember he needed to go pee, remembered at the last minute, pulled down his big boy undies on my back porch, and peed in the corner...now after the initial shock of this happening wore off...and the hose was brought in....I had to seriously restrain myself from laughing out loud, and just about hurt myself in the process....it really takes restraint to keep from laughing at these actions...I mean, look at these sweet faces...how could they do wrong???

This is Angeliena posing her cutie self for the camera, she's such a ham...


and Damion will always have my heart...here he is calling his fan club...



I'm so glad they came!! All of them!! It really was loads of fun!!

Monday, May 28, 2007

Please take a moment and thank our troops


Please take a moment today, and remember our troops, their families, and our vets, and thank them for all our freedoms we are able to enjoy, for without them and their selflessness we would not be able to be carefree Americans!!

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Everyone needs an Escape...and mine is blue!!

Okay, yesterday was a successful retail therapy day!

As you know, I have been car shopping...and yesterday (with many thanks to 2 "guardian angels") I got an Escape!! A 4 door, vista blue, V-6, front wheel drive Ford Escape with a moon-roof!!!




It drives amazing!! And is soooo comfortable!! I just love retail therapy!!

Friday, May 25, 2007

The signs are speaking to me....




I just "found" this image, and well, it spoke to me.... have a great long weekend!!


And don't forget to remember our troops, their families, and veterans this weekend, and thank them for all they given us!!!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

I will not lie... this is funny!!


A distinguished young woman on a flight from Switzerland asked the Priest beside her, "Father, may I ask a favor?" "Of course. What may do for you?" "Well, I bought an expensive woman's electronic hair dryer for my mother's birthday that is unopened and well over the Customs limits, and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?" "I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not lie." "With your honest face, Father, no one will question you." When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her. The official asked, "Father, do you have anything to declare?" "From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare." The official thought this answer strange, so asked, "And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?" "I have a marvelous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which is, to date, unused." Roaring with laughter, the official
said, "Go ahead, Father." "Next!"

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

A car type of Wacky Wednesday....

You Should Drive a Blue Car

You're the type of driver who isn't hung up on the what car you drive.
You don't need a flashy car to show off your wealth or style.
Instead, you go for value and reliability. You're quite practical.
You're a great driver, but you don't show off. Part of your skill is not standing out on the road.


This is freaky!! I seriously am looking at blue cars in my "hunt" for a new car....

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The fortune cookie gods are looking out for us....


Last night at our waiting families meeting, I opened my fortune cookie, and my fortune was "Something with 4 wheels will soon be a fun investment for you"....how did the fortune cookie gods know???

My car has been acting really nutty (yes it is the car, and not the driver....), things like driving along and the clutch pedal will drop to the floor, and then all of a sudden come back (enough so to make you feel nutty yourself, hehe), or the check engine light coming on (yes I opened the hood and made sure the engine was still there, don't know why it wanted me to look...hehehe), so I've been looking.

Guess the fortune cookie gods are trying to tell me to quit looking and start getting serious...and who am I to disobey???? I think I found my car, what do you think??

Monday, May 21, 2007

Waiting, waiting, waiting...


While we wait for our turn (and wait, and wait, and wait), we have been so fortunate to have in our area a monthly get-together of families in all stages of the "game", from paperchasing to home from China. We get together the 3rd Monday of each month at this awesome Chinese restaurant, have monthly speakers, and just get to know each other.

Well, being that tonite is the 3rd Monday of month....I can't wait to see the cutie faces of those recently home from China, the joy in the faces of those that just received their referrals, and well just socializing with all in general.

What do you all do to help pass the time during this ever increasing wait???

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Tag you are it!!

Thanks all for the tagging...

Here's my attempt:


FOODOLOGY

What is your salad dressing of choice? Caesar or Ranch (do I need salad to go with it though??? hehehe)

What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Is there any such thing as fast??

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? The one with the comfy chairs

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant? 20%

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? If it made me sick I can guarantee I would not eat it....

What is your favorite type of gum? the one that holds my teeth in place, hehe

TECHNOLOGY

What is your wallpaper on your computer? Do I really have to tell you?!? A frog you think?? Well you'd be wrong, it's dancing ladybugs!!

How many televisions are in your house? 2

How do you listen to music? With my ears, what a silly question....

BIOLOGY

What’s your best feature? All of me!!!

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? All the time, if my body didn't remove the wastes I'd be one ill lady!!

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? Smell.

When was the last time you had a cavity? When I was a kid I guess.

What is the heaviest item you lifted last? My buttocks off the couch...

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Sure...the doctors knocked me out.


BULL*&%!OLOGY

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? Why would I???

Is love for real? As real as life itself.

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? Mom!!

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?

Have you ever saved someone’s life? Sure, my hubby's by marrying him!! hehe

Has someone ever saved yours? Okay, hubby says he saved mine by marrying me, aren't we romantic???

DAREOLOGY

Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? Sure why not, it would be punishment to all those who had to look at me anyway!!!

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Not enough money, $101K maybe, hehe.

Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000? For what?? Finger food???

Would you never blog again for $50,000? What do I really blog about anyway???

Would you pose nude in a magazine for $250,000? See my answer to the walking half a mile, same answer applies here.

Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? Is there really anything on television anymore??? Besides you could then blog!!!


DUMBOLOGY

What is in your left pocket? My hubby's hand?? Okay, really not wearing pants right now...

Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie? Never seen it, so I'd say NOPE

Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house? neither, although do have hard heads...

Do you sit or stand in the shower? Really, people sit in the shower??? How strange!!

Could you live with roommates? Hubby wouldn't appreciate it too much.

How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? 3 if you count my sandals

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Where would we run to?? Don't want to jinx it, it's been at least 3 yrs though.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Do I have to really grow up?? Okay then I want to be tall.

Last friend you talked to? My friend/lover/partner in crime: Hubby!!

Last person you called? My bestest friend/second partner in crime: Mom.

RANDOMOLOGY

First place you went this morning? The bathroom. Do people go anywhere else 1st??

What can you not wait to do? See my Chynna's face.

What’s the last movie you saw? A lifetime movie "Dawn Anna" (and cried my eyes out!!)


Okay, now you all know me a little better...consider yourself tagged. Please leave a comment so we can all get to know you better too!!

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Out of the mouths of babes....

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:



Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.


How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes moms out of clouds & angel hair & everything nice in the world & one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between Moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.


Hope this gave you a giggle or two like it did for me...gotta love em!!!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Time to celebrate for Katy's birthday


Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dearest Katy!!! happy birthday to you!!!! AND MANY MORE!!!!






Katy, may all your birthday dreams and wishes come true!! You deserve it!!

Until you are up and about again, here's a virtual birthday cake (Charlies birthday cake when you are up to it, our treat!!!)...


We love you!!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Bonus Wacky Wednesday (What sandwich are you?)

You Are a Club Sandwich

You are have a big personality. It's hard for anyone to ignore you!
You dream big. You think big. And you eat big.
Some people consider you high maintenance, but you just know what you want... and when you want it.

Your best friend: The Tuna Fish Sandwich

Your mortal enemy: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Wacky Wednesday Victoria Secret Style

You Are Most Like Heidi Klum

Girl next door vibe with top model looks


Great, just great....

Monday, May 14, 2007

A ladybug sighting in Orlando, Fla. (thanks Karen and Mitch)

When I got home from work today, there was a "big box" (as Ray described it when he called me at work to let me know what we got in the mail today) waiting for me to open (what a way to start off the week hehe)...

We got these amazing ladybug picnic items from our new Western Montana friends (thanks to the GWCA July/August 06 LID Yahoo Group May Cyber Shower), Karen and Mitch (who also share our LID), who are anxiously awaiting their daughter Mikah (she will be Mitch's first child, although he is the stepfather to Karen's 3 children).

Karen, we greatly appreciate the gifts, and I love the handmade quilt!!! You have amazing talent, that I definitely envy!!

We look forward to getting to know you guys during this wait, and in climbing the Great Wall with you in China....

Thank you ever so much for this wonderful gift for Chynna!!

10 months and counting


Today has been 10 months since we were LID....how many more to go?? Only the CCAA knows, but hopefully we are more than halfway there, hopefully we only have 8 more months (or less) til we see our sweet Chynna's face....

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Happy Mommy (and Mommy-to-be) Day!



Happy Mother's Day to all Moms and Moms-to-be!!

Hopefully Chynna will be home celebrating with us next year!!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Vandal damages China's iconic Mao portrait



BEIJING (Reuters) - A vandal damaged the giant portrait of China's late Chairman Mao Zedong that hangs over the Forbidden City on Saturday, prompting police to clear the area and adjacent Tiananmen Square, witnesses said.

Most of the picture was intact, but workers could be seen in a crane cleaning the lower left area of the huge portrait, which appeared damaged by soot after the vandal hurled a burning object at it. Police were swarming the area.

Traffic could pass by, but Tiananmen, the symbolic heart of Communist China, was temporarily cleared of the visitors that normally crowd the square on weekends and the tourist-clogged entrance to the Forbidden City was emptied.

Police later let visitors back onto the square, which remained under tight security.

Police detained Gu Haiou, a 35-year-old unemployed man from Urumqi, capital of the far-northwestern region of Xinjiang, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The damaged portrait would be replaced on Saturday night, the report said, adding armed guards were in the area and the Forbidden City was still closed to visitors. The portrait is periodically replaced with an identical copy.

Calls to the Beijing city government and the local police about the incident went unanswered.

Tiananmen is considered especially sensitive since it was the site of 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations that were crushed by the military. The area usually swarms with plainclothes security who quickly stamp out any signs of dissent.

China's leadership brooks no challenges to its authority, and damaging Mao's portrait could lead to a stiff punishment.

Chinese journalist Yu Dongyue was jailed for more than 16 years for hurling eggshells filled with red paint at the Mao portrait at the height of the 1989 demonstrations. He was mentally ill by the time he was released in February 2006.

Despite leading the country in a series of violent political movements that saw millions purged or killed and left the economy moribund, Mao is still revered by many in China and is seen as a symbol of its strength and unity.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Bling Bling


Thanks to Gina, my blog has a new look!! Don'tcha just love when you get an unexpected makeover???!!!

Thanks Gina!! I love it!!

Great Wall section discovered



BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese archaeologists have discovered a section of the Great Wall straddling the Mongolian border that is the northernmost remnant of the landmark yet found, state media reported Wednesday.

The remnants of the wall, found in the Bayannur district of China's Inner Mongolia region, measures 2.3 metres (7.5 feet) wide and about 1.15 metres high, the Beijing News reported.

Built 2,100 years ago during the Han dynasty, the section also would likely be one of the oldest sections of the wall, which was begun in the reign of the emperor Qin Shi Huang, which began in 221 B.C.

The wall, constructed of stones, was found by a joint team headed by the People's University's School of History, the paper said. No other details were provided.

Built and rebuilt over the centuries, the Great Wall was intended as a defence against northern barbarians.

Less than 2,500 kilometres (1,600 miles) remain of the original 6,300-kilometre structure, one of China's top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Thanks for the good thoughts!!


I just wanted to update you all with regard to my sister, everything went well, and she came through the surgery like a champ. She will be in the hospital for a few days recouping, but everything went well today. Thanks for all the positive thoughts!!

On a side note, I know I have posted about this once before, but guess what I got in the mail today....yup ANOTHER Brown Envelope. This makes it my 3rd one!! Guess the Consulate wants to make sure we know they have been notified!! This one was dated 11/06 though and the other two were 6/06, so don't know what that means (if
anything).

Wacky Wednesday (double bonus)

You Are a Rose

You are a total alpha dog who tends to be a leader.
Your friends depend on you to hold things together and make decisions.
Potential lovers are drawn to your raw power and strength.
While you are the center of attention, you are secretly introverted and a bit shy.



Your Celebrity Style Twin is Kirsten Dunst

More hippie chic than hippie chick.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Request for thoughts...


My sister is having some surgery done tomorrow, so keep her in your thoughts (think positive thoughts for her, please)....

We're thinking of you Katy!!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Everybody dance now!!



Come on, get up and dance with the slugs!!

Saturday, May 5, 2007

happy cinco de mayo!!




Hope you all have a great Cinco de Mayo...don't party too much (you'll feel it tomorrow!!)...

Friday, May 4, 2007

The Dawn Keye Diet.




P.S. I know "loose" is incorrect and should be "lose", but I got this in an email and it just cracked me up so much I had to share it...

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Don't we wish????




No work and all pay!! hehe This is quite unlikely...speaking of which I'm late, so gotta go!!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

A day of lots of gifts!!

I came home today from work and 2 packages were awaiting my arrival, one from my wonderful secret pal (thanks MW, I love them!!), and the other from Dawn, Lily and Jacob (totally unexpected!!)...check 'em out!!



I am soooo lucky!! Thank you guys! I love them all!!

Wacky Wednesday (in honor of my new hairdo)

What Guys Think of Your Medium Straight Hair...

Smart, optimistic, easy going.
You're the thinking man's ideal woman - bright, funny, and no drama.


Wow, look what a new style will do, hehe

Tuesday, May 1, 2007