A few things...

We had a great weekend. Lot's of family time and rest! Just what the doctor ordered!

Poor Randy had a rough first week of work. Talk about trial by fire! He was literally thrown into the job, when his new boss had to take off a week for a family emergency. So, Randy was the "go-to-guy" on a job where he didn't even know the names of the men he was working with! To say the least, he was stressed and tired. Still is, for that matter... I think once he surpasses the learning curve, he will begin to enjoy his job. Let's hope so!

On a lighter note, Kyla and Elisan finished up swimming lessons and lo and behold, it worked! Kyla learned how to swim, both underwater and on top of the water. This is the same child who would not even get her hair wet and would whine when she would get splashed! Now she is a full-fledged swimmer and I'm so relieved! Elisan learned some finer points of swimming and has been practicing the new techniques she has learned. Here are a couple of pictures from this weekend. Randy had fun tossing the girls into the water! (Was this safe? Probably not, but they had fun!)

I'm so pumped... literally! Today I worked out my upper body at the gym and as I was leaving, one of the 20-something guys at the gym said, "Ms. Erica... you are getting cut!" I'm assuming 'cut' means ripped, buff, toned, etc. Nonetheless, it was a good feeling to be noticed for all of the HARD work I've been doing at the gym! I love, love, love weight lifting. I think it is my new hobby!

The girls have been getting along beautifully this summer. Despite a row here and there, they are acting as if they are best friends. It has been a welcome change!

So, my van is in the shop to repair the fender bender that happened back in March. It's been two weeks and I've been driving Randy's old beat up truck. Nothing is more humbling than driving an old beat up truck. In addition to that, it is a standard. That in and of itself is a scary notion... me... driving a stick shift. But, we've all survived.

It's funny, though. I notice that people are MORE aware of you when you are driving a beater. For example today, I was loading up the groceries in the front seat of the truck's passenger side and as I wheeled the buggy away, I noticed the owner of the car parked next to me inspecting the side of her car for any beat up truck dings or dents that I may have inadvertently placed in her car. I'm thinking... don't park next to a beater if you are afraid your car will get dinged. Isn't that already a rule? (Oh, and I didn't even brush her car with my bottom... so, she was all nervous for nothing!)

Today I was awarded the "BRILIANTE WEBLOG" Award for the "best blog design, best show of designs, whatever YOU find to be the reason why it is the most BRILIANT web page." Whoohoo, all that time I spend making logos and banners is paying off! Thank you Charlotte for the award! I'm honored you thought of me!

Madras Madness - Digi Scrap Freebie

Another freebie paper pack!

Madras Madness in Brights and Pastels!

Each paper pack come with:

• 1 multi-plaid madras print
• 4 coordinating plaid prints

Madras Madness BRIGHT can be downloaded here.
.
Madras Madness PASTEL can be downloaded here.

Someone needs to keep me up-to-date

So, I was at the store today...yes, I admit, the grocery store in the make-up section. Now, before you start in on me about buying drug-store make up, remember... I am married to the tightest waddiest husband on earth. Really. It's true.

(Sidenote: I do buy good make up at Christmas time when Estee Lauder sells those mega make up kits for like $60.00 with a purchase of a fragrance. That will last me all year - and beyond - and really you can't beat the price...)

So, yes, I was at HEB in the make up section looking at the mineral make up foundations. My mom swears by it and I thought I'd give it a go. But, honestly, I am just not convinced yet, so I wandered around some more. What I ended up finding and buying was tinted moisturizer! Um, hello!? Why hasn't anyone told me about this? I mean, moisturizer? That is tinted? Holy cow... that's awesome! Why didn't I think of it?

(Sidenote: It reminds me of the time years ago as I was sitting at the pool with my friends discussing sunscreen and I mentioned 'they' (meaning, someone other than me...) should come up with sunscreen wipes for kids' faces... And, what do you know? Someone did. They are probably making millions... but, I digress...)

So, yes... tinted moisturizer. Genius!

In other news, I found this brand new bathing suit cover up at my favorite store, Goodwill! It is brand new, in perfect condition and will look awesome on our vacation/cruise. It was $7.50.





That's all for now!

Friday Fodder

Today's fodder is compliments of
Stormi, over at Hanging with the Boyd's.

I'd have to agree with what Stormi said,
"I don't think I'd drive on this road!"


Edited to add: Good question in the comment section Heather!
I found this link about the origin of the picture.

Appears it is real!

Digi Scrap Freebies

I've been playing around with the idea of creating my own digital scrap papers. I'll admit, my ideas seem a bit generic compared to some digi scrap papers I've come across out there on the web... but for my first attempt, I think these turned out pretty good!

"Crazy Polka Flowers" can be downloaded here:
Three patterned papers in four colors.



"Happy Go Lucky" can be downloaded here:

Five patterned papers in nine different colors.

I haven't yet figured out how to set up the files to download as an entire set in a .zip file, so if anyone knows, please let me know.

Enjoy!

New Job

WARNING: Super long post ahead... read at your own risk!

Well, for those who know us personally, you know that this is BIG news!

But, here's a little background info for those who don't know us personally...

Back in 2003, we moved to Minnesota for Randy's job. It was a very dark period in my life. We left our family, friends, church... everything that was important to me. Elisan was 18 mos. old and I was pregnant with Kyla, so I was not in the most stable emotional state at the time of our move.

We were surprised at how expensive everything was in Minnesota and quickly realized that our standard of living, including owning a home, would be sub-par as to what we had grown accustomed to in Texas. Sounds snobby, doesn't it? But really... when you consider that we owned a fabulous starter home in Texas for less than $150K only to see that something that would even be comparable in Minnesota was $300K... you get my point. (And that was 5 years ago... that same house is probably $400K now.)

So, when the first opportunity to "get outta Minnesota" came about we took it. And, that was going to Denmark for what we thought was going to be a year long project. We ended our stay in Minnesota after 7 looooong months. We waited until Kyla was born, then we high-tailed it back to Texas while Randy went on ahead to Denmark and found us a place to live.

We were in Denmark for 7 months. Looking back at that time, it was wonderful and scary at the same time. We met some awesome friends and I am thankful for the time we spent there, but I was schlepping around 2 kids (ages 2 and 6 mos.) around a foreign country using public transportation (buses and trains), not speaking the language (thank goodness the Danes learn English in school), and being very far from the comforts of the U.S. To say the least, I was ready to go home.

Randy accepted a job back at the Texas plant (YEEHAW!) and we moved back to our old neighborhood and even on the same street! (Isn't that funny?) The dark days of Minnesota were far behind us. We were in Texas and loving life. We found a new church, reacquainted with old friends and made new ones. We visited family often. Life was good!

Then, the dreaded China talk began. Randy had already seen one of his co-workers accept a job in China and we actually believed he would be considered to take a job in China as well. Thank goodness, that did not come to pass. The next thing up? The Philippines. Yep, there's a plant in Manila. Again, the possibility that Randy would be offered a job in the Philippines was always a very real possibility. Thank goodness, that never came to pass... But, you see what I'm getting at... It was never "oh, we're going to be here for the rest of our lives and live happily ever after..." it was always, "oh no... were are they going to ship us this time?"

Back in December, Randy was approached to take a job in Minnesota again. This job seemed very promising and Randy was able to set the terms this time. Randy even went so far as to accept the job, but for one reason or another, it never came about.

Within recent months, Randy's company announced that it was shutting down the Texas plant. That meant one of two things... either we stay with his current company (which would mean moving to Minnesota) or take another job. Randy decided to ride the job out in Texas, collect his severance package and look for a job at a leisurely pace at the beginning of next year. But, within in the last month, he was approached by a former co-worker about another job (with another company) so he went on an interview. He was offered the job and he accepted.

Last week the "powers that be" began to scramble about trying to keep Randy on at his current job... And, in the process was offered more money AND a move to Minnesota. As you can imagine I was dying here because I did not want to go to Minnesota, but I could not face the guilt (is it guilt?) of standing in the way of his career and his future with a company that he had invested 14 years with. What to do?

Well, he made the decision to take the new job, instead of stay on. In the process, he took a big paycut and now has to be at work at 6:00 a.m. (which means waking up at 4:45 a.m.) The new job is 40 miles away by toll road (translating to an extra $8.00/day for tolls). His old job was only 7 miles away. And now I wonder if it was worth it? Should I have just sucked it up and supported him MORE and had him accept the job in Minnesota? Part of me feels guilt for being such a panty-waist and not being more gung-ho about the promotion.

Well, nonetheless, what's done is done. Randy has a new job... in Texas. So, no disruption in my little life all due to the sacrifices that are being made by my husband. Thanks, Randy. I love you. And, you know, God has always provided for us and tended to our needs. I know He will not fail us now!

Just as I suspected

Today was my hearing test at the Ear Nose and Throat office. And, the results are just as we suspected.

I do indeed suffer from moderate hearing loss in mid-frequency ranges (or conversational tones).

The hearing loss is due to my cochlea nerve and is likely hereditary. The doctor also stated that I've likely suffered from this type of hearing loss all of my life, but that it has probably deteriorated in the last year or two, which was noticed by my husband. The audiologist that conducted my test was very surprised at my results because both ears suffer the same exact frequency loss, rather than one ear that hears better than the other.

The only thing left to do now is wait another 12 months for a follow up exam to determine if my hearing has deteriorated any more.

Although I'm bummed about the confirmed hearing loss, I'm glad I don't need any further testing, i.e. MRI, etc.

Buzzin' Bees

Randy's crape myrtles are in full bloom and the bees were having fun this morning.

Can you spot the bee?

Friday Fodder

In light of recent events at my house... I'd thought I'd post something appropriate!

Under Where?

We have been in the midst of swimming lessons this week. So, today, I was smart and told the girls to put their bathing suits on underneath their clothes since we had some stuff to do prior to going to classes this a.m.

We get to class and I tell the girls to take off their clothes so I can douse them with sunscreen and Kyla begins taking off her clothes.

The sweet girl has her underwear on and they are on top of her bathing suit! Isn't that the funniest thing? (Well, it was to me, anyway!)

Protein Shakes, Headaches and MSG

Clever title, right? This is going to be a boring public service announcement, but I wanted to make the title of this blog entry something easily searchable if someone were researching information on protein shakes.

I recently visited the doctor for reoccurring headaches. My headaches would begin in the late afternoon and continue throughout the evening. I'd often go to bed in a Tylenol P.M. induced stupor to help me sleep it off. My doctor and I could not determine what the cause of the headaches were and he basically wrote it off as simple headaches that required pain reliever as needed.

Well, I'm excited to report that I discovered (after doing a little research of my own!) that protein shakes contain an obscene amount of GLUTAMIC ACID which is also known as Monosodium Glutamate or MSG.

Um, hello headache!

I drank protein shakes daily. I would drink post-workout, not only as a protein supplement, but for a icy cold chocolaty shake! I even posted about it here on this blog when we began drinking the shakes.

Little did I know that the headaches I was getting were from the massive amount of MSG that are in protein shakes as a flavor enhancer. Holy moly!

Here are some links to some information that was helpful to me. The first article lists out the various forms of MSG. Interesting stuff! The second article talks mainly about Free Glutamic Acid. Read on:

• Hidden Sources of MSG by Truth in Labeling Campaign; 1995
• Free Glutamic Acid (MSG): Sources and Dangers by NOHA NEWS, Vol. XXV, No. 2, Spring 2000

I hope this information proves helpful to someone else!

Seriously. Twins?

At least once a week, sometimes more, I am asked if Elisan and Kyla Mae are twins. Seriously.

In fact, it happened yesterday at Cold Stone Creamery and it happened today at the YMCA.

Yesterday, the gal at the counter asked if they were twins. I said, "Nope, just sisters." And she said, "Are you sure?" With a weird expression on my face I said back to her, "Am I sure?" And she nodded and said, "Yeah! Because they look so much alike!" I said, "Nope, they are 4 and 6. Definitely not twins."

Okay, so I dress them alike, but not all the time. And the last three times (all within the last week) I was asked if they were twins, there were not dressed in the same clothes.

Perhaps it is Elisan's short stature. Or their curly hair and color. Or their mouths. Or their mannerisms. Perhaps it is because they are attached at the hips wherever they go. Who knows...

All I know, is that they are definitely not twins. Heck, Elisan was born in Texas and Kyla Mae was born in Minnesota!

So, what do you think?

Beach Bums

I don't care how excited you are to go on a trip, it's always better to come home... even if it means having laundry that is covered in sand.

The girls and I had a four hour trip by car to get to Rockport, the location of our family vacation. All I can say is THANK YOU FOR BUILT-IN DVD PLAYERS. (If you have even a smidgen of a passing notion to get a built-in DVD player for your van, SUV or car, I implore you to do it! You will not regret it, for it will be the best coupla grand you have ever spent... hand's down!)

The trip there was an easy drive, but I had to have my hand on the Google Maps directions the entire time. I have never driven in that part of the world, so I wasn't familiar with any of the podunk highways I was traveling on. Note to self: If it is 11:00 a.m. and you are in or near a town that has one or two fast food joints, stop and eat. Unfortunately, we whizzed by several towns in the late hours of morning, but I was making good time, so I decided to push back lunch a bit. Well, that was a bad idea, because the next town was about 75 miles away. Yep... no bathrooms or food. Nice. Unless you think this General Store was worth visiting!

We did finally stop and eat in a town called Tivoli (population 540). I've been to Tivoli before... but it was in Denmark. No, this Tivoli is the crown jewel of the East Coast. Not really. There was a Dairy Queen, we ate there, it was scary.

We made it to Rockport in one piece. My folks showed us around the mansion that would be my home for the next four nights. I thought it was suitable.

The house was awesome. It was very spacious and roomy. The kitchen was to die-for, with a huge Viking range and ventilation indoor, granite countertops, huge center island, professional appliances, it was a cook's dream! Each bedroom had it's very own full bathroom! There were two huge balconies and two large patios. And, the house had it's very own boat slip. Oh, and notice the indoor landscaping? Yes, it was unbelievable. The house belongs to a woman that lives in my folk's neighborhood. Let's just say, she came into some money later in life...

My folks were excited to see the girls. The girls have never seen the beach, so as you can guess, that was first on our agenda. I was pooped out from the drive. So, I lounged in the chair, while my folks helped the girls make sand castles and look for seashells. If you have ever had the good fortune to visit a Southeast Texas beach, you will know that it is, for a lack of a better word... ick! There are not sandy white beaches and crystal clear waters. Nope, it's just not gonna happen. Not until you hit Padre Island from what I hear...

The next day, we hung around the house and the girls played with their cousins, Brandon and Brady. The boys are 14 and 11, but played very nicely with the girls! After lunch, we took the kids to the community pool that had a great area for small kids and a large pool with diving boards for the big kids. The boys took turns showing off for the ladies...er, um... doing diving tricks off the diving boards, while the girls played on the slides and in the sprinklers. My mom even showed the boys that even a 60 year old woman can jump off the diving board. I would have gone off too, but Elisan insisted that I NOT go off the board. I think she was fearful of diginity. Not her dignity, more like my dignity. (I'd be happy to send anyone a picture of my mom jumping off the diving board, but for fear of future repercussions, I'll refrain from posting them publicly.)

The girls were tuckered out after a day of swimming and playing. Here's the proof! After dinner, we went for a boat ride in a pontoon boat. It was great fun and everyone had a nice time looking at all of the million dollar homes and the yachts to go with them. Some people just have more money than they know what to do with, right?

The next couple of days were filled with trips back to the beach and the swimming pool. Randy joined us on Wednesday night and the girls were excited to see him. They were proud to show him the beach. For whatever reason, the jellyfish were in full force that day. We saw hundreds of them floating in the water and washing on shore. Maybe it is mating season for the jellies. Whatever the reason, it kept us out of the water... thank God for small miracles. We leisurely walked down to the pier and took in the sights.

A nice old guy stopped us along the way and snapped a few pictures of us. That was sweet and it was really the only time I was able to get all four of us in a picture. Later on, we settled under a bamboo umbrella and watched the girls dig to their heart's content. Randy and I lounged in the beach chairs taking in the sights and breathing the fresh salty air.

We decided to cut our trip short by a day, because we were tired and ready to come home. As nice as that house was, there is nothing like the comfort of your own bed and bathroom!

So, we're back, rested and all of the laundry done and put away. No one had a sunburn, thanks to several layers of sunscreen applied liberally to everyone.

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures. Enjoy!

Brady and Elisan

Diggin', diggin', diggin

Elisan, Brandon, Brady and Aunt Christi

Pop and Meme

Kyla Mae

Elisan Rae

Brady and Christi

Kyla in the hole she dug

Bathing beauties!

Pop and the girls

My brother, Tim

Meems and the girls

Mommy and Elisan

Building sand castles

YUM Popsicles

Edited to add: Okay, if you click on the pictures of me, you will notice the big ol' granny glasses I'm wearing over my prescription lenses. No, I don't think I'm cool... in fact, I feel like a big ol dork wearing them... And, I have Transistion Lenses in my prescriptions glasses but they don't get dark enough. See, the problem is, that bright light is my main "trigger" for migraines. If you get migraines, you know that you will avoid them at all costs... even it means your diginity. So... because of that, I wear the granny glasses. And what do you know? I got a migraine on a vacation because I opted to NOT wear them outside on one particular afternoon. So, there!

We are beached out!

We are back from the beach! We had a nice relaxing time, stayed in a beautiful home on the water and had a great time with family! As always... it's good to be back!