I returned from my trip to sunny Florida last Sunday evening, though sunny wasn't a term I would use to describe how it was while I was there. We received the horrible storms with the lightning, thunder, and rain but were lucky enough to have not been involved in the tornadoes. I think the last count I had heard stood at 20 people killed. That storm, from where we were, was quite a big one. I honesty haven't seen a storm like that here in Texas in several years. I really feel badly for all those who lost loved ones and for those who have to pick up the pieces. I did see on the news that one of the housing developments in the tornadoes path was a brand new one so all those who recently moved into their new homes in the past months will now have to rebuild. I am so grateful that has never happened to us.

Isn't that face up there one of the cutest faces you've ever seen in the world? No, not me......my niece. I had the best time visiting with my sister and playing with my nieces. I finally met the newest addition to the family, who was just 11 weeks, and let me tell you, she is just the most precious thing......cutecutecute! I could not get enough of her. She loves to cuddle and she really loves her Auntie! We had some good conversations. She loves to talk and she even started sleeping through the night while I was there, started holding her head on her own, tried rolling over onto her back and started pulling herself up from a semi-lying position to a seated position. Hannah and I played bunches and I got to spoil her like never before. It was so much fun to be able to just kick back and do whatever. It's been a very long time since I've done anything like that. I usually live in a world where there are time frames, deadlines, needed to be done yesterday deals and there is never enough time for anything. To be reminded of seeing the world from the perspective of a toddler, wow! All I can say is that I had forgotten what it was like since my kids are now 11 and 13. I also had forgotten how much work it is to have two little ones to tend to. (My sister's kiddos and my kiddos are almost identical in age difference between the two.) The silver lining in it is that is that they are SO worth it, every stinking minute of it! Boogers, poopy bottoms, puke, midnight feedings, all of it! I had such a hard time leaving them and Hannah was not a happy camper when I left to make my way to the gate. I do recall a little girl I know very well doing the very same thing to her Auntie at about the very same age. Amazing how those things come back around. I know now what my sister must have felt when Taryn cried like crazy when it was time for her to leave us and to return to her 'real world' that spring day at DFW. Oh how I miss my JellyBean and my StringBean!

I returned from my trip feeling great until I stepped off of the plane. I could literally feel the stress and tension fill my body knowing that within 12 hours I would be back to work dealing with all the crapola that I deal with on a daily basis. To top it off both kids were home sick on Monday and Eric had to take them to the doctor so that we could nip whatever it was in the butt. Taryn also got her Gardasil shot, the first in a series of three. Working in Oncology and seeing all I see, it really makes me happy there is a vaccine for the HPV virus now. Definitely long overdue. I am also very happy that it will be mandatory by 2008 for all little girls to have it. The only downfall we have now is that the boys are carriers and there needs to be something in place so that they are not passing it around but we'll see if anything ever comes to be with that. The kids returned to school Tuesday only to be home again on Wednesday. Hopefully by Monday morning they will be back to nearly normal. Whatever it is they have had has really kicked their butts! To not skip over the good stuff; Eric and the kids cleaned the house so I could come home to a clean home. That was so wonderful! Thank you, baby. And without him caring for the kids and my girlfriend, Trisha and her husband Kirk, I could not have been gone for so long without totally worrying that everything would fall apart. You all are awesome!

I am going to be checking out 'The Secret' tonight. I TiVo'd the Oprah episode that had all the people from 'The Secret' on it this past Wednesday and my sister has actually seen the movie and from what she said it's worth watching so Eric and I will do that tonight. We have been so blessed (and sometimes we have forgotten just how blessed we have been) and it's time for great things to happen. I really want to live my life and be happy and do the things I want to do. I guess what I truly want is to live my dream and I am working on that. The first part of that happened this week when I found out that the kids and I can be covered on his insurance which no longer chains me to the current job I have and those of you know know, even just a little bit about what goes on there, know that place is not the best place for me to be anymore. I've got a plan and hopefully it will work.

I did get back to Lifetime today. I cannot tell you how good it made me feel to be able to get out the stress and work on my body. My body has been so terribly neglected and I know that part of the way I feel is because I'm not able to workout. That, for me, is like drugs for some people. It's one of the best feelings in the world - and yes I say that here even though I have definitely overdone it today but the pain is the best part for me because it's a good pain. Tomorrow is cycling! Woohoo!

I did a little art while I was gone. My sister and I took a book class at the first Scrapbook store on Florida's west coast called Scraptopia taught by Michelle Van Etton. She represents Prima. I asked her if she had gone to CHA and she said she had just returned, I think, the night previous to the class. She spoke about Heidi Swapp and told us she is just a doll. Confirms what I had already thought. Michelle won a cruise by submitting a layout, to I don't know who and I don't remember the name of the cruise, but she is going to be teaching on that cruise. How sweet would that be? I also checked out the Luxe paper website that was forwarded on to us and from the way Donna speaks about it, it truly is 'luxe'!

Okay, enough already. Got some things to take care of before Eric gets home. The older the kids get the quicker the laundry baskets fill up and the less laundry that fits into the washer at one time. I think it's time for the really fancy washer/dryer combo. Hmmmmm.....might need to think on that one.

ttfn