My story was featured on Shape of a Mother last week. I suddenly noticed that my statcounter was reflecting some heavier traffic and when I went to see why, I noticed the incoming link.

I wasn’t as brave as some of those mothers who post pictures of their bare bodies. I couldn’t imagine doing that. I wouldn’t have done that when my body was pretty, much less now!

Since this kind of relates, I thought I’d mention that I am still planning on getting a tummy tuck. Hopefully next year. I thought I’d be able to do it in the Spring but my funds keep getting zapped by one thing or another. Now my car needs (major) work and I have to come up with $1000 for Austin’s braces next week. Basically I’m going to start the new year off with no tummy tuck nest egg. I’m sad about that, but things happen. The tummy tuck will happen when it’s supposed to…

Anyways, if I keep writing reviews and selling things on eBay… If I don’t have any cars break down… If no unexpected expenses come up… I should be able to schedule my surgery for late summer 2008.

Here’s to an inexpensive and mishap-free 2008!

I picked out my Christmas present over the weekend, and I’m going to be getting it any day now! I’m so super stoked!

This machine reminds me of an interesting time in my life…

When I started dating Austin’s father, I befriended his stepmother, Dee. She was some kind of something, let me tell you. I have never met another character like her since. Thank Goodness. There’s only room for one person like this in a lifetime.

I LOVED Austin’s father’s father. He was such a kind and thoughtful man. He had a good heart. His wife, Dee, was quite a bit younger than he was. She was also, at one time, married to her husband’s son. Strange, huh? It’s the South, y’all! Your sister’s uncle’s brother’s cousin is almost always going to be in bed with you at some point.

That was supposed to be funny.

Anyways, Dee was a sewing queen. She also knew that I had gotten a small inheritence from my mother’s Will, so she took me for one HELL of a ride. I was 18, pregnant with her “son’s” child, and wasn’t the brightest bulb in the pack, if you know what I mean. So, I let her rip me off right and left. RIGHT AND LEFT! She sold me broken baby furniture that wasn’t suitable for a barn rat, much less a brand new infant. She made promises to sew me and my baby new clothes if I bought her a fancy new sewing machine and some fabrics. She never held her end of the deals. THOUSANDS of dollars later, I woke up and realized, “Holy shit, this Bitch is taking me for a ride!”. We ended up in small claims court together, long story short. It was a really ugly ordeal. If I would have known any better, I could have used that sewing machine to sew her big, lying ass lips shut.

Alas, I will not sew any lips. I will instead sew some pretty quilts for some pretty babies. Starting with my own pretties. I can’t wait to pull this bad boy out of the box and watch her self thread. I’m in love with all of the different stitches she knows. Her shiney computerized screen allows me to be a hip and modern Molly McButter.

Seeeee? Pretty.

I’ve been talking about our best friends, Stacey and Justin, on my blog lately. Probably because I just found out that we’ll be seeing them again this Spring. I’m super excited!

I’m pretty sure that before I was born, God asked me to shape my best friends for this lifetime because the 2 I’ve had– Jeremy and Stacey– fit like a glove! I’m sure I have another best friend or two that I haven’t met yet, but if I only had these 2 I’d be happy, and luckier than most. I’ve always thought quality was more important than quantity where relationships are concerned. I keep my circle tight.

What’s so funny is that Jeremy and Stacey are completely different. COMPLETELY. In fact, half the time Stacey and Jeremy end up butting heads and going at each other like siblings because they have such completely different opinions and styles of communicating.

Justin and I were always the ones who were falling asleep at the card table by 11 pm. Stacey and Jeremy would stay up late talking and shooting the shit. Justin and I could have 2 drinks and be sloshed, Jeremy and Stacey could drink any sailor under the table. Justin and I were born and bred in the South, Stacey and Jeremy forgave our backwoods ways and adopted our southern twangs. When we visited them last summer, nothing had changed. We were the same in the same ways, and different in the same ways as we were before. Jeremy and Stacey still fought like siblings. Justin and I still fell asleep by 11pm.

Right before we left NC and moved to CO, we went to Gatlingburg, TN with Stacey and Justin for a few days and rented a cabin. We ate, drank, laughed, and partied. I found these old pics the other day and thought I’d share them. They were fun to thumb through it reminded me how young we were. Our faces were so young and fresh, and and we were still so silly and carefree.

Here’s Zeke (their Boxer) and Sierra (our Boxer) right after we adopted them:

Justin and Jeremy being beer drinking, butt scratching, belching men (8/2000)…

Stacey getting mad at me because I’m taking her pic instead of helping with chores, and Jeremy doing dishes because he doesn’t want to make Stacey mad (8/2000)…

Daisies recently shared a link to Maddie’s Etsy store, CourageMyLove, which led me to a small mommy shopping spree. I bought myself two beautiful matted prints for Christmas from Maddie’s shop. She’s an amazing and talented photographer, and these photos just spoke to me. I couldn’t walk away. Go visit Maddie’s Etsy shop, CourageMyLove!

Here’s what I got! Oh, and This! Merry Christmas, ME!