14 days until my 30th Birthday

I have 14 cousins! (in no particular order)

1 & 2. Johnny & his wife, Samantha (not in photo) 3 & 4. Carter & his wife, Cheryl (not in photo) 5. Ryan (tall guy in tux vest - has on glasses) 6 & 7. Kyle & his wife, Barbara (photo is at their wedding but they aren't in the photo) 8 & 9. Charles & his wife, Ruth (couple kneeling in the front on the right) 10 & 11. Stephanie & her husband, Marshall (lady in the pink dress and man with tux vest on standing behind her) 12. Margaret Pat (lady in the blue dress on the far right) 13 & 14. Zach & his wife (couple with little girl on the far left.)

also in this picture: ME (sqauting in the center), Debbie (blonde in the middle in blue dress) & Mom (brunette with glasses in blue dress in the center)

I am now going to try to explain how we are all related. My great-grandmother is Granny. Granny married Boss. Granny & Boss had Nani, Aunt Annette & Uncle Bob. Nani had Mom, Aunt Becky & Uncle Johnny. Aunt Annette had Stephanie (10), Margaret Pat (12) and Charles (8). Stephanie married Marshall (11) and have Kyle (6) and Ryan (5). Kyle married Barbara (7). Margaret Pat has Zach (13). Zach married his wife (14) and they have a beautiful daughter. Charles married Ruth (9). Mom had me, Charley & Debbie. Uncle Johnny had Johnny (1) & Carter (3). Johnny married Samantha (2) and have Avery, Aiden & Little Little Johnny. Carter married Cheryl (4) and have Taylor and Little Carter. I THINK I have this right but I am going to check with mom just to make sure. This is kind of a like a miniature family tree. I am going to explain brothers & sisters on day 8. So you have that to look forward to. :)

15 days until my 30th Birthday

I have lived under 15 roofs
1. Austin Street, Marshall, Texas
2. apartment behind where Hobby Lobby is now, Tyler, Texas
3. yellow house, Tyler, Texas
4. apartment complex where Barnes & Noble is now, Tyler, Texas (this is where the microwave fell on my head when I tried to climb on the oranges to get to the candy. Candy will be the death of me one day - just not that day. BUT it did mess up my pituitary gland that makes my growth hormone by all messed up.)
5. Norma’s house
6. green & white trailer house on 4th Street, Chandler, Texas
* where mom chased the possums with the butcher knife
* Daddy bought BB (Birthday Boy) for $10 in dimes on for his birthday
* BB thought the green carpet in my bedroom was grass
* Met Amber
* Amber became Duck
* Rode my bike through the sticker burrs and I got in SOOO much trouble because they would make my tires go flat and Daddy would have to fix them.
* Learned about the Christmas notebook and the importance of NOT looking at it (if you do look at it, you will get spanked with a flip-flop and Mom takes all of your presents back - Note to any grandchildren of Mimi that might be reading this: IF YOU FIND THE NOTEBOOK - run away very fast and don't look at it because I think she may still have that flip-flop)
* The tree (Duck and I used to play in this tree and we always thought we were hiding but come to find out, BB always sat outside of the tree so Mom always knew we were there)
* Amber & I would walk the wall
* BB tried to go to school (Dogs weren’t allowed so he would sit by my bike all day - he did come in one day when a kid was being mean to me. I got called the to the Principal's office and mom got called and had to leave work. After that, he would sit my bike on the bike rack.)
7. double wide that burned in Wild Wood, Chandler, Texas
* blue corn with Duck
8. Earl’s Farm
* Steve kept all the pictures I ever colored for him and gave them back to me on my 16th birthday.
9. double wide in Wild Wood, Chandler, Texas (different from #7)
* BB got shot
* Had to build a ramp because he had a wing but he never pooped in our yard
* BB would walk me to the bus stop every day, go home and rest in his yard and then be back at the bus stop when I got off
* Ants in the bed (Mom got free chips from work and I snuck them to my room, ate them in bed and then stuffed the packages behind the headboard. Nobody knew any better until I woke up with ant bites and ants in my bed.)
10. duplex where BB ran away but came back the last day of the move, Tyler, Texas
* I played in the woods where the rainbow tree is
11. Mr. Sam’s little house on Hwy 64, Tyler (Chapel Hill), Texas
* Orange potatoes
12. Pinehurst, Tyler (Chapel Hill), Texas
* Blower woman
13. house with the bad drive-way, Tyler (Chapel Hill), Texas
* this house had a really big field in front of it with really tall grass and I walked through it once and got really bad chiggers
* lights & electricity
14. 1611 West Neal #110, Commerce, Texas
* my apartment during college - I LOVED this apartment, but I came home every weekend. George built tons of shelves for me. We put up magnetic walls and I had TONS of magnets. There was a subway poster of Eminem behind my entertainment center. I was in my bedroom of this apartment when I found out about 9/11. My roommate, Michelle and I were worried about gas so we each bought a gas can full of gas. They later got stolen off of our porch. During my last semester, there was a shooting two doors down. For awhile I was the only apartment with hot water. There was one point when I didn't have hot water for almost a month. It SUCKED! I would go to Michelle & Clayton's to shower.
15. 10254 CR 2254, Tyler, Texas
* Home! - I have so many memories in this house. I don't think I could even begin to do it justice. This is my home. Where I am loved unconditionally and I can be who I truly am. I have always said that home is where your mom is and that is so totally true. I know one day soon I won't live in this house anymore and that is ok. I will go make another home with my husband. I guess I will have to change my thinking to home is where your husband is or maybe - home is where your stamp room is... LOL!

16 days until my 30th Birthday

16 pictures from James' 1st Grade Program

James & Will going to get the American Flag.

He was so proud that he got to help carry the flag. Look at that grin!!! :)

Highlights from the program. James was V is for Veterans.

Charley being a goofy big brother and goosing me. He wasn't expecting me to tickle him back.

Charley was still in the tickle mood - he was tickling Ashley in this picture.

Ashley "dancing" with Aunt Sam

How cute is he? Mom wanted him to stand on the bench by the flag but they aren't allowed to stand on it during school so he wouldn't stand on it. Gotta love that! Mimi & James
Aunt Sam & James
GRILL MASTER!!!
Ashley & MoMo
Aunt Sam & Ashley (I took this picture)
Papaw & James playing chess.

17 days until my 30th Birthday

I have had 17 jobs in my life
1. cashier at K-Mart - I loved this job. Not because of the job itself but because I got to work with friends: Shelli, Bobby, Charlie & Billy. I had a huge crush on Billy and he was friends with Bobby & Charlie. The VERY first time I got drunk that my parents didn't know about was at Bobby & Charlie's house. Oh... are there tons of memories from that night. Shelli driving Billy's truck. Billy's truck hitting Bobby & Charlie's mom's truck. My car getting hit in the street and noone telling me - George was CONVINCED I hit a pole at the gas station. Us driving home and my car dying everytime I got over 35... man... those were some crazy times... we thought we were sooooo cool!
2. cashier at Suncoast - my all time favorite job in high school. I was employee of the month tons of times. I could sale 12 packs of blank video tapes like nobody's business. I made some good friends - Shane, Amy & Mimi. We would watch movies and quote all the lines. Shane LOVED to play 6 Degress of Kevin Bacon. I got pretty good at it, there for a while. That is also where I met Matt K. He loved Star Wars and I didn't. He wanted me to watch those movies sooo bad but I wouldn't. I don't really know why I wouldn't but I refused. We dated for awhile. He took me to winter formal. I wore this beautiful off the shoulder dress, Aunt Becky's mink and carried Aunt Becky's Bob Mackie handbag. I looked amazing. Suncoast closed the week of Spring Break my Senior Year. :(
3. shirt folder at Lane Bryant - lasted about two weeks. I hated this job. There is nothing worse that not being able to fold shirts to their standards. FYI - I SUCK at folding shirts!
4. Birthday Party Coordinator at Discovery Science Place - this job was sort of happen stance. I had to do community service from Teen Court when i got a ticket for speeding in a school zone. I was so good at dusting the cave they thought I would make a good Birthday Party Coordinator and I did. I liked it but some of the kids were really bratty.
5. receptionist at SuperCuts - got this job the week after I graduated from high school. I had to go there because I had gotten a really bad hair cut the week before. They fixed it for me. As I was chatting with the stylist she mentioned that there was an opening for a receptionist and I had style. I think she said that because I was wearing really cute sling back tennis shoes what were red, white and black patent leather. That's what they called style back then. I quit this job because they made fun of me because I didn't know how to use a mop & bucket to mop up some annoying little kid's gross and yucky vomit. I didn't have style that day.
6. cashier at JJs - the only job I have been fired from - enough said
7. cashier at Drug Emporium - I became an expert with a pricing gun. I never knew one store had so many packs of gum.
8. student assistant at TJC - I quit Drug Emporium the day I got this job. I was soooo excited. I couldn't believe that I WAS GOING TO GET TO DO GRAPHICS FOR MONEY!!! I had so much fun at this job. I had a great boss and awesome co-workers. I got promoted to assistant graphics specialist (see #9)
9. assistant graphics specialist at TJC - had all the benefits of #8 but I also got to park in Faculty/Staff Parking and that was AMAZING!!!
10. student assistant at A&M-Commerce - transfered from TJC to A&M-Commerce. It was a cool job and I LOVED getting to go do press checks. I knew everyone in the printshop and I even got to do some of my own jobs on the press.
11. photo lab technician at Target - worked here at the same time I was working at TJC and then A&M. I really enjoyed this and I was good at it. I gave really good customer service and I was able to use my photography background to help others. Not to mention I made some AWESOME friends and went to AWESOME parties and I will NEVER forget the Target bunch and all of the fun we had!!!!
12. pre-press intern at Story-Wright - also did this while I was at A&M and Target. It lasted three weeks. I worked with John (for a long time I thought I was going to marry him - he just never knew it). John's Mom & my Mom are best friends so I have know John for like EVER. I wonder if he ever knew I had a crush on him.
13. School Photographer for LifeTouch - the job from HELLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! It was my first job out of college. I was ok at it but the equipment was soooo heavy. I threw out my back and it was awful. I still to this day have back problems because of that job.
14. receptionist at Chandler Family Chiropractic - After I graduated from college it took awhile for me to find another job after LifeTouch. My brother opened his own chiropractic office so he asked me to be his receptionist. It was fun. I met really nice people and I got to see my brother every day. I wasn't there very long when I interviewed with Brookshire's.
15. production artist at Brookshire Grocery Company - My first real job! I loved this job and was so excited to get up every day and go. I got bored with the work I was doing and had trouble there for awhile. One day something clicked and I decided that I was going to be happy with what I was doing. So I became the best production artist I could be and starting enjoying my job again. My hard work and dedication was noticed and I got promoted to Ad Layout Coordinator. (see #17)
16. Scrapbook Specialist at Scrapbook N Such - part time. wasn't really what I thought it would be. But out of the deal I got two AMAZING friends - Brandy & Mary!!!
17. Ad Layout Coordinator at Brookshire Grocery Company - my current job. Sometimes I get annoyed and sometimes I wonder IF... but at the end of the day I truly LOVE what I do and I am happy that I get to go to work and get paid for doing what I love to do and I get to make the world a prettier place! I still dream of something more. One day I hope to become a Design Artist. That day is in my future. I just have to be patient, do my best and keep dreaming MY dreams!!!

18 days until my 30th Birthday

18 THINGS I love!
1. My Coach purse
2. Blackjack II (my cell phone)
3. iPod Nano (2nd Generation - the one that has my videos)
4. iPod Nano (1st Generation - the one that has my music)
5. Sizzix Big Shot
6. 2004 Toyota Matrix (my car)
7. Wii
8. Nintendo DS
9. scrunchies
10. My laptop
11. my SU! tool bag from convention
12. my digital camera
13. my SU! camera bag from convention
14. my SU! paper swatches from Leadership
15. my wedding ring
16. my bangle bracelets
17. the ring on a chain that Wade gave me on our wedding day
18. comfy socks

19 days until my 30th Birthday

19 things I want out of the new Stampin' Up! catalog (in order of the catalog)
1. Totally Tool
2. Fashion Forward
3. That's Funny (ask mom about taking pictures of Pumpkin Carving)
4. Family Accessories Too
5. Playful Petals (I SOOO want to watercolor this)
6. Four Square
7. Hope Happens
8. Varsity Alphabet
9. Varsity Numbers
10. Taste of Textiles
11. Rockabill Specialty DSP
12. Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP
13. Good Morning Sunshine DSP
14. Bright Delights Rub-ons
15. Fleurettes
16. On Board So Tweet
17. Glass Mat
18. Stampin' Up! Movers & Shakers Curly Label Die
19. Stampin' Up! Billboard Die

20 days until my 30th Birthday

20 random thoughts
1. I hate when people pop their gum.
2. I love Reese's peanut butter cups.
3. When soda or tea is cold, I would prefer that it didn't have ice.
4. I believe the only appropriate cardstock for scrapbooking is sold by Stampin' Up!.
5. I think manners will get you far in life.
6. Sometimes a new box of Crayola Crayons and a coloring book can make everything better.
7. A hug "just my size" is the cure for anything.
8. Honesty IS the best policy.
9. "what if the hokey pokey really is what its all about"
10. Life is all about the accesories. When all else fails... ACCESORIZE!
11. I am a graphic designer but I can't draw.
12. Although my dream job is at Crayola, I don't think I would actually do it because I would have to live WAY too far away from my family.
13. I aspire to be as creative and artistic as April and as good a friend as Becca.
14. I am not sure if I want to have kids.
15. I love digital cameras but nothing beats the feeling of printing your own pictures in a darkroom.
16. I feel really sorry for those who's only friend is Tom.
17. My greatest fear is being alone.
18.I love to scrapbook but I rarely put pictures on my pages.
19. There is one person in the whole world I would give almost anything to meet - my Nani.
20. One of my greatest joys in life was when James picked arts & crafts with me over Chuck E. Cheese.