Food on the Blackberry

I was just downloading some pics off my phone - and I realized that I have LOTS of pictures of food on my phone. Why? I think I am obsessed with deliciousness.






I know, weird.

Mamma Mia!!

Woah Mamma Mia!

I watched the movie musical a couple of days ago with my sis and my mom and we LOVED it. It reminded me of the days when I would dance in front of the sliding glass door to Paula Abdul songs; when my best childhood friend Skylar, my sister Kellie and I would make up dances and perform in Skylar's front yard and how when I was a kid, I honestly thought that the three of us would make it on Star Search. It reminded me of how the neighborhood kids and I got together and made a movie and dance routine to the song We Go Together from Grease to submit to the Mickey Mouse Club (remember that Brookie?!) when I was about 12. I'm such a singer and a swayer - sometimes I catch myself at stop lights and look around to see if anyone caught me belting out a song or dancing as if I was on a stage somewhere. And I have always been this way! In fact, despite my bad memory, I can clearly remember singing Debbie Gibson songs as loudly as possible to her tape in my mom's old Mercedes.

So, needless to say at this point, this movie was right up my alley! It was so much fun!
And it wasn't just the singing and dancing that was so wonderful. I loved seeing the women in it dancing and singing and being sexy even though they aren't exactly spring chickens. That's exactly how I want to be in 25 years!

And does anyone else want to get married in that church on the mountain top?! Wow! Where's my donkey!? ;)

Christmas and politics

My best friend Brooke posted this on My Space earlier. I thought it was worth sharing.
At the school she teaches at in Indy, no one is allowed to put up or display a Christmas tree anywhere. I had no idea that people have started calling them "Dream trees." I don't understand why so many are so determined to erase anything having to do with Christianity. I understand that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but why take away Christmas from little children who do?

This makes me think of the other night when I was at my sister's very first Christmas performance with her 1st grade class. The kids were AMAZING as they sung Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. They were adorable and the performance was PERFECT! But something that stuck out to me was the performance right before my sister's class. It was a fifth grade class and they sung "Do you hear what I hear?" I was actually surprised to hear them singing this song, but I was so happy about it and I was almost brought to tears when these little ones sang "The child, the child sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light, He will bring us goodness and light."

So here is what Brooke posted. It's so sad...don't know what else to say about it...

At the new school I work at in Indy, we were told that Christmas trees may not be displayed ANYWHERE...I'm all for diversity- but that should not mean excluding Christmas from our schools...Check out this poem my friend e-mailed me:

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanza
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

An old blog...

So I was looking through the files on my computer tonight to try to find a file I think I created with addresses of my family and friends (so I can send out Christmas cards). I haven't found that yet, but I did find a file called "Blog." I VAGUELY remember writing this (with input from Kel and Brooke I think). I looked at the properties and it said that it was created on April 4, 2006. That seems like a weird time for me to be writing something like this, so it makes me question whether or not I wrote it or one of my friends did (I know, I have a HORRIBLE memory), but I am pretty dang sure I wrote it!! (Brooke do you remember this?!)

Anyway, it made me laugh so I thought I'd post it here...

"Okay- So this is what I am thinking—I have been pondering this for a while and I really think that all men should come with warning labels. Little signs right smack in the middle of their foreheads that warn us single girls of the times to come…. I took the liberty of putting these warning labels into different categories. Most men fit into at least one of these- and many fit into more than one! I thought I would share them with my friends- so here goes---

Category #1: “I’m lost”

This guy is the type of guy that you want to save. He goes through life not sure of what he wants or who he wants it with. He is the type of guy that will leave you feeling like a puppy chasing your tail all of the time and trying to be amused by it. He is the kind that calls his parents (or some other party) to discuss every little decision that he makes in his life BEFORE he makes it. You will waste YEARS of your life with this guy trying to convince him that you are the one just for it to all come to an ugly, catastrophic end because he does not know WHAT he wants and no matter how hard you try, you can’t help him figure it out and will rot away waiting for him to figure it out on his own. So, my advice? - Run from this kind and fast- and yes, I have had this guy…

Category #2: “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”

This guy will sweep you off of your feet in the beginning. He will say all of the right things, take you places, and kiss you just how you want to be kissed. You will spend all of your time with him and when you are away from him, you will miss him like crazy. You will think that you have finally found Mr. Right. Then, one day, BAM!! Something will happen. Something will change- and overnight, your world will get turned upside down. The guy that you adore, Mr. Right, the guy that you love, will turn into a monster; a big, ugly beast that you neither know, nor have ever met. And for no reason whatsoever (or at least not one a NORMAL person can understand), it will be over. Just like that. Beware…. And yes, I have had this kind too…

Category #3: “I am only interested sometimes”

This is the guy that will call you, take you out, drop you off and then you won’t hear from him for a couple weeks… text message here, phone call there, email here, date there- Nothing substantial- and that is the extent of it. Good times if you don’t feel anything for the person. BUT- if you do allow yourself to develop feelings for this type of guy, it will kill you- nice and slowly…. My advice? Cut off all ties if you do develop feelings- It is the only way to get out still walking… or at least limping away. And yes, this one too….

Category #4: “I eat my corn the long way.”

This one will be perfect at first. He will dress nice, compliment you all of the time, and go shopping with you, until you notice how he checks out guys more than you do!! Your friends will all tell you that there is something off about him but you won’t notice it until later… I haven’t had this one yet but I do know someone that has!! Hehe…

Category #5: “Sexaholic”

The bed, the bathroom counter, the kitchen, the floor, the car, restaurants, EVERYWHERE! You will feel like a sex goddess until you realize about 10 other girls feel the same way…. Ewww…..

Category #6: “Married with children”

Need I say more? Jerks…

Category #7: “Mr. Right”

This guy is right up there with the unicorn, the tooth fairy, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow- You don’t think they exist because you have yet to see them. Even though this guy may never come about- I do have to say, being the hopeless romantic at heart that I am, I will continue to hold my breath until he comes along- Even if I have to be blue in the face forever…."


Ok...I am remembering this more and more...I am close to positive I wrote this...LOL!

Adoption...

...is something that has been crossing my mind a lot lately. The thought of someday adopting a little person to love and care for as my own.

Everyone knows that I do not wish to have more children.

A little of that is due to my desire to be free at some point - free to travel the world, see the sites, lay on the beach, make it to that over water bungalow that I have promised myself I will sleep in someday (with the man of my dreams), you know all that stuff. After all, I started having children when I had BARELY tuned 19 years old.

A little of it is also due to my desire not to WRECK my body all over again.

But maybe it's just the idea of actually bearing the children that I'm not cool with. Because lately, for some reason unknown to me at this time, I can see myself adopting someone, and a part of me feels that I will.

Of course there are factors that it depends on. The main factor is having a husband. I will definitely not do it if I don't have a husband...

Anyway, just felt the urge to blog about it.

It's ON!!

A little background so you know where I am coming from with this blog:

My office ALWAYS has a wide assortment of snacks available for the eating. To make it clear, when I got this job I gained 10 pounds in a month. Yes, I was stressed out, but that wasn't the main problem. The main problem was that people in my office want me to be FAT!!

There is a lateral file cabinet in front of my area (ok it's a flippin cubicle lol). The cabinet has SNACKS on it ALWAYS. Lots of snacks. And they vary from day to day because someone named "Steve" keeps bringing stuff in. For the first few months of this job, I would ask where the food came from when I got in. Like, "Hey, who brought that giant tray of brownies?" OR "Who dropped off the Panera bagels??" The answer was always the same: "Steve." I wondered why Steve, a former employee in our office who had moved over to IT about a year before kept feeding us. FINALLY, after a long long time of people laughing at me behind my back, I realized that Steve wasn't bringing in the darn food at all. Instead, all kinds of different people were bringing the food in, blaming it on Steve so I wouldn't give them the evil eye!!

Last week sometime, I took it upon myself to move all the snacks over to the other side of the building, in front of a different department. Granted, it's still only feet away from my desk, but at least it's not right in front of me. The other department was pissed! On Friday, a lovely woman named Diann decided to move all the snacks back to their prior home, right in front of me. To this I exclaimed, I'll just move 'em back! So today, I put a bag of miniature candy bars on her chair and then I went on an afternoon break. When I arrived back in the office, this is what I saw before me:

Can you BELIEVE THE NERVE?!?!

OK Diann...no more Miss Nice Girl.

It's on baby cakes!

It's ONNNNN!!!

10K: Mission Accomplished

I did it! I ran my first 10K race today!! That's 10,000 meters - or 6.2 miles. It was sooo much fun and God blessed me with a knee and leg that held up under pressure. :) The boys ran too...a 1K for Ethan and a 1/2K for Brenden and Sarah. Therefore, the big blog on this topic will be over at our sister station "Three's Company."

I do wish I would have ran a little faster...I was trying to maintain a pace that I thought would leave me with enough energy on the second loop...but I had too much energy! It was great! I finished something like 415th with a time of 57 minutes and 12 seconds. I think it was 12...it was either 12 or 16. I ran fast the last three feet to beat this old man who was trying to beat me - it was hysterical. He patted me on the back and gave me a high five. Next race I will try to keep a faster pace I think.

Before the race, I wished I had gum so I asked a man who was chewing some if he had any more. He ran to his car to get me some. How nice! Then he talked to me for a minute right before it began. He wished me luck and I did the same. My fan club set up shop on the corner next to Starbucks....Mom, Grandma Doris, Kellie, Ethan, Brenden, Sarah and Ryan. I ran by them 4 times and every time they were cheering as loudly as possible. It was awesome!! I waved to them and blew them kisses. After the race, I wandered back toward Starbucks to find my family and I passed the nice gum man again. He asked how it went and I told him it was great and told him my time. He said I did awesome! :) He did the race in 45 minutes. That's 12 minutes faster than me folks!

It was a totally wonderful experience and a beautiful, wonderful day. I will post pics in the next day or two and write more here as well as on Three's Company. The boys ran their races so well and made me so proud!!

Obama it is!

Barack Obama - our next president! Wow!

When he first came on the scene I thought I definitely would not vote for him.

But he won me over.

Just like the majority of the rest of the nation apparently.

I have a really bad memory so I am trying to remember why didn't like him to begin with. I think it was because he had so much negative press with the vocal preacher man and all of that mumbo jumbo.

But my views have always been pretty liberal. I have never really thought like a hard core Republican although I was a registered Republican. (Really, I was only registered Republican because the guy who registered me in college got extra credit if I registered Republican. I know, that's kind of lame, but hey I was like 18 so whatever.)

I liked Bill Clinton. George Bush kind of annoyed me. But certain issues sway me back to the Republican side. Really, I'm just me - so when I re-registered because of my move, I registered with no party affiliation. In my opinion, there are too many issues out there to stand behind someone strictly because of their political party...or even a little bit because of their political party.

So, it's Barack and Joe.
They are only two men.
Let's see how they do in this great big world.
God be with them.

Serendipity

It's been over 2 weeks now I think...over 2 weeks that I have been dying to watch a particular movie. I don't know why I have had the urge, I just have. The movie is Serendipity. You know, the one with John Cusak and Kate Beckinsale...
I tried to buy it about a week or so ago at Wal Mart. The friendly cashier and I looked through the movie log under S with no luck. So I finally rented it tonight....the story of Jonathan and Sara (I didn't remember the characters' names until I saw the movie again tonight)...they meet randomly at Bloomingdales, they click instantly, they hang out a bit, and then Sara gets all new age on everyone and leaves, deciding to let fate bring the two back together if it is meant to be. So after lots of running around and craziness, in the end Jonathan and Sara are brought back together (although I didn't get to see the end tonight because the DVD was so scratched that it wouldn't unfreeze [hmmm is that a sign?]) and they live happily ever after.

Webster online defines the word Serendipity as "the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for" Hmmm interesting, yes? Phenomenon...wow...that word makes serendipity sound magical for sure. So is there some magical, serendipitous event when finding your soul mate? Does the kind of fate portrayed in the movie Serendipity actually exist? And do soul mates actually exist? My jaded heart is telling me yes! One thing I've learned is that the heart doesn't lie. So if the heart doesn't lie then heart = truth. And if heart = fate and soulmates exist then truth = fate and soulmates exist SOOOOOO fate and soulmates do, in fact, exist. Can't argue with math!

Floors, paint, floors

For months now, I have been assisting my parents in the remodel-ization of their house. I'm not exaggerating when I say that every single room was a complete wreck before. I wish I had before pics. But slowly but surely, the efforts of all of us have turned most of their house into a home again. And I have become a painting pro, a floor installation queen and a master decorator. A couple days ago, I took a few snaps with my phone.

Please don't make me do any more work...

Let Kellie do it!
I'd rather just lay here...

Contract of Devotion

To follow up my last post, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about a very touching "Contract of Devotion" that was signed by my friend Reyna, her husband Tom and their son Brody. Brody is Tom's stepson but Tom is now being acknowledged as "Dad" since Brody's biological father has not played an active roll in his life. I felt compelled to share this "Contract of Devotion," as Reyna shared it with me (and gave me permission to blog about it). Not only is it a wonderful idea, but is wonderfully written, and despite it's seriousness, it is really damn cute! It brought me to tears because it was created out of genuine love and really demonstrates what a great dad is, and what a family is about...even if the family is a blending of what was at one time two separate families.


Contract of Devotion and Union
October 2008

The following “Contract of Devotion” (COD) shall be considered a Philp Phamily legal document and thereby upon signature, group hug, and kiss, the contract terms shall be adhered to and abided by at all times from this date forward.

Description of Contract

This COD is an agreement between Thomas Philp (Dad) and Broderick Sorensen (Brody) and is intended to affirm the union of Brody and Dad as father and son.

The COD is a sign of devotion, genuine loyalty, commitment and dedication between father and son.

With the approval of Brody’s mother, Reyna Philp (Mom), and at the request of Brody himself, Dad will legally be named as Brody’s father within the Philp Phamily Phoundation and is hereby granted all rights and responsibilities as father.

Although the following terms and conditions have been in place since 2002, the parties involved felt compelled to sanction their devotion and union as father and son.

Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions apply at all times and have been agreed upon by all parties:

Dad Promises the Following to Brody:
Dad promises, at all times, to provide unconditional love, support, affection, hugs, kisses, discipline, advice, and attention to Brody.
Dad promises to attend all school meetings, sporting events, extracurricular activities, science fairs, doctor and dental appointments, and birthday parties of Brody unless there are extenuating circumstances. In the event of an extenuating circumstance, Dad will provide Brody with an explanation ahead of time, if possible, and the explanation will be a good one!
Dad promises to treat Brody, as he has for the last 6 years, with respect, care, and admiration.
Dad promises to continue his bond with Brody and support his needs whenever possible.
Dad promises to teach Brody mechanical skills, rifle skills, tool names and designations, and at least 3 different knot variations and how to treat girls.

Brody Promises the Following to Dad:
Brody promises to obey, respect, love and value Dad.
Brody promises to abide by Dad’s rules at all times.
Brody promises to accept and appreciate all of Dad’s hugs, kisses and “I Love You”s, even when it might be uncomfortable, or embarrassing. A kiss from Brody to Dad, however, is not required to show love and affection, although it would be greatly appreciated and happily accepted.
Brody promises to continue being a good young man, keeping up his grades in school and being an all around good son.
Brody promises to speak kindly and make good choices.


Additional Contract Item
Surname Change Request

At the request of Brody, with the support and authorization of his Mom, Brody would like to use the last name of Dad and from this day forward, Brody will be known as Broderick Philp within the Philp Phamily Phoundation. Brody, at any point, may terminate this portion of the contract.

After a period of time, determined by Brody, he may elect to legalize the Philp surname with the County of Riverside and will notify Dad and Mom of his wishes. Dad and Mom promise to act on Brody’s wishes, when the time arrives.

Termination of Contract Terms

Under the Philp Phamily Phoundation guidelines, this “Contract of Devotion” cannot be terminated at any time. Neither party involved can cease their rights, or the rights of the other party. This contract cannot become null or void at any point, no matter what the circumstances. You are bound by the terms of this contract and unionized as father and son.


See Page 3 for Approvals and Consent.
Approval and Consent

By signing this document, you hereby agree to all the terms and conditions detailed above and agree to communicate with each other, resolve issues as needed, and provide forgiveness if any terms or conditions are not met to your satisfaction.



Signed:__________________________________ Date:___________________
Brody Philp
Son
Stakeholder of the Philp Phamily Phoundation

Signed:_________________________________ Date:___________________
Thomas V. Philp III
Dad
Co-Founder of the Philp Phamily Phoundation


Witness:________________________________ Date:___________________
Reyna Philp
Mom
Co-Founder of the Philp Phamily Phoundation


Witness:________________________________ Date:___________________
Jacob Blackwell
Son
Stakeholder of the Philp Phamily Phoundation


Witness:________________________________ Date:___________________
Cecilia Philp
Daughter
Stakeholder of the Philp Phamily Phoundation


Witness:________________________________ Date:___________________
Xavier Philp
Son
Stakeholder of the Philp Phamily Phoundation

So really, who is not crying? :)

I have never been one to say that I want or need a man to come into my life and be like a second father to my boys...ever...and I don't want or need that at all (in fact the thought of it in my life seems strange); but if someday I get married again, like Reyna did, I imagine that he will be the type of man that would eventually want to sign something like this...and I imagine that my heart would be filled with complete adoration as I know Reyna's is...

Baby Daddy

What can I say about the title of this blog post? I was born and raised...and still live in SoCal...a little rubs off on a girl, you know!? :)
Anyway, one thing that I love about being able to come to "The Other Side" is the fact that I am not sensored. "Three's Company" is for me and my boys. They read it, they laugh at it, we enjoy it. This blog is for me. It's for me to rant about things and talk about whatever I want.

My "baby daddy" [BD] is definitely worth a rant. I'll try not to rant too much...since I do consider it a waste of time, but honestly, sometimes, I just can't help myself.

Yesterday we visited John's Incredible Pizza Company for Brenden's birthday. It was an ABSOLUTE BLAST. We danced in the beach room to fun tunes, ate yummy food, played super fun games, and really just had a great time. Visit "Three's Company" for details. ;)

The party started at 11am....wait I should back up. A couple of weeks before the party I talked to BD about it, invited him and his family, asked if he'd like to help with the expenses, etc. He said he would let me know. Three or more times after that I questioned him about it and always received the same reply. The day before the party he called me and wondered what was up with the party. He told me that he was waiting for his dad to tell him if he would be coming and bringing his family. His dad never called him back about it BTW. Sad. Anyway, he said that he would be there and would bring an ice cream cake. I told him it wasn't necessary since I was making really fancy cupcakes but he said he wanted to so fine, that was great. So, that day he told me he would call me back after 2 and let me know for sure who was coming, etc. He never called me back.

Ok, day of party. We arrived at 10:45am...a tad early to get things situated. BD called at 10:50am and said he was on his way but he didn't know if his wife and child and stepchildren were coming yet. I explained that the party was in 10 minutes, and questioned how he could not know if they were coming. He didn't really give me any details. So I asked him if he was close and he was somewhere still kinda far away. I told him that he was going to miss everything. We hung up. Party started, people ate, presents were opened, Heelys were celebrated, Happy Birthday was sung, fancy cupcakes were consumed, Fun Cards were passed out, kids were playing games. BD called at 1:25pm. He was there. Every guest had gone home already except my sister in law Jay and my sister's boyfriend Greg (and my parents). Ethan and Brenden rushed excitedly to greet their dad. So in he waltzed with his brood. No presents for Brenden. No ice cream cake. They all looked terribly unhappy...all 5 of them. They ate. And played some games. I was ready to go after a while. BD had planned on taking the boys home with him that night but obviously it wasn't going to happen since they only brought one car. At one point, BD came up to me explaining how they were late because of his wife and he had to turn around and go all the way back home to get her and the kids and she would kill him if she found out that he just put $10 each on their fun cards for them and not her kids and he hates her so much and he wants to leave and he is starting school full time in a week and blaaaaaaaaaah blaaaaaaaaaaah blaaaaaaaaaaaaah. The man speaks a language called Excuse. It's all he knows. He plans his life around excuses, and lives by them. In December it will be 10 years since I married him. I KNOW that he knows no other language. My children adore this person. They didn't express any disappointment. Either they are used to it or oblivious. BD asked if they could stay a while and he would leave his wife and the other kids there and bring them home later. Ok. One hour later he was calling, bringing them home.

Now people say that someday my children will realize "the truth" about their dad. I wonder though if they will always look at him adoringly as they do now. (Honestly, as much as I do for Ethan, care for him and love him, he would "choose" his dad over me if given a choice. But that's another blog post!) Really, I wish that I could see them look at him that way and be happy because he is a wonderful father. But I can't. I actually used to think that he was a good dad. And I still know that he genuinely loves the boys. He plays with them and laughs with them and has a good time with them when they are together. But being a dad is about more than that. It's about setting a good example, leading them onto a good path, providing stability, being there at the start of the birthday party, not when it is over...

Joy

My beautiful mom's name is Joy. Yesterday was her birthday. We had a fabulous time at a hot springs spa...just the two of us...and dinner with the fam that night. It was wonderful; massages, jacuzzi, mud, sun and relaxation!

My mom deserved a nice day like that for her birthday. She deserved it because of the remarkable woman that she is. And she doesn't just have the looks either (although people at her job nicknamed her Hollywood and Farrah for a good reason haha). I am not exaggerating when I say that mom has the most beautiful heart and soul of anyone I have ever met. Yes, she is quirky (and seems to get quirkier with each passing year hehe), and yes some her actions are questionable, (too much ice cream for the grand kids if you know what I mean!), but no one I have encountered has even come close to portraying the selflessness that my mom does. No one has ever shown the grace that she does. She doesn't complain...not ever. She doesn't criticize, she doesn't judge. She cares for people in a way I have never seen anyone else care. She is honest, kind and genuine.

The past few years have been hard times for my mom, but she muddles through without thinking of herself. In the toughest times, she thinks of others' needs before her own. She brightens strangers' days and she lights up the room. Even when I try really hard to be a "good" person, I don't compare to her.

Her name is perfect because it describes exactly what she is and what she gives. My mom's heart is joy, her soul is joy, her name is Joy.

Where running takes me.

For me, running started as a way to get in shape. Then, at some point along the way, I started to actually enjoy it. Now, I can't imagine not doing it. While running, I sometimes just sing to myself. Sometimes my mind wanders and I think about men, or work, or movies. Sometimes the only thing I can do is to repeat to myself that I am almost done...and to keep going. Sometimes I think about God. The other day, I was doing my own little Jog-for-God. Is that weird? Anyway, there I was, running up a hill, when I said "Oh God please help me get up this hill!" So then I wondered, is it ok to dedicate a challenging run to God, and then turn around and ask Him to help you do it? hehe :)

It must not have been that bad because He helped me up. And here's what I made it to:

What a difference...

...a weekend makes! This past weekend wasn't spent on the sands of a remote island with an umbrella drink and a cute waiter (dang!) but it was relaxing, fun and refreshing! It was just what I needed! I woke up today with a smile - totally ready for the week. Ok, that sounds kinda cheesy, but it's so true!

It started with my beautiful sister Kellie's birthday on Friday. Big 27! We dined together at the Pope's table...what fun! Here are some pics:

Then there was a party on Friday night! More pics:

Melissa and I did not intend to dress EXACTLY alike either!! :) Kellie was gorgeous and everyone had so much fun!

So then came Saturday! It started with kickboxing. Woohoo! Then I drug my friend Jordana out of bed and we had our nails done, lunch and a movie! After that, since I almost always have a strong urge to be productive, I washed my car! Go me! Finally, Saturday night was spent at a dueling piano bar. At one point we were standing behind the woman that was playing the piano and she said into the mic "I feel like the Supremes with these girls behind me." hehe! It was so much fun! I got a great pick up line that night too. It went like this:

Guy: "You are so cute. I love your dimples."

Me: "I only have one dimple."

Guy: "I love your dimple. Wanna go halves on a baby?"

HAHA! Funny guy!!

You must be thinking that my weekend couldn't have got much better! :) But Sunday was great too! I have been wanting to try a new church and it just so happened that my wonderful, beautiful friend Lavay wanted to go with me! So we went and listened to a nice sermon, then we had breakfast together. Part of the sermon that morning was on fasting. So, at breakfast afterward, we were talking about what we could fast from. :) Lavay said that she should fast from the internet. I wondered what I could fast from. This is how the conversation went:

Me: "I wonder what I can fast from. I don't really want to fast from food."

Lavay: "Well what do you do after work? Do you watch TV?"

Me: "No, I almost never watch TV."

Lavay: "Do you clean?"

Me: "Yes, I usually clean and do stuff like that."

Lavay: "There you go, you can fast from cleaning!"

Both: "Woohoo!!!" :)

So that was a great time. Then later, I took a nap (so unlike me but great!), got new running shoes, and went running to close out the day!

I had such a great weekend that I wasn't even phased when I got a flat tire on Friday (for the third time in a few short months) or when I hit a pole today with my car. I just laughed at myself for being such a dumbass. :)

Now for a great week!

Feeling Sorry?

Am I the only one that has those days where you hate everybody and everything? You know, those days when you overhear people talking and you can't help but roll your eyes because they just sound so shallow, or when someone says something to you and you tell them they're lucky you don't have a rock (because you would throw it at their head)? Those days when you are so busy that you can't stop to eat or use the bathroom even and everyone keeps bugging you about something? Well, that was today for me. Only, as much as I tried and tried to feel sorry for myself, I was consistently reminded that the world does not revolve around me, and that I am incredibly blessed.

A couple examples...It started with someone telling me a story about starving children in Africa....yes someone actually talked to me about this today. So why am I constantly angry at myself for eating badly? How lame I must sound to He who listens to my thoughts.....there goes Erin complaining about eating a brownie again...gees someone give that girl a clue!

Then, in getting dressed to work out, I realized I forgot my sports bras. And, oh, my toe was in such pain from running so much in my old shoes! Whatever was I going to do?! Because it was SO HOT out today I just couldn't bear to run outside, so I went to the indoor gym and it was locked! Boo! Poor me!! Just then, I was told that the teacher was coming to unlock it for the adaptive PE class. The adaptive PE class is for those students with physical or mental disabilities who need to or wish to participate in physical education. SLAP! Again, is someone available to give this girl a clue?

Obviously someone did today, on more than one occassion. Now I just wonder why He goes through so much trouble. Why not just trip me and watch me fall and skin my knees while exclaiming "There! Now you have something to cry about!!"

A Card For My Future Husband

I know, I'm a bit nutty, but I was at my favorite store (Ok yes it was Target) tonight in the greeting card section and I just happened to see the CUTEST card ever!

On the front were two monkeys sitting next to each other in bed. Ok fine, I took a picture so that you woudn't picture two real live monkeys sitting in bed, because I don't think that would be as cute.

So, here's the front:

And the inside said "...and my naughty, naughty little mattress monkey. Happy Birthday"

I swear, I almost bought it to give to my husband...uhhh....if I have one some day. haha

Before I marry someone (if and when), I will first make sure that he is the kind of guy I can give a card like this to (and mean it)...and the kind of guy who will think it is as cute as I do! :)

(Maybe that's why I might have trouble finding a husband hehe!!)

Rough Day

Anyone have days that are just bad?

Well today was one of those for me.
The happy parts are highlighted.

Looked pretty cute today, if I do say so myself.
Got to work early so I could take a long lunch.
Drank coffee.
Worked while thinking of everything but work.
Wandered around aimlessly.
Counted down the minutes to 11:15 so that I could leave for lunch.
Met friend at Yardhouse for lunch.
Ate seared ahi. Yum.
Got gas.
Went back to work.
Worked while thinking of everything but work.
Wandered around aimlessly.
Thought of calling in sick tomorrow.
Talked with coworkers about drinking and making out.
Ate chocolate cake.
Ate mini cinnamon rolls...4 of em.
Ate 1 piece of red licorice. (Why do my coworkers do this to me?)
Wondered why the clock still said 2:15.
Asked for an hour of vacation so I could go running with a coworker at 3:30.
Left work one hour early to go run.
Ran from the office to a nearby mini mountain.
Ran up the mountain.
Ran down the mountain.
Saw a beautiful view and thought of how awesome God is.
Ran back to the office...6 miles total.
Drove home.
Listened to Take My Hand by Dido many times throughout the day (in car, while running). If it's not on my playlist, listen to it here: http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=qpVM_az0Zjw
Stopped for water and a scratcher.
Didn't win.
Got home.
Saw the boys. Congratulated Brenden on his perfect spelling test and SUPER DAY happy note!
Looked at homework.
Helped Ethan with algebraic word problems.
Did dinner.
Did laundry.
Sprayed ants.
Cleaned up ants.
Dumped trash.
Made lunches.
Got sick.
Yes, I can't breathe and I keep sneezing. This is because I thought about calling in sick tomorrow, isn't it!?
Read some blogs.
Drank some Airborne.
Got mad at Brennie for asking me thirty times if he could have airborne too even though I told him no the first time.
Washed Brennie up very quickly.
Hugged the boys.
Wrote this blog while staring at a pile of laundry that needs to be folded.
And I am currently waiting for a phone call from my ex husband so he can tell me which items he sold for our son's fundraiser. The order forms are due tomorrow and I only have one kid's form. This means that he has to tell me each thing that was ordered, and I have to pay for it all. I hope he pays me back.
Brenden just came in and hugged me.

So that's it.
After writing it out, I guess it doesn't look so bad. Ok, it wasn't so bad. It was the thinking and the wandering that got me down. But now to bed and pleasant dreams.

Brown Bag O' Fun

My sister and I live together and we often share clothes. I was washing some clothes tonight when I realized that she may have borrowed the jeans I want to wear tomorrow which meant they may have been in her hamper. I walked into her room and checked. No jeans. Good. But there, sitting on her nighstand, was a brown paper bag, stapled twice on the top, with my name across the front "Erin T."



Whatever could it be?......?........?.........




I love surprises!

God Blessed Me With a Divorce

I know, you probably read the title and followed it with a big "HUH?" Divorces are awful, right?

Well, keep thinking that for a few because I don't have time to write about this right now but I will later tonight. :) Thanks to Trisha for our discussion today because I was reminded again how thankful I am for the hidden blessings in my life.

[Oh, and note to self...don't forget to write the blog about the "stick" mom bought for you - sheesh! :)]

Ok I'm back. So, yes, God blessed me with a divorce.

Some background: My divorce was one of the most difficult things I have ever gone through. I didn't want it. I prayed almost constantly to God for days and days...longer...asking Him to bring my family back together. One night I couldn't stop crying and I couldn't sleep either and I was exhausted. I talked to my ex husband's grandpa Luther on the phone that night and told him what I was going through. He told me to pray. I told him I was. He told me to pray loudly, scream if it made me feel better. So I sat there and practically begged God to help me sleep and to take the horrible thoughts away from my mind, if only for a little while. That is the last thing I remember before waking up the next morning. That prayer was answered.

But others weren't. My marriage ended and I became a single mom. I never thought I would be a single mom. For what was probably more than 6 months, I would just start crying at work. I would cry in the car. I was a complete mess.

Later after my divorce was final, one year after we first separated, I was feeling better. I wasn't feeling like my old pre-divorce self though. I was feeling like my pre-marriage self. I was happy! I was alive! The light was back in me. In noticing this and in talking with those closest to me, I realized how incredibly unhappy I was during my marriage. My sister said it best when she told me that "misery spewed from my pores." I was stuck in a loveless marriage with a person who I resented for so many reasons. And God gave me an out. He didn't answer my prayers.

Thank you God for unanswered prayers!!!!!

I was a poet once...sort of...

Anyone who's ever moved (so everyone) knows what it is like to come across things you haven't seen forever. Last night, as I was looking for something that I thought I had packed in my giant pink suitcase, I pulled out an old photo album full of poems I wrote in high school. I don't even remember packing the album in there, but my bad memory is not the topic of this blog. So anyway, just now I decided to read some of the poems. Instantly, they brought me back to a teen aged, hormone driven love and lust saga that filled quite a few years of my life... Anyway, I have always been quite the "feeler," and as a teenager, everything was intensified. Everything was earth shattering. Everything was dream ending. I was dramatic. Way over-dramatic. But at the time I didn't know it. I just thought I was in love, and in pain, and all of that teen aged hormonal craziness. I also thought I was a pretty good writer at the time but reading these things now only makes me laugh. Here are a few samples:

Life 10-12-94
What can I do in this world of misery, in this world of violence and sin?
What can I be, a glimmer of hope, ever since I was invited in.
When the curtain falls and the laughter dies and the people all go away
When we start to cry and no one asks why, that's when I'll be asked to stay.
I won't be able to leave my sadness, this crazy world of trends,
I'll have to stay and live it out until the carousel ends.
I'll be stuck here with nothing to lose except for maybe my soul,
Cuz here I am all alone, waiting in this hole.
Time goes by and nothing changes but nothing stays the same,
Everyone uses, laughs at and cries in this terrible, ruthless game.

Haaaaa

Please Forgive Me 10-17-94

Please forgive me, Please love me, Please don't leave me, Please want me

Please keep yourself safe, Please keep yourself well

Please be happy, Please don't go to Hell

Please keep me, Please stand above me, Please know I am here

Please help me, Please trust me, Please keep yourself near

Please please me, Please show me, Please run with me there

Please teach me, Please hear me, Please look at me, stare

Please kiss me, Please notice me, Please fuck me, Please care

Please always remember me, Please never forget

Please stay here with me, Please don't leave yet.

HaaaaaHaaaaa

And finally something uplifting...kinda...

Love Yourself (Better Things) 6-28-94

Sing a song, laugh out loud

Show yourself and be proud

Don't hide with masks and things

Take off and fly with imaginative wings

Love yourself, believe in you

Better things will shine through

Don't be judgemental, leave hatred behind

Love everyone, be gentle and kind

Keep on thinking better things

And more than likely that's what tomorrow will bring.

I think that's enough for now, yes? hehe

New Books

There are so many things that I want to write about: my mom, ghosts, my grandma, trail mix, the list does not end.

For now though, as I sit here stuffing my mouth with yogurt almonds, I only want to say that I am really excited about two new books I bought today. The first, "The Invisible Wall," is a memoir written by Harry Bernstein. It takes place during World War I and is "a love story that broke barriers" about a Jewish girl who falls in love with a Christian boy who lives on the other side of the invisible wall in their neighborhood. The second, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," by Betty Smith is one my mom recommended. It is a novel about "a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century." I can't wait to start.

Game, Set, Match

Match, Match, Match...that's what us online daters call Match.com. We are too cool, I guess, to say "dot com" after the word "match". So, yes, I admit it...I did the online dating thing for a little while. It was interesting to say the least. I recently stopped - for now - only because it takes a lot of work and attention and honestly, I'm just not in the mood for that right now. But I will remember my days on Match fondly. I will especially remember the men who were sweet, sincere and charming. Even if I didn't meet these men, I will remember the way they made me feel inside just by being themselves and sharing a piece of that with me. I think an example or two would be helpful here.


We have the men who are very sentimental and sweet...
Example 1:
Hi sweetheart, I read your profile and you seem very interesting to me. I like what you are saying in the profile and I am looking for only one and one girl like you to be my life partner with whom I can stay forever together. I believe in commitment and one day I would like to get married and I have not found beauty with brain like you in my life. Your photos are great too; especially I like your beautiful eyes and nice hair. I like your dress too. I am not looking for quantity; I am looking for the quality girl like you. If you liked my profile please write me back so that we can start communicating.
I have been living here since 8 years by myself and sometimes it gets lonely, now its time to start my own family. I would like to have woman like you in my life.

We also have the comedians...

Example 2 (In response to my naming of my best feature as my hair):
just a note................HAIR ? My dear you don't know us(men) very well!!!!!!! LOL take care

And then we have the nearly speechless...

Example 3:
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do i need to say anymore, but again WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Example 4:
I think I'm in love..........................

As much as receiving emails like these has meant to me, I feel like my head might explode if I have to read another one. Goodbye for now Match.com, may we meet again someday...if you're lucky. :)

Love and Marriage

I used to believe that "anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of your time". Then I had several check-ins with reality and I now wonder if that type of love actually exists.

Today I carpooled to work with my wonderful, beautiful mom. (Post on my amazing mom and the sermon on mercy the other day to come soon). On the way home, she started talking about how my dad was acting yesterday and how she can't stand it. I should say here that my dad is a WONDERFUL dad and all-around good guy. Both of my parents are remarkable people. They have been married for almost thirty years. They love each other...they do...just not the way I want to love my husband someday and for the rest of my life. What I'm saying isn't a secret; I told my mom these very words during the car ride. I asked my mom once if she loved my dad and she told me that she did..."in a spiritual kind of way." What does that mean?! Like, the kind of love that you have to give to your cousin because you are related? That's basically what she meant.

So does the true, mad, deep, passionate love exist? The kind that can last forever? The kind that is so real that it causes the surviving mate to die of a literal broken heart soon after they lose the love of their life? I'd like to believe so. I really want to believe it. Heck, I'd even like to experience it. But will I? I don't know...I doubt it.