I spent a little time this morning in the formal living room opening some boxes and unpacking.  It felt good to turn the the place at least a little bit into “me”.

There’s nothing like lighting a candle (for me anyway) that makes me feel like I’m at home.  Thank you Amara for the house warming gift.  I may be living in boxes, stressed out of my mind, but every day I light this…

and it makes me smile.  And if I can smile once…then I know I can get thru this.

Doing just a little, what I can, to make it seem like home around here.

In doing some packing I found some artwork of Ava’s that I found amusing…

You can find Skits these days laying with Ava just like this…

And lastly…it must be because I read Katie’s blog that I’m inspired by taking pictures of food.  This was a salad I made for myself the other day at lunch time.  I’ve been craving and loving salads ever since I got sick.  My stomach has been so sensitive ever since being ill.  Salads seem to be one of the only things that I really love.  I guess that’s a good thing.

I’m hungry for it all over again looking at this photo! ;D

…cake!  I had forgotten that you can “bake” a cake in 10 minutes in your microwave in a Pampered Chef Rice Cooker.  I used to sell Pampered Chef and I have all the gadgets that there are.  I don’t know why I stopped making cakes in the microwave.  Anyway…last night being our anniversary…and me not planning much cause there is so much going on ’round here…I thought…I should make a cake!  But I have no energy or time for THAT!  Wait a second!  So I looked to see if I had a cake mix and I did.  The rice cooker was clean.  Check.  And away I went!

THIS is how easy it is…take a cake mix and make it according to directions (I’ve only ever done vanilla or chocolate in the rice cooker so maker beware!).  Pour into the rice cooker (no need to grease it or ANYTHING!)  Close it up and put it in the microwave on high for 10 minutes.  Take it out.  Let it sit for a minute or two.  Open it up and invert it on to a plate.  Done!  Here’s the final product…with icing…1/2 eaten! ;D

Oh yeah…It is YUMMY!!!!!!

I’ve always loved those pictures, shows or websites of the “before and after”.  Biggest Loser, Oprah’s makeover shows, stuff like that.  Well I have one of my own…

Here’s the stove in our new kitchen before…

And after…

I love good deals.  I always shop the clearance racks of Target.  I shopped at a different Target…one closer to the new house.  The clearance wasn’t completely picked over like the one here in Parker.  I got some great baskets for the girls’ new bathroom.  These were on clearance for $2.48 marked down from $9.99!

There were a pair of woodpeckers in the new yard yesterday.  I love that we have wildlife in the new place.  We’ve seen squirrels there too.  The kids were pleased about that.

Here’s another view of the backyard.  I can’t wait for the leaves to come out!

And then one last picture.  Of Skits.  He is getting so big.  He is starting to look more like a dog and less like a puppy.

…you to notice in the photo the other day…

…was this is not our driveway.  Well it is. It is just a NEW driveway.  We are in the process of moving to a new house.  Not too far away.  The girls are staying in the same school.  Some things will change.  Some will stay the same.

New paint.  New plants for the girls’ rooms…oh and those lovely Dunkin’ Donuts.

Lunch for the first time in the new house as we are cleaning and painting.  Disgusting dark cabinets that NEED painting!  And those curtains are going too…peh!!!!

Painting Laney’s room a lovely pink…over a ghastly yellow.

Can I just say I hate moving.  I am tired anyway.  I’m really, really tired from trying to maintain two houses.  I’ll be glad when this is OVER!

…other things…Wednesday brought the return of Corey and I having lunch together.  He has been having to go into the office and I have been sick so it was nice to return to our weekly tradition.  We decided to eat at Qdoba.  They have a new menu item called Craft 2.  It lets you mix and match some of their favorite menu items.  I chose a naked taco and a grilled quesadilla.  Best food I’ve had in awhile.  I say that because my tummy has been so upset for so long!  It is so hard for me to find things that don’t make me feel ill.  This photo was taken with my phone.

We were at Burger King yesterday and the girls noticed they had crowns with Twilight New Moon pictures on them.  How exciting!  He he!  Even tho I would NEVER let them watch it in a million years until they are like at least 13 they still know what it is…cause their Mom is obsessed with it! ;D  So here they are in their crowns.  They said Bella was “watching” you! ;D  This photo was also taken with my phone.  Not too shabby for a camera phone. Oh.  Notice Laney has her front two teeth missing.  That is a recent event as well.

Does anyone know what THIS means….

That is CORRECT we found Dunkin’ Donuts in Colorado!  A little bit of a drive as they are all in Colorado Springs.  But better than none at all.  We had an errand to run in the Springs on Saturday so we made a pilgrimage to Dunkin’ Donuts as well.  Grabbed a dozen donuts and some coffee beans.  We were all happy campers.  It’s an east coast thing. ;D

We got snow.  Again.  Not much.  Just enough to annoy me.  We didn’t get our traditional 70° weather in January.  Not even our usual one day.  It has been cold.  It feels too much like Maine for my taste.  Peh.  Here are the girls shoveling the driveway.  Can anyone tell me what is different about this photo???

I felt inspired after taking that photo of Skits sleeping in his kennel yesterday.  So I did a layout of it.

Verdant, Tagged Alpha, Grungy Frames II All other elements Easter Mega Kit coming soon Jen Maddocks Designs

Skits and Baxter play together pretty much all the time…until Baxter has had enough.  Even then Skits just doesn’t know when to quit. ;D  Here they are playing.  I’m very thankful that Baxter is so tolerant of Skits.  I actually think he kinda likes him. ;D

I also have a new Freebie for you.  You can find it in my sidebar and also in my store.  Enjoy!

We started putting Skits in his kennel the second day we brought him home.  I know some people think putting dogs in kennels is cruel but in life sometimes it is necessary.  After all…dogs are den animals!  There have been times when I just cannot watch him and do other things and it is for his own safety that he needs to go in there.  When we go places (ie leave the house) both dogs go in their kennels.  When we are home, for the majority of the time he is free to roam where ever he wants.  I like starting dogs young in their kennels.  We started Baxter when he was a pup and now his kennel is a place of refuge.  He loves going in there.  He goes in there all the time…especially when he wants to escape from Skits! ;D  Well, now Skits is starting to love his kennel…and I’m glad.  We leave the door to it open so he can go in there when ever he wishes.  He’s starting to go in there and explore.  Now he is starting to go in there and take naps!  So cool!

An update on me…I’ve been feeling better the last few days.  I went to see a Pulmonologist a week or so ago and he wants a bunch of tests run to get to the bottom of what is up with my lung/persistent pneumonia.  I have a CT scan scheduled and some breathing tests for next week.  Tests, tests and more tests.  Hopefully we will get to the bottom of things.  Meantime I’m feeling better and able to do more than I have in months.  Thanks for the prayers and well wishes that have been sent my way!  I’ve felt them!  Please continue.  I’m not out of de woods yet! ;D

I’ve had several requests for recent photos of Skits.  I’ve been a little bad about keeping up with daily photos in general.  So much going on.  So here I am honoring that request…

He is just the funniest dog ever.  I mean he is full of it.  And the only thing that saves him is that he is so darn cute!  Seriously he really is a good dog…or I think he will eventually turn into one.  I took him to the vet last week for his shots and he was the best behaved little doggie ever!  Everyone loved him there.  The vet said he looked great.  He said his personality was fantastic.  He has great days with potty training…then the next day it’s like wth???  I don’t get it.  See…I told you…you forget…or else you wouldn’t get one again!  He is hilarious in everything he does and he makes us laugh.  He wants to be everywhere Baxter is and wants everything Baxter has and we can’t decide if he wants to be dominant or just likes Baxter a lot and just wants to be with him and emulate him.  Baxter is extremely tolerant…which is a good thing…he’s such a great dog!

I’ve got two new products in the store today.

You can find both in my store here.

I was awake for much of the night last night.  Cause I took one of my new meds, which is actually one of the old ones, late last night in the hopes of kicking this thing, whatever it is, in the ass butt.  However I forgot that one of these meds winds you up tighter than a drum.  So I there I was fully awake last night.  Save for the fact that I am physically not well I could have done “I don’t know, something amazing I guess.”  But then there’s Skits.

Back up.

So I’m not recovered.  Yeah I know, I know.  Same old song and dance.  Only.  THIS time I’m kinda hoping for the same old song and dance.  Cause it doesn’t seem to be staying the same.  It seems to be getting worse.  I’ve been having horrible pain in my lung the last week and I had a follow up x-ray yesterday that showed an increase in the infection in my lung.  Great.  I’ve been worried about this pain in my lung.  It doesn’t feel quite right.  When does any pain ever do?  The doctor called me last night, which I thought was kinda unusual for her, and told me there was an increase in the infection and so I asked her could this be something else we are dealing with.  Yeah.  It could.  But let’s not go down that road.  Trust me.  I’ve already been there.  At least in my mind.  ;D

So I’m laying there last night on the couch cause that’s where I’ve been the last two months.  It’s just easier when your sick.  Plus its comfy.  And its the diseased couch…right Wendy?  See whenever anyone in our family gets sick they get relegated to a certain couch.  I guess just whichever one they end up falling on when they become ill.  Then that couch becomes the “diseased couch” or the sick couch.  Right now that one happens to be mine.  Which is fine with me.  I like my couch pretty well.  Everyone agrees it is the most comfy.  But no one will come near it when it is relegated to the “diseased” couch.  Yay!  I get it all to myself.

So anyway…I’m laying there thinking I could get some serious design work done or something but Skits is sleeping with me.  And I don’t want to wake him.  But that was the point all along.  That he was supposed to be my dog.  Every night I would look over and see Corey with Baxter and whine that I didn’t have a dog to cuddle with me.  ;D  So that…and a host of other reasons…we got Skits.  And he IS my dog.  And he does sleep with me.  Which is fine.  Except when I don’t sleep, which is probably more than the average person, and I want to get up in the middle of the night and write or create.  And I can’t.  Cause I finally have a dog.  That is mine.  Sigh.  He sure is warm.  For such a small animal.

Speaking of Skits…some observations of him of late…he has gigantic paws but he’s not going to be a big dog, Westies aren’t big so he looks kinda funny being a small dog with big feet.  His legs are also short so he has to run twice as fast and jump twice as hard to do things or to keep up with Baxter.  He doesn’t walk…he swaggers.  It is strange having a dog with a tail.  Baxter’s is docked.  Skits isn’t.  So it is cute seeing or feeling a wagging tail.  He has black toenails.  Which really stand out against white hair.  He is starting to ask to go out now.  We are hoping that he is getting potty training.  Just when we think he does…he has an accident.

Tonight we turned on the fireplace.  He has been growling at his reflection in the window panes.  Tonight he was barking at the flames.  Weirdo.