Wow... I haven't been HERE in a long time!

My last post was in 2012.... 3 years ago.  Time has zipped on by.  I didn't even remember the address or have the link to get here... and the door certainly creaked open as I dusted off the cobwebs to creep in. 

I am not sure if I will keep this blog up, I think about writing to it often but time is so short and FB is so fast and easy.  But, I miss writing - really writing.  I was asked to write an article today and I found it rather challenging.  I felt overwhelmed at the idea of putting my thoughts together in a cohesive way.  I wonder if what I say matters to anyone.  Am I just talking to myself?  I did have two people say to me, that they miss reading my blog.  They miss my insight and my humor.  Could I get this up and going again?

I definitely need to find a way to preserve these pages.  I said a lot here.  I learned a lot here.  Some of my posts were incredible, even though most were of the "mundane" day to day stuff.  I have since learned that the "mundane" was truly spectacular and that all of those experiences is what life really is.  Fabulous regularity.  Dinner, talks, walks, dishes, laughs, bed time, even tantrums.

So, for now.... this place will sit... sometimes visited and sometimes not.  I did learn that my blog was viewed 89 times last MONTH!!!???  Wow... I do wonder what people were looking for.  I wonder if they found it.

To the few who will read this... thank you for being there.  I hope to see you again soon.

Workin' Again

I know that many of you see my updates on Face Book... but for those of you that don't.... I have been working full time for an organization called, California Virtual Acadamies.  It is an online, homeschool program and I am the teacher/administrator for a class of 28 students.  They are 2nd - 8th graders and I work from home, just like they do.  There is not much "teaching" involved so I really miss that aspect, but I do love being home and available to my family and I am still doing "important" work.  There has been a very steep learning curve and it has been rough adjusting.  The work load is VERY intense and I find myself working late into the night sometimes.  I was hired as a long term sub and will contiune through May, when our school year ends.  I am hoping to be hired back in the fall as a full time teacher.  Keeping fingers and toes crossed on that one! 

I just spent the early morning hours drinking coffee and catching up on Blogs I have not read in a while.  I miss writing and reading ... but I think that things are settling down!

Don't stop checking in!  I might just pull a rabbit out of my hat and write something deep and profound, or something so funny you will find yourself ROFL!  But, really... most likely you will find some simple updates and maybe a photo or two.  Until then....

And now... time for a quick crafting break.

Heads Up people!  I think a miracle may have occurred!  I actually had time to get a wee bit creative this weekend!  But, I had so many other things to do, I actually felt a little guilty!

I was working my buns off and running around in circles on Saturday morning.  In between checking my lists and nagging the kids to get their work done, I ran out to the garage to put something away (ie: threw it on the giant pile of stuff that needs to get put away!)  While I was out there, I noticed that the items from the last Costco run had not been shelved so I proceeded to unpack the tissue, toilet paper and the paper towels and put them neatly on the shelf.  Then I moved over to another pile that I thought I could easily straighten up when I spied them!  Oatmeal boxes, 3 of them!  I had JUST seen a great idea on Pinterest (oh, the ideas that you can get there... trouble!) and thought, I should do that NOW, before I forget.

I quickly came inside and fired up my trusty glue gun, both of them actually... a super hot, burn the material you are working with type, and a not so hot and will barely hold anything type.  I also grabbed some left over fabric and some ribbon and started working away!  How excited I was to learn that oatmeal boxes are just about 1/4 yard wide!!!!  That was what the width of my fabric was... yay!

I covered the first box with some left over material from another family room project and covered the raw edges with ribbon.  It looked sooooo cool!  I realized that it could not be used for it's original intention, but rather could make a handsome remote control container!  Here it is!  I tried to cover the inside with white contact paper, but it didn't work.  I considered painting it, but feared it would buckle.  I decide to like the look of raw cardboard.

Next, I covered the other two boxes with the material that I bought "just in case" for that family room project.  I used some scrap ribbon and finished the two boxes off.  They are PERFECT for storing all of Ella's headbands.  I stashed extra hair nets, bobby pins and rubber bands in the bottom one and put all of her cloth type headbands in the top one.  Stacked on top of each other, they hardly take up any counter space AND she can see all of her headbands at a glance!  Yeah... I feel like I totally rock.






















On Super Bowl Sunday, we had some friends over.  I got to cook with Andy, which is always fun!  He made Moroccan Sweet Potato Fries and Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Smokies and I whipped up salsa and 7 Layer Dip.  We laid out a yummy spread and a nicely stocked bar.  Then I made some homemade frosting for my Football Cupcakes!  Delish and cute too!  Since we had some left overs from Ella's birthday party, we put out a Peanut Butter Sandwich Bar for dessert.  The food was glorious and the company great!  Thanks everyone for a nice Sunday!


















Crafty and Cooking! That is the way I like to spend my weekend, even though it meant that some of my to-do list got pushed to Monday!

Side note:  WOW!!!  I love the new publishing aspect of Blogger!  So much easier!  Yay!  (except that it did not publish the way it looked when I was done.. boo!)

Time keeps on slippin... into the future....

I have the greatest plans, and then life happens! I have a couple of good, deep, meaningful posts that are just waiting to be finished but life keeps on "getting in the way."

Not really, it is the life I want after all!

We went to New York during the summer along with a lot of camping so that was good times for sure! I also had some minor surgery to help repair the damage to the urinary tract system that was caused by childbirth. Not such fun times, but the results are AMAZING!

I am still without permanent and full time work. I have been subbing, organizing, cleaning and bookkeeping for money. A few things here and there, but nothing substantial. I have applied for some jobs, gotten a few rejections, but more "wait and see" than anything else.

The family is good and growing. I have been volunteering in the classrooms and have taken on the role of co-leader for Ella's Daisy Scout troop. Gavin is now on medication for ADHD and it helps greatly. He is on a very low dose and it seems to "take the edge off" for him, he is better able to concentrate and has more control over his emotions.

Andy and I managed a little Vegas escape right after Christmas and then came home to support a family that we are very close with as they helped their father transition from this world to the next. It was an exhausting and very sad time, and will be for a long time to come. We are thankful and better for having known Rosario Bono and look forward to meeting him again someday!

We stayed at the Aria in the City Center... awesome! We were there with several other couples to celebrate Giacomo Bono's 40th Birthday! Incredible!

Instead of gambling our money away, we placed our bets on a sure thing and saw the Elvis show! It was so much fun and the best part was...it was in our hotel! Just a short walk to the elevators and we were in our room 15 minutes after the show ended!

Hanging out at the Bellagio... strolling and talking and relaxing.

We just celebrated Ella's 7h birthday and that seems impossible! But we had a "Candy Bar" party and so much fun.

Showing off her lollipop garden and new outfit from Justice! Ready for the guests to arrive.

Candy button cake. Thank you Pinterest!

The "Candy Bar".

The Peanut Butter Sandwich Bar.... lots of choices here! PB, fudge, jelly, marshmallow creme and minis, chopped up candy bars, fruit, granola, potato chips. The girls made some amazing creations. My fav: Creamy PB, cocoa spread, twix and strawberry. Ella's fav: Creamy PB, marshmallow fluff, mini marshmallows, m&m's and sprinkles.

I am going to try to post more often... especially now that I have a more reliable computer. So, hopefully... you will see me around!

Crossing the Threshold

There are times in our lives that are like no other. There are moments when we change, forever. When you had your tenth birthday, you said good-bye to single digit ages - forever. When you lost your last baby tooth, you (hopefully) would never have that funny wiggling sensation again. After your first kiss, you would never again be a person who had never been kissed.

Life is like that and sometimes we pay little attention to the times when we crossed over and yet, other times it is so poignant and significant we remember it for the rest of our lives. It shapes who we are becoming and adds to the construction of our memories and our personality.

Marriage. It is a big change, it is a huge commitment. It is the act of making a promise to be by someone's side as their partner - forever. For some women, it means changing your name. The name that you have had since you were born, will now be erased and a new name will be a part of the new person that you are becoming. This was so significant for me that I pulled away from the idea. My name, I thought, is ME. It is my label. It is who I am. I knew that I wanted a partner, but I did not think that I wanted to change who I am. If you take the label off a carton of milk and change it to say lemonade...nobody will really know what is inside. And, what a terrible shock to someone who assumes that they are pouring lemonade and come out with a glass of milk. I was torn on this, but eventually, I realized that no matter what the label says, the milk... is still milk. What I didn't know at the time, is that I would change right along with my label. I was becoming someone different than I was before. I was becoming a wife, a partner and Mrs. Huffaker. Twelve years later and I am still struggling with who Mrs. Huffaker is, but I think I am getting to know her and ... well, she is pretty cool. Not the same as Miss Yvonne Cutler, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Marriage - threshold