life

 me and mark...i'm dressed as a ref because that's what i had to wear to work...yuck. don't miss it a bit. only thing i miss is being able to pay bills.

 kaitlin, aidan, and ashlee showing their nannie berry spirit wearing their matching sweatshirts to school

 oliver, jake, and aidan visiting mark at the firehall and playing on firetrucks...nothing better!

 the (bald) love of my life. poor baby had his head shaved after his lice incident while with his dad in texas.

 titans game with mark! one of three! :)

 mark's parents took all of us to a pumpkin patch mid-october and everyone got a pony ride!

 my lovey with hair on his pony

christmas morning snow...perfect. missed my boys but had a wonderful first christmas in tennessee! :)

newness in a new year

so, since i'm in a newness kick, here's my list of new things i want to do in this new year.

• invest in my creativity. that includes but is not limited to: photography, start a new scrapbook for a new life, free journaling, paint, sell more stuff, cardmaking, attempt papermaking, drawing
• cook healthier meals
• get a tattoo
• be bold
• go on a spontaneous road trip
• go back to school
• breathe more fresh air
• play piano
• embrace my quirks
• grow an herb garden
• find a true friend
• walk across a field
• see mountains
• paint more walls
• release the inner me
• be inspired by my kids' smiles
• repair relationships
• listen to new music
• make myself healthy
• appreciate more culture
• tear down walls
• love endlessly

tall order. but i have renewed energy and an incredible support. it feels good to be happy, alive and in love. happy 2011. :))

newness

just got off the phone with nathan. the boys have lice. i am VERY thankful they got it there and he has to deal with it. i've been compulsively scratching and shivering since. ew ew ew. washing their sheets and cleaning everything just in case. he said he buzzed their hair and put meds on them. they're going to come back looking so funny.

hope you all had a wonderful christmas! it snowed here...it was beautiful! :) i got lots of good stuff. i got tons of scrapbooking toys..a new paper cutter which i desperately needed, hot glue gun, and a cricut! also got a cast iron skillet which i used for the first time today and it was marvelous. a comfy set of pjs, a hat and mittens, a pair of uggs, and a promise of a green kitchen aide mixer! :)) it was a great christmas! i missed my boys, but i know they had a blast with grandparents and their dad.

i quit my job a few weeks ago. i can't work for free. when i first moved here i went to bartending school and ended up just getting a server job anyway. i don't regret it, though, it was fun! maybe one day soon i'll use it. the job i had was at a sports bar. they were working me 40 hours a week and i was never home with my boys. the breaking point was me making $29 in 8.5 hours. uncool. it also didn't help that it was full of creepy old men and management that was completely unprofessional. ahhh restaurant usa.

so during my time off i'm getting to rest, be creative, lounge, and hang out with mark and his 3. usually there's 5, so it's quite a nice change. amazing how much of a difference taking 2 out of the equasion makes. he's been busy the past 2 days because a co-worker died, so he's been doing funeral and honor guard stuff. but me and his kiddos are having lazy days playing wii and watching movies. my evenings are filled with puzzles, movies, and cuddles on the couch. for those of you not up to speed on this new development...mark is a senior firefighter here in hendersonville and has 3 kids--ashlee-10, kaitlin-8, and jake-4. he's a full time dad because their mom died of cancer 4 years ago. he's pretty outstanding.

i'll post pictures of the newness in my life soon :)