i have been tagged by Shellibells to give 7 random facts about myself. I am not Chuck Norris, but I would like to be, so here goes.

1. My favorite smells are cinnamon, cherry and coconut. My least favorite is vanilla or musky smells. Please note this if you are my husband and are buying me shaving cream. I HATE VANILLA.

2. I played the flute up until my freshman year of high school. I quit the band and my mother was so upset. It was just not my thing. I was pretty good, from what I understand. Oh well.

3. My grandparents took me to Disney World when I was 7, and I remember very little about it. The biggest thiing I remember was that Epcot was being built, and my grandma bought me a stuffed "Lady" from Lady and the Tramp.

4. I had an uncle who biked the state of Iowa, and to this day that remains one of my biggest things on my 'to do' list. Although I'd prefer a different state, Iowa is completely boring (but flat!).

5. I never once got drunk in high school. I had alcohol but was so frigging nervous about it all I never got drunk. Of course, my freshman year of college, all bets were off!

6. Mystic Tans do not take on my skin. I'm one of those people. It just doesn't.

7. I really, really do believe 2009 is going to be a year of change.

OK, well I'm supposed to tag 7 people, but I don't even think 7 people read my blog, so just enjoy knowing a little more about me!

long week

it's been a very, very long few weeks. I think I am not the only one, from what I've read. My laptop crashed, so LP had to fix it and he's stored ALL of my pictures somewhere I cannot find. Therefore, I can't finish the 2008 roundup. Which really, is pretty irrevelant now, since it's the middle of January.

Al had the spelling bee last week, and she froze up on the word 'exercise' and spelled it 'excercise'. She said she would have rather done the spelling bee in front of a billion strangers, as opposed to 300 kids from her own school. Sadly, door #1 was not an option.

LP was out of town last week and we were so busy, it went quickly and I was so tired from it all,I actually slept instead of being up all night like I usually am when he goes out of town. NOW, however, it's almost 1 a.m. and here I am, awake. I blame mexican food for that.

Mo peed through her diaper last week during Mass during the Homily, alllll over my leg. Appropriately, the Homily was about Baptism.

that's all I've got, next week is Rug's birthday and if I get around to finding those pics, I may finish up 2008 and put it to rest.

Have a good one folks,

Yesterday I was gearing up to rock the house with our New Year's Eve party so I was unable to blog the Say Qua Year in Review.

Also, I was working.

But today, the first day of 2009, I had to wake up early to share the post with you that pretty much equates to a bad Christmas card newsletter.

Oh, and I have to work(blast my job that I work from home and in my jammies...oh no wait, I love my job, nevermind. Plus...holiday pay today, BONUS).

Last night we had friends over, played "Partini" (which was fun but...totally read the directions prior to starting the game. Total buzzkill: a blonde like me deciphering how to play a game while everyone is waiting) and then something my friend dubbed the Michigan game, which ended up the biggest winner and reducing all of us to tears from laughing so hard. In a nutshell: No expectations = Great time. I've always known that. Plus, have good friends, that helps, too.

on with the sheeeewwwwwww.......

JANUARY:



And you are already reading someone else's blog. i know, "Shit, Jana, al-freaking-ready with the Disney? Enough I say!" Well too bad. This was an unexpected trip to The Happiest Place on Earth. We could not have had more fun if we tried. The weather was iffy some days, but this was a case of High expectations = Disney can always deliver.

For all you anti-Disneyites:



Rug also turned 8, and I rocked the Mom world by surprising her with tickets to the Disney Pirate & Princess party. (see how I snuck that in?) Also her aunt made her a Wheel of Wow Cake, for those sans kids, is a Webkinz reference and if you know not of Webkinz, be ever so grateful.

FEBRUARY:



Clearly February 08 was one of the less exciting around here, as this is the only pic I have in my 02/08 folder. The girls went to see the Jonas Brothers. I do recall my 11 year anniversary as far less exciting than the year before (but Vegas was the year before, again, expectations) thus one of the least favorite, I was sick and we ate sushi at home and it just pretty much sucked. Expectations for this year will be high! (but note, already we have a soccer tourney that weekend, so guess who is getting to eat her anniversary dinner at an indoor soccer facility? Oh yeah!) (oh yeah...but seriously 11 years is pretty kickass though ya know? That's as old as my oldest daughter! Oh wait, never mind.).

MARCH:



New Year's resolution: To keep better tabs on what occurs Feb-April. I'm at a loss. Also, LP just came down insisting he ate something bad, he's been puking. Yeah, you ate something called 35 years of birthday cake and drinking ain't what it used ta be! Hello?!!?! He drank Crown Royal out of his "Pimp King" glass all night last night, that doesn't equate to good feelings the next day, duh!

Anyhoo...this is Rug's 1st Communion and she was so beautiful and sweet that day. Rug is my 'tough exterior' kind of girl and as her mom I love to see her at tender and more vulnerable moments. So sweet.

APRIL:



Ah shoot looking at the pics made me realize...let's go back to March. My aunt died and I took the girls to Dixon, IL to her funeral...that was a lot of dramz for my mother...and then of course, LP bought his new car that month. Big points on the Say Qua scale, and I'm totally glossing over them. That's what happens when you drink Blue Moons all night before (note to LP: I stuck with beer. It's a better way to go).



Only pic in my April file. I could actually go back to my blog posts and find out what happened in April but that would take effort. I'm not about effort. I'm hanging a bit today, folks. Perhaps next year. Or this year, whatever.

I do recall two out of town soccer tournaments this month...one at which LP almost got arrested for verbally accosting an angry soccer Dad. Karma ruled over and we won the game, but I'm sure that guy weaves tales of how he almost got punched in the face by a guy that sort of looks like "Dante" from the movie "Clerks".

MAY:

Can be summed up by this cute girl (the one in the red, not the other one!):



So fun. Zoo runs, Pere Marquette, hiking, playing, going to camp with Al, roller coasters, May had it all. I wish May could represent the entire year of 2008.



JUNE: Just we started hard core looking for houses. We had looked for awhile in 2007, but were ready to have another go at it. Lots of house hunting. i fell in love with HGTV. We had a lot of soccer drama this month, it was tryouts and there are still a few relationships from that we have yet to recover. So sad when soccer dictates your life and all the hurt you allow it to cause. I love soccer but it certainly isn't worth what some others put into it.

Al left me for a week to go to camp and people I was MIS-RUH-BULL. She tells me now she knows there was 'no way we missed her as much as she missed us'. Whatever kid. I went fetal without her. So glad she had fun though. Oh, and I ran out of gas in LP's new car on the way to pick her up. That's a story for the future son-in-laws. Another reason I can only be thankful LP continues to put up with me.



Al also has a "Mystery Sleepover Party" that rocked the tween set and resulted in the BEST Picture Of The Year:



JULY:

Madness begins. We put a bid on our present house 07/11/08. Put our old house up for sale I think 07/16. Sells the first day FULL PRICE. Then inspections and guess what...we have radon. No go. 35 showings in all, I wake up every day and say a 'thank you' prayer I am done with all of that! ugh the cleaning and the leaving and the showings and the hope and...July was a LONG month. (insert me singing "Roller Coaster!" here)

So exhausting:


AUGUST:

Still trying to sell the house. Ah, first week of the month and my boss informs me they are cutting my salary in half. Good times. I took this picture that day to remember how Mo was the only one who could cheer me up that day:



After that we took a trip to Holiday World and much to the wonderful technology that is the iPhone, i got a new job and corresponded with them via the iPhone as I was in line to ride the scariest roller coaster I've ever been on (the Voyage). Mo had so much fun and the German restaurant we ate at twice still remains the Official Worst Service Ever for a Restaurant but We Don't Care Cuz the Food is just That Good.




Ah heck. I have to continue later. I spent all this time organizing these pictures when we bought this new laptop and they are just completely out of whack, and it's giving my OCD a run for its money. Plus the Blue Moon headache has emerged from my ibuprofen eclipse, so i will finish later. Sorry to keep you waiting.