The Quiet Life of Violet

Thursday -- Holy Crap!

How is it Thursday already?

I've been lucky enough to have the luxury of just loafing around all week while all of my loved ones are either working at their jobs, working on their new and old businesses, finishing up the school semester (Brother, Sister and cousins!) or healing (my poor Momma broke her arms).

And me?  I've made some phone calls, I went grocery shopping, I napped like a large cat (even though the sun is on vacation), I've almost completed my Christmas shopping and watched movies -- lots and lots of movies. I am so dang lucky. SO lucky. My Sissy never ceases to remind me just how so I am as she's rushing off to one of her two jobs or trying to complete essay after essay. I'm thankful that she serves as a reminder for just how lucky I am and I hope (hope, hope!) that one day, if she'd like, she gets to be a stay at home wife/Mom. (I love you Sissy!)

What's up with this blog? I have two amazing new series that I'm dying to share with you guys, but they're both gunna need a couple more weeks worth of work before I share. I can't WAIT!

Also, I have another  series that I'm thinking of starting and it will have to with diet and healthy eating and will be laced with more practical recipes and tips. I'm still in the brainstorming stages of that one, though.

Oh, also, I now have 24 followers on here! I'm 76 away from achieving my "100 followers goal"  and each time I see that a new person  has joined, I do a little dance, laugh a little laugh and check out their blog.

I've been getting about 350 readers a day which just blows my mind! I know it might not seem like a lot to our more super fantastic bloggers, but I squee like a little girl each time I check and see that I've had a bunch of readers each day!  Teehee!


On the home front, I need to show you guys our Christmas tree, large and in-charge, but we ran out of lights (we've never needed more thant two strings!) and we're having a heck of a time finding another string of yellow mini lights. I think we're gunna try the hardware store  tonight.

I have the mantle all decked out with a garland and pretty beads and bows and twinkle lights that feel like they're gunna give me a seizure at any moment. We've been burning fire-logs and eating peppermint taffy and watching movies at nighttime.  Totally romantic and just what we need!

We also need a new couch, a real couch because this guy is kind of weak-sauce. We're totally scouring Craiglist in hopes of finding a great piece at a good price.

 On the body/mind front, I've decided to just let go and let God. I can only control so many things (even though I'd like to control most everything), so these past few months have been a lesson in just learning to sit back and let go. Let things happen when they're meant to. From cancer to babies to jobs and money, I can only do so much, you know?

I found this awesome quote on a wonderful little blog and though that it was entirely appropriate for what's in my heart.

"I have a lot of faith. But I am also afraid a lot, and have no real certainty about anything. I remembered something Father Tom had told me--that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns."  —
- Anne Lamott (Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith)

May your day be filled with little rays of  light and paw-fuls of peppermint taffy. 

An Anniversary Re-cap (what we didn't tell you)

Dustin and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary on October 24th. Remember?

Things I did not share:

• We cuddled and kissed a lot.
• We had a delicious dinner, like we said we did, but we didn't make it to the drive-in. It was raining, so we decided to head home and watch a few episode of TrueBlood (we're addicted)
• I brought my left-overs home and ate most of them cold before bed.
• We didn't buy each other anything and we were okay with that.
• The best gifts in life are free, like this one that we discovered first thing that morning:

 As of today,we are 3 months and a few days pregnant, due July 3rd.

We hope you have the happiest Christmas weekend.
Don't forget to be thankful for the smallest things in life!

Temporary Blues

I'm feeling really sad today about the baby and the one that hopefully will come to me someday. You never realize (and I've probably said this on here a few times) just how hard having a child can be. Growing up, you don't think, "Oh, I'll lose my first and then try for six month for the second with no avail! How fun it's going to be!"

I'm usually pretty positive and chipper and see the beauty and total wonder in each day, but somedays I feel really down and it's okay. I allow myself to feel the hurt and the pain in hopes that one day I can feel the joy of having my dream come true.

[Isn't this one of the most beautiful covers you've ever heard?]

Hold my hand... pretty please?

Church Tongue

Sunday night, after four hours in the car:

[Leigh-Ann at the wheel. The flattest drive of my life!]

and two three hour flights (plus time waiting in the airport):

I arrived in San Francisco where the love of my whole life was waiting for me. 

 

That was the longest day of travel in my whole life.  Wheeling from one side of an airport to the other with a huge carry-on bag (on the back of my chair), a pair of crutches, a purse and a beluga whale sized laptop is not super easy,  but I'm stubborn and determined to do things by myself.

When I boarded my second (and last) plane, I had a total meltdown. I was hungry and tired and they put me in row 42 of 42. Way in the back. Crutching the length of the plane pissed me off and then my carry-on bag wouldn't fit under my seat and the male stewardess (steward?) told me I had to move it to an overhead bin and I had to, through tears, explain to him that I couldn't move the bag up to the front myself because I have one leg and can't just walk and hold things. I totally snapped at him and bawled for a good five minutes while my seat neighbors sat there awkwardly.

My seat neighbors actually turned out to be so, so  nice. I had (sadly) judged them before we boarded the plane and though to myself, " Wow, that man is SO nerdy. Like, Urkle status." When him and (whom I later found out was) his fiance  sat next to me, I sighed and wished it had been someone a bit less nerdy (hey I was tired! My mind had obviously turned to mush!). In the end, I was lucky to have been put in the back with those two nerds <3. They offered me tissue and almonds and the man cracked the funniest jokes. Half way through my flight, I was smiling and (with the help of a $7 "snack pack") was fed. I apologized to the steward(ess?) for my behaviour and he was SUPER nice to me the rest of the flight home.

After we landed, I loaded up my wheelchair once again and found my way down to the luggage claim where my hunky husband was waiting. I jumped into his arms like a baby koala and I french kissed that boy in public and didn't even care. It wasn't a sloppy french kiss, though.. it was more like... "church tongue."

We rode BART (the Bay Area's metro system) home and then went out to Berkeley and had food at our favorite Mexican place. I laughed at the prices of the food, since meals in Canada are WAY more expensive than they are here at home.

Dustin drove us home. I was beyond tired by that time, so he carried me from the car, threw me in the shower and soaped me up (yeah, baby!) . Nothing like having someone else wash your hair and dry you off.

Home for me is where ever that boy is, so I spent the night in the arms of my home. Couldn't have asked for anything more.

Last Canadian "Supper"

 

Farewell, Canada.

My Canadian family rocks. I love you guys! I'll be back in a bit and hopefully with a baby!

Tomorrow (Sunday) night, the baby-making adventure continues. After 12 long days away from my man, the adventure will be GOOD.

OH YEAH. ;)

Me, Oh My!

 

Leigh-Ann and I have been having a total blast and I can't wait to share all my stories & pictures! Soon, I promise. It's hard to keep up, as the fun filled days keep rolling past us. I love this lady!

Tonight, L.A. and I are having a big dinner with her family and Miss Jill. A "Goodbye" dinner, if you will. Bittersweet!

I fly home on Sunday (tomorrow!) and I'm going to be spending the whole upcoming week blogging, grocery shopping, kissing my love and working on soap stuff.

Life is GRAND, hey? (<-- Canadian lingo alert)