Who STOLE February and WHAT the hell happened to January too?

GOOD MERCY! I just realized that tommorrow is the LAST DAY of Feb?! WHERE DID IT GO? I am totally serious... this new year is literally FLYING by us! Gadzooks! I have, in the past TWO MONTHS TIME, had 2 kids birthdays, moved to a new home, gotten my minivan fixed, celebrated a New Year and Valentines, switched my schedule flip x3 and moved my kids to a new school...oh, and a new Church and new neighborhood! HOW did all this happen and I sit here feeling like I "MISSED" two months?? OMGosh... I AM getting old, aren't I?

Things are settling down for us, finally. I will admit, our garage at the new house is literally bulging with boxes of STUFF to go through...sort, purge, dump, sell, something...but they cannot live in the garage. Nope. No garage monsters for us here! Poor DH WILL have his garage {aka: Man-Space} before the flowers bloom!

Well, it is one of those "manic mondays" around here so I am off to shower and freshen up before visitors arrive and then I am back to cleaning, laundry, taxi and so forth! Well wishes to you my friends who ever so faithfully 'check in' here to read about my boring busy life! KISSES!

Darla

HOME sweeeeeeeet HOME!

Well, we have made it. The transition is final, move is done. I finish the final cleaning of the old house today and I will never have to go back! YES! 10 points for the good guys! hee hee

Honestly, I sitll have oodles of work to do as our garage HERE at the new house is bulging at the seams now with odds n ends and who knows what that needs to be saved, trashed, sold or otherwise disposed of! Lots to do and I cannot let it go because at SOME point (soon I am afraid) dear hubby Ed is thinking he wants HIS garage space for HIS things (GEESH! MEN!) so all these boxes and so forth HAVE to be sorted and dealt with. We plan to have a HUGE yard sale in a few weeks once it warms up and that will get rid of TONS of stuff... stove, dressers, clothes, toys, ect. We normally just drop it all off at the thrift shops as donation but felt we could do a bit of planning and make a small profit so why not do it?!

SPRING is soooo not coming soon enough for me. I am so sick of COLD and wet and COLD and snow and ice and slush and all that IDAHO stuff! I am ready to yard sale and mow lawn and weed flowers and plant veggies. I am ready to play in teh backyard and use our new patio set and have backyard bbq's. I am ready for kids and koolaid and bikes. I am ready for family to come for SOCCER! I just can't get SPRING here soon enough! C'mon Idaho, bring it on!!

OK well, time to get busy on my day. House, laundry, errands, ya know, a Mom's life!? :O)

Blessings until next time and may the SUN SHINE ON YOU! Darla

I AM BACK IN CYBERSPACE...

WOW! What a crazy last few weeks we have had! Amongst other things, I have been offline from my cyber buddies for about 2 weeks now and it has been lonesome to say the least! Well, I am back! DH got the networking all set up and finalized tonight and I officially am sitting at my OWN desk with my OWN puter and my OWN keyboard and my OWN mousie mouse! HOORAY! Now the big project insues...setting up my scrappy area! I do not know HOW ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH I am going to get all this STUFF into one storage closet, but I am sure I will pull it off! ROTFLMAO So, anyway, I am back.

Darla

HOLY MOVING BATMAN!!!!!!

GOOD LORDY LORDY WHEN WILL THIS MOVE BE DONE??

I can say that I never, EVER want to move again in my life! ACK! I am so sick of boxes and cleaning and boxes and trash and so on... worn out I am! We STILL have not completed the move however, we have a whole BUNCH of stuff at the old house that HAS to be done by this weekend (including cleaning) and then I still have a garage full of boxes to unpack and go through at the new house too! What a HUGE undertaking this all was. Thank God for a teenage son who not only is a GREAT helper but also a GOOD kid with LOTS OF BIG MUSCLES! Yeahhh Christopher! I luv ya son!

OK well, figured a quick update here was in order...probably still won't be "back" for a few more days, or a week. Don't miss me too much!

Huggie Huggie Kissie Kissie! xoxo me

In mid-life women no longer have upper arms, we have wing spans. We are no longer women in sleeveless shirts, we are flying squirrels in drag!!

OK I will admit it, I about SPIT my soda out of my mouth ONTO the computer screen when I read this today! Shar (my dear buddy) has quite a way in finding the funniest little ditties to post especially when I am having a 'down day'. Well, today she really hit the spot with a list of "Mid Life Women's Issues" and I about lost it as I read one more then another and then one more but this one, the title on my blog today, OMG IT TAKES THE CAKE!!! Way to go Shar, the laughs were MORE than needed today. If you want to read the whole list, check it out here:

http://groups.msn.com/NightOwlsMonkeyChatter/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=5206&all_topics=0


Well, until the next great laugh...goodnight! Darla

When life gives you lemons: MAKE SPAGHETTI!

So, I totally could not resist this title tonight.... it seems like when nothing else is going right and things are utter manic mode and you have no food, no money and no plans for one moment to the next....SPAGHETTI always saves the day! OK, let me emphasize, 1/2 my kitchen in packed into boxes, we have not gone grocery shopping because we dont' want to "MOVE" food, we really are strapped for money right now and the day was less than boring with so much going on. So, move over Betty Crocker, Darla is in the house and she is whipping up a mod podge pot of spaghetti with meatballs and misc sausage and a bit of sautee'd mushrooms with a dash of tomato juice and whatever else she could find to "bulk" it up! ROTF! Hey, it was tasty and everyone ate it!! SPAGHETTI TO THE RESCUE AGAIN. (damn lemons) :OP

The big move is going well...I have accomplished OOOODLES in the past 24 hours, several rooms of the house are pretty much ready to go aside from big furniture and everyday use items. I am feeling pretty organized and hope that the snow and rain will STOP for just a few days and things will dry up so we can start loading and moving things out. I had a gruesome discovery in the basement tonight while consolidating boxes and "junk"... all of our tents, airmat's and a sleeping bag were soaked and mildewed by a leak in the foundation thus leaving them pretty much gifts for the dumpster out back :O( What a HUGE mess and SO gross. Oh and let's no mention that we have a tent trauma on a regular basis, seems we go through them way too quickly. Grrr! Not a good way to blow more money.

Well, my aching neck, shoulders and back tell me it is time for some TLC and a nice hot tubby so I will close with the nasty mildew story, sorry if that leaves a bad vision for you. :O<>
Darla

I GOT TAGGED BY ARTSY K!

I was tagged!!! Thanks to Karalyn (ArtsyK) here is my TAG post:

Four jobs you’ve had in your life:
1.McDonald's
2.WalMart
3. Melaleuca
4. Cook/dishwasher at a nursing home

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1.Sixteen Candles
2.Grease
3. Mr Hollands Opus
4. Charlie

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1.ER
2.Survivor
3.Clean Sweep
4.Trauma: Life in the ER

Four places you have been on vacation:
1.Oregon Coast
2.Mt Rushmore
3.Dallas/FortWorth TX
4.Encinada MX Cruise (Catalina Island, SanDiego, LA)

Four websites you visit daily:
1.creatingkeepsakes.com
2.msn monkey chat
3.dex.com
4.OODLES of Blogs -Donna Downey, Cathy Z, Ali Edwards, Stacy Julian, Shar, Ribinscraps, Ect...

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Fresh fruit or salad
2. Shrimp Scampi with alfredo
3. Chinese
4. Cheesecake

Four places you would rather be right now:
1.In bed asleep
2.Lying on the beach in Oregon
3.On another cruise with dh (no kids)
4.Already MOVED and sleeping in my NEW house

Four bloggers you are tagging:
I'll have to go with
Ribinscraps
RhondaRoo and...
that's all I can think of!!

Time is ticking away ... tick tock tick tock!

WOW! Here we are, one week till' the move and I am starting to feel very
OVERWHELMED with all the things that need to be done. I keep having to
just stop, settle my brain, and then take a deep breath and add to my list to
keep myself somewhat sane. Granted, we are only moving a few miles across
town, not like it is across state or across country, but a move is a move, right?
I am anxious and giddy and scared and so many other emotions, it is just
totally draining me! I think I need to get my list out and start to date and
prioritize what happens when and then I will feel better. One very HAPPY NOTE
is that Ed took 2 extra days off work to do the move, that gives us a full 5 days
to do it. THANK THE LORD!
Not a whole lot more to report, the move is sort of taking over our lives for now, but
I am still having HAPPY DAYS with the much awaited arrival of my fixed minivan,
the new house and furniture and many other 'little perks'...

Until next time. Darla

OH HAPPY DAY.... !

Happy Happy Days are here to stay....

1- My van is getting fixed as we speak! HOORAY!
2-I can't wait to move! HIP HOORAY!
3- I have beautiful new furniture to go in the new house! HIP HIP HOORAY!
4- DH gets a couple of extra days off for the big move! HALLEILUGIA!! (sp??)
5- We are getting our wedding rings resized to fit and wear! WHOOPPEEE!
6-My van is getting fixed...oh, did I mention that? YAHOOOOOOOOO!
7- I am going to CKU with my buddies!! Yowie Zowie Bonkey Doo!!!!

I could go on and on and on but I am so excited and giddy it is making my head fluffy so I won't continue, but YES, today is a HAPPY DAY!

Can one person have too much S T U F F ?

Yeeegads! Well, if one person can have too much stuff then what can a family of 7 have? OMGosh I am finding that we have way too much CRAP in our house! As I prepare to move, the cleaning and packing is daunting as I keep finding more things to trash or donate but they all somehow end up back in thier not so appropriate homes... *sigh* I am making a wee tad bit of headway though and I think the move may still go off OK. -- Small funny, whoever has to move these boxes full of scrapbook supplies out of my office, well, I take NO LIABILITY for back strain or pain! OMG THEY ARE HEAVY!-- Funnier part, I tried to be careful to pack them so they would NOT be too heavy. GOOD GRIEF!! At least I know my precious papers are all packed up safe and sound. HAPPY THING.
Well that is about it for my story, working on the house and packing is about all I have to share. Unless anyone cares that I finally found a bra that fit last night ... oh yes, I have been on a "QUEST" for the perfect bra... so I bought 2 of them! I also got some great li'l brown loafer shoes, I needed them! GO ME!

Until next time... Darla

Hi ho- Hi ho... a packing we will go !!

YIPEE! Yahoo! I am officially in 'packing mode' for the big move! Whee! Now, I am sure I will NOT be saying this in a week or so, but for the moment I am basking in the excitement that WE ARE REALLY GOING TO MOVE! I have so so so much to do and I have made but a small wee tiny dent in the packing (5 boxes??) but I am getting a good game plan to get going on it so I am happy. The big challenges will be the basement which I hope to enlist the help of my COURAGEOUS spider killing teenage son with...and the things in the yard and garage. I feel like so much IN the house has to wait till' last minute and that is driving me INSANE! I am just sort of wandering from room to room gathering knick knacks and other oddities to store away for now. HOORAY FOR THE MOVE! Only...2 weeks to go! later, Darla

HOORAY FOR {CK TOP TEN ISSUE} ARRIVED TODAY!

happy happy happy mail day for me

I am one VERY happy camper today. Not only did I get my 'forgotten' issue of Feb CK (creating keepsakes magazine) but I also got the VERY much awaited "Top 10" issue as well! Can we just say ROCK ON CK!!!!??? I loved last years issue so much, I pour over it all the time, prolly more than any other magazine I have ever gotten...so many great ideas, great ads, products galore! I have just loved it. This one seems to be a VERY similar format and just as juicy chuck full of great new products and things that I JUST HAVE TO GET MY HANDS ON! I remember making list after list of great new things last year out of the Top 10 and I am seeing a similar reaction this year too! I think I managed to get ahold of most of my 'want' list over a period of about ...ohhh say 10 months? He he appropriate for a TOP 10 list right? Well, this one looks to be just as wonderful and I am already turning down corners on pages and stickin' lil' mini post it notes ALL over inside...OH THIS WAS SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRIZE TODAY! YES!! As Martha Stuart herself would say...
" this is a good thing"
... I can't say much more than that!

toodles!
Darla

Just let me whine... please.

Today is one of those days....I just need to whine.

I think that we all have them, those classic no good, down right awful,
rotten very bad days? You know, the ones where you wake up and think
"Wow! What a bright and beautiful day!!" And then you go to get out of bed
and stub your toe, then you walk dazed and cussing to the bathroom only
to find it is occupied. Then, you think to yourself..."nah... it is going to be
ONE of those days." Well, that is me. I woke up in a silly mood, playful and
ready to conquer the chores of the day but as it progressed so did my mood,
in a downward spiral of grouchiness.

I suppose I could bore you with all the details, but in reality, it is just a bit
of everything. Some days are just that way. I sometimes feel like I am
walking through this life with a big sticker on my back that says KICK ME!
I will admit I am not a real strong person, I take everyone's crap and just
sit back and smile. It's all good. It's all good. Yeah, sure, OK, whatever you
want...sure, no biggie, yeah, sure, OK, uh huh, yup, that's me! I am a YES
MAY'M kinda gal... GAG!! I guess what really gets me, is inside I am thinking
SCREW YOU IDIOT!! But I never say it. LOL What a wussy! Well, some
days I just want to crawl in a hole and tell the world off...but I don't. Some
days I feel completely useless to anyone, my dh, my kids, my sisters, and
even my friends. I know that I am not, but I just feel like sometimes I can
not do ANYTHING right... today is sorta one of those days. Whine...

Yup, I am going to keep going...there is more. What is up with not only my
self esteem...but my BIG OL' LAZY ASS LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE???
I have all these goals... home, family, self, and why is it I can't seem to get
one step in the right direction? UGH! I am a planner, love to write it out,
put it on paper, make a chart, a list, whatever...if I spent half the time DOING
what I write down...good God I'd be a gorgeous - rich - perfect - wife/mom!!
HA HA HA Like THAT will ever happen. C'mon, get real, I need a serious
kick in the ass from someone... who? me? Kick my OWN ass? Uhhhh remember
I am a big wuss. Guess I'll have to think on that one some more?

And last but not least ... I feel like crap. My back aches everyday...as does my knee.
I am tired all the time, I am getting more frequent headaches...lately I have just
felt achey all over!! I am one gigantic ball of stress and tired pain. I keep thinking
if I increase my water, take out the pop and sugar and add a few min of walking I
would feel 100x better...but I try it and that dang "lack of self control" kicks in and
I dont' get too far. No wonder I am so bummered out... I just feel like crap all the time.

OK whining done. Aside from I am REALLY dreading the upcoming weeks. I wont' go
there yet though.....too much to even think about. *SIGH* OK Time to buck up, it is
date night and I get to go play the "happy girl" for a while! HA HA

Not much to say entry for the day!

Well, I don't have any musings or fun thing to report. Nothing of earth shattering nature to share. No funny links to cute sites, no amazing new scrapbook insperation has struck me. BUT I do have the excitment of the upcoming move to our new home and lots of planning and thinking to do with that. (So much so that I gave myself a stress blister on my lip!) Funny how life changes right in front of you and you just keep walking the path. Hmmm. There, my deep thought for the day.

Darla

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!

Happy New Year 2006!

What fun and excitement a New Year brings with hopes and dreams of all shapes and sizes (preferably smaller sizes he he) for everyone! I love the New Year and all the fun it brings!
For me, I am falling on the bandwagon this year with some fellow sbers and taking the New
Years "INTENTIONS" challenge rather than "RESOLUTIONS". I intend to work on the
following:

Weight and Health...more water, less fatty foods, more excersize, less laziness ect.. ect...

Home Improvement...more space, less clutter, more clean, less dissaray, I am working towards a nice, clean, clutter free enviroment for my family, a safe haven free of mess!!

Family Relations... more quality time with family, lower voices, less distractions in the home (ie TV ect...) Make more memories and less "trauma" LOL :O)

I could go on and on, but I INTEND to work hard to make this a better year for myself and my family and those I love and care for! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVEYRONE!

Darla

Inspired ONCE more... Go {Ali} !!

As IS the norm...I have been browsing all the latest and greatest BLOGGER sites. I admitted this before, but will once again, I am a wannabe/follower... thus, the BLOG browsing! So, again, good ol'e "Master {A}" has done it. In her blog she included an amazing excerpt from a talk given by Anna Quindlen about life and living. AMAZING! I actually took a portion of it and did an entire layout based on her wise words for living in this crazy world. Awesome! If you have time to go peek, {A} has the whole talk posted on her Blog aliedwards.typepad.com It is worth a looksie!

So, in recent news... dh and I are talking about a bedroom makeover!! YEAH! Our bedroom is so drab and dusty and OLD! The carpet is literally threadbare in spots not to mention is it from like the 1960's or something! ICK! We got some hand me down furniture from our friends (dresser and armoire) so we are looking at some fresh paint, HOPEFULLY carpet, some wall decor' and a new headboard!!!! We are looking towards a mossy/sage green tone for the room! Should look amazing with the darkwood trim and pieces of furniture! More on that later...

Vacation/ Christmas Break is almost over! OMG I am SO ready for these crazies to be back into routine! I need to reclaim my home, my quiet time, my HOP time and my completed laundry piles!!!! I love my honey and I love my kids ... but a woman needs her sanity?!

Until next time...

Christmas Wishes and Thoughts....

Merry Christmas my friends...

I hope that this note finds you having a wonderful HOLIDAY with many happy memories. I hope that the Season finds you full of good health, good times, good fortune, and good people surrounding you. This is the time of year when we all start talking about what we'd "like to have" and then, today, "what gifts we got"... let us not forget the greatest blessings of all. I know there is diverse religious choices amongst us so I will not get into detail on one or the other...but instead I will leave you with this quote, I feel it says a lot!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

"What you are is GOD'S GIFT to you...what you do with yourself is YOUR GIFT TO GOD." -Danish Proverb

Inspired Again ... Thanks to SJ!

http://stacysbigpicture.typepad.com/

Well, these ladies have done it AGAIN! It seems I am constantly inspired by the 'ladies of scrapping' from CK/SS and so forth. I read all their blogs almost daily and find my eyes flying WIDE open with ideas and laughter! This time I am going to take from Stacy Julian's Blog: "Is there anything better than..." What a fun way to celebrate everyday life, especially this time of year! So, without further ado, here is my version, ENJOY!!

IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN...

-Watching my dear baby boy Micheal snuggle up on the sofa with HIS Papa to watch a movie and share popcorn

-Turning on the radio in the kitchen to some fun Holiday music while baking a quadruple batch of choco chip cookies

-Watching the season finale of Survivor, The Amazing Race and other shows we love and are addicted to :O>

-A big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh warm cheddar biscuits to dip in in on a cold Idaho night {OMG AMAZING!!}

-Standing in long lines at the stores watching everyone with carts full of fun gifts for family and friends and even though our patience is shot we are feeling the joy of the season

-Sitting down to my computer and knowing that I have 1001 GOOD friends on CKMB chat to keep me smiling

I could go on and on, but those are just a few things that have made me smile this week. Now it is your turn...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND LOVES!! Darla

I LOVE {A} = Ali Edwards

OK I admit it. I am a follower. I am not a trendsetter or a leader. I idolize others and I am truly a weak measley follower. BUT (always a butt) this can be a good thing! I look at it this way....... IF I were NOT a follower I would not seek out those to follow and I would have never ever stumbled across good ol' Ali Edwards "Master {A} ". This gal is just so awesome. I love reading her blog, her scrapbooking is amazing and she totally inspires me to be a better person. I sit here and literally LAUGH out loud at my desk as I read her blog. NEAT GAL. I am a follower for sure, and I am ok with that. ;O)

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/

SHE IS 21 YEARS OLD???

OMGosh where does time go? I am feeling really really old and really really needing a serious grey hair check or something! Yesterday, my dear neice Megan turned 21 years old! WHEN did this happen exactly? I mean, just a day or two ago she was graduating high school, and just shortly before that she was getting her drivers license...and she just lost her first tooth, and just learned to count to 10...and I was changing her diapers!!!!! This is "one of those kids" that I always say were my first babies! THEY WERE! I lived with my sis when her 3 kids were babes and took care of them like my own....now they are 21, 18 and 16 years old!!

DO YOU KNOW HOW *OLD* THAT MAKES ME???????????????????????????????????????

OK, well, what will I do when it is MY OWN kids that are turning 21? EECK!