1.31.11

Oh how I love them.

1.30.11

Sick of being sick. Boo.

1.29.11

We celebrated Blake's birthday this afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa Breach. We went to Idaho Pizza and had cupcakes. The kids love spending time with their grandparents and Blakey is LOVING his new fire truck!

1.28.11

I had such a nice surprise in the mailbox when I got home from work yesterday. A very, very kind gift card with a very generous gift card to my favorite restaurant (no idea how they knew) from the Youth Court Board of Directors. They wished me luck in my new job and were very complimentary in the work I had done.

I recently learned my love language is words of affirmation, so this made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

1.27.11

Today I took Blake to the doctor. We have all been feeling terrible lately, especially this week. As suspected, he has an ear infection. They were getting ready to write a prescription for antibiotics - twice a day for 10 days - and I asked nicely if he could PLEASE just have a shot. He is such a pill when it comes to taking medication. He was not happy when he got a BIG shot, but hopefully he will be on his way to feeling better soon. We had to wait for 10 minutes to make sure he didn't have an allergic reaction, he was asleep before we even left the office.

When we got home, he and I took a nice 3 hour nap all curled up in my bed. I think we are both feeling a bit better tonight.

1.26.11

After baths and ready for bed. But did you know ... if you put a boy in Superman PJs, he will think he IS Superman. He will run around the house and be crazy hyper. He will not want to go to bed if you put a boy in Superman PJs.

1.25.11

Oh Bosco. The poor puppy has serious cabin fever. He is a dog, but he thinks he is a kid. He doesn't like to go outside and play by himself, but it is too cold for the kids to go play + they have been sick. So he has moments of immense hyperactivity. Thankfully the good moments outweigh the bad.

1.24.11

We have had some gorgeous sunsets lately. I love seeing all the colors in the sky!

1.23.11

Playing school with Mylie tonight. She loves to be the teacher. I love watching her little fingers write. I just love her.

1.22.11

My sister Courtney just got a steam mop and highly recommended it to me. I'm not going to lie, housekeeping is not my strong point. (Ironically I have to teach a lesson on being a homemaker tomorrow, eeek!) I really dislike mopping. I found a steam mop on sale today and happy day. My floors are cleaner than they have been in a long time.

1.21.11

Got my business cards today. I feel official!

1.20.11

I recently found the game Bubbles on my iPad ... normally I am not a game person but I have a slight obsession here. Love it!

1.19.11

We are party animals I tell you. Many evenings at our house look like this.

1.18.11

Yes, I am publicly admitting that my Christmas tree is still up. *Hides head in shame*

1.17.11

We had such a great day today. We were all off of work/school for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This morning we took the kids to the Discovery Center - both of their favorite thing to do there is play in the grocery store. After the Discovery Center we went to lunch at Cafe Rio.

Then we were off to the mall. I had a birthday gift card to Macy's and some birthday cash burning a hole in my pocket. I scored majorly at Macy's and got 5 new tops and only went $4.94 over my gift card. I also picked up an Apple TV with my birthday cash. Wow, it is so stinkin' awesome! It is just a little box that you hook up to your TV and then you can steam movies from netflix and music directly to your TV. You can also send anything on your iTunes account, i.e. movies, music, podcasts, pictures right to your TV. Technology just amazes me. Yes, I am a geek!

1.16.11

I love that my kids love each other. They really are best friends and play so well together. They have great imaginations. They are playing school here. They have also done a magic show today, played superheros, pretended to camping, and had a play. They make my heart happy.

1.15.11

Last night Melissa treated me to birthday dinner and a birthday crop. I didn't get a ton done, but had a great time just chatting. When the girls were little we usually got together a few times a week. Now if we see each other once every couple months we are doing well. I love that she is as passionate (read obsessed) about scrapbooking as me! This is one (of the two) layouts I was working on last night.

1.14.11

Playing dress up before school. My kiddos are entertaining to say the least!

1.13.11

Myth: College faculty have awesome hours.
Truth: The time I left work tonight. Oh and by the way, I dropped off my kids at daycare at 7:45 this morning.

Inservice week has been so busy, but very informative. I'm jumping in not only as full time faculty, but also as the program head for criminal justice. I think once I get my bearings, it might slow down a bit.

Oh, but the best news I heard at work today ... I literally can do my Ph.D for 90% off!!!! Wowzers!

1.12.11

Happy 35th birthday to me.

1.11.11

Between inservice sessions I have been working on getting settled into my new office. Well, its a cubicle, but that is OK. That cubicle is 11 miles from my house.

1.10.11

"Why yes, you can call me Professor!" 2 days before my 35st birthday, I start my dream job as a full time college faculty!

1.9.11

9 days until the semester begins. A good many evening hours of my life are spent in front of the computer getting ready!

1.8.11

Jeff sporting some hot 3D glasses. The kids went to Grandma and Grandpa Breach's for the afternoon and we went to lunch and to see the third Narnia movie. I love going to the movies with my man!

1.7.11

On my agenda today was cleaning out my office in Emmett. Along with that meant lots of talking and having lunch with Janelle. I love this woman, seriously. I first met Janelle in February of 1999, when she interviewed and subsequently hired me as a juvenile probation officer. She became my boss, my mentor, my friend, and my confidant.

Janelle truly knows me and knows most details of my life over the last 12 years. In fact, she knew Jeff before I did. Today our conversation ran the gamut. We talked about work - both of ours. We talked about kids - both of ours. We talked about family, we talked about husbands. We talked about her grandkids. We don't just talk, we sit in the office with the door closed and cry kind of talk.

I feel so lucky to have her in my life and count her among my closest friends.

1.6.11

New friends. It feels like a long time since I have made new friends. I don't really have a lot of superficial friendships, when I am friends with someone it is an all or nothing thing. I have many acquaintances, but my friends are the ones that I can be myself around, that I can talk candidly to,who can see my quirks and still want to be my friend.

I was lucky enough to become friends with Leslie and Karen last semester. First we were cubicle buddies, then we became lunch buddies, and now we are stay-up-late-crafting-talking-about-life buddies. I think we will be buddies for a long time!

1.5.11

Rocking the cell phone camera today. Dinner date with the fam at Costco tonight. Hard to beat a $10.32 dinner with my favorite people!

1.4.11

Big sigh. I have spent a good chunk of the afternoon cleaning out my office at work. In 6 days I start my dream job. And as excited as I am, I am more emotional than I thought about leaving Youth Court. This is the job I took when Mylie was born. I left probation so I could work part-time after having her. And for the past 6 years, this is what I have done. And so as excited I am to start on Monday, I really feel like I am leaving behind this phase of my life. The part of my life when I was a mom with young kids. Mylie and Blake were both born during this job. They came to the office with me when they were babies. I have pictures stuck up all over the office that Mylie has colored.

But now Mylie and Blake are growing up . Today I also gave away all my baby stuff. And even though I love our little family of four and am completely content with my kiddos ... the physical act of handing over swings and exersaucers and strollers seems to give such finality to that portion of my life.

Big sigh again. Back to sorting, filing, purging, and getting ready to pass this program to a new director.

1.3.11

35 months old today ... one month until my baby is 3! A quick cell phone camera snap tonight at Carl's Jr. He got a new haircut yesterday, I think it made him taller!

1.2.11

A quick shot before church to show off her new pierced ears. She's looking older than 6 to me.

1.1.11