Made it safely to Florida :)

I'm blogging from Ann's house tonight. After a 2 day drive I'm in central Florida. I'll be here for a week or so while I work on interviews for a job etc. I hope to start a job by next Monday or the following Monday. In the mean time I'm glad to have a week off to visit with my friend, get a few things done, and actually relax a bit. I'm hoping to blog again soon so I can share some pictures from Christmas.

New Years Revolutions 2009

Yes, you read that right, I consider them revolutions! LOL

So, the number 44 plays a very significant role in 2009. Our 44th President will be inaugurated in just a few weeks here in DC. And for all of us born in 1965, its our 44th year and 44th birthday! So, I'm making 44 part of my new years revolutions!

So without further adieu, here they are:

1. Lose 44 pounds by my 44th birthday (November 1) *and* walk in at least 1 10K (Crescent City Classic?).

2. Save $4,400 by the end of the year, *and* reduce my debt by $4,400.

3. Make 44 scrapbook layouts/projects/cards by the end of the year.

4. Blog at least 44 times by the end of the year.

So, there they are, my 4 New Years Revolutions.

I'm spending New Years Eve playing Wii with Richard and Lucas. Jacqueline is asleep upstairs in my bed :).

Happy New Years everybody!

Sad Day for 2 Friends' Small Businesses

I have 2 different friends whose small business scrapbook stores are closing this week. My friend Wendy is closing her store, Scrappin Diva's in Flowood (Jackson), MS at the end of this year. My best friend Dee, her husband Felix, and her son Emery are closing one of their two locations of Scrappersaurus. The Metairie, LA location of Scrappersaurus is closed as of the end of business today. A very sad day indeed for paper crafters in the NOLA area. Their 2nd, and now only location, in Mandeville, LA, continues to be open for business. In fact they are hosting their first ever New Years Eve/Day crop on Wednesday/Thursday!

I will feel sad when I make it back to NOLA in 2009 and can't hit my favorite scrapbook store on the way home from the airport. I will definitely head to Mandeville to visit my friends. It will be great to see them, but it won't be the same.

I will miss Metairie Scrappersaurus.

Merry Christmas

Christmas 2008 is here. The kiddo's are in bed, fast asleep, finally. It took a few trys, as each of them was very excited about Santa's impending arrival. We tracked Santa with Norad and GoogleEarth. Pretty cool stuff! Santa and his elves have finished their duties. And now its time for bed for the elves, which Santa makes his way across the rest of the country.

The Gauthier family is together for this holiday and will join the Deily family on Friday for a continued celebration.

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends!

Off Track and Out of Sync

I've been all off track and out of sync for a while now. I just didn't realize it. But last night it hit me. I've been just getting through the days one after another, in survival mode. It's not that I haven't been having fun with the kids and my friends here, I have. But, well, its been one thing after another and another. My routine has vanished. I'm struggling to take good care of myself. Don't worry, I'm taking care of the basics. But the extra stuff: to be gentle with myself, go the extra mile for my health and well being, those types of things have fallen off and gotten lost in the shuffle of surviving everyday life.

My work has been going well. I enjoy the people I work with very much. But I am working very hard both physically and mentally and my days are long and my body aches at the end of the week. I feel tired and decidedly un-enthusiastic in the mornings getting ready to go to work. Once I get started interacting with my patients my enthusiasm returns, but the tired lingers.

I am so very much enjoying the kids this year. They are each so unique, so interesting and so loving. I get to see them at least once a weekend. I play soccer with Richard, arts & crafts with Lucas and baby animals with Jacqueline. The time with the kids is very special to me. It replenishes me. It keeps me going.

I'm having a great time visiting with my friend Michelle. We get to see each other about every other weekend. It's great to have such a good friend here. She helps me remember to pamper myself and fully supports my efforts to make positive changes in my life.

So, its not all bad.There is lot's in my life that is good. But I'm still off track, and still out of sync. I'm hoping that simple realization is the first step to rectifying the situation. I'd like that alot.

Autumn Leaves

So, my friends over at Scrappersaurus posted birthday wishes to me on their blog! Isn't that cool! In her post, Dee mentioned her jealously of my watching the leaves here turn. So I thought I would post a few pictures. Last year was my first ever getting to see a 'real' autumn. And I fell in love with the leaves. Of course the true leaf peepers will tell you the DC area leaves are nothing compared to the northeast. And I'm sure they are correct. But compared to NOLA, this is leaf peeping heaven, and I get to see it everyday!

When I was a kid I took piano lessons. I liked it ok I guess. But I hated the song "Autumn Leaves", hated it. Even to this day I can't stand that song. But as I was pulling together the pictures to post here, I had it in my head. "The falling leaves, drift by my window, the autumn leaves, of red and gold . . ." So here are a few pictures of the autumn leaves. Especially for my friend Dee!

It's my Birthday!

I had a great day for my 43rd birthday. The weather here in DC was beautiful, sunny with a high in the mid 60s. I spent the day with the kids, after letting myself sleep in this morning. We did arts and crafts, played soccar, and had a great birthday dinner cooked by my wonder sister in law. I'm so lucky and loved. What a way to start off my new year!