Pretty Little Liars (although none of them actually are)

I am posting a small vent. I apologize in advance for this, but since blogs are somewhat of a journal/diary I figure better to vent here than Facebook or Twitter. That way, if nobody wants to see it, then they don't have to. So if you do not want to read a vent, don't read this post (in case you didn't already gather that).

I HATE liars. I am talking about little lies, lies that do not matter, lies that would have made no difference had the teller told the truth. I hate useless lies. Lies that have no purpose, whatsoever. Lies that people say just to make someone else feel foolish, as if they had done something wrong, when they did not. And last but not least, I hate liars that tell lies to make them feel better about themselves.

That being said, I am a liar, of sorts. I make people think I am less intelligent than I actually am. This is rather stupid actually, because then people lie to me even more often, because they think I will have no idea. I find it amusing. I usually say nothing and keep my thoughts to myself. I've never been one to care what people think.

I HATE secrecy. I find people that try to be secretive about insignificant things, are very conceited. Because in all actuality, nobody cares. I HATE when people tell me "Don't tell so-n-so, but I'm losing my car." (Example)    Really?? I am 100% positive that "So-n-so" is, A: not going to care. And B: going to notice that you don't have a car anymore!!!  And then, to top it off, said person tells "so-n-so" the next day anyway! My point being - stop trying to live like a celebrity. You are not high profile and nobody cares about your secrets anyway. "Laying low" when everybody is going to find out the next day anyway, is sort of pointless don't ya think? Even worse when it's family. Still, "so-n-so" doesn't ever care about things you think are a big deal. Because usually, they aren't.

In the second to last paragraph of my vent post, I'd like to talk about how much I hate envy. I hate people that try to make you envy them. I also hate people who are envious. This is a sin for a reason. I'm not going to be envious of your $200 purse or your new car, so stop trying to flaunt it. I do not care if you bought your clothes at Dillards or at Savers, it does not make a difference to me. Although I would find you a very wise person if you bought your originally $108 pair of jeans at Saver for $12. In that case, you go girl. Do not be envious of other people, be happy for them. It takes less energy and you will feel much better about yourself. Count your blessing and do not try to live up to other people's standards.  "Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of someone else." - Judy Garland

I am not usually a negative person. I have gone through a lot in the last 4 years that have brought me to a bitter, negative place and I am slowly digging myself out. I have been happier in the last few months than I have been in a long time. It is hard to be optimistic and happy when you are surrounded by bitter - unhappy people. My Dad always said, "you are who you hang out with." Like I said, I am getting back to that happy, optimistic, glass-half-full, attitude that I used to have. However, like every person alive I am allowed to have moments of unhappiness, where I just need to have a nice long vent. Chalk it up to PMS or something, I don't care. All I know, is that letting out often seems to be the best way to feel better. :)

Busy Bees and Other Things

Hello everyone! I have been quite the busy bee lately, as well as stricken with a ruthless cold. As soon as the dust settles I will have a plethora of pictures and posts for all 3 of my readers to enjoy (I really hope there are more than that!)

I have a whole lot to talk about. We went to Mesa to visit family and this last weekend was Easter. There are also a few random pictures I will post of Miss Audrey. Hopefully I will feel well enough to post tomorrow.

On another note, I am going to start another blog. The topic of which will be gardening and housekeeping. In the spring and summer time the topics will mostly be about gardening. In the winter there is not much of that going on so I will post about my favorite house cleaning products and tips.

I want to note that I am by no means an amazing gardener or housekeeper. I do enjoy gardening and although I do not enjoy cleaning, I do enjoy trying new products that make the job easier. For the most part this blog will be a journal from a beginner's view on gardening and housekeeping. I will be sharing tips that I learn from experience, and I encourage whoever may read it to give me any tips or tidbits they may have.

Audrey's Day

On Friday we had a day that was dedicated to Audrey, doing whatever she wanted to do. Since she can only say a few words we had to use our Mommy - Daughter connection to converse about the days activities. At breakfast time she told me she wanted a brownie for breakfast, she can in fact say brownie. Although I was not aware of this fact until after I told her what the name of the dark, cake like, treat Mommy had in her hand was. She then made sure that I knew she wanted a brownie for breakfast too. I do not think it is fair for me to eat brownies for breakfast and not share with Audrey. What kind of mother would I be? Not a very awesome one that's for sure.

After our delightful brownie breakfast (with a side of apple to make me feel less guilty), we went outside to play in water and mud. Well, that's what she did anyway, I was trying to water the roses and other greenery in our yard. I also was planting seeds and she helped.


Before



And After



Around 10am Audrey decided she wanted Grandma to come join our outdoor fun, and poof, there she was. No, I'm kidding, Grandma really did come over but it was a planned tanning date between her and I. She played with Audrey and helped me pull weeds until her appointment at 11. At this time Audrey told me she was ready for a nap and I was ready to do yard work without having to use the eyes in the back of my head. When Grandma came back from her appointment I left to go get my tan on. I hate grossly tan skin but you know what I hate even more? Pale, pasty white, never see the sun, milk baby, white skin. Yuck. So I go tanning to get a nice little glow.

After my tanning appointment I came home and had quite the scare. Audrey was already awake in Grandma's lap and her arm was bright, fire engine red. My mommy instincts knew it wasn't a sunburn, but I had no other idea what it was at the time. We thought maybe she had been bit by an insect or something but there was not any swelling. Grandma thought she had just gotten really sunburned, but there was no way it would happen on just one side of her body. Thankfully it turned out she had just been laying on it wrong and cutting off her circulation. Now, before you go jumping to conclusions, the only reason I did not instantly hop in the car and take her to the hospital is because when asked if it was "owie" she did not respond. Audrey knows what "owie" means and if it were hurting her should would have repeated it back to me. She acted fine and I know, as her mother, if she acts fine she is fine. After about 20 minutes her beautiful skin color came back and she was a happy camper.

Since it was so beautiful outside Audrey told me she wanted to wear something super cute and weather appropriate. This is what we ended up with.

After Grandma left she signed to me that it was time to eat. She told me she wanted chicken nuggets from Burger King. I was feeling especially nice so I even got her some ranch to go with her nuggets and fries. She ended up eating ranch with a side of nuggets and fries. Girl loves her condiments. We ate outside on the swing Brandon made me last year. She loves to swing, she loves to eat, and she loves to be outside. It was a win-win situation.

After playing all day and getting as dirty as we possibly could, it was time for a bath. I needed a shower myself so I let her bathe in my tub while I showered next to her. She thought this was the best idea ever! We talked, sang songs, and played peek-a-boo while getting nice and squeeky clean!



Cutest tan lines ever!

We ended the night with Chinese take out at Papa and Grandma Craig's. Here she is having sweet and sour sauce with a side of, well I'm not really sure what that is. I know I didn't eat one.

Audrey's day was a huge success. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again.  Aw, who am I kidding?! Everyday is Audrey's day in our house!


Here are a few random pictures taken yesterday. I have to post them because they are too darn cute not to.

Daddy sent me this today. It's so cute right?! I love Audrey!

Snacktime!!

Girl Time and Random Pictures

Brandon had a few hours of overtime this week. He worked on Saturday while we were in Flagstaff, and he worked until 9:45pm Wednesday (I think) so Audrey and I have spent plenty of one on one time together. I had to go home from work early on Wednesday to pick up Audrey since Brandon was not able to. We went around town, bought some candy for her and wine for myself. Went home and had some relaxing Mommy Daughter time. I love these moments and I love these pictures. Do not fret my blog world friends, the glass was empty by the time she got her sticky little hands on it.       *Sorry the pictures are awful, my iPhone was throwing a tantrum.

Adorable right?!

Sometimes during our time at home together Audrey goes on adventures. I spotted her walking around with blankets and not sure of her plans, I decided it would be wise to follow her. I'm thinking she was wanting to relax in the tub, minus the water.

Now it is time for random pictures. When I am at work I get to witness some of the most amazing sunsets that Arizona has to offer. I am not a very good photographer, especially when the only camera I have is my  iPhone, so this picture is not great. It does not do the sunset justice in the slightest bit. I just want all my readers to get a small taste of how amazing Arizona's sunsets really are.

This picture is very random, I just want to add a little story of how much I dislike dogs. I never have liked dogs. When I was growing up we had a dog named Scooter. I loved Scooter. She was smart and pretty, but she was gross. She shed everywhere, she pooped everywhere (large poops), and she drooled like she had a constant fountain going in her mouth. Let me explain, I love all animals. I think they have feelings and I think they should be loved and respected. I just am not the biggest fan of dogs. I love them, I think they are adorable, but I hate touching them. I hate them shedding on me, I hate them slobbering on me, I hate them jumping, licking, sniffing, and rubbing up on me. Everything dogs do is disgusting. You would never see a cat eat poop out of a diaper, just saying.

I am a complete cat person. I will choose a cat over a dog anyday, hopefully a day like that never comes though. I would hate to hurt a dogs feelings. My husband on the other hand, hates cats. He cannot stand them. I chalk it up to the fact that he hates all the strays in our neighborhood that lay on his grass and poop in his garden. I can't argue with that. Anyway, can you see the problem here? Brandon likes dogs, I like cats - go figure.

I have a dog. Yes, she is my dog. I brought her home. I chose her. I feed her, I pet her, I walk her, and I even love her. The reason I have a dog is because there is no way I would have gotten away with bringing home a cat. I love animals and have always had them growing up. I refuse to live in a home where animals do not exist. So, wanting to comprimise on the cat/dog issue. I got a small dog, a miniature pinscher/ pug to be exact. My best friend Venessa gave her to me. Her name is Roxy.

Small dogs are less disgusting than their larger counterparts. They shed less -in my opinion anyway-, they never drool, they can't come close to knocking you over when they jump, when they lick you it's more like a cat instead of being like a huge disgusting wet rag being wiped across your face, they don't take up large amounts of space, and their tails are not long or powerful enough to knock cups off your coffee table. Large dogs belong outside, period. My small Roxy is a great dog. She is the perfect mix of cat and dog. That may sound strange but she has the best qualities of both.

I have been feeling horrible because I do not give her all the attention she deserves. So I decided I was going to be super attentive towards her from now on. When I got home from work, I let her jump up on my lap  for a nice ear scratch and lovin, and this is what I got in return.

I know it is probably hard to see, and some of it I had already wiped off before I had decided to take a picture, but there was a lovely amount of dog hair on my lap. This is exactly why I do not like dogs. I know, I know, cats shed too. I have never had a cat that shed as much as my dog does. I am trying really hard to be more loving to my dog, like I was before I had Audrey. I will find time to spoil her and love her like I used to. I hope she can forgive my negligence. And I hope she can find it in her heart to stop shedding so much......

Playing Catch Up, Our Flagstaff Trip

 Audrey and I decided to make a quick trip to Flagstaff to go shopping and visit Grandma Debbie for a little while. We went to Target and bought our favorite diapers and wipes, some makeup, and goodies from the dollar bins. They had a whole bunch of safari animal decor that matched Audrey's bedroom and bathroom. I bought a frame and a stuffed lion. She does a perfect roar when she sees her lion and she yells "Daddy!" when she sees the picture frame. I put a picture of her giving Daddy kisses in the frame and placed it on her tv. She loves her Daddy.

Also from Target I purchased my most favorite candy of all time. I do not care for Valentine's Day chocolates, Christmas candies of all sorts, or Thanksgiving pies the way I care for my Easter Sweetarts Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies. There is no candy that can compare, not even regular Sweetarts.

After Target we went to Michael's. I love craft stores! I bought some felt to make butterflies for Audrey's bedroom wall. I am so tired of her bedroom being so very boring, but that's another story. Maybe another post for another day. I also bought some letters for her walls and a reuseable shopping bag that is adorable. I will not however, be using it as a shopping bag. I will be taking it to work with me everyday. I take to work everyday: dinner, the book I am reading at the time, a craft project, my bill book, and various beauty items. A large adorable bag was very much needed.  *The sweetarts are on top of said bag in the picture.

We met Grandma Debbie and Cousin Mariah at the mall. Grandma took the girls to play in the play area while I shopped at JcPenney. I bought Audrey the cutest summer dress. Even she was in love with it. When we got home she made me put it on her so she could flaunt it around the house. She also made sure to tell everyone and everything how pretty she was.

After the mall we decided to do a little bargain shopping at Savers. Yes, I shop at Savers. I also do not care what anybody thinks about this. It just so happens that I have the best maternity clothes ever and I hardly paid anything for them thanks to Savers. After that, I was hooked. Audrey now has a beautiful summer wardrobe that I only paid $25 for. My most favorite item from there is a pair of green ballet flats for .99 cents. Originally from Baby Gap so I am sure you can imagine just how wonderful they are.

I realized we hadn't eaten yet and Audrey was getting very cranky. I do not really know very much about what is in Flagstaff so we decided to go back to the mall and share pizza. Audrey was amazing! She was such a good girl and she ate like a sumo wrestler. We talked, shared soda, took bites of each others pizza, and had a great time. Who would have thought you could have so much fun sharing lunch with your toddler in a mall cafeteria?

We did a little shopping at b&b works, GameStop, and Charolette Russe before heading back to happy Holbrook. We had just gotten on to the freeway when she decided it was time for a snooze.







I can not for the life of me, get this picture to upload right side up. It is a mystery to me.



Daddy was working overtime late that night and I had to go to work at 6am the following morning. We decided Audrey should have some Grandma and Grandpa Craig time. So she stayed at their house that night. She was very exhausted from her adventures with Mommy. We had such an amazing time, I can not wait to do it again!