Huh, who'd a thunk it...

WRITER'S WORKSHOP PROMPT:
LIST 10 THINGS BLOGGING HAS TAUGHT YOU...

1) If you take yourself or others too seriously, you probably shouldn’t blog.
But having said that...

2) The lyrics from the Anna Nalick song, Breathe…

And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to.

…are so true in blogland. I feel like I’m running around nakey far too often.

3) Blogs really do make great journals. Sometimes I read through my archives and think, “I’m so glad I recorded that moment.” And if I ever get my blog printed into book form I know it will become a cherished family heirloom.

4) I’m a lame friend because I tend to be a drive-by blogger, taking a peek from the car window without getting out to say hello. Comments are nice. Comments cause warm fuzzies. I NEED TO COMMENT MORE.

5) There is always more to learn, and bloggers are the best, most generous teachers.

6) Creativity is a divine characteristic that resides in each and every one of us.

7) It is a small world after all and blogging has helped me reconnect with family and friends and has introduced me to many fabulous new ones. Love it.

8) Feelings of inadequacy and an overall doubt in my true value are intensified by blogging and are something I must fight everyday. Hate that.

9) The human spirit can be awe inspiring and reading about the strength of others helps me to keep fighting everyday. Love people.

10) “You can learn to walk tall by looking up to those that are ‘taller’ than you are.” Is a statement that I find to be very true in the blogsphere.

And bonus #11 (as much as I hate to admit it) I really do love blogging and will probably (no matter how hard I try) never be able to give it up.

So here's to many more years together my blogging friends--I LUV YA.
Thanks for stopping by.

Now stop by Mama Kat's for more writer's workshop fun (or better yet, join in. You know you want to).

I'm a picker...

(everything in this picture (minus the smallest suitcase that belonged to Rick's grandpa), from the dresser to the painting was found at yard sales or thrift stores. Love it.)

I got stuck watching American Pickers and Pawn Stars on the History channel last night. I say got stuck because they kept showing episode after episode and I stayed up way to late. The hubs said, "Um, don't you need your sleep when you're sick?" Well yeah, but it's American Pickers.

I love that show because I'm a bit of a picker myself. I mean as much as you can be when you live in the west. Man if I could only take a trip back east where the real history and STUFF are. Oh the stuff I could find in the east (I'm drooling a little). My sis-in-law (a fine picker herself) is from Pennsylvania and said I could tag along with her when she goes there for a visit this summer. She says we could rent a U-haul to haul back all of our stuff. Can you imagine (I'm drooling a little more). But I think I'm too big of a chicken to drive a U-haul cross country by myself (Hey Larisa do you want to come with us and drive the U-haul back? Larisa, my sister, is the woman. Not afraid of anything).

Paige, my clone, was watching with me last night-- because of all of my children she has inherited my love for treasure hunting the very most. She and I are die hard. Die hard I tell you. We could hunt all day. And someday we are going to take a trip alone together and do just that. We will hit yard sales and thrift stores to our little hearts content and no one will stop us with their complaints of being hungry or tired or bored. It will be FABULOUS.

I told Paige that someday she and I would become professional pickers and open a store together. Because you know what they say...

...take what you love and figure out a way to make money doing it.

But for now I need to figure out what to put inside of the awesome new (old) birdcage my sis-in-law helped me find over spring break.

Any ideas?

I'm so done...

Oh why Jeanette, why? Why would you post a picture of yourself with tissue stuffed up your nose, WHY?

Well the answer is twofold.

#1) With this picture I can prove to my friend Brenda that I am not in reality as "beautiful" as she thinks I am (if you ever want to receive really, really nice compliments, become friends with Bren) in truth I'm just an average gal who cleans up nicely for pictures every so often.

And

#2) This is how I've been walking around for a week now so why not show it on my blog too.

I'm sick of blowing my nose people. It's red and raw and I can't breathe or talk right and it's just not fun. That's all.

I went to the doctor last week and he said that I am a very sick young lady (young lady, he-he) apparently just days away from being put into the hospital for a serious kidney infection. Huh, who knew?

Because of this I didn't know how I would be able to teach my church class yesterday. But I remembered that when I was called to be a teacher I had been given a blessing of health so that I would be able to teach. So I carried on, knowing that all would be fine. And wouldn't you know, IT WAS.

All symptoms of my illness cleared up just in time for me to teach my class. I didn't have to blow my nose once the entire time (man was it nice to be able to breathe again). Then the minute I was done (like Cinderella at midnight) my illness returned and I've been back to feeling crummy and blowing my nose ever since.

God lives,
And He is a God of miracles.

Believe it.


On Words today:
Hey, I think I can do this...

Yes I Can...

WRITER'S WORKSHOP PROMPT:

“I need all the help I can get and if repeating something healthy and inspiring to myself several times a day helps, then I’m going to do it!” -What affirmation makes you feel better? WELL THINK OF ONE.

***********
I love daily affirmations. Love them. The power of positive thinking is where it's at baby. I even have this lovely affirmation board (made from magazine clippings) hanging up in my room. Love it.



It has all kinds of handy tidbits posted on it to get my mind going in the right direction. I've thought about doing a separate blog post for each item I have on my board, explaining why I picked it and how it helps me, and I think I will do that someday, but for today's post I'll focus on one of my favorites. It says "You'll need 15 minutes".

I love this little affirmation because I tend to allow myself to feel a bit overwhelmed from time to time. My daily "to-do" list can knock the life right out of me if I let it. But for some reason this simple phrase helps me to put things into perspective, take a deep breath, and get a goin' on my tasks at hand. Because most jobs really do only take an average of 15 minutes after all, and I can handle 15 minutes by golly.

And my handy dandy timer, that hooks to my belt loop, turns the whole process into a fun little game that I love because I'm a dork like that. So fun.

Yes, I loves me an affirmation.

How 'bout you?

Got any good ones?

And speaking of Landon...

The other day Landon was giving me a hard time for being on facebook (he hates facebook), something I RARELY do, and he announced:

"It's okay if my [future] wife has a checkered past. If she made mistakes along the way I can forgive that, but SHE HAS TO BE A FACEBOOK VIRGIN. I'm not going to marry any woman who would waste her time on facebook."

"Good luck with that." I told him.

He might be single for awhile.

Better than I could have imagined...

I mentioned in an earlier post that my favorite song when I was a little girl was, "When I Grow Up I Want to be a Mother." I loved it because it was true, I did want to be a mother. I couldn't wait to get my babies here. And so I didn't wait. Four months after Rick and I were married we were pregnant and on our way to making my dreams come true.

And it has been a dream. Everything I thought it would be and so much more. And when Landon, my first born, was ordained an Elder in church yesterday I thought I would float away from the great swelling in my chest. I am the mother of a man. A man who has lived his life in such a way that he now desires to spend the next two years of his life serving his Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.

My favorite song spoke of cookies, milk, yellow balloons, bedtime stories and singing pretty tunes, but it didn't mention the joy I would experience in watching my children grow into responsible, caring adults with personal convictions and testimonies of their own. Loving on my babies has been bliss, but as they grow it only gets better and better.

What a nice surprise.
.

P.S. Sorry to our family members who couldn't share in Landon's day yesterday, we thought he was going to be ordained next week.

The piggies are going to market...

My feet have been very happy this week. Wearing flip-flops is their greatest joy. And it's finally been warm enough to do so. Woo-hoo!

When I tried to wear them during our anniversary escapade to the valley of the sun last month it ended up being the valley of the cold and my husband dared to say to me, "If your feet were covered you'd be warm." Oh no sir--no, no. You cannot speak such words to me in my valley home. Flip-flops are the official footwear of the valley of the SUN, it's not my fault the weather betrayed me, my feet will not be contained when they escape the mountain. No they will not.

And now with spring time in the air they don't have to be contained ON the mountain either. Woo-hoo!

Well that is until today when the clouds decided to roll in again. What the heck? This isn't Forks clouds, this is Arizona. Ar-i-zon-a go away clouds, GO A-WAY (I met a lady last night from Oregon. She's almost 50 and has no wrinkles because of the lack of sun there. So I guess there's something to be said for clouds, but as I am a desert rat and have already been way too exposed to the elements to ever hope to avoid mass amounts of wrinkles, I say GIVE ME SUNSHINE).

But there's always tomorrow. Tomorrow the forecast looks promising for a happy shoe free (and or flip-flop) day. Woo-hoo again!

Guess it's time for a pedicure. My toes are looking kind of chippy.

P.S. I actually will never get a pedicure. Can't do it. But I'll save that for another post.

P.P.S. My right foot is still bigger than my left foot after the great piano bench fall of 2009. Crazy.



Over on Words for this day:
What joy this sentence gives...

The time has come...

WRITER'S WORKSHOP PROMPT:
When do you first imagine yourself wishing you were older or bigger? Write about it.



I don’t remember wishing I were older or bigger as a kid. I did have a favorite song that said, “When I grow up I want to be a mother, one little, two little, three little babies of my own…” I loved that song and couldn’t wait for it to come true, but other than that I think I was pretty content just being a kid.

But now? Now I can say that I’m ready to feel like a grown up. At the fabulous age of 40 (and it is fabulous) I’m ready to quit playing the mind games that have worked to hold me back, and really OWN MY LIFE. I want to own it people. I want to walk with strength and boldness. I want to be large and in charge with a grown up swagger in my step. I’m ready. I really am (shoot, I’m not even sad that it’s time for me to pick up a pair of those snazzy reading glasses (when you have to move small labels back and forth in a trombone like fashion to read them that’s what that means right? Reading glasses?) I say bring it on baby. Bring it on.) I’m ready to be older and bigger (mentally, spiritually and emotionally speaking that is).

Yes, you can refer to me as Ms. Jeanette from now on because I am a grown-up lady person. Unless of course the Femmes come on the radio, at which time I will quickly revert back to being “Miss Jackson if you’re nasty” (an inside joke) and dance my inner teenaged stepchild heart out.

I just can’t help myself.

.
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Lets be friends...
over on Words for this day

I wouldn't have it any other way...

Don't even try to tell me that boys and girls are the same. I won't believe you. Because, although Waylon and Jamie are playing together here, Jamie chose a family of barbies who lived in a cozy cottage, while Waylon's peeps were action figures who lived in some sort of super hero tower something or other (I don't know what to call that thing). It was fun to listen to them play. Jamie's barbies would come to visit their action hero neighbors only to be met, then chased away by a very grumpy Hulk.

And later when Jamie tried to join Waylon in playing with his action figures I heard him tell her in disgust, "Jamie Hulk does not Grrr. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, making him Grrr. That's so dumb."

But soon Jamie had turned the game to where one of the action figures became Hulk's teenaged daughter (who had to dress like a boy because her father was the Hulk). "But Dad I haven't had my super jumping powers very long." She whined. "You have to take it easy on me."

Yep, boys and girls are definitely different.
And I'm so glad they are.



Today on Words for this day:
Okay, I'll try...

Revealing...

I did it. I finally did it.
To find out what I finally did
Click my new button




Hope you like it.

Look out for Lead foot Lolita...

I had plans to post last night. To reveal the "big reveal" that I promised earlier this week. I also had plans (sealed with a wink and a smile) to spend time with the hubs last night after I finished my "big reveal" post. But instead I sat down on my bed and promptly fell asleep. No warning. In my clothes. And that's how I stayed. All night. Sleeping. In my clothes (jacket and everything). This picture was taken of me this morning and those who saw me at a candle party last night can verify that those are indeed the clothes that I was wearing. Sad.

I then thought I would get my "big reveal" post written this morning, but oh no, I don't have time because I had to waste a chunk of my morning getting pulled over for going TWO miles over the speed limit (well the cop said two OR three, but whatever). I don't lie. TWO (or three) miles and he pulls me over. And had he given me a ticket for my grandma-esque lead foot I would have come home, gotten on this here blog 'o mine and CURSED the small town life. Cursed and spit and snarled at it (because where else would one get pulled over for a two (or three) mile offense than in a small town? Where?) but since he only gave me a warning I'm back to saying it's aight.

So now I must announce that the big reveal will be revealed next week. Hopefully Monday.
Hope-ful-ly. yeesh.

Pure joy...

WRITER'S WORKSHOP PROMPT:

Write a Haiku that describes what you love about an ordinary day (typically a Haiku is supposed to be about nature, but this is what I love most about an ordinary day so here we go).




His day begins mine
In the shadow of my boy
My senses renewed

And that's a wrap...

Bye-bye Birdie, I'm glad to see you go (the real words are "we hate to see you go" but after hearing it 42 thousand times and taking about that many trips into town for practices then performances, I can't really say that I hate to see it go. Sorry I just can't).

Watching the girls in their high school performance of the play however was SO MUCH FUN. The entire cast did an amazing job (this town is chuck full 'o musical talent).

And my girls were adorable up there I tell you

A-DOR-A-BLE!

And as equally adorable is the fact that Miss Jamie fell in love with Conrad Birdie (an Elvis type character) and is now the proud owner of two (one from each cast) autographed photos of the lads who played him (she was shaking while they signed them) CUTE.

So excited...

I've been working with my amazing blog designer Mary over at Blog Rock on a new project that I'm so excited about! Stay tuned this week for the big reveal. Can't wait.
In the meantime you should seriously go check Mary out by clicking on this here button




She can rock your blog like nobody's business I'm telling you (and her prices rock too). Her designs are sure to blow you over with goosebumps, tears and giddy, gooey goodness. At least that's what they do to me. Especially the new one that I will reveal later this week.
Happy dance
Happy dance
Happy dance
Time!

Hmm...

(I don't know what to write about. But here's a cute picture of Waylon and Lily for your enjoyment)

Writer's Workshop Prompts:
I posted all of the prompts this week because I can't decide which one to write about. Hmm...

1.) You’re so vain. You probably think this post is about you…don’t you?

This one could be fun if it wasn't for the fact that I've decided to be very careful about what stories I tell from now on for this very reason. I don't want people thinking I'm talking about them. I don't want to misrepresent myself or anyone else, so I guess this one's out.

2.) Tell us about your trip!

This is the prompt I should pick because I just got back from an amazing trip to my precious Valley of the Sun (it was cold again--boo) where I attended a writer's conference. FABULOUS. I had the best time there, loved EVERYTHING about it, and learned SO MUCH. Yes I did. Of course I didn't take a camera because I'm lame like that, but I did get a copy of "These is my Words" signed by author Nancy Turner, got two books in the "Far World Series" signed by author J. Scott Savage and got my copy of "Wings" signed by Aprilynne Pike. Fun. These three authors also taught me a great deal during their presentations (Nancy Turner was my favorite) along with a fascinating class about learning to use the subconscious mind taught by counselor, Helen Bair. I'll share more about that after I finish reading her book (also a signed copy) LOVE.

3.) A difficult conversation.

I've had many difficult conversations in my life. I shudder now just thinking about them, but I'm thinking I'd better refrain from sharing anything that I might regret in the morning (even if they would make great stories). I will tell you though, that one of the most difficult conversations I have had is when my brother-in-law called to tell me that my father-in-law had died. "Dad's dead." He told me.
"What?!?!?!"
I now know why we are told to sit down before receiving news like this because I literally fell to the ground.
Difficult.

4.) Can you almost stop time with your words? Write about the fastest ride you ever had, but describe only a few seconds of it…as though it was happening in slow motion.(writingfix.com)

I don't think I can write about this one at all. I hate fast rides. HATE THEM. When forced on one, the entire ride feels like slow motion to me. Slow, TORTUROUS, motion that will never, ever end. Yuck.

5.) Who blind-sided you? Write about a time someone caught you totally off guard.(writingfix.com)

For this one, refer to my answer to prompt 3. So not fun.

So what do you think I should write on?
Oh wait, it looks like I'm done.
Good enough.

Really?

I'm sorry to say that I watched the last episode of The Bachelor tonight. All THREE sick, twisted and horribly sappy hours of it.

I'm also sorry to say that some of my kids were in the same room with me while I watched it (my bad). Jamie said, "His lips must be really dirty after kissing all of those girls." Yes Jamie, dirty, nasty, disgusting--STAY AWAY FROM BOYS LIKE THAT!

And when they made Tenley sit through the whole painful breakup again, in front of an audience during the after show, I heard Paige lament, "This is like the hunger games!"

That show's more barf inducing than my high school yearbooks.

Sad.