finally january comes to an end, and we can get on with it!

i got the text early tuesday morning, and joined julie to go get our breakfast at starbucks. she needed the extra hands, as sabrina was somewhat incapacitated-so we were looking for some medicine, as well. we got everything we needed, and again saw sketchy activity in the back parking lot near starbucks-pretty sure ju was looking in the rear-view mirror, thoroughly expecting to be followed by a drug dealer in a pick-up truck. no need to worry, we were not gunned down, nor were we followed by any suspicious characters!

we set right to work when we got back to the convention hall, as we were down one. ju took sabrina the meds, and we prayed for a quick come-back! everything got started on time, and without a hitch. sabrina and julie started with the problem-solving process, and set me up to do a quick review of goal setting (settin' a sister up for success)-it went well; although with this big a crowd, the pauses were longer so that folk could get the assistance they required. thanks girls, i really do appreciate the way you set me up for positive successes! you are making me better-

of course, the girls deferred a few questions to lori through the course of the two days, as there were some particular questions best answered by the boss. day two had a smooth flow, as we tweaked it, according to the feedback.

creative cropping- ju said no as i was taking the pic, so i am honoring that request...

we're all just jokers here! (cris, good job setting up the card-collaboration! sabrina had mentioned it, so it was good to see it applied!) 

 lori and i left early, as we both had to get back to dallas (i was to be in waco the next evening). so we got a taxi to the airport, and i don't know if it struck lori as funny or not, but the taxi driver was a hispanic lady in rhinestone blue jeans and an off-the-shoulder shirt...i thought to myself:

 1. she was the wife of the actual taxi driver who was busy in the bathroom and yelled, "hon, can you take the taxi and deliver a couple o' ladies to the airport?" (don't think she lifted a finger to help with the luggage) and the other thought:

2. she reminded me of marissa tomei in my cousin vinny...no matter, we arrived regardless.

we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, so we stopped at the restaurant while waiting. i always enjoy free time to sit and chat, and lori always provides great conversation! at one point the conversation went something like this:
lori: if you could live anywhere, where would you live?
me: well...i'd actually considered moving to florida not too long ago (even last year, before this opportunity with Istation came along). 
lori: oh, really?! (pause, think) perhaps that's something the company might be willing to offer a moving stipend for, as florida is a strategic location to have a trainer on the ground there...if you're still interested, i could have that discussion with the 'powers that be.'
me: interesting...well, yes, check into it and let me know!

FF>> (a week or two) an email arrives to the entire training team. of course i respond, but at this point i still had to talk to some people (to convince myself perhaps), and it took a minute to schedule a conversation with our 401k guy.

 anyhoo, this past monday, i knew it was time to either jump in, or not. so i emailed to let lori know that i was in. and about 30 minutes after that, the 401k guy called to set up a time to talk. funny how things work out. and then we set up a time to talk about the logistics of moving. once that was done, everything now will be going at hyper-speed.

i've begun to do some preliminary packing, and planning. hoping that by the end of the month i will have found a place to live in bradenton...and will be moved there by the end of july. i've been dreaming of this since this trip! (more here and here) ...yes. this is where my heart is, and i am ready for the next chapter!

change is the process by which the future invades our lives. -alvin toffler

so there you have it!

all that said, i've kinda' pulled you up to date, but there are still some fun feb/march stories to tell, so those will be on the way!

julie

it's time to make memories!

it's definitely the day before the day i leave for spring break! WOOOHOOOO!!! 
yep, nothing like waiting 'til the last minute! last minute for what? well...i'm a little embarrassed to say so, but i waited last minute to figure out what to do with the boys. (bruno is looking at me shaking his head right now in disbelief). so, i called mom and dad (today) to see if they could meet me halfway to pick up the boys and watch them for me...and of course, they said yes, because that's what they do! (pretty sure i get my: do-anything-for-the-people-you-care-about from them). the boys are going to be happy to stay with mom and dad-familiar territory. 

woah! i needed a snack tonight, so i chose some hazelnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips-it's solid nutella! heavenly. new favorite snack!

fortunately, i am pretty much packed for spring break...i don't need to take much..it's going to be beach and pool time for the most part! i threw in some other stuff after the basics...trying to think of what i can take and leave-i've gotta make 'my room' feel like it's mine, right? winking emoticon, please. 

hammock, flat iron, swimsuit, shorts and tanks

OKAY-update-
it's 8:57 pm. i just got back from oklahoma to drop the boys off with my parents. again, they are amazing! i got there about 10 minutes before they did, and found a chili's (there really isn't much in atoka, ok..and i think this chili's is brand spankin' new). so i went in and when they came in, dad told me the trip was great until they pulled into the parking lot, and the transmission went out! he had to push the car into a parking spot...oops. so when the waiter came by, i asked him if he knew of any mechanics in the area, and he smiled and said, "you're in luck! this guy in the booth behind you is a mechanic!" and my dad got up to meet him and tell him the situation. they were pleasant and helpful, and he said they'd go try to find the part tomorrow and hopefully get it fixed. so, in the meantime, i called to find a hotel that accepts dogs, and reserved their room. so, that was fun. 

on the way home, i stopped at a starbucks, and got a gift card. when i walked in, i thought i saw one of my friends from school, but then i decided it probably wasn't because she was at a table with some people that didn't look familiar, and it kinda' didn't look like her for a second (i was exhausted, so i really wasn't sure), i got my gift card and walked out. then i saw a car that looked familiar, but i thought, "no, couldn't be." so i continued to my car...got in, then thought, wait, what if-and so i walked back to the car and saw men's shirts hanging in the back hanger-holder...nope, so i went home. (i just didn't want to leave without saying something if it'd been her, because that'd be rude). 

alright, so now i really have to get my stuff together, get ready and go to bed so i can get up in time for my flight!

pictures to come soon!
julie

i could be a professional refried beans chef...but i'd rather make boys run and do push-ups...more rewarding

i am happy to announce that i will no longer be purchasing refried beans in canned form...why, oh why did it take me this long to realize how easy refried beans are to make???? good grief! so i made some last night and then had some for breakfast this morning with my eggs and thought of a teen-camp i went to with our church when i lived in HONDURAS! i was not accustomed to the idea of beans for breakfast, but i warmed up to it pretty quickly with a little crema!

obsessed!

so, yes, then this afternoon when i got back from school, i may have made a bblt with no bread-that would basically be a large leaf of romaine lettuce, a couple of cherry toms sliced, refried beans, and yes, bacon...don't judge...you probably eat interesting things as well! -it was healthy and delicious! and i will most likely do it again..just not tonight.

yesterday when i got home, i noticed a mud dauber on the side of the apt wall, and i decided to take a picture of the beginnings of her nest...right after she flew straight at me, but i was able to avoid contact, then watch her fly off, out of sight. i wondered how in the world she was going to find this particular wall again (everyone tells me that it's difficult to find their way around our complex...it's somewhat of a maze, and i feel like i have to be on the balcony watching for people when they come over to make sure they don't get lost in the labyrinth), but apparently she had no problem-insects amaze me...now please just even TRY to tell me that God is not an amazing creator to have created these insects with such instincts (amazed by nature)...anyhoo, i woke up and as i was walking out to go to school this morning, i noticed her finished home...just a little 'hole-in-the-wall' type place...

humble beginnings

home sweet home...for a dauber!

 and since i have the boys, and i saw something the other day about what boys need in school....i offered them a choice after they finished their review: go out into the garden and relax in the shade, or go out to the fields out back and run around until they were tired...they made the not-so-surprising choice to go out back and run! it made me smile as i sat there to see them get such joy out of running around, playing tag, racing. then they made their way to the swings for about a minute or two; then i went over and told them that before we went in, they had one last task. they had to run across the field to the far fence, do five push-ups and then run back. they were up to the challenge!

about three of them ended up walking part way back, one of them set a good pace and didn't stop the whole way and wasn't even breathing hard when he got back to the finish-i told him he needed to look into cross-country in middle school, high school and perhaps a scholarship...and of course, i had one that just couldn't quite do it, so as he was getting closer, i suggested a couple of them go help him run it in the last 100 yards, so two of them did-they were very encouraging to him. i smiled-good job guys!

'my other boys'

i will say that the running around certainly worked! they were focused when they came back in, and they were happy-that makes things much simpler!

 when i got home, i was thrilled to see that my jury check arrived...because six dolla go far!

i'm rich! (to be read in target-lady voice)

and i just saw that HONDURAS is set to play tomorrow...i will probably be catching most of the games tomorrow-that way i have an excuse not to go out and spend money...good plan!!

i've come to a slight 'packing stand-still' because i don't know what i'll need to have out for use between now and then! i will end up doing what i vowed not to do...i will be rushing around last minute before we take off to mom and dad's...i have been packing up the crucial items that i cannot do without and want to make certain i don't forget.

i need to clean out the trunk of my car tomorrow to make room for the boys' extended stay at mom and dad's...my tent and camping gear stays there pretty permanently, and i'm pretty sure i won't have a chance to take advantage of it this summer. need space for the boys' baby gates (they don't like me referring to i that way...it's the whole "WE'RE NOT BABIES"-thing), and the pens for them to hang out outside out of dad's way while he's in the shop or whatever he's doing! i need to then sneak them down when the boys aren't looking...operation pack-the-car.

goodnight!
julie

puppy photo shoot and preparing to come home

it is tuesday morning, and it is almost time to go-i finished some art-work and prepping some artwork for shea to finish! i cannot wait to see how it turns out! i am expecting to see postings about it! we'll be grabbing lunch around noon and then i'll be taking off for dallas to work on work. boo.

the boys have had a blast! this morning i downloaded the pics that shea took yesterday and because they came out so amazingly, i am posting another picture or 3 of them playing. smile.

bruno chillin in the clover

chaco posing-just enjoying a rest in the cool bed of green

the boys

the boys in a basket...chaco likes this about as much as the Christmas photos.

l to r: bruno, reagan, thatcher, chaco

brotherly love

reagan in the back is chaco's sister, thatcher, up front, has the same dad. they had so much fun together!

 anyhoo, i don't think they're going to like the trip home-they're just getting settled in! in fact, it usually takes chaco a few days to settle and start eating, and today he was eating more of his food, so i know he's feeling pretty comfortable!

(later this evening)
went to grab gyros at a little hole in the wall restaurant with ally (we missed her all weekend because she was in the dallas/ft worth area for an interview) and they were phenom! then shea and i walked through campus and on back to her apt. it was a nice little walk.

boomer!

when we got home, we took the boys down to the basketball court to roam around because it's fenced in. well, they didn't exactly roam unless i walked around with them. and then one of shea's friends brought her mini dachshund down, but chaco was mean. he did so well with thatcher yesterday that i thought he would do well with another small dog...sophie was kinda in his face and kept going toward the face, which is when he gets defensive and snippy...i don't like people too close to my face either. anyhoo, they just kinda hung out in the shade while we sat in the sun...smart dogs.

smart doggies!

then i packed up and got ready for the trip home. shea packed up some fudge for the trip home:

the irony is that i made the fudge.

anyhoo, it helped keep me awake on the way home. in the process of packing up i took a trip down with stuff and the boys apparently sat whimpering at the door. when i got back up the second time and took my 2nd load down without them, chaco was yelping really loud, and i was hoping the door to the balcony was closed, because i could imagine him jumping to try to come with me. when i got back up shea said they went crazy running around the house. they knew we were leaving, and i think they were afraid i was going to leave without them.

when i got up in the morning, shea had found this website that she said kept her mesmerized for quite awhile; i watched it tonight and it is great-live feed of penguins at the san diego sea world!! if you have kids, they will love it! you yourself might love it as well! (i watched a big one standing there lift his tail and something...liquid poop...squirted right out from under there and he didn't even blush!) click here to see it, it's pretty amazing!

tonight i will go to bed earlier than i did this weekend!
julie