Ocean-Front Property in....

Arizona!!!
Well, of course it's not ocean front, but it is Tucson, AZ. Josh Sent his resume out last Wednesday, he recieved a reply on Friday that they wanted to interview him on Monday, and he accepted their offer. So, here it is Thursday, and I have only just sat down to tell you all this now because Josh needs to be there Monday morning (yes, this coming up Monday) and he's leaving early Saturday. This means that we have been calmy taking care of things like: pack his stuff, get a hitch on the truck, run wires for the hitch, nevermind! the wires are already there, where are those certificates? where are you going to stay? Mommy I want to go too, do you need more of this? measure the truck interior for the tool box, maybe we don't need a uhaul after all, more socks without holes, you can't go in that shirt, what are we going to do without you?!

Like I said, we are very calm about all this. But totally excited, too!!

Yes, Josh is leaving me, but I'm following in a couple months. After he gets himself established at work, and finds us a place, and after my transfer goes through (great not to have to quit and start over!) Dallas and I should be following round about end-of-June-beginning-of-July-ish. I'm getting ready, saving boxes from work and making lists of what I can do without right now and can easily pack away. For instance, I've already told Josh I'll be packing the dishes up and using paper and plastic instead. Dallas is helping by seperating his toys so we don't have to take them all with us. So many things to do!

Chris and Laurie have been a huge, enormous, gigantic help. All of Josh's truck-work and traveling assistance has come from them, I really don't know what I'd do if they hadn't been coming home this week. I can't imagine going through this without them. They've also given me plenty of talk-throughs about how it'll be over soon, and I'll see him again in just a short while; I am gratefully soaking it in because I'll need to be dishing it back out to Dallas in just a few more days.
Sarah is also a great help, offering her emotional support for when I have my really bad days and can't take it anymore. (I've already promised her that I'll end up at her house about a week after he's gone and sit at her table and cry over a dish of ice cream.) I am so grateful I'll have her to lean on during this; her advice and experience in the husband-away-working trial, and sister-ly hug whenever I need it will pull me up so I can be the best Mommy to Dallas, and most supportive wife for Josh. Sisters really are amazing friends.

I'm beginning to get teary about the whole thing, so I need to go focus on something completely inconsiquential...like which pair of flip flops I need to leave out of the box...

Tiers

One of these is not a tiered cake, not really. It's just a half sheet cut up and stacked. It's different because wedding cake, or tiered cake is defined by coming with the various items that make it so very pretty and elegant to display; and also by not being able to get it in anything except white cake (leastwise at Wal-Mart).

This other "stacked" cake is easier, and yet more difficult. Although it does not require the severe amount of smoothing that a wedding cake undergoes, it is intense in detail, and rather exhausting to make.
So, this is my first wedding cake (yes, I have only just been entrusted with one of them), and a stacked cake that Maria can do in her sleep, and is her contribution this time. The tiers are actually each two cakes stacked on top of each other. The colors are silver and black, and while not very pretty, maybe, are very striking together and make a nice setting.

Okay, here it is. LaNita has finally put up a post. No, pigs aren't flying....and no, H*ll didn't freeze over. Yes, I did just finally get up off my tush and do it.

Starting with the top and moving down in no particular order are some of the fun folks I work with at Wal-Mart. Not all of them were happy to have their picture taken, so I apologize for any bluriness in the photos.

This is Sue; she works in the back and processes all of the packages that come through via UPS or FedEx. she's super nice and calls everyone sugar.

This here was a stroke of luck. I had no idea that all of them were in here at the same time. Starting from the left is AM Lorenzo, Casey, Personel manager Sally, and Ebony. They do work hard, don't they?

Door Greeter Malinda is next and she is probably Dallas's favorite person. He always insists on stopping to give her a hug, and of course get a sticker.

Alice in HBA, relaxing in the break-room, playing a game on her brand new iphone.

Melissa is my next-door neighbor over in the deli. She is always willing to come over and "see" what cake we're working on, although she usually manages to walk away with a little bit of frosting having magically made it onto her fingers.

The handsome fella is Mike in produce on our other side. He wears this sweatshirt and hat every single day and his favorite pastime is to leave rubber snakes in the bakery for us to find.

This is also Mike in produce. Usually specified by being called Big Mike, being as he's...you guessed it, Big!Jennifer was kinda stressed when i caught her, she isn't usually this grumpy looking. But she has a wicked sense of humor; unfortunately we don't get to see all that often anymore because she was moved from deli to manager, and her new duties keep her pretty busy.


The rest of these are of some of my cakes. I meant to take more, but everytime I thought about it, I'd already written a name on it, and I didn't want any problems with that kinda thing.
So here's the several pictures of some of my work. Next time I'll get a good cake in, one that is more than borders and writing.

On a more familial note, Josh is still working his business, enjoying all the challenges that it brings, and glorying in the expansions we've managed in the last month or so. Dallas is growing up, if not out, and we're seeing more sock at the end of his pants than we used to. He's also learning at his father's knee. I mean it literally, as Josh is using some of his spare time to teach Dallas to drive. Yes, Josh is actually in control of the pedals, but Dallas can now successfully steer from Aunt Sarah's house to ours, with Josh only applying the gas and the brake. Complete and correct turns are executed with verbal explanations of which way he is turning and how far there is to go, both during the day and at night. Not long now, and he'll be legal to do it, too.

Mmmm, well, dinner calls my name, and my Bug is anxious to play outside afterwards,

Comp-Fixits

Josh here!
I have started a small business called Comp-Fixits. It is a computer repair business based out of our home. Computer technology is not only constantly changing, but also requires constant upgrading to keep up with the new technologies. Just when you think you have the latest, it is already obsolete. No matter how good the system there are always wrinkles needing ironed out, and sometimes Geek Squad just doesn't know enough (never mind that they charge exorbitant prices).
Check out my website and see how I can help you today!
www.comp-fixits.com

We have also pasted the link on the sidebar for future reference.

Father's Day

To all the Dads, Grandpas, and Almost-Dads....
Happy Father's Day!!

This year for Father's day, I decided that Josh's usual gift of computer games (his first choice) or tools (his second), Dallas and I would find a way to make him something that is ultimately useless, and at the same time priceless. So, I Googled.
I found a great craft that was not only easy, but also could be continually expanded for as long as we have kids and pictures. Or until he has too many.
Anyway, we made these out of the flat bottomed clear marbles, magnet buttons, and all those pictures I haven't found a way to use because I'm a lousy photographer.
First, I made the little picture magnets, and then made a collage of Josh and Dallas together, backing it with magnets as well.
(By the way, they are all magnetic because Josh can take them to work and stick them to his giant toolbox for showing off.)
Each of the little pictures was more trouble than I thought they would be, mostly because I'm not used to cutting things that are that small.
The best part about it all was that we managed to keep it from Josh entirely, he expected tools or some-such, so it was even more satisfying.

Been a While...

...And I am sorry. Here's a little update.

First, going back, this is Josh's birthday cake, which we shared with Sarah, Eddie, Josilyn, Isaiah, and Joey. I made it myself

Next, we have Dallas sitting in the bathtub. Notice how the water is nearly over the edge.

Lastly, we have my budding garden. I'm really excited about it, because last year it didn't bloom hardly at all. But this year we bought a huge load of manure and I was very generous with it in my garden beds. So, after several days of rain, then some hot, humid days, here it is, practically jumping up from the earth.

As for the rest of our lives...Josh and I are still working hard and Dallas is growing like a little weed. We had a yard sale this weekend and while we were setting up, Dallas ran around one of the tables and smacked his head and cut his eye.

I also completed one of my projects: painting a texture color over my white walls. I used a pale brown, and I think it looks nice. Although my friend, Sarah, told me it looks like Dallas painted the walls with mud. Either way, it looks a lot less stark.

Today, while I was on my lunch break, Josh called me, asking where I was. When I told him I was in the break room, he told me he'd see me in a minute. He showed up very soon afterward, and pleasantly embarrassed me in front of the entire room by giving me a dozen roses and a kiss, saying "Happy Mother's Day". Every guy in there chuckled, and every woman cooed. After he left, Malinda patted my hand and told me I was very blessed. I truly am.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Mother's Day.

Name That Month

Okay!
What month has 31 days, nice breezes, lots of sun, and 80 degrees all day?
Huh? Anyone?

It's MARCH!! Yeah, March--the perpetually windy month has us loaded down with heat bad enough to wish for an air conditioner.
On the bright side, my windows have been open for three days straight.

alsfinewmgkvidwoni

That mess of a title is merely the incomprehensible culmination of all my frustration over the last couple of weeks. It's the same story of politics and evil bosses....anyway, we finally got another cake decorator who will take the load off me on the weekends. Speaking of which, my evil boss has also finally given me Sundays off. I haven't had a Sunday off for....about 10 months. Yikes! So now that I have it back, I'm going back to church, because the monthly visit from my Visiting Teachers just isn't enough. I would have gone back last Sunday, but I ended up with the 24 hour bug and Josh had to call in since I spent the day worshiping the Porcelain God.
But enough about me! Dallas is still growing fast and his vocabulary grown apace. His latest is Josh's personal name for him: Goober Butt. Only, coming from Dallas, it sounds more like "Gyuber Bot"; it's very cute. He also demands, after being picked up from daycare, to be taken home. Or to Wal-Mart, depending on whether or not he got a nap.
Any who, my timer is about to go off for dinner and I am starving. Ciao!

Lotsa happenens

Alright, I know my blogging has actually been getting worse over the last few weeks, but I'm so wiped out anymore.
To start: Dallas started daycare last week. I know, it's awful, sending my baby away. But the good news with it is that I got the cake decorating job (finally)!! Because of the change in job code, my schedule has to change (6-3) and with Josh going to work at 2:45, that means Dallas needs watching. We've been meaning to get him into some kind of care that would give him more social interaction, so this was just an excuse. He loves it there! He's only in for four hours a day, three days a week, so it isn't like he never sees us, but during those four hours he plays with kids his age, eats lunch that someone other than Mommy or Grandma makes, and learns more about his letters, numbers, and going potty.
OH!! Going potty! Dallas has started telling us when he needs to go. He isn't dead-on yet, often wet, but whenever he says he has to go, he does acutally go. It's great!
Josh's work is changing too. Several leads/managers have either stepped down or been "let go" and with new management coming in Josh might lose his weekends off; we'll just have to see what happens.
That's pretty much it....yup, I'm done.
Love you all!!!

Pictures past and the Latest

Oh, the things I need to catch up on. I can't remember everything but I'll try to hit the high points.
The following photos are from one day to the next. My lovely yard here covered in leaves in the late afternoon sun. Followed the next day by high winds and hail the size of a nickel. Dallas was not impressed with the noise it brought, but was very interested in the actual hail.

Pictured here, we have my drafty wall. A project gone into the "procrastination box", that we have finally finished the wonderful aide of my in-laws. We wouldn't have got it done without them. The long pieces of wood in the background are the trim for around the door...no, they aren't up yet (sigh).

Midnight....hot peach cobbler and ice cream. Oh yeah.

My newly arranged living room, notice how much space there actually is in there?

Work for both Josh and I goes on like usual. Dallas, however, is changing even as I write. His new favorite movies are 101 Dalmatians and Finding Nemo, and we're starting to potty train. He has the concept down, we just need to work on making it there every time. He loves to sit on the potty and will tell me several times in five minutes that he needs to go, then pees as soon as we leave the bathroom. Uphill battle, but we will win.

The Christmas presents under the tree are very tempting to this little boy, and I've caught him trying to open several of them. But his true passion is for.....cleaning. Yes, a little boy loves to clean. He has one of those vacuums, and he runs around the house cleaning up his crumby messes, wiping wet messes with paper towels, and making sure his plate goes into the dishwasher.

My brilliant child has actually discovered an new place to clean. I wasn't surprised to hear him say "go potty!", and so I told him to go ahead I'd be there in a minute. I can already see you shaking your head and laughing. Dallas decided that he wasn't going to sit on the toilet...instead he scrubbed it.....with my toothbrush. Yes, I swear, true story! I walked in and he was wrist deep in toilet water scrubbing for all he was worth. Needless to say a bath followed shortly, and my toothbrush is in the dumpster.

Well, we are all ready for Christmas, including our candy, which is also nearly gone. I'm looking forward to a very happy Christmas morning. This year we're doing something special. Josh's grandparents have to winter in Arizona because they can't handle the cold, so they've been unable to participate in Christmas for several years now. This year, just before they left, Josh and I gifted them with a digital picture frame. We loaded lots of pictures into it for them to enjoy and show off. For Christmas, though, we bought an 8 GB SD card that we're going to fill with pictures and videos of our Christmas morning. Sarah and Eddie and mom and dad are also preparing their cameras to help take up space on the card to give them a gift they haven't had in quite some time: a chance to see and be a part of Christmas with their only grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Blessings on your homes and lives this coming year.

I love you all!

Veteran's Day

Belatedly, I've realized that today is Veteran's Day. I feel like a complete idiot.
So, I would like to say thank you to all the veteran's out there; to the husbands, daddies and brothers who have served, are serving, or have died in the defense of our country. To all the mothers, daughters, wives and sisters of those men. Thank you to every man and woman who has stood for our country with honor and love and pride.
God bless America
God bless our troops

Great Big Long Sigh.......

....of relief. It is finally my day off again. Normally, I feel a sense of relief, not just because I've been working all week, but because I can sleep in until....7:30, and so I can spend quiet mornings with Dallas (yes, I do realize that was an oxymoron). But today the relief is tempered by back pain and extremely sore feet that a long hot bath did nothing to soothe yesterday.
I won't bore you with the politics of it all, but here's the short version. I do the donuts, R. does the baking, J. and D. and K. take turns doing the sales floor, and C. decorates the cakes. For the last two days J. and D. have been on their regular days off, really not a big deal. But K. was stung by a bee and had an allergic reaction, so she called in. For two days R. and I did our own jobs plus the sales floor, plus the freight we had to throw (putting away the frozen stuff we get), plus throwing away some out dates and reducing others. It may not sound like too much extra work, but our sales floor doesn't end at produce; no no, we also had 'spy's in the aisles and aisle 1 (we stock snack cakes there). Again, the long a short of it is that R. and I both have a lot of overtime now that we have to shave off before the end of the week. We have to go home early over the next few days in order to even out the overtime so the company doesn't have to pay us the extra money. It's called unapproved overtime, and even though we had to do it in order to finish everything that needed doing, if we don't shave it off, we'll get a coaching. I think it would be easier if they just paid us for our time and gave us a "Well done", or a "Good job".
Anyway, now I'm home. I can relax, eat a decent breakfast, contemplate dinner (as opposed to rushing to get it done), and snuggle in bed with my hubby.

Cowboy up!

To fully enjoy Halloween, you have to have cookies. So I made chocolate chip cookies, the warm, moist kind that disappear fast. Since Dallas loves to help pour ingredients into the bowl I let him stand on a stool while I mixed and dropped dough. Before I knew it he was reaching in and tasting little bits, so I thought I'd catch him with his hand in the cookie jar...so to speak. Only while I was grabbing the camera, he grabbed the spoon.

After baking, we got together with a friend and went downtown to trick-or-treat the stores. It started at 4 and went 'til 6 and we just walked around to all the businesses, talking to people, seeing cute costumes and eating candy until we were sick. The entire town turns out to do this, there were families everywhere, and every kind of costume imaginable. My favorites included an entire family of bees, hershey kiss babies, and of course my own little cowboy. I only took a few pictures because Dallas was insistant upon dashing from one spot to another, coming too close to the road for my taste. But I think I got enough to give you all some idea of how many people were out.

I also got my hair cut. I was kinda tired of doing the same things with it and still being unsatisfied with the results. This way all I have to do is dry it using a round brush.

Happy Halloween all!!

Hot French Toast

1 mini loaf jalapeno cheddar bread (at wal-mart)
2 eggs
mild hot sauce
seasonings of your choice

mix the eggs with a little bit of water and add the hot sauce and seasonings to taste. I used grill seasoning. slice the mini loaf into about 10 slices. dip in egg mixture and cook on hot griddle until light brown on both sides. Serve with guacamole.

Where to start....?

Well, I suppose I can start by telling you that I got the job at Wal-Mart. Not the cake decorating job, but donuts instead. My shift is from 4am-1pm (yeah...4 A.M.!), so I go to bed a little after Dallas, and Josh gets up with him in the morning. It's fun working again; unlike Dominos, I work with all women, and they are all hilarious. Great sense of humor, fun, and quick to lend a hand to anyone that asks. One of them, we'll call her R., has been taking care of her dad for the last several years and he passed away just a couple of days ago; the other ladies got together and sent around a card for people to sign, and a donation jar to help with the expenses. I saw R. today and she looked much better, still prone to tears, but the others wouldn't let her dwell on the sadness of it long, and soon had her in stitches with funny stories of things that had happened while she was on leave.

Dallas is growing like little weed. He just turned 2 a few weeks ago and we had a little party here at the house with a friend of ours whose son was also turning 2 that week. His favorite gift was a tool set that included a hammer, screwdrivers, drill, measuring tape, slide, pliers, wrench, tool belt, level, hard hat, and more (if you can believe it)! We also gave him a late gift of a toy vacuum...which he hasn't stopped playing with in three days.

Josh isn't so sure he likes getting up in the morning, but he must be making quite an impression on Dallas, because today, when Josh left for work, Dallas stood at the door and cried....and cried. He kept saying "Daddy" over and over again while trying to open the door, and wouldn't stop until Josh came back in the house to give him a great big hug, a kiss and told him "Daddy'll be back". The Bug is thoroughly distracted now, of course, playing with all sorts of noisy toys and buttons on the TV, which isn't even turned on yet still manages to inspire his fascination.

Ah, dinner, or rather dinner prep, is calling me and I must attend it. Toodles!!