Can you believe it?

Its going to be 2009 in less then 11 hours! Can you believe it? What a whirlwind of a year. We laughed, we cried, we screamed, we hurt and healed, we saw and loved, we lost and gained, we learned and made mistakes; and through it all we seemed to find ourselves scarred and bruised but loved and healing. We found out how much we can take and how much we are truly capable of.

Will we look back on 2008 and say this was the best year of our lives? maybe not, maybe so....probably not. It was a good year but we can always make the next one better....which brings us to the dreaded new years resolution....whats mine you ask? to lose weight? to better my credit? to have more kids? to buy a home? all very nice but we never know what will happen. What I do know is that I can in some way make this year a little better then last. I can laugh more, I can be a better friend, I can let go of negative things that hold me down, I can take 10 minutes out of everyday and truly appreciate what I've been given, I can brighten someones day by taking the extra time. So that's what I plan on doing...what do you plan on doing?

well whatever it is, lets remember who we are and what we stand for, remember that we are loved and always remember to smile.


Love,
Maura

Oh mondays!!! Ugg

We had an awesome Christmas, one of the best in years. We had lots of family come, tons of great food and company, not to mention the endless rounds of Killer Bunnies and Dad's camera catching all the fun.
We got to see Jason for a whole seven days and Deborah and Tyler for five. I made a cake and Deborah made some awesome candy. Mom and dad made some killer tamale's and I am very excited to announce we now have a clear play. Wahoo.
I had four straight days off and what does that mean? I got to sleep in, pig out, have fun and not worry about cleaning...I should have but I didn't. hehe. What else does that mean? .....yup the dreaded Monday. And a Monday after a long holiday always seems ten times worse. I'm tired, I'm used to sleeping in. I'm cranky, I want to play killer bunnies or pig out on some candy...not answer the non-stop phones with people who have obviously run out of the Christmas cheer. I want to go to the mall and hit all the big sales I heard about on the news this morning and I want to play with all my new toys we got for Christmas (i.e. clear play, putting recipe's in my new cookbook, watching movies and so much more!)
Jason leaves today, I work today, Juliet is in school, I have bills to pay, dishes to clean, laundry to fold and a diet that needs to be started.....welcome to the new year. I wish I could do the last week all over again. It was so much fun and I loved seeing all of my family here. Yay to Christmas...Boo to work!!!!

O well, such is life. :)

RELAX

Jason, Juliet, Rebekah and Aaron (Rebekah's boyfriend) and I all went to the airport to pick up Deborah and Tyler who flew in from Idaho. On the way home we all went to Red Robin, because Jason had promised Juliet that he would take her and since we were already in Reno, might as well go out right? :)

On the way there or back, really can't remember which Jason and I were getting in a debate about directions. He told me to get in the very right lane but then when I pointed out that it was a turn only, he told me he had said get in the middle right lane. Anyway, we were having a friendly banter back and forth when from the back seat pipes Juliet who says:

"mom, mom....Relax"

Deborah immediately hides her face in Tylers shoulder to keep from laughing, Jason and I look at each other with the 'she's your kid' look and Tyler, as always, look calm and collected.

It was classic...and yes, I do realize that she is my daughter! :)

Yay, Chirstmas

Christmas is almost here and the weather is finally starting to show it. We are getting cold, snowy weather. The tree is up, most of the presents are wrapped, the baking has started and the anticipation is grand! Our family is either here or coming soon and we are all soooo excited.


It's ganna be a great. There's ganna be good times! we're ganna play games, make food, eat food. :) watch movies, stay up late, take pictures, open presents, hopefully play in some snow and enjoy each other company...


I am sooo excited I can barely stand it.


Hope your Christmas is just as fun and exciting as our is going to be. :)

Mothers. :)

This is MUST viewing for anyone who:
1. has ever had a mother,
2. is a mother or
3. plans to be a mother.

Sound on then click http://vimeo.com/1509073


I love this!

wait...what?

I type my little fingers off, thinking if I can type faster magically the time will fallow my lead... '2:30' I think...'only 2 and 1/2 hours left, better type faster'. I answer a call they man talks about his bird, his shoes and his latest medical procedure and finally comes to his question. I answer with straining patience, then he asks 'what time is it sweetheart' I look at the clock convinced its gotta be 5...but no its only 2:45, there's now way that conversation only took 15 minutes. I hang up, take a deep breath and begin my race against my own clock. What will I win - a big helping of disappointment, when I look at the clock and its only 3:15. ' ok something has gotta be wrong here' I get up and go over to my co workers desk...nope 3:15 there too. Both of us must be stuck in this twilight zone time standstill.

I march back to my desk and get another call. This time its a woman talking about her daughter, her half witted neighbour and her latest medical procedure. I get alot of people who feel it necessary to talk about their medical procedures. We talk in circles for what seems like and hour, then she says "maybe I should call back on Monday, you are almost out of there" 'Wait, What? Can it be, can it be 5pm' I think with giddy excitement that can only be experienced on Friday afternoons....I look at the clock....'no this can't be, this can't be right? how can the clock seriously have no 5's on it...why does it only say 3:49' I think, almost out load. "no" I tell the member "I can help you, we are here for an hour longer" I almost cry at he prospect of it all. I finally get off the phone knowing for sure this time I would have warped out of the Bermuda triangle of time and back to the real world where 5 eventually gets here!

No, only 4:10. I have a metal picture of me screaming and pulling out my hair while a million clocks forever tick at 4:50pm. This really isn't happening and goodness knows I would not be blogging if it were, but it seemed real for the crazed full minute I looked at the clock desperately trying wrap my brain around the fact that I still had an HOUR to go.

oh another call...please no more medical procedures, please no crazy neighbours or deadbeat children. Please clock go, go, go. Why cant' you go. Who's cruel cosmic joke is this. I hope someone is having a good laugh at this one....because I'm not!

Surprise

Jason came into town on Tuesday and was able to stay for a few hours. So right after work I drove Juliet up to Reno. I didn't' tell her what we were going for and every time she asked I just told her it was a surprise.

We drove through Reno and on our way to sparks when she pipes up from the back seat. "I really miss my daddy. I want to see him soon" I say "I know baby, I miss him too. We can see him soon" course she has no idea how soon. :)

We drive into the parking lot and sit in the car waiting for the surprise to come. "what are we doing" Juliet wined from the back seat. I don't' mind the wine so much this time because of the surprise. Then I hear "Mommy, it's daddy" She was so excited she couldn't even stand it.

When Jason opened the back door and gave her a hug, she was literally speechless and then she started to cry a little. Poor little thing had no idea why she was crying, we as adults, realize that happens when you are too emotional to do anything else, wither it be sadness, anger, happiness or relief. She just knew she was happy to see him. It really touched my heart.

So we had a really nice time, Jason took us to Red Robbin and Juliet even got to see the 'red bird'. Then we took Jason back to his truck and did our good bye's.

On the way home I asked Juliet if she liked her surprise. "what surprise?" "daddy" she thinks for a second then kinda chuckles at me. "silly mommy" she says "daddy isn't a prize, only toys are prizes."

It was super cute and have we had a great time. We get to see him in less the two weeks! we are so excited.

My bucket list...

what would your answers be? try it out and see what you've done. :)

Have you ever.....
( ) Gone on a blind date?
(X) Skipped school?
( ) Watched someone die?
(x ) Been to Canada?
(x)Been to Mexico?
( )Been to Florida?
(X) Been on a plane?
(X) Been lost?
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country?
() Gone to Washington, DC?
(X) Swam in the ocean?
(X) Cried yourself to sleep?
(X) Played cops and robbers?
(X)Recently colored with crayons?
(X)Sang Karaoke in public?
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(X) Made prank phone calls?
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere?
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue?
(x) Danced in the rain?
( X ) Written a letter to Santa Claus?
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe? (
X) Watched the sunrise with someone?
(X) Blown bubbles?
(x) Gone ice-skating?
(X) Been skinny dipping outdoors?
(X) Gone to the movies?

1. Any nickname? Duke or Dukie or Mlann
2. Mother’s name? Marina
3. Favorite drink? Chocolate Milk
4. Cats or Dogs? Cats when they are calm, dogs when they are calm.
5. Body Piercing? yup
6. How much do you love your job? I like it a lot. Some days are good...others not so much
7. Birthplace? Elmendorf AFB in Alaska
8. Favorite vacation spot? England or Disneyland
9. Ever been to Africa? No, but would love to go.
10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Heck ya
11. Ever been on TV? A few times
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No, but I did have a construction cone stolen for me.
13. Ever been in a car accident? Ya!
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4
15. Can you drive a standard car? Sure can. Prefer it actually
16. Favorite pie? Not a pie person but I do like moms pecan pie!
17. Favorite number? 17
18. Favorite movie? So many! But I really like Hairspray, Romeo and Juliet and Newsies
19. Favorite Holiday? Thanksgiving in the winter, 4th of July in the summer.
20. Favorite dessert? CAKE.
21. Favorite food? Pasta
22. Favorite day of the week? I’m drawn to Wednesdays. But I really like Sundays. I get to take a nap.
23. Favorite brand of body soap? Suave
24. Favorite toothpaste? Anything minty
25. Favorite Smell? Jason’s Cologne and Juliet’s Hair
26. How do you relax? What is this word Relax? Hehe. No, I read.
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Hopefully thinner and with a few more kids (is that an oxymoron?)
28. Furthest place you will send this list to? Who knows how far it will go.
29. Who will respond to this the fastest? I didn’t know it was a race. :)

ewww.....

Juliet and I went to the store because it has a wells fargo in it, and I needed to deposit some money before the rent check went through. On the way in we walked right by the flower department, in said flower department they have a new item this year. Little Christmas Tree looking plants but they are made out of rosemary plants.

Juliet and I look at them, we both feel them, after all feeling and smelling and looking are all part of the window shopping experience. So we go on to the bank portion of the store, do our business and then walk back out to the car.

Juliet tells me that there is a yucky smell in her nose and she gets very upset about this fact and the fact that this smell will just not go away. I tell her several times I just can't figure out what she is talking about, because I can't smell a thing. I glance in my rear view mirror and see her pinching her tiny nose between her fingers as hard as she can.

I tell her we will be out of the car soon and maybe the smell will go away, then I scratch and itch on my nose....'hmmm. I love that smell' wait....my figures smell like Christmas tree and Rosemary....

I ask Juliet to smell my finger and see if that is the icky smell. Yes she says with a most disgusted face. Then she plugs her nose and looks at me like I have a disease.

I tell her that the smell is on her fingers and that it won't go away if she keeps putting her fingers by her nose. She smells her fingers and tells me that yucky smell in her nose is her fingers. :)

then we go and get McDonald's, she asks for a fry and I hear her say. "the yucky smell is gone, my fry is in my nose"

"see now that there is another smell you can't smell your fingers huh"

"ya"

then I look behind me. The girl literally put the fry in her nose. She didn't like the smell that much that she stuck a fry up her nose. hahaha.

well got to give her props for fixing her problem.

Venus and Jupiter, the big fat planets....

So today if you looked at the moon you could see Venus and Jupiter very clearly. It doesn't happen often and I personally can say I have not seen them that pronounced. It's fun to know you could be anywhere in the world and know that someone in a different state, country or even Continent can see the same thing you are. :)

So Juliet and I were walking out to the car and even she noticed the new 'stars' next to the moon. Which, by the way, is only a sliver of a moon tonight. Juliet described it as "look at the two big stars next to the pointy moon" it was dang cute.

I called Jason to tell him about Juliets description of the moon, then he gets into telling me how pretty it is looks, especially to him because he is driving out in the middle of nowhere so it is very bright to him.

K the next segment of my story is why I shouldn't fish for complements form my husband. I love him dearly and wouldn't trade him for anything but sometimes the things that come out of his mouth, and the way I interpret them. Well its' a good thing we know each other so well not to take offense. :)

He tells me how pretty the setting is. I ask him what does it remind him of because the starts are so pretty. He catches on and says 'you hunny' Pause..... 'but they're planets'

haha. so technically I'm as pretty as a big fat planet. I cracked up so badly I almost peed myself in the store. He was laughing pretty hard too. Aw good times. It's so great to be out of the 'everything I say has to impress them' stage. :) I love my husband!