our first family photo at the house....

Mothers Day

I'm laying in bed...sipping on my protein drink...the smell of bacon is wafting down the stairs and into my nostrils.

This is nice. Relaxing. Lovely.

I hope your mothers day is as fantastic!

Happy Mommies Day!!!!!

Our New House

The Front!!!

From the Left

From the Right

The Backyard

The Back

Al and I....Excited! (really really excited) lol!

UPDATE!!!!!!

Someone ate the damn potatoes and carrots....so I settled for the baby food (peach cobbler).

Ate half of a teeny jar and felt like I had just eaten a Thanksgiving dinner...plus desserts.

Niiiiice......LOL!

9 Days Out....

Soooooo....

I'm 9 days out from surgery. Down 15 lbs.

It's been an...interesting...week.

Surgery scared the heck out of me. I kept thinking "Great! I'm going to DIE over elective surgery." What a nightmare! But I didn't die. Albeit my supposed 1 hour in recovery stretched into near 5. *I knew I should've mentioned to the surgeon I REAAAALLY like the recovery room!*

Spent a couple nights in the hospital. Not fun. I can never sleep in a hospital. I sure as heck wasn't hungry while there. I was in too much PAIN!!!!

Came home Wednesday. OUCH!!!!! I slept most of the day....and stayed on LOTSA pain meds.

The weekend was full of team parties and emotional breakdowns. Without the pain there was plenty of room for the realization that i really really really like food. ((surprise surprise)) And i was ever so slightly sad that I can't have any right now.

So now...here I sit. I think I'll go puree some potatoes and carrots from last nights roast. Maybe I'll even add some gravy. YUM! lol! Not the heathiest choice, I know. But right this second, I'm not feeling the baby food I have up in the cabinet. Go figure...

I'll keep you posted. and maybe...just maybe...it'll be a little more exciting next time!

The Folks Are Gone

sad...i miss them. it was a wonderful week and i had tons of fun! after years of being away it was great to have the in-laws all to ourselves for a while!

they left today...and i miss them already. but not to worry...mom will be here friday! a little more one on one time.

Barbie Dream House...

We finalized at the showroom yesterday....

Which means we should break ground about mid-April!!!!!

YAY!!!!!

Look Ma! I'm A Big Kid Now!!!

I am, quite frankly, a BIG GIRL! Not a "pull-ups" big kid either, just a BIG GIRL! I don’t recall ever being small, although old photos bear witness to the fact that I was indeed a quite normal size. Yet somehow in my mind I was convinced I was overweight...which led to my eating more (odd how that happens "I'm fat, better eat more! Wouldn't want to lose this girlish figure!" )

Regardless, I ate. And then I started having babies which led to the "YAY! Eating for two!" Thought process. Very sane, I assure you!

It was a nightmare rollercoaster. Eat more, get bigger, become depressed because I'm fat, eat more. UGH!!!!!

In February of 2002 my doctor recommended surgery, which I declined. Partly because I was moving to Japan , where I would not have the resources to correct anything that might go wrong long term, and partly because I honestly was convinced I could lose the weight on my own. (silly, silly me!)

I did indeed lose some weight overseas. I was active. Not marathon active, but I got out during the day and lived my life. I certainly didn't shed buckets of fat, but I lost a few pounds and felt tons better.

Then in the summer of 2006 I decided to make my move! I paid for a personal trainer and began my weight-loss regimen. Up at O'dark 30 for an hour workout with my trainer (hard core, I might add, he was a former marine!), followed by an hour of cardio at the gym, and then an hour of weight training in the afternoon. All this along with eating low calorie foods every 3 hours and the pounds FLEW off!!!! But who has 3 hours a day to commit to the gym?

That lasted 3 months, at which point I thought I would die from the intensity of it all, so I quit. Not slowed down, not backed off, QUIT!

Wrong, wrong move. For a while my weight stayed off (a while being 2 months) and then it began to sneak back. a little here, a little there. "No reason to turn down that mega plate of curry and rice!", "What's that? A binge fest at the garlic restaurant? Count me in!" And before I knew it I had packed every single pound back on

I felt horrible! Not just emotionally, but physically. Never had I realized the effects of carrying around all these extra pounds! I longed for the freedom of all that lost energy! Of being able to play football and baseball with my kids! Of living my LIFE! And I missed it, so when I moved back to the states in July of 07 I decided to sit down and have a heart to heart with my doctor.

She told me that I most certainly qualified for surgery (as evidenced by my HUGE ASS!!!!) So I went to see the surgeon in December and he started me on what this hospital calls "The Pathway", a series of classes to prepare one for life AFTER surgery.

I finished my pathway in January and then had my psychological evaluation in February (somehow I fooled them into thinking I was sane!). And NOW I finally have an appointment to schedule laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery! March 25th I should know a bit more.

Meanwhile I am working on convincing myself that I don't have to eat everything in sight. It isn’t as if I'll NEVER be able to eat again. It's a difficult hurdle to pass I assure you, but I'm trying!

I pray that I have learned from past failures. I am thankful for all the support of family and friends. And I very much look forward to living my life to the very fullest!

Oh...and most certainly to saying good-bye to my BIG GIRL status!

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness (and all that jazz)...

Being a stay-at-home mom isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Don't get me wrong...I'm more than thankful for the time that it allows me to vacuum, fold clothes, wash dishes, and scrub toilets (really, who wouldn't be. eh hem!). But the reality is, there is only so much cleaning one can do before it pretty much just stays that way.

So when I've found I can no longer scrape the innards of the microwave or re-arrange the junk drawer, I wander the house aimlessly until a book catches my eye. This is where my problems begin...

Pick up a book...*yawn*...pull the covers up to my chin (because I'm frezzing)...*yawn*...read a chapter...*yawn*...adjust m position so not to feel so terribly sleepy...*yawn*...*SNORE*

It's a nightmare! I sit on my derriere and stare into nothingness until I pass out!

And now I'm having the weirdest dreams! Buying groceries for my friends parents. Being proposed to (by my husband!). Finding myself locked in a nursery at church with a thousand screaming kids (which we all know by my last blog i have no interest in what-so-ever). I am slowly losing my mind.

And to top it all off I spend far more time online than any human I know. I've literally dedicated myself to finding new bands to love. Although this is an interesting venture...it too gets old.

I'm BORED!!!! I need a hobby. I should go to the gym. HAHAHA!!! ohhh HAHAHA!!! HEHEHOHOHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Now THAT was amusing!!!

Home Grown...

This is what I've learned about other peoples kids...

They are annoying.

It isn't so much that they are brats (although some are). Just that they weren't raised in my home...and thus don't play by my rules. It's wearing.

"Don't touch the ornaments on the tree."
"Don't play in the formal living room."
"Don't get up from the table until you're finished eating."
"Don't ride the dog."

I swear...the little things you take for granted about your own children.

Mine might not be spectacular...but they know how to live in my home...and that is just fine by me!!

Hanging on my tree...

Recieved a box from my momma. In it was an ornament that has hung on my grandmothers tree for...forever. A little white glass mitten with my name & birthdate on it.

Kinda made me sad.

I think my grandparents should climb in that humungo RV I've heard so much about and come see me.

Because really...what fun is it to have a rolling mansion if you can't use it to see your eldest granddaughter?

That...and getting all of these little trinkets from thier house makes me feel like they are gone. This is NOT a good way to feel!!!

*eh hem* Case...in...Point!!!

In a Matter of Days...

It's snowing.
The house is warm.
And in a matter of days my entire family will be on winter vacation.

I'm so excited! We aren't taking any trips or doing anything particularly special. I'm simply thrilled at the prospect of driving around to see Christmas lights, staying up late to watch holiday movies, and getting some things done around the house.

Okay, okay...so it might not be all that exciting...but I'll take it!

boredom & randomness...

This is my very random....very stimulating....nay, make that my GRIPPING....blog.

Today i was complimented by a dirty ol man. And i blushed (kinda sorta).

This amused me....but not as much as it amused him.

((it's not cosmo...but it'll do))

THE END.

YAY!

i love love love my new hair!!!!!

Strange....

Something is wrong. I can't put my finger on it. The air just feels all misshapen.

Do you ever have those moments? The ones where you question everything because you aren't sure what to question. Where you sit...quietly...and await the possibility of a storm you can't see.

The music sounds a little softer...the smiles a little further off...and your breath a bit more shallow.

So here I am...waiting...wondering...and a little scared.

Funny haha??

Funny Story....

A few weeks ago I was at the doctor's office with A & K. As we sat patiently in the packed waiting room we heard the nurse call a name...

"RANDI HORE"

WHAT!!!!!

A looked at me wide eyed and we all busted out laughing. Red and teary eyed we were snorting and doubled over. It was hilarious!!!!

How could they mess up my name so colossally??? Randi Whore?? Terrible.

When from the corner of my eye I see a woman...stand...look at us...and walk over to the nurse.

NO! It was her name! haha!

Still we continued laughing. I'm certain the woman assumed we were laughing at her name...when in reality we were laughing because we thought the nurse has mispronounced mine.

We suck! LOL!

(Ok...so it wasn't a spectacular story...but it was SOMETHING! *teehee*)

WOOT WOOT!!

FYI...Just received a call from General Surgery.

My first appointment is 8 November.

FINALLY!!!!

THAT'S IT!!!

I HAVE HAD IT!!! I once again awoke to garbage strewn throughout my beautiful home...and everything smelling absolutely rancid!

Someone had left the door to the laundry room open this morning, which gave Sumo just enough time to scatter the remnants of yesterdays fridge cleaning from one end of my living room to the other. GRRRRR!!!!!!!

At any rate, it was the straw that broke the proverbial "camels back". I decided then and there that this would be the morning Sumo made his way to the POUND. I had indeed had enough.

So I jumped in the van, with Sumo at my side, and off he went. With a kiss and a wave I was rid of this daily pain in my arse. Of course I was sad. And yes...I missed him ever so slightly the very moment I drove away. But I reminded myself of the damage he had already caused to the yard...to the porch...to the door...to the chairs. I remembered all the times he has managed to seriously injure himself escaping from kennels...garages...bedrooms...vans...and planes because of his debilitating separation anxiety. Sumo needs a home where the occupants are rarely away. He needs constant attention and I simply cannot provide that. Sumo would be fine...just fine.

Now...this really should be the end of my story...but unfortunately it is not. Doest this surprise thee? *sigh*

After work I called my mother, my husband, Kim and Tofu. I shared with each of them my news. "It's definitely for the best" they all told me. They understand his destructiveness.

The kids were not so thrilled. 'A' yelled, ALOT. 'T' was upset...but told me she was going to pray about it. The boys all said they would miss him but understood (they are good about that). and 'M' told me she would keep the photos of her beloved dog. Good...they would cope. *whew* This was going well!

Too well.....

Dinner time. 'T' came to me visibly broken hearted and bawling. Someone else would adopt her dog, she told me. Someone who wasn't her. My heart ached. I am a wretched mother. How could I do this to my babies? How would I ever look them in the eyes again? I hate me.

"I need gas," I told the kids as I snatched my van keys, "I'll be back in a few."

The entire drive I struggled with myself. 'This really is for the best...Sumo is better off...WE are better off.' Maybe Sumo was long gone. Maybe I wouldn't even have the opportunity to get him back. No such luck...there he sat waiting, as if he knew I would return for him." I gave him a hug...put him in the van...and drove home.

The kids were thrilled to say the very least. We bathed Sumo (strike that...I bathed Sumo), towel dried and then blow dried him, brushed his fur and his teeth, and fed him his favorite doggy treats. After all of which I decided...if this dog was to stay with us some things would definitely have to change.

Off to the computer!!! I researched dog training & separation anxiety. Found reputable training facilities in Tacoma and filled out a detailed application for entry into a program that looked promising.

I feel ridiculous. Especially after the lengthy discussion with Tofu as to how I considered it frivolous to pay a small fortune to keep any animal. That I would never ever be one of "those people". Yet, here I am, prepping to pay upwards of $100.00 an hour to help this mutt with his psychological issues. I think I'm the one that needs mental help.

I'm an idiot...but I'm an idiot with a dog.

Mother of the Year...

...that's me!!!

This morning I awoke at 6am as usual. I readied the children for school and hurried them off to the bus with lunch money and kisses.

Afterward I showered, dressed, made coffee, fed the dog, and picked up the house. I sent a text to my husband while doing my make-up and ordered concert tickets for two weeks from now. Then after putting the dog on the chain I locked the front and back doors and headed off to work.

*sigh* Monday morning.

Work was fairly relaxed for a Monday. Not too busy, not too stressed. 10-2, an easy 4 hours. A good day!

2:00...time to clock out. But as I stand at the register I realize the kids had a half day AND I LOCKED THE DOORS!!!!!!!

Oh my! They've been home since 11:00 locked out of the house...in the rain. WHAT HAVE I DONE??

I rush home to my empty house, my empty yard. The kids were at the neighbors. However they hadn't been there the entire time. Apparently, they had sat on the front porch for the first hour. B. had to go 'number two' so badly he was in tears...and finally he went, in the back yard!!! Poor guy!

I apologized profusely...hugged each of my babies (not so much babies anymore), and took them to McDonald's. My attempt at an apology.

Oh...and I cleaned up the yard!

I carry briefcase...

OK, not literally...but my current purse is a small briefcase looking thing that is supposed to hold cigars. However, when I first laid eyes on it...I knew it was meant to hold my keys.

I have an insane collection of purses. Red, brown, green, white, and black. Cloth, knitted, leather, metal, wooden, and plastic. Small, large, ginormous, and minuscule. Cigar box purses, lunch box purses, Chinese take-out purses, and licence plate purses. Everything from $9.99 to $190.00

Al often jokes with his friends that I have a massive trunk filled with purses. Only it isn't a joke....it sits at the foot of my bed.

People ask me why I have so many. I think perhaps its the simple fact that no matter how much weight I gain...or lose...I never have to give them up. Even shoes have their limit, but purses...never. That and they are just so dang cute!!!

My next purse purchase? An album cover purse I fell in love with in Kansas. There is, on the other hand, the sexiest little Bettie Page Fender purse. Ohhhh the possibilities!!!!