Featuring ME! 16 yr old notes.

I’d like to feature myself today. On my own blog? Weird I know, but I was looking for a past post from 2009, and came across one that I wrote that made me laugh, smile, cry and realize I can write well when I try hard. Or given the perfect prompt to post on.

Long story short, it’s a letter to my 16 year old self, and I do believe it’s one of my best posts to date! Let me know what you think. And feel free to share the idea of writing to your 16 year old self, just do me a favor and let me know if you do, I’d love to read it.

A letter to my 16 year old self…

I’d like to add on just one more thing though. Dear 16 year old self… LISTEN to your sister. RECORD your sister. TALK to your sister. She’ll still be with you 16 years later, but her voice will be gone, you’ve only got about a year left to HEAR her. But she’s still your Frances, just a much quieter version, due to what the doctors will tell you, and your parents (after another 6 years of searching for an answer) is Dystonia.

Queen of Feisty

A decade in review.

I would like to review the last decade. The whole New Millinum thing. Glad to see at 12:00 on 01-01-2000 the world did not end, nor did all the computers shut down.

I was engaged for the first year and a half of the new decade, I married my co-worker, Spaghetti, on June 16th 2001. It seemed like I was getting so old then! I was only 22!!

Spaghetti and I bought our first place, fixed it up, saved our asses off, and bought a house 2 years later. That was 7 years ago this March. We starting filling the house up with pets. In two years time, we bought Jordan (Thing 1) and then Maggie May soon after. Sophie came soon to keep Maggie company, and so then was Chloe a rescue from being put down to keep Jordan happy. Spaghetti and I had lots of adventures to go on, so we said at least 5 years of marriage before kids!

Spaghetti and I went to Vegas for his birthday, Myan Riveria for our honeymoon, Arizona to visit family and my dearest gradeschool friend, Wisconsin for the Dells, Cedar Point, Ohio for the BIGGEST (at the time) roller coaster in the USA, Michigan for the collage football, and camping in the dunes, and our last big vacation harah was a two part deal for me, I flew to Utah to my first Stampin' Up! convention (2005) and then after a week there I flew up to Washington to meet Spaghetti at the airport, then to drive down to Portland Oregon to see his cousin and wife. The were gettting married the next week. It was a week of sight seeing, putting my feet in the ocean on the other side of the country, and of white water rafting where we did dangerous things and I almost drowned!

The morning we were going to leave for home from Oregon. We decided to start trying for kids. Lucky us that was August 1st 2005, I was pregnant by mid September 2005. Bagel was born to us on June 2nd 2006, I was 28. Not wanting to drag this whole pregnancy thing out, we tried for our second child when Bagel was just 13 months. She was 15 months when she wore the "I'm going to be a big sister" shirt to the Queen and Carrots house.

Weaky was born to us, April 25th 2008. With our family of 4 all set and intact, and having both kids before I was 30 (knocking on 30's door, July 19th) I was happy to be done being pregnant. And seriously looking forward to the life we would have with our family.

It was a decade full of new things. New homes, new lifestyles, new responsibilities.

But this decade was a hard one. I had just come into Spaghetti's life, and he was sad because he had lost his best friend to a medical mishap the year before I met him. And I had lost my Grampa then too.

I would have never guessed that my little sister would be over come by such a unknown muscle disorder. I still have my wonderful sister Frances, but that damn muscle disorder, Dystonia has taken over her voice by now, and she can not speak. She had a 16 hour brain operation that helped her tremendously. (DBS) she isn't twisted and hunched over, but she can barely feed herself, and speach is seldom.

But the losses this decade were a bit harsh.

Aunt Karen to alcohol abuse in the winter of 2006.
My Gramma Alice to a sweet old age of 90, in November 2006
Uncle Jim, Aunt Karen's husband, died of alcohol abuse, and a broken heart July 2008.
Which the loss of Uncle Jim, caused a rip in my mom's family so big. That her retardedly pompous and hateful sister completely turned the other brother Rich against my mom and me. Stating that it was us that caused Uncle Jims death. We haven't spoken to them in over a year. I know it will be forever after the words that were spoken. Now my mom has a broken heart. Bullies.

2009 was shitty. Spaghetti's Gramma passed away suddenly to a brain Aneurysm. On Spaghetti's birthday. February 7th. Then 7 months later Spaghetti's Uncle T went to the hospital with the flu, and died of a brain tumor and melonomia 21 days later. That was a horrible year for the family.

I can only hope that this new decade brings on happiness with those I surround myself with. That I can keep my family, Frances is able to speak some, and I just live and enjoy.

Here's to a new decade. One of promise, health, happiness, time with family, and enjoying my children grow.

Milwaukee Wisconsin Summerfest 2009

This was our first Summerfest in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It is the biggest music fest in the world. It was fun and I would love to go back again next year.

Our reason for going was that Banjo was playing with Kate and Kacey Koppola, if that names sounds familiar they came in 4th place in the CMT show "Can you duet"

There is the band and the girls. Now if you read here often, you may remember that Banjo (curly haired guy, playing the... banjo is in the Drew Davis Band, but he brought along his friends, on bass at the far left is Mo, and drummer Dave Kelly (shaved head now) all from the DDB)This was a fast show, only about 40 minutes, but we don't usually get to see Banjo on the banjo and the mandolin, his first love is his guitar.

The girls are fun, I bought there CD, "Kate & Kacey" they have some good songs, kinda feisty Dixie Chicks like. Afterwards we at chocolate, and lots o' pasta, and then climbed onto the Sky Glider! I haven't been on these since Santa's Village 1986 with my grammas!!
Kinda fuzzy at night, but Cuz and Banjo are in the car ahead of us, kinda neat with the moon and all the people below.

A fun fountain that people were playing in...

Awww... kissy, kissy, kissy!!

This is one of my new favorite shots of us. Spaghetti had FINALLY taken what I have pounded into his head for 10 years about him not smiling. And wala! We have a nice picture!!!

Me and my Spaghettio

Thanks for a fun night out Cuz and Banjo!!

My big ideas for 2009

Happy New Years Eve! As I sit in my cluttered home on the eve of a new year, 2009 holds promise for a new me, and a new home plan for us here.





So here it is. The big list. The list of things I am going to do, or not do, in this fantabulous new year. A year of projects and goals set just for me. I am not going to set out goals or projects that I don't think I can reach. But these are more guide lines for a better life. Starting tomorrow.

Eat better. Shocker right? Who doesn't have this one on there list. (one year I had it to NOT eat good. Go against the flow, worked well. I now have 28 extra pound due to that brilliant idea) Sparkpeople here I come. I am registered there. My Iowa friend says it worked great when she stuck to it. It's more of meal plan, and daily check in.

I know, I know, who's going to keep up with checking in everyday online? Well. Me. I want to try. It's really cool, and FREE, you can track your weight, size, and you get to choose what you want to eat off there menu. (I by the way will be starting this on January 12th, because of my Scrapbook getaway on the 9-11th, will be my last big weekend, until then I have planning to do)

Spaghetti and I need, and I mean NEED someone to tell us what to eat. That mixed with some working out, should do me some good this year.

Yes I said it. Working out. And not the gym like I have done before. I need something to work around being home with the kids. So there is some free Yoga and work out shows On Demand, so I can always go watch those. I actually have a goal of getting up before everyone else, doing morning yoga, drinking my coffee, and having everything perfect each morning. (did you just snort your beverage of choice out your nose too?) I know the hardest part will be getting up, so I need to start with my night routine (Flylady) and go to bed early! (like 10 pm early!)

I can't be negative or put down my ideas before I even try them. There will be many days where this won't work, but the days I have gotten up at 6:30 I am up before everyone, I get the dishwasher emptied, and thing set for the day. Now if I can just toss in some Yoga, what a great way to start my day!

I also would like to walk with the kids, and or dogs more. I have a HUGE neighborhood, and I could walk with the big double stroller. I want to set up Spaghetti's weight bench and we could both work out. I have some 3 and 5 lb weights to work with. Nothing crazy. But to tone my ever so jello like figure.

Budget. I do budget. I could always do better at this. And now with the taxes not being paid through our monthly mortgage payments, I seriously need to watch money. But we can breath better with things like this.

Scrapbook more. You need to make the time, and as much as I love to scrapbook, and take pictures, I need to use what I have and keep up with all my great ideas brewing in my head!

Take care of myself. Kinda goes along with the whole eat better, and work out plan, but I need to floss, and brush my teeth more, I need to just take the time and wash my face and put on lotion everyday (this pretty young face ain't gettin' any younger!)

Organize. Hee hee. Again on everyone's list. I started a HUGE project back in August to organize, and purge my house. I have LOTS of crap around here, and finding homes for it all is a bit time consuming, but that is why I started the "Where do I begin" blog, to keep track of what is going on, and how I am getting there.

We just have to much clutter, and stuff, and clutter, and gah, just everything here is to much. It drives me nuts but especially Spaghetti. I hate for him to be annoyed by the house he barely gets to spend time in. (and just so you know, I took over 100 lbs worth of clothes and house hold items to donate in December! Fly lady has you weigh your clutter, I lost 100 lbs in a month!)

I guess on the organize idea, I want to be able to walk out of the house, just grabbing a few things and go. Not the whole up stairs for a sippy, down the stairs for a blankie, up the stai... oh wait grab this real quick... now where was I going? Oh shit were SO late for this event! Yep that is our routine. By then Spaghetti is sitting in the car with Bagel and Weaky, while I do the crazy circle dance in the kitchen, listing out loud the items I have and need for a simple day out. So if I could plan ahead, or have a diaper bag just ready to go would be smart.

Emergency plan. Seriously with the two little ones, and my dogs, and my cats, if there was an emergency I would need to whisk everyone out the door, into the truck in minutes flat. I would want to have everything saved from our home, but realistically that won't happen. I do need to check and update the fire safe, be sure the picture CD's are easy to grab (in a file box on my desk) and have a emergency bag for all of us.

May sound a bit much. But when Bagel was 7 months old, the Carbon Monoxide detectors went off in the middle of the night, I called 911 and they came in all suited with special outfits and breathing gear, as they read our numbers (not sure what they were) but we needed to get everyone out. Now.

The dogs were let outside, and Bagel and myself went across the street to a neighbors house. After a few hours, we went back home, gathered up what we needed for the night, packed up cats, dogs, myself and Bagel and we went to my parents house. (before Weaky's time, and Spaghetti was working nights) We were able to go back the next day, the found it was our stove (only 4 years old!) had a leak in it. The levels were very high and dangerous.

I didn't have a getaway bag then, like I should, and especially with two kids, and all the pets, I need to be responsible and be ready for anything.

Business plan. As always I love my Stampin' Up! business and I want to keep working at improving my classes, and ideas for my customers. Stampin' Up! is the kind of company that always makes it super easy to do this. They have TONS of ideas, and tools to make this possible. And on that note, I need to track my expenses better for taxes!

Laundry.

I know. Laugh. No really. It's funny if you know me. If you know I STILL have 9 bags of laundry in Weakys closet from the people-are-coming-over-shove-all-the-clothes-in-garbage-bags-deal-with-them-later.

Riiiiiiiiggghhhtttt. Later as in when we are naked from the shower, have nothing to wear, and still need to do the spin around the kitchen dance to get everything to go?

So with Laundry comes the process of doing laundry before it is covering the WHOLE bathroom floor, spilling out of the laundry basket.

After washing it, put it in the dryer.

After drying the laundry, using the hanging rack and hangers in the basement, ACTUALLY use it to hang clothes. Take the laundry up stairs and PUT IT AWAY. No really away, dumping it onto the bedroom floor is not where it belongs.

I do need to purge and get rid of a TON of my clothes, I don't wear or fit into 80% (obviously the 9 bags in the closet) AND maybe if I can get my laundry shit together, I could actually iron, and put together outfits for Spaghetti to wear to work? Maybe? Let's just start with the knee deep laundry covering my bedroom floor, and the 9 bags still in Weaky's closet.

PICK UP AFTER MYSELF. No really, I suck SO bad at this. I can't leave an area with out making a mess, and leaving it there. I really have to out loud tell myself to clean up when I am done. It's a bit much but I am realizing I am a HUGE factor in the constant mess around here.

Any other ideas? I know it's alot to do, alot to change, but it's all real, and doable. I can get up early, do yoga, have things together, keep up with laundry, keep up with myself, and the kids, take care of myself and pets better, walk with the kids, eat better, feed my family better, run a better business, all while making time to scrapbook, read, and just stare at the wall.

Sure it's possible. I can do this. How? Because I believe in myself to do better for myself and my family. It may be the same speech we are all giving ourselves, but I need to do this for a happier family life for us Mc's.

Happy New Year everyone, may 2009 be a more organized and healthy year for all of us!