And the grand total is....

I saw my sis posted her total LOs for the year so I went back and tallied mine up too and came up with 119. I'm not sure I want to give myself a number of pages to do for the new year yet since I haven't found the motivation to scrap in weeks, but we'll just wait and see...

I just wanted to wish all of my friends a very happy new year! I hope that 2008 was a good year and that 2009 brings nothing but good things too :)

2008 was for the most part, a good year for me....alot of changes...alot of learning, but I think over all, it was mostly positive. I'm hoping and praying for a great new year...full of NEW things...lots of new things...new changes...new attitudes..new beginnings...out with the old..in with the new. God bless everyone :) OH and be safe!!

I'm here...

I'm here...I'm alive...just updating because my sis said to..lol I have nothing to say really...nothing worth mentioning so I'll keep it short..my bf's an arse, my foot hurts..and I tired...the end.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas.....

Check this out!

A friend passed along the link to this SWEET giveaway....check it out! :)


http://lifeaslou.blogsome.com/2008/12/20/christmas-mini-album-pages-6-7-plus-150-give-a-way/

Happy Birthday, Baby

Today...well, yesterday (Sunday) was Miguel's birthday...his 34th. I knew I was older than him, but I never realized how much!! Okay, three years is not that much, but still...Anyway, thankfully he got out of work pretty darn early...way earlier than usual...too early in fact, because I hadn't even baked his cake or made his special dinner that he had requested! It all worked out though because he ended up going to noon mass and then to do some Christmas shopping, so by the time he did get home, I had just pulled the chicken lasagna and garlic bread out of the oven and the cake was already frosted and waiting :) I've only made lasagna a few times and I haven't made it in forever so I was a little nervous, but Miguel said it was delicious...so did Lij so I was really happy about that. Of course, "I" thought it was pretty darned good too, but I'm biased :) lol After we ate, we headed out to Wal Mart for a bit of shopping....TOO many people there. We made our trip short and headed to the Family Christian Store instead where I picked up a last minute gift and pre ordered the "Fireproof" movie. Doing so, gave me the book for only $9.99 AND the soundtrack for FREE...yippee. I'm looking forward to reading the book. I think it's like "exercises" to do to strengthen your relationship/marriage. Miguel got me the second book in the Twilight series and I'm already done with it...finished it in TWO day...so I need something else to read! We came home after shopping and had cake. (BTW, for his birthday, I got him some movie he wanted called "Dead Space" and some headphones to wear while he watches tv late at night so he doesn't wake us all up with his surround sound!) Miguel and I watched "Step Brothers"....SO funny!! And the kids played. I stayed up late to pay some bills and catch up on my blog reading and such because I hadn't been online since Thursday...our computer monitor wasn't working. Today we hooked up one my uncle had brought over and I'm back online :) It's not a flat screen like ours was, but it will have to do for now. Okay, I think that's all for now. OH, foot update. Since the weekend, I've been moving around...without crutches. I've been wrapping my ankle up with an ACE bandage and then putting the splint they gave me over that which seems to help alot with the pain...or to NOT have pain I should say..when I move my foot or try to walk on it. We have been out of the house a few times over the weekend and although I'm moving slowly, I'm SO grateful to be moving again without the crutches. I seriously wanted to cry that first day I was moving around without them...lol...I was just soooo happy to be walking somewhat normally again...I was overjoyed! :) I'm in a little more pain than I had been during the nights...I'm sure from all the added activity since I'd pretty much been off it for all these weeks, but it's bearable...nothing a little Ibuprofen won't fix :) So that's really happy news for me....Okay, it's late and I'm really sleepy...more tomorrow :)

Good news...bad news...

Good news...I have been able to put 'some' weight on my foot today. Although probably not the way I should...still can't step 'flat' with that foot, but I'm able to kind of limp using the 'side' of my bad foot and putting most of my weight on my heel. It looks funny, but I was able to get around limping that way today with very little pain. I was SO happy about it because my crutches were really getting on my nerves. Bad news...in all my excitement at being mobile again w/out crutches, I think I might have over done it because right now the inside of my bad ankle is hurting....BAD....keep getting a sharp pain :( I wrapped it up with an ACE bandage a bit ago and hopefully a good nights rest will ease the pain and get me ready for tomorrow.
I baked cookies for Miguel to take to work tomorrow, but they weren't from scratch this year....frozen dough. So much easier. I just didn't feel like taking all that time or making all that mess...not right now. I helped him wrap some presents too. He did the first few and was cutting the paper all "jagged" so I took over. Bless his little heart :) He wraps like a guy, but aww, I thought it was so cute :) Not much else going on. Lij comes home tomorrow and stays until Christmas Day when he goes back to his dad's. I might bring him back right after since I don't get to see him that often. I know his dad will not mind at all. Well, that's all for now :)

It's Not Easy Being Green...

Or blue or whatever color that big bruise on the top of my foot is! It looks like the only part of my foot that is still swollen is around my ankle...those two little bones on either side. Pardon my technical terms..lol..I have no idea what they are called! But it's bruised up pretty good...on top and all the way around and up the back of my ankle and leg. I STILL can't step on it and today while I was trying to contain an invasion of ants, I "forgot" and stepped down on it pretty hard....OUCH!! It's been two weeks already and I'm just wondering how much longer it's going to be. I'm very tired and very frustrated at not being able to move around or do what I want. I have to remind myself..daily...to be thankful that I can still walk...that this is only temporary and that I "will" eventually gain back the ability to use it unlike some people who can't walk at all. It's hard..and hard to remember that at times. Then I feel bad when I "do" remember. I feel bad for being impatient and frustrated. I must remember to be patient, to BREATHE and count to 100 when I get frustrated. I'm not a patient person by nature...so it's something I really have to work at. Miguel came home for lunch and brought some ant spray and sprayed around the house in some corners and set up some ant baits...my hero :) I know he does stuff to irritate the heck out of me...alot of times, but one thing that he always IS to me or always does for me..is calm me down. He's so patient and it takes ALOT to get a rise out of him...ALOT. Whenever I'm stressed or frustrated, he can just hug me for a while and aahhh...I'm better :) When he came in yesterday, I told him I needed a hug and he just hugged me...as long as I needed and it was better :) Okay, sappy moment over! Nothing to see here! :)

Finally, some scrapping

It was a little late night scrapping, but I got a page done..yay! I used some of my new Sassafras Lass Happy Place and some old stuff I've had for a while...some MME, KI. Maybe I can break into my Life at The Pole papers tomorrow! BTW, that glare on Miguel's forehead, isn't there IRL!

A Present

I know it's not my birthday anymore, but I got another present. This one is from my very good friend in Michigan, Cassie. Thanks SO much, Cass! I just love it all :) You know just what I like, Chicklet :)

Oh, and here's a pic I got of Mikey with his Santa Hat.

And the gifts continue... :)

My Life at The Pole collection came in today :) I really want to take some Christmas pics now and use it...it's sooo cute! We got Mikey a train for his birthday and last night, he was playing with it and standing over it with his legs open making a human bridge! He was getting such a kick out of it! What else? My foot is still the same. I was trying to do some stuff around the house this morning and I was carrying a whole bunch of clothes to put in the dirty clothes basket and trying to hold on to my crutches at the same time and I slipped and almost fell...AGAIN! I just let go of my crutches and the clothes and grabbed on to the kitchen table...WHEW!! So funny (but not), but Mikey just looks at me and asks "Why'd you do that??" LOL Crazy kid! I managed to do everything on my list today which was to clean our bathroom, wipe down the counters in the kitchen, vacuum, dust, and start a load of laundry. But what used to take me like thirty or forty minutes, not takes me like TWO hours! I have to take little "rests" in between. All this "hopping" around makes me so thirsty too! Maybe if I weighed like 100 lbs..it would be a breeze to move around, but since I don't...errr..um...it takes alot out of me! I keep telling Miguel that my left calf (or is it calve)...let's just say leg...is going to have more muscle than my right one and then I'm going to look all off :( Maybe after I'm better, I should keep using my crutches, but just hop on my right leg? LOL No, maybe not! Okay, nothing else exciting going on here..at all...so I'll go for now. I want to "try" to scrap later..who knows if I'll get to or not.

Merry Christmas to ME :)

I ordered myself some scrappy stuff online just in case Miguel didn't know what to get me ;)Although, he's more than welcome to go get me something else on his own :) I got myself three Sassafras Lass paper collections. I've always wanted some. I got the Happy Place, Sunshine Lollipop, and I'm waiting for the Life At the Pole to come in. Also got myself some of this yummmmy Bazzill pom pom fringe I've been wanting forever and a cute little Melissa Fraces ticket book. My friend asked me if I was going to wrap it up and put it under the tree, but I don't think I will! What's the point? I already know what it is! No use in wasting wrapping paper! Trying to save some trees here! Oh wait, my paper I'm sure is made out of trees. Forget it then! LOL I'm hoping to maybe scrap a page later. Oh, I took like six steps on my foot today...yay, but then a while later, it started hurting :( But it's progress!! I "have" managed to find ways to get around and get stuff I need done. I cleaned our bathroom this morning and I'm going to vacuum right now. So glad I'm just able to move around more than that first week when it just hurt TOO much to do ANYTHING. Okay, gotta go!

Chairs...they're not just for sitting anymore

That's the way I've been getting around this past week. I've strategically placed chairs and barstools around the kitchen and livingroom to help me maneuver around. I'm still using my crutches, but this helps in the kitchen when I'm getting Mikey a drink or snack since I can't hold stuff AND my crutches. Or if I'm trying to scrap in the livingroom. I have a stool right in front of my bookcase that holds all my supplies so that my hands are free to rummage around. It's worked pretty good. My foot/ankle is looking WAY better, but sadly, I STILL can't put any weight on it. I tried again today and I couldn't stand on it for more than like five seconds. And that was only with my leg "stiff" and straight. Miguel told me to bend my knee a bit like if I was really standing, but I couldn't then...hurt too much :( I'm really hoping and praying that I won't be on crutches still by Christmas. It's still what...like two weeks away? So, that would make it a month from the day it happened. MAYBE it will be good by then. A new Cricut Expression would be a really, SUPER nice gift, but if I could have anything I wanted...it would be to have full use of my right foot/ankle back...soon. Thank God I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping. Thank God for online shopping!! The only gift I have left to get is Lij's keyboard and I might even be able to get that online too!
Oh, I finished Twilight and am SOO anxious to get started on the second book...need to make a trip to Target. I scrapped two pages...12x12s this time...one yesterday and one today, but I can't post pics because they are gifts and I don't want to ruin the surprise ;) That's pretty much it for now!

Let Him Eat Cake!

We got Mikey a small cake for today...so he'd have something to make his day special. Miguel got him a train set that he was going to give him and set up for him later today. It just dawned on me, that Mikey doesn't know that we are "celebrating" his birthday on Saturday. So knowing that it's his birthday, he didn't even ask for any presents!! How sweet is that!?! He was just happy with his little cake and that we sang to him :) Oh, my sweet baby!! We also got him a Click Start computer. I think that's what it's called. I got him some extra cartridges for it too, but those are for Christmas. I think it already comes with one. It's really hard shopping for Mikey. Anyone who knows him, knows that he will never play with a toy the way it is intended. And he will find ways to break ANYTHING. So, this was something I thought he'd like and hopefully use. I can play with him and get him started on some of the things he'll be needing to know for school. Anyway, here are some pics I got of Mikey with his cake. I really love the ones with the candles on the cake. And the ones of him eating the cake are just so funny!!

Happy Birthday

To my baby, Mikey! Four years ago today, my life was turned upside down. Mikey has been challenging since he was just a tiny baby. I remember how much he would cry because he absolutely hated bathing or having his face cleaned or his clothes changed, ect, ect...lol, he did not like to be messed with. Which is funny because he's still like that to this day! Well, he's eased up...just a bit. He's my little drama maker, he's a tornado of energy, he's a smart and silly boy. He's also my snuggly boy who showers me with tons of hugs and kisses...TONS! He loves to be outside...doesn't matter if it's freezing cold or unbearably hot...he's definately an outdoor person..which I am not. He loves Nick Jr. and drawing and building things with his K'nex or his building blocks...he's very creative. Just like Elijah, he's mommy's boy :) Happy Birthday my little monkey! Mommy loves you so, so very much :)

George is getting frustrated!!!

WHEN will this be over?? Yesterday, I dared to go out of the house because I was going stir crazy and couldn't imagine staying in for a whole other week. So I ventured out with my crutches hoping it wouldn't be so bad...WRONG! The first place we went to was The Dollar Tree because Miguel wanted to get some stuff. I'm not kidding, it took me like five minutes just to get inside the store! And then once in there, I had to find something to lean against to rest. I had to hop another five minutes just to get somewhere out of the way that wasn't crowded with people. At this point...roughly about 10 minutes into my adventure...I wanted to go home. Shopping is NO fun when you have to hop on crutches :(:( I decided to go wait outside and then attempt to make it to the Michael's next door. It took me about twenty minutes to get there too. I stopped about four times to rest up against the building. Once inside, I think I spent all of like ten minutes hobbling around, resting, and trying to look...I walked down two aisles and then planted myself next to a K&Co. display and waited for Miguel to come find us...fun, fun, fun! I didn't even try to make it back to the truck. I waited at the curb for Miguel to come get me and boy did it feel GREAT to sit down and rest my legs. I say legs because it's not just my "bad" ankle that hurts. My "good" leg and foot were hurting horribly...I guess from carrying all my weight. Plus that was probably the most I'd "walked" since the accident last week because usually it's just a few feet to the bathroom then back to the couch or to the bed or stuff like that. Our next stop was Target and God bless Target for having those motorized cart thingies! Although I was bit scared of hitting someone, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Oh, and on my way in to the store, this dear, SWEET older woman saw me struggling across the crosswalk trying to catch up to Miguel who was walking ahead of me with Mikey and she slowed down to walk next to me and was talking to me and was like "you poor thing, sometimes it feels better just to have someone sympathize with you doesn't it?" I wanted to hug this woman! LOL I just thought it was so very sweet for a perfect stranger to show such compassion. So, I got Mikey a few gifts for his upcoming birthday next week and found the keyboard I want to get Lij, but they were out of it. Oh, and I got Miguel some headphones for the tv for Christmas or his birthday...they are just days apart. After we left there, I decided I had enough excitement for the day...or at least "walking" so we picked up some McD's for the kids, dropped them back off at home with my mom and headed out to dinner and a movie. We ate at Chili's and that was nice since it was just sitting. We watched "Four Christmases" which both me and Miguel had wanted to see. It was funny, but not as funny as I thought it was going to be from the previews. OH, before we entered the theaters, I was waiting for Miguel to park the truck, so I was making my way to the doors and then I had paused a ways from them and a young guy/boy...whatever, comes up to me and asks me if I need help with the door. I thanked him...twice..and said I was waiting for someone. Also, before we went in, I had to go to the bathroom and before I even got to the door, a young girl who worked there ran ahead of me and held the door open. It's things like that...when people do nice things "just because" that make me feel so good inside. There "are" still alot of good people in the world...wish there were more, but it gives me hope that maybe humanity is not totally lost. After the movie, we came home. We decided to put off our grocery shopping until today after we take Lij home. I sure hope the HEB we go to has those motorized carts or I'm waiting in the truck. Every part of my body hurts today...my hands, my arms, my abs, both my legs and of course my ankle. You should have seen my "bad" foot last night. I guess from all the moving it around and not having it elevated. It was HUGE!! Even my toes were swollen...I couldn't even move them! I should have taken a picture. I know that it could be worse. I could have broken a bone, Mikey could have gotten hurt too...I know that. I'm so very thankful to God that it was only a sprain and fracture, but I am getting so frustrated and impatient that I can't do what I want/need to do. Everything is a million times harder, takes that much longer. It is irking me to no end to not have the house in order the way I want it to be. I know it's trivial...it shouldn't matter as much as it does, but I can't help it...it does..that's just me. I can't function in disorder. It doesn't help me with everything else to have everything out of order on top of it. I just want to scream! And clean...but I can't. Please, please pray that I have a faster recovery so that I can keep my sanity. Here's a pic of how swollen my foot was the other day. I think you can even see how my toes look swollen too.

Oh, forgot to mention that I'm almost done with the Twilight book. I've been reading every chance I get....I have about 200 pages to go. I bet I'll finish by tomorrow!

A Surprise

Look what I got in the mail today! My dear, sweet friend Melissa sent it to me :) I wasn't even expecting it which makes it so much nicer! I IM with her just about every day and I had told her about my ankle and she sent me a sweet little note saying that she hoped this would give me something to do while I have to just sit around. SO thoughtful of her. I am so lucky to have her as my friend :) Thank you so much, Melissa :)

YAY! I did some scrapping today :)

I was thinking of an idea for a LO last night while I was laying in bed waiting to fall asleep. Last night was a treat...I got to sleep in our bed last night with Mikey instead of the very uncomfortable couch. Well, it's not uncomfortable, but three nights in a row of sleeping there is enough for me. I still propped my leg up on a pillow and it was fine. I did wake up around four a.m. in pain. I don't know if maybe I moved it around while I was asleep and hurt it, but I took some ibuprofen and went back to sleep. Anyway, getting back to the LO. I had the idea for it and it turned out just as I had pictured it. Still 8.5x11. I just LOVE those AC puffy thickers and see the cute little puffy owl sticker? Love it too! Got it at M's. My ankle is feeling alot better. Better enough that I can "rest" my foot flat on the floor or on the edge of my stool when I sit here. At first, I couldn't even touch it to anything without it hurting. I still can't step on it or put any weight on it...I've tried! Not my whole weight, but I was trying to just "lean" on it a bit and it hurt so I guess I'm not ready for that yet...baby steps I guess. But I'm getting there...yay. Hopefully by next weekend, I can walk on it even if I have to limp. As long as I can lose the crutches. We won't be going anywhere or doing anything this weekend other than hanging out at home since I can't move. So hopefully by next weekend, I can get out somewhere. I don't think I can go TWO weekends without going somewhere...I'll go stir crazy! Okay,that's all for now :)

Has it only been TWO days???

I cannot...I repeat...CANNOT be laid up and on crutches for three weeks! I can't even imagine another couple of days! It is SO hard! I can't move how I want...I can't move as fast as I want, I can't do what I want. I surely can't keep up with Mikey and his oh, soooo active ways. He is just all over the place and runs circles around me anytime I get up to walk on my crutches which is really just to go to the bathroom or to come sit here to give myself a little break from vegging on the couch. You'd think it would be nice to just lay on the couch and watch tv, but it's not! Maybe it would be if I could lay in a position other than with my leg elevated. And I have to lay on the same side of the couch with my bad ankle to the inside because if it's to the outside, I'm afraid Mikey will bump into it...which he has already done twice today. And I can't even come and sit at the computer or scrap like I thought I could because I can only keep my ankle "down" for a very short time before it starts hurting. So there IS a reason for keeping it elevated apparently! LOL Chon came over today to help me out with Mikey and it went pretty good. I really just need someone to help me with getting stuff for Mikey and well some stuff for me since I can't really "carry" anything and use my crutches at the same time. After my sister left, I did somehow manage to go into the kitchen and make myself a sandwich and pour Mikey some juice with a little help from Mikey and no spills :) My "good" ankle though which really isn't my "good" ankle because that's the one that had been hurting me from running on the treadmill is starting to hurt me too...I guess from putting all my weight on it when it's really not 100%. UGH, I feel so old and like all my parts are giving out! I know I've been told that I don't look my age, but at times like these...I sure feel it. Well, you look it...well, I feel it..well, you look it.. That's a little inside joke between me and my sis. Anyone know where that's from? It's not like my 37 year old body can take a fall and just get up and recover like I could say when I was 20. So many parts of my body hurt from the fall....makes it more real to me that I really "am" that old :( Anywho, that's my little pity party...you're all invited..and while you're here...can you grab that thing over there for me? Thanks :)

Look at what I went and did....

I fractured my ankle :( We were just getting home from dropping off Elijah at his dad's and had stopped at Wal Mart, HEB and Taco Cabana for some dinner to eat at home. Miguel had taken most of the bags down and I got Mikey and one bag. Anyway, I was carrying Mikey and must have lost my footing while stepping off the driveway (there's like a six or seven inch drop) and slipped and fell. Thankfully, when I felt myself slipping, I picked Mikey up higher so he was just fine (thank God), but my right ankle bent to the left and "popped" and bent to the right and "popped" and then I fell on top of it! Can you say OUCH?!? I just screamed for Miguel because he was already inside and he ran out and I got him to take Mikey in and then come back for me because I knew I wasn't going to be able to get up or walk on my own. I hopped into the kitchen on one foot and took off my shoe and my ankle and leg were huge and I was in SO much pain. I've twisted/sprained this same ankle before, but I don't remember the "popping" sound or this much pain so it must not have been that bad the last time. We went to the ER and thankfully, there was absolutely no one waiting and they took me right in, gave me some pain meds and took some xrays. The doctor said it was badly sprained and fractured...a little piece of bone is poking through the tendon or something like that. They gave me a splint and crutches and told me to stay off of it for a couple of weeks, keep it elevated, ice it and follow up with an ortho to make sure the bone went back to where it should be. I think I might have hurt my other ankle in the fall too because now that I've only been hopping on that one, I notice that it hurts so I'm trying to not even get up and move around at all. It does hurt pretty badly still on and off...more when I try to move it, but the pain meds they gave me make me really nauseous and I just HATE feeling nauseous so I decided I'm not taking those anymore. I'd rather be in pain than feel like puking. I am taking the Ibuprofen they gave me for the swelling. Sitting around and not being able to do anything is NOT easy for me at all. I want things a certain way and it's hard to not be able to do it. Maybe this is a sign that I need to slow down and not worry about those kinds of things so much. I have to admit, it's kind of nice having Miguel do things for me :) Mikey is getting a tad out of hand though knowing I can't get up. I keep telling him I'm not going to be laid up on the couch forever! So, that's what is going on with me. Maybe I can get some scrapping done now that I can't really do anything else! Please send some good vibes my way that I won't have to be on crutches for 3 weeks..I'll go nuts!! :)