this really just happened...

linds: i dont want to pay for a movie, let's just watch twilight
jeff: i bet i've watched that more than you have
linds: doubtful
jeff: go
linds: fine. three times illegally at work, twice with the actual dvd, once on my ipod and once in the theater
jeff: i win
linds: i have to go blog about this, get the movie started

Friday's Dose of Brilliance

Tacky Wedding Blog – this is in honor of Carly and Bobby’s upcoming wedding...though there wedding will be wonderful, not icky like these:)

cell phone woes

so last year i did this and today i just pulled my cell phone out of our dryer...after a full wash load of course. i'm seriously sick to my stomach. photos--gone. videos--gone. i'm ignoring what the verizon tech just told me when he assured me over and over again that the phone will not be coming back to life. we'll see buddy. he's probably right.


so i've activated jeffrey's old phone so i'm up and running but the last time i did a backup of my contacts was August of last year. blows. i know friends and family have changed numbers since then and i'm positive i've added new contacts. there were like 200 something numbers and now i have 157. so, here's my plea...email/text/whatever your numbers to me...on the side of my blog is my profile. there is a link in there to email me. just over there...see it? it says "email me". even if you think i already have it for sure. i'm panicked just thinking about loss of numbers. Thank you, Thank you.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

toddlers gone wild

Jeffrey wants a wii...so bad. his parents were out of town this past weekend so jeffrey went over to their house in the dead of night (3pm) and stole (after asking) their wii. crazy town.

anyone who knows connor knows that the kid is obsessed with baseball. any ball really, but baseball is the worst. he wakes up from a nap saying "ball?". it's crazy. so they played baseball, and bowling and even tennis. how much did connor understand of tennis? none. but baseball and bowling were pretty successful. :)

listening to the rules of the game

doesn't love the sharing and taking turns part

this is what he does anytime you try and scold him--smart kiddo

thrilled :)

celebrating with daddy


more pics to come this week. we have lots from may for some reason :) Here's a quick video of Connor learning to play the wii.

Crockpot Tuesday

So i needed something really simple today. i'm back to work and jeffrey is home this week using some vacay time and hanging out with connor before "summer school" starts. I usually start the crockpot in the morning and then it has to stay on warm for a long time before we eat, but today since jeffrey was home he could start it at 11 or even noon! amazing. anyway, i needed something easy since it was jeffrey :) i love you honey. not that he reads this - he totally does not.


Rice and Chicken Casserole

2 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth or just water
1 tsp minced garlic
1 bag frozen broc and cheese-mosthly thawed
2 cups minute rice

Lightly season the chicken with whatever you feel like using. We did plain S & P. Put chicken, garlic and broth/water in crockpot and cook for 6 hours. About an hour before cooking is done, dump the veggies and rice in. I use Minute Rice mostly because it's sold at costco, but i've used the box of rice a roni too--it just takes more time to cook. much more time.

That's really it. This was so very yummy. The only thing I'd change is that next time i'd use more cheese. It was great the way it was, but we're a cheese-loving family and adding more cheese only makes it more delicious. You can really use any frozen veggies you want. This is a great basic recipe so you can add/omit anything really and it'll be easy peasy.

Friday's Dose of Brilliance

Cooper the Cat Photographer – Once a week Cooper the Cat wears a digital camera around his neck that takes photos every two minutes. I saw this cat on GMA and think this is a really interesting idea. If my cats wore cameras the pics would be boring, so boring. Check out this site for some of Cooper’s best work! He's kinda famous in his hometown and beyond.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

we had to have zoey shaved this past week. she was really matted-because she's too fat to clean herself-so we opted to shave her. it's not nearly as funny as i thought it would be and the pictures don't really do the "look" justice. It's still pretty funny. They left her legs, head and tip of her tail fluffy and shaved the rest down.

Miss Mira...our other kitty. the kitties get no face time on the blog

NOTICE: no shaved kitty cats were harmed in the taking of these photographs.

one of connor's new favorite things to say is "out please..." Alas, it's just too damn hot outside

so we typically play inside the house...just can't say no to this face.

Connor loves his Elmo. Sadly, his favorite thing is to knock him over so that Elmo squirms around saying something semi-creepy like "Elmo fell over, can you help Elmo up?". Connor just laughs maniacally and eventually helps him up.

clearly breakdancing

we framed lots of the xmas card pics we got this year on our fridge. this is his favorite. we had to put it lower on the fridge so he could get at it whenever he wanted to. It's a gorge pic Katy took of their street in Denver they lived on at the time

connor "organizing" the pantry

such a cheeseball...a filthy ravioli stained cheeseball

Crockpot Tuesday

So i'm trying another round of pork chops...wish me luck:) This time and this time weren't the greatest.

Creamy Porkchops

3 porkchops
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 can cream of whatever soup you have on hand
1 cup water
1 tsp dry onion soup mix
any other spices are fine too
1 cucumber, sliced

Pork chops go bland so easy so I just decided to try anything this time around. Slice up the cucumber and cover the bottom of the crockpot with the slices. Season the pork chops with additional s&p and put in pot. I combined the rest of the ingredients overnight so i could just dump them in the next day. I used cream of celery soup because I had it on hand and I like the flavor. Since pork chops always tend to go dry for me I decided on adding a cup of water-so just monitor it and consider adding more if needed throughout cooking. Cook on low 6 hours or hi for 3ish. This time around I want to 'under' do it and check them to avoid them overcooking.

This turned our really yummy. The flavor of the soup and spices really made this great. I think next time i'd add more veggies, maybe some squash or carrots or even potatoes. I just had some tomatoes and a salad. We'll def do this recipe again.

Friday's Dose of Brilliance

Awkward Family Photos - hahaha-pretty self explanatory here. this site is making me cry it's so funny. it's pretty new so there are only two months of archives to go through.

This reminds me of a photo my mom and I had taken at Olen Mills I think and we both wore some amazing Union Bay overalls. It was like 10+ years ago but that's really no excuse.

Photo game

It's a fun game. You put these three elements together to make a new Emo band's first album...or whatever kind of album you feel like...

To Do This (from a Facebook game)

1 - Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”or click HERE. The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band. (mine was Wayfarer)

2 - Go to “Random quotations”or click HERE. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. (mine was Ashamed of the Human Race)

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click HERE. Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together

Here's mine: I like how it kinda works.

And here's another one. I am now addicted to this.

Now you do one...or two and post it on your blog :)

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

I'm pretty backed up on getting photos posted, so there are several here. And today's theme is Random.

Here's Connor's new potty. Don't get excited - he's not using it at all. Has zero interest and I think I'm going to go with the "wait until he shows interest" theory. We just got one so that he'd have it when he's ready:) Thanks for the potty auntie ashley.

yeah, he really has no interest other than pushing it around the house...

standing on it...

kicking it...

wearing it as a handbag...

and unwrapping all the TP

just some random carseat photo. note the baseball and glove in his hands. he's completely refusing to get in or out of the car w/o having these items and his little bat. awesome. right now my parenting tactic consists of indulging him.

i mean really - could he be any cuter? i am inclined to say no.

Here are the 3 photos I took from Jack's birthday party. I suck. Hopefully Lauren got some good ones. I think Jill did too.

Jack didn't really get the gift opening yet, but Connor being fresh off his 2nd party decided to assist.

Connor decorating his Mother's Day cards for his 2 grandmas and his 2 great grandmas

Crockpot Tuesday

Was really looking for something simple this week since I'm off work (woohoo) and didn't want to put any effort into anything at all - including dinner. Here's what we came up with.

Lazy Day Cheeseburgers

1lb ground beef

1 cup shredded cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

quick dash of worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients up and dump in pre-greased crockpot. Hi for 2-3 hours or Low for 6 hours. Scoop some out on hamburger buns.

Most recipes say that you need to brown the ground beef before putting it in the crock but I never, ever do that. If you're cooking something for hours you shouldn't have to brown it first! Use any sort of cheese that you like. Fry's had some generic type on sale this week so we have tons of it and that's what we used. Use S&P to taste-more or less isn't really going to matter too much. I thought I had some of that grillmates stuff on hand but couldn't find it-i'd use some of that to kick up the flavor next time.

I found this to be quick and really easy. It took mere moments to put together and was really a good, basic recipe you can add anything to. I think it could use more flavor for sure though. Next time I'll maybe add catsup or just tomato paste to it to keep it a bit more moist (ew. seriously does anyone have a synonym for moist). I'd add more cheese next time too, as you couldn't really taste the cheese this time around. I think i'll be more liberal with the spices the next time I try this and see if it turns out better. Jeffrey thought it was a bit salty--though he couldn't have minded too much since he had two burgers... I'll def do this one again. It's great for just finding stuff in the pantry and i think with a few minor adjustments it'll be yums.

Friday's Dose of Brilliance

Lovely Listing - this site is amazing. I still get MLS listings from our realtor even though we decided not to buy another house. I always crack up at the horrible wording, spelling, photos and decor in the listings. When taking a photo trying to sell your house why on earth would you not clean up the area, move a car from the driveway, gets your 10 cats off the bed or position yourself somewhere other than in front of a mirror where you can clearly be seen in the pic?!!? This site really owned the awfulness though and it's hilarious! Enjoy:)

End of the Road...

So I’ve kind of been avoiding posting anything regarding this on my blog, facebook, etc. just because it’s scary to put some stuff out there online when anyone can read it. So I’ll limit what I write just to be safe. It’s kinda a long post though so there’s the warning!

Last week was a really rough week at the office. I have extreme, ongoing issues with my boss and they have snowballed out of control. Everyone in my office has issues with her, but that’s way, way too long of a story to even try to talk about. Anyway, I’ve sucked it up for nearly two years working with this horrible, negative, miserable person. I reached a point where it was making me physically ill and I started to have crazy daydreams about the ways I’d quit in a huge, grand gesture. No bueno.

One of my bffs, Patricia left this quote on my desk that is an absolute perfect representation of my current situation with my boss:

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small prople always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great!” –Mark Twain

I love her and she really nailed it with the quote. It’s so nice having someone to talk to, cry to, etc. who knows the entire story. Sometimes it’s tough to tell a long story to someone who doesn’t know all the key players and it’s almost just too much effort to have to retell the story and get all the deets right.

After one large blowout I happened to receive a couple of out of the blue opportunities over the next two days. One was a job for much more money, much closer to home (2 miles!) and much more opportunity for advancement. The other was a referral from a close friend who is leaving her job when her daughter arrives. It’s not more money but it is still closer to home being only about 7 miles from home. There is some room for growth, but there is no retirement plan. That part is a big deal to me…I’ve been contributing to my 401k for nearly 8 years. Roth here I come I guess. Anyway, very long story short the first job didn’t happen which was heartbreaking. I received some crummy advice from the recruiter/headhunter that really screwed me in the interview process. Still pretty pissed about it so I’ll leave it at that rather than get all nasty.

So, I ended up taking the job that made a bit less money and had no retirement plan. To be honest, it took me a couple days to be excited about the offer-but only because I feel like I was screwed out of the other position. I spent a couple days feeling like a whiny brat. How dare I be upset over this offer when there are others out there who have been seriously job hunting for months to no avail. I am still looking forward to it, but mostly because it gets me out of my current situation. and I need out-fast! My last day was originally May 15th but my boss asked me yesterday if I’d be interested in only working this week (but still getting my 2 weeks of pay). I said of course and now I’m realizing it was probably the single nicest thing she’s done for me thus far-what a miserable beast. Now I can spend a week at home with connor before starting the new gig! I’m thinking we’ll do the zoo, the park and all kinds of other stuff while I’m home. If anyone is going to be around next week let me know and we’ll schedule something.

Now, about the actual job. My position is the Resale/Disclosure Manager. I'm responsible for quite a few things, but mostly handling the Resale requests from the title companies. When a house goes into escrow, the title company will request the buyer's info. I provide them with any outstanding fees due, order a lien release if necessary, let them know the transfer and disclosure fees, if there are any outstanding violations, etc. I also send the new buyer all of the community documents. The company oversees many different Homeowner’s Associations in the valley…one of them being mine. Because of this, I had to step down as Pres yesterday. Luckily, I’m ok to be on the board…just not as President so I’m VP now. I’m a nerd. Anyway, the company is at Rural and Guadalupe so it’s about a third of the drive that I’m making now which is amazing. I’ll be able to work 7-4 which is important to me. Since I currently work 6:30-3:30 I’ll be getting to Connor at the same time and getting to wake up at least 30 minutes later in the morning which sounds like a dream to me! Oh, and I’ve always wanted to squeeze in a workout at lunch. Well, the closest Pure Fitness to my current office is 10 miles away so that would never work. My new job…there is a gym just a mile away so I hope to do that 2-3 times/week. Does anyone do this with the lunchtime workouts? Do you change at the office or the gym? And how’s the shower situation work out for you? Anyway, I digress…everyone I’ve met at the company is very friendly and it seems to be a very busy, yet casual and relaxed environment. Now that I’m writing this all out I’m feeling good about it, so thanks for that.

Well, that’s my current situation in a nutshell-a lengthy, very wordy nutshell full of unnecessary punctuation.

Punky Dawnster is having a baby!

it's been horrible having to stay hush about one of my bffs being pregnant for the last two months or so...but she's finally outed herself on facebook so i guess it's ok to blog about it!! Dawn has been a close friend since 7th or 8th grade and i'm so thrilled for them.

Congrats to Dawn and Chris!! you two are going to make amazing parents and i can't wait to meet your little one. (my money is on boy for sure - any takers?)

We were laughing at Jack's birthday party a couple weekends ago that at some point our weekends went from drunken blurs to balloons and birthday cake...so baby Cantrell you will be in great company with all the other kiddos-brielle, jaden, connor, cadence, claire, jack...plus we've got baby Smith and baby Richmond on the way too!! I think i got everyone but if i missed someone it wasn't intentional...i'm just excited!!

You can follow their journey here.