Wow.  It has been a long time since I have written anything.  A lot of stuff has happened in the past couple of months.  A lot of stuff I can't believe.  Something had to change and it did.  Me as well as everyone involved are better off for it.  We have all turned around with an attitude that is a complete 180 compared to before!  Its really refreshing and feels good to start a new chapter.

As for the things that have been going on lately...  I'm going to be working soon (also will start school in mid January...  ugh).  SCARY!  I haven't worked since I was pregnant with my first daughter.  Over 4 years ago.  I start working security with the airport in a couple of weeks and have an interview with Goodwill as a donation processor tomorrow (first dibs on all the stuff that comes in!).  I am really excited about the Goodwill job.  I have been going to at least one thrift store a day for the past couple of weeks and have found SSSOOO much stuff.  I will hopefully get around to photographing it soon.  To give you a little hint, I have started to hoard Pyrex.  

Hope things have been going great for everyone!  Looking forward to keeping up with all the blogs I used to read!

Panther Tattoo

This is my new tattoo by my friend who is doing an apprenticeship at Blue Flame Tattoo in Raleigh, NC.  He did an amazing job!  Its right inside my right bicep and near my armpit.  Whew!  That was tender!  You might be wondering why I chose this tattoo as its a little random, but I had seen drawings he had done practicing, and I loved his panthers!  Him and his girlfriend are pretty much my best friends in the entire world, so I figured I get something that reminds me of them, too (there's a picture of something similar hanging in their house).  Plus, a panther with a dagger through it?!  Awesome!  His name is Nathan Hatfield, so look out for his name in the future in tattoo magazines!  He's going places!

Now and Lately Pt. 2

Whoa, its been awhile since I have posted and Blogger changes everything!  This is going to take some getting used to.  I had a batch of pictures I posted awhile ago, and figured I'd do it again.  I haven't had much time to get a post together because my youngest, who is now 7 1/2 months, has been an absolute handful.  But here are a couple of more pictures from what has gone on since the last time I posted.  

Got my hair cut

My little girl is getting bigger

I love these tiny little feet

Stayed with my sister and her crazy boxers

Had a playdate with an old friend

Had a playdate with my daughter

Gave myself a new tattoo!

I got a real tattoo recently that I need to post.  Hopefully I'll get to posting regularly again soon.  I miss it.  Isn't that weird?  Hope everyone's spring is going well!  We've been having off and on awesome weather here in Minnesota.  Come on, spring!

Now and Lately Pt. 1

It has been a pretty looong time since I have posted anything.  I have been relaxing, visiting, and taking time for me for the last couple of weeks.  It has been amazing!  I really don't want it to end, but I know I have to go home.  Let's just hope it feels like spring by the time I get back to Minnesota.  Here's a couple of pictures of what's been going on. 

Just so you know, that little bundle of green above is fourteen 4-leaf clovers.  I don't know how, but I'm awesome at finding them!  Wish it would bring me all the luck it should!  But I guess I'm ruining the luck because I'm looking out for them.  

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm still alive!  I'm soaking up as much down time as I can, because once I get back home its going to be time to move nonstop again!

Stop Kony 2012

I don't like posting about my political, religious, or social beliefs on my blog.  I like keeping it a positive and argument free place.  I saw this video on Facebook and it is too powerful not to share.  It doesn't matter what you believe in, you will be affected by this video.




Share this video with everyone you know. Pass it on.  Make a difference.  

Congratulations!

You must have incredibly good luck, because I remember you saying you won a ton of giveaways not too long ago!  Random.org loves you!


I'm thinking about a lot right now.  Thinking about how I have no college and how expensive it is.  Thinking about joining the National Guard and getting back with the military.  I miss it, plus, the full payment of a real college would be amazing and so would retiring in 20 years.  I hope you stick around as I'll be posting every now and then to keep up with this thing.  I did start is so I wouldn't quit it.  


So, good-bye for now!  I hope you hear from me soon!

A Little Quiet

I know things have been a little quieter than normal for the last couple of days.  I got my grades back from school, and it was not good news at all.  I've been put on academic probation for a month and if I don't improve I'll have to withdraw.  Sigh.  Its my own fault.  I'm not interested in it, so I have given up.  I really need to change that attitude.  Its so hard, though!  I'll try to post every now and then, but it may not be for awhile!  I will, however, announce the winner of the necklace tonight for the giveaway.  Thanks for understanding and I'll be back when its Spring!!!

Love in the Present

Since I shared pictures of my grandparents being all lovey dovey this week, I figured I'd show some of me and my husband.  This photobooth is at a bar, so there were a couple of drinks consumed before this was taken.  Haha!

Vintage Love

I love having photos of my family, but I love having the old ones even more!  My grandmother (pictured in the picture above on the right) started giving me some of her old photographs that were sitting in a tiny closet below the stairs in her house.  I was so honored to take them.  I am still not sure how I am going to display them, but I really need to figure it out.  They're too beautiful not to!  
These are only a fraction of my collection, but they're some of my favorites.  The very first picture is so adorable.  Its my grandfather with a girl he knew when he was younger.  The picture is only about 2 inches wide, but there is so much detail.  
The two portraits and pictures after are of my grandparents together.  They were so cute then and they were still cute together years after that.  I have so many fond memories going to their house when I was a kid.  I still love going there.  My grandfather passed away years ago, and it was a horrible blow.  I was really worried about my grandmother, but she coped really well.  She is the most amazing woman I have ever met, and will ever meet.  I don't think she has done one bad thing in her entire life.  She is a saint.  When I moved she was the hardest to say goodbye to and I only saw her every couple of months!  What can I say, my grandma has a special place in my heart.  I can't wait to go see her!


If you enjoyed these, you should go out Secia's Scanning into the Past Part I, II, III, and IV.  Her mother is absolutely gorgeous!

Another Happy (belated) Birthday!

My birthday was on the 12th and it made me want to be really nostalgic.  I had to dig out a box full of all my old photos when I was a kid and reminisce about being little.  Its so weird how fast time goes by.  I'm only 26 years old, but I feel so much older!  I'm sure being married and having 2 little girls doesn't really help anyone feel young.  One thing I will say is that I have grown to like getting older.  I enjoy things that I never appreciated when I was younger.  I cook so many different things, read more books, knit and crochet, and watch movies I would have never given a second glance.  Getting older is actually kind of fun!  I'm sure my mind will change when I turn the big 3-0.

NYE Recap

I'm sitting in my living room right now listening to reggae with no Christmas tree in sight.  All the decorations are in boxes and everyone is sleeping but me.  I enjoy the holidays, but its so nice when they're over!  Everything is so calm and I love that.  My New Year's Eve wasn't too eventful, just a dinner party and drinking with friends.  So, I'm just going to give you a summary of the food in pictures!

If you are curious to what we made it was a stew with 3 different kinds of pork with black eyed peas and collard greens.  We also had skillet cornbread (not pictured) and a cinnamon walnut apple pie.  It was a pretty awesome meal!


I hope everyone had a great New Year's!  If you posted about what you did, link up so I can find out!

Finally!

A Day with the Fam

We haven't got to go out much since its been pretty cold and its the holiday season.  The other day we had a free day and the husband wasn't at work, so we went to the Como Zoo and Conservatory.  My husband had told me awhile ago it was a free zoo, so I didn't think it was going to be that great.  I pictured in my head one small building with a couple of tiny animals and some crazy plants.  I was totally wrong.  It was like an actual zoo.  Some of the exhibits were closed because of the winter, but most were still open.  They had a rainforest room that felt so good compared to the cold, dry air outside!  I wanted to put on my bathing suit and just lay in there.  
They had a lot of monkies that were ssssoooo adorable.  I could not stop taking pictures of the ones with mustaches.  They wanted to play so much!  The mom and baby orangatangs were playing a lot, too.  I couldn't get a good picture because they were moving so much, but you can see in the picture above what I mean.  They kept hitting the dad sleeping, too.  He did not like that so much.  But like my bulldog, he just went right back to sleep.  If you're ever in the Twin Cities, you should check it out!  Its a great thing to do if you get cabin fever in the winter.

What kinds of things do you do to get through the winter?

Weekend Pics

Clockwise from Top Left:

**Amaguri cupcake I finished from Ravelry (Pretty sure I did something wrong...  Just look at their picture compared to mine.)

**Awesome huge dog park that we went to today since it was so nice out (45 degrees and sunny! I can't believe I consider that nice now!)

**The view from our neighborhood--Downtown St. Paul, MN

**My daughter Maggie passed out from walking at the park.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready for Christmas next week!