16 days!

I threw an idea at my best friend, CJ yesterday. I was wanting to surprise her, but I needed her input. I want to make shirts for Black Friday. Hers would be green and mine would be purple, since that's our favorite colors, and it would say something clever on the front and then say "Black Friday 2011" on the back. We finally figured up all the years, and this year is our 5 year.... anniversary? Is that what you would call it? An anniversary? Well....that's what I'm going to call it since I can't come up with a better word. If you have a better word, leave it in the comments for me. 5 years. Wow..... its hard to believe. We've come a long way since that first year. We wasn't at all prepared on our first year. We didn't know what to expect. Huge lines, angry people, snow, rain, 3 hour waits, no sleep, getting lost in the crowd... we enjoy every single second of it now. I am more prepared this year. I have planned much better this time. I have pictures of the things I'm going to buy, that way I can just show CJ what to be on the lookout for instead of saying something like, "Can you help me find a VTech activity ball or the Loving Family Dollhouse rooms... I still need the parents room and try to find the van too." Pictures are much better. It helps me too.
The countdown is ON....16 days until we go shopping!
I am taking a vacation next week. Nothing special, I just need to take it or I lose it. I have next week, Black Friday and the entire week after Christmas scheduled off. Saves me on day care too. I do still have to pay for Lilly even though she's not going to be there. I was upset at first, but the front desk lady explained that the day care keeps the kids on snow days and early outs without charging extra. Not such a big deal anymore. I was putting that money back for Christmas, but Lilly is cheaper at the Y than Zach is. Oh, I also have this Friday off. Its Veteran's Day here and its a Federal holiday, so I stay home in hopes of sleeping in and probably visiting my great-grandpa's grave. He was a veteran and it would have been his birthday as well. I usually pick up my grandma and we take him flowers and sing him Happy Birthday. I won't have Lilly this year though.
I had a weird dream last night, in the short time I actually slept. A guy that I went to high school with and have kept in contact with in real life was in my dream. He wrote some kind of speech and I was going to read it in front of a bunch of people but the speech was horrible and I was booed off the stage. I ran to my house in into my bedroom, but it was my bedroom from the house I lived in when I was 13. There was also a dog somewhere in there and cold coffee as well. I remember Lilly running off with my coffee toward the end of my dream, but by then I was at my grandma's house. Weird.

Did You Feel It?

Yes, it happened, so let's just go ahead and talk about it. Yesterday there was a 5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia, USA and felt from miles around. I felt it here in West Virginia. I was in a training class and all of a sudden, the building started shaking and popping. At first we though it was a strong wind just swaying the building until the boss guy went in his office and said that there was no wind. Then we thought one of the chemical plants had an explosion. West Virginia is full of chemical plants. I was getting ready to text hubby since he works at the one closest to my work when someone from outside the room yelled that it was an earthquake. The buildings around us began to evacuate. We learned it was centered in Virginia and I started freaking out. My bff lives in Virginia. If I felt what I felt being this far away, I'd hate to know what happened where she was, right in the middle of it all.

I started calling her, it went straight to voicemail. I tried again, same thing. I tried about ten more times before I tried her boyfriend. He didn't answer either. Then, the intercom came on for us to evacuate. My boss was out at a doctor's appointment, so I sent her a text to tell her what was going on. I kept trying to call my bff and her boyfriend. I didn't know if maybe the phone lines were down or maybe if there was just so many calls going in and out that I just wasn't getting through. I finally gave up and called her mom. She didn't know there was an earthquake so she started freaking out. She said she was going to try to get a hold of her too. Finally after about 20 minutes, she called me back and said that my bff and her cousin got a hold of her cousin's mom and they were ok. Knowing that, I called my mom to see if she felt anything. Mom said she thought she was getting dizzy and that was it. She didn't know what really happened.

After an hour we were let back in. My bff's mom called me again and said that she got a hold of my bff and that she was still trying to call me. It took me about another 10 tries, but I got her.

My bff and her cousin were out shopping when it started. She said that stuff started falling off the shelves and then the shelves started wobbling. She grabbed her cousin and ran out of the store and by that time it had quit. She's ok, and that's all that matters. She was a little shook up and afraid to drive for a while.

So, that's my experience. I spent most of my time worried about my bff since she was right in the middle of it all. I heard last night that the tremors were felt all the way up in Canada.

I was reading some stuff on it yesterday and I saw some comments from people on the West Coast, in California. Now, I want you guys to understand, that here on the East Coast, stuff like this just doesn't happen. We are use to tornados, hurricanes, and stuff like that, but when the earth moves from under us, that's completely different. Yes, we were freaking out. Yes, it was the first time most of us felt anything like that. We just aren't prepared for earthquakes over here. It doesn't happen, not like this anyway.

I do think that some people are blowing this way out of proportion though. No one got hurt and no buildings fell over. It was different, but now lets focus on the next problem. Hurricane Irene. She's coming. Now over here in good ol' WV, we will probably only get some strong winds and a good storm, but nothing like they are going to get in the Carolinas.

So, here's my awesome thing of the day and I think I even used it before, but it applies here as well~ **getting news that someone you know is just fine after a natural disaster hits near them**

Same ol' same ol'

Working with Zach on Friday was a bit of a challenge. I had to leave early cuz it was becoming almost impossible to get anything done. I worked while he slept, and his naps are only half an hour long. He played a bit, but quickly became bored with tummy time. Yesterday he sat up by himself.

 My hand is right there behind him in case he falls. He was sitting up for a long time. A bit wobbly, but he's getting it.

Saturday I finally got to get out to see a movie. We saw the 3rd Transformers in 3D. I liked the movies, but I wasn't all that impressed with the 3D. It was my first 3D movie and I was under the impression that it was way better than that. That's what I get for expecting things.

My bff rode her first **roller coaster** Saturday. She said it was ok, but didn't see the big deal about them. Funny cuz that's how I felt when I rode my first one 3 years ago.

Today is National Cheer Up The Lonely Day and National Blueberry Muffin Day. Maybe you could cheer up the lonely with a blueberry muffin.

I get Lilly back today. She will be at my grandma's all week. In the mornings, I gotta take Zach to the Y and then Lilly to grandma...who lives past where I work. Then, I gotta go out of my way again to pick her up and hurry to the Y to get Zach before they start charging me a late fee.

My bff is coming in this weekend and we can't really hang out again. I was wanting to go bowling with her, but I'm going to have both kids while hubby is out of town for a bachelor party. He always gets to get away and have all the fun. I can't remember a time when I got to go have fun with my bff while he had the kids. Um... never. I haven't seen her since February and that was only for 5 minutes. I didn't get to see her the last time she came in cuz both our schedules were pretty full. It was Mother's Day weekend. Maybe one of these days I'll get to go out. I doubt it, but I can keep my fingers crossed. If Zach was a bit older, it'd be a bit different cuz he could throw a bowling ball too. Lilly loves to bowl. I don't know. I think he should watch the kids every once in a while so I can go out since he always gets to go do things. Its kind of frustrating. I hardly have any kind of adult interaction anymore. Hubby's never home, I don't really talk to anyone here at work and my best friend lives miles and miles away. Getting out to see a movie was great, but I don't see us doing that again anytime soon. I hate to say it...but I need a break. I'm going crazy. I need some girl time.

Feelin' the love

My **kids** are my world. My kids are my everything. My kids are my life. Without them, its hard to tell where I would be in life right now. If I hadn't gotten pregnant with Lilly when I did, I wouldn't have had to get that job at the gas station and I probably wouldn't have met hubby, since he was a frequent customer there. If it wasn't for my kids, my life wouldn't have as much smiles or laughter. If I hadn't gotten pregnant with Zach when I did, I probably would have jumped at any opportunity to get another job, and lost it by now. If it wasn't for my kids, I wouldn't be complete.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hug and kiss both of them (unless Lilly's with her father, its kind of hard to do then). There isn't a moment in any given day that I don't think of them. I frequently scroll through past photos I've taken and I'm always taking new ones. I talk about them constantly and they are even in my dreams. I knew throughout my younger years that I wanted to be a mother and that I was going to be great at it, but I didn't realize that I would have such wonderful kids and love them this much.

I love their songs, their stories, their smiles, their laughs, their hugs, their kisses, even when they are whiney. Between my kids and my husband, I am one of the luckiest women in the world. Yes, there are times of frustration, but that's just life. I love and adore my family more than words could ever express.

 

 

I am also grateful and forever in debt to my best friend. Yes, my husband is also my best friend, but I'm talking about my bestest best girl-friend. The one who knows me better than I know myself. The one who I can talk with for hours about absolutely nothing. Lara on http://www.1000awesomethings.com/ has been enlightening me on all kinds of national days, so I decided to look up National Best Friend Day.... and it turns out I have missed it. June 8 was the day. So, I wanna talk about my bff now. We met in first grade, but didn't really become friends until 7th grade when we both had a crush on the same guy. This girl knows me inside and out. She knows my secrets, my fears, my dreams.... she knows the REAL me and still loves me. We've been through so much together and we still stand strong. So, since I didn't give an awesome thing some day this week here's my second one for this post **best friends** Without them we'd be complaining to no one about our jobs or significant others. Without them we'd be shopping alone. Who else can we call up at 3 am just to talk? Who else would drive miles to see you? (ok...your mom doesn't count here) Now, we've had our fights and didn't talk for a while. We've been angry with each other and we still get on each others nerve every now and then. I can tell when I'm bugging her cuz she'll call me grouchy or something along those lines. Unfortunately my bff is hours away and we hardly get to see each other. I haven't seen her since February, but we talk almost everyday. Three cheers for best friends!

Mother's Day just days away

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there and to everyone's mom too! Day care gave me some flowers in a pot. They drew flowers on the pot, too, with Zach's fingers as the petals. Its cute and its on proudly displayed on my desk for all to see.
Just this morning, I made cards for my step dad's birthday and mother's day cards for my mom, both my grandmas and hubby's mom. I put a picture of the kids on the front and instead of signing their names, I'm going to have them put their hand print inside. I don't know if I have any paint at the house. I might go out at lunch and see if I can find any at the mall.

Lilly's game went great. She did really well, I was so proud. Hubby's mom finally got to come to see Lilly play, but hubby missed this one...he had a meeting. Her father, his girlfriend and their kid came. They always come. I do wish they'd go stand on the other side or something. They are just so loud and distracting and they don't even watch the game, or Lilly. Zach was good, until it was time to leave. It got cold outside and he was all cuddled up against maw maw in his jacket and wrapped in a blanket and when we put him down in his cold car seat, he started screaming.

Today is 50's day at school for Lilly and she looks so cute. She's got on her black skirt with a pink poodle on it, a white t-shirt, a black and purple checkered scarf. They are dancing at 9:00. I couldn't go watch. Maybe next time.

Tomorrow, we venture out to see my mom and grandma's. I'm going with both kids, by myself. Its over an hour long drive to get to my mom's mom's house. I don't think I'll be driving to my mom's house. I'll tell her to meet me at Maw's. Mom lives on the same road as grandma, but half an hour past... on the gravel, then the dirt, up a big hill, over a rickety wooden bridge, up another dirt road/hill... I don't really want to make that drive with Zach just yet. There's no where to pull over if he needs something. I don't know yet. Also going to visit my step-dad. Ok, my second ex step dad. His birthday is today. He's 45 today.

My bff is also coming in today, but I can't figure out when I'm going to have time to see her. She won't get in until about 7 or so tonight, tomorrow my day is full from the time we wake up 'til way past Lilly's bedtime and Sunday I'm going to be busy also. I haven't seen her since February and that was only for 5 minutes. I mostly wanted her to see Zach and she did. I just wish there was more time. If she would have come in last night or even this morning, we could have spent today together. I could have taken the day off to hang out. My boss would understand. As a matter of fact, my boss took today off to go visit her mom. I'm sure a lot of people in my office are taking the day off. Today was the day that I was suppose to be able to try to reapply for a loan for a house, but this week has been so rushed, I haven't even had time to get the information together. I'm going to try to do it tonight and apply on Monday. It'll be the best Mother's Day gift if we do get approved...and then get a house by our anniversary...oh, that would be awesome! Cross your fingers for me!!!!