A day in the sun...

I love Arizona weather on days like today. It was a great day to be outside so that is what the hubbs and I (and my brother Blake) did. We went down to Tempe Beach Park (its not a Beach since there are no oceans in Arizona but a Lake Beach)... anyways- it was My Nanas Salsa Challange Day. I tasted over 50 different types of salsa. It was awesome.

After a little lot of salsa eating, I came home sunburnt, burnt tongue, and super full. I packed Mia (my super cute pooch) up and headed over to the parents.

Check out Ashleys baby quilt that I finished. Love it. Love the colors. Love the back. Love it love it love it

I love my parents backyard. They spend so much time back there working on it. Its peaceful and extra beautiful on days like this.

My other new absolute favorite thing... Sonic Diet Cherry Lime-aids. YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY

I LOVE MY LIFE

Sickness

This last two weeks at my house has been filled with snotty noses,  pains, late night coughing, throwing up, fevers, headaches, backaches, neck aches (and all the other aches you can think of). The hubbs and I have both been sick this last week. I had previously planned to take two days off work just so I could "hibernate" in the crafice and quilt my little heart out before Ernie went to my moms (we have joint custody of the sewing machine), but I ended up getting sick last week and it still is bugging me to this day. The hubbs has tons of problems as well- he was diagnosed with rhuemtoid arthritis this last week (he has not been able to feel his fingers for some time and after lots of tests thats what they say it is), he has a UTI, had the stomach flu and a horrible cold (AT THE SAME TIME). Poor guy. He has been a trooper but definitly can see it all over him that he feels like poo. I hate when we are both sick because we just sorta whine to each other but don't really feel bad for the other because we each feel like crap.ol.a. So I finally got around to whining to you- the blogging world. So thats my story. Wish I had something exciting to post. Maybe tomorrow.

What I did realize this week though however....

Some of my newest favorite things.

And I finally used one of my Christmas gifts and I loved it...

Oh Happy Happy Day...

What a beautiful day it was here in Arizona. I mean gorgeous weather, like the kind of weather that you have to do something outside and if you are not outside, you open all the windows in the house to let the fresh air in and allowing the birds to fill your house with joyful noise. I love days like this.
Plus another reason it was such a HAPPY DAY...

Look what made its way to MY HOUSE.

Guess whats in this big box..?..?

Woo hoo... my  new super wonderful Ernie... mom and I liked that name better then Nina. I love Ernie... like seriously love it. So much that I had to reorganize my crafice to create a pleasant working space for Ernie and me to make magic.

I could hardly wait to get it put together and get to work.

Now I can finish all the projects that I put on hold until Ernie made his way into my life.

I am now watching one of the best feel good movies...

Can you guess what it is....

Guess...

LOVE IT!!! Have a Happy Weekend.

Now I am Older and More Mature...

I have officially become 30 years old. Woo Hoo!!! I was pretty excited for my birthday this week. So lets give a recap of the weekend.

Friday... spent the day canning with my dad then went the Elephant Bar with the Hubbs. This was the first of my weekend of EATING OUT.

Saturday... spent the day getting a pretty pedicure and manicure- GOT MY RING BACK- which is really exciting then went to eat at Cheesecake Factory with the parents. More food-yummy for me.

Sunday... taught my lesson at church which went really well. I was kinda nervous about it because this lesson just didn't flow quite like I wanted it to. Usually when I teach I get overwhelming spiritual guidance but this time I felt a little out of it. The lesson ended up good though (probably because I was more mature since I turned 30). After church I came home to a nice surprise from the Hubbs.

He made me this wonderful, beautiful, double layered cake (his first ever). We call is Frankencake. Go Hubbs. We went out to dinner with the in-laws to Pappadeaux. Yummy yummy. The Hubbs said I can get my sewing machine- yeah yeah. So in March, mom and I are going and purchasing Nina. Yeah yeah!!

Monday... got a great birthday present. But I don't want to quite share that one yet. Woo hoo even more.

Best birthday ever!!

Choices We Make

I have to teach the womans group at my church in two weeks and the lesson is on CHOICES. Over the last week or so, I have been trying to be more aware of my choices. I came to realize that everything we do, everyday is a choice. I love that we are given the ability to choose for ourselves what we want to do, what we want to say, how we want to spend our time (and with who), how we spend our money, how we make money... everything. What a great blessing but on the same time what a struggle and burden that can be.

As I have been aware of my choices this last week, I have noticed something. I take the time to tell people that I appreciate them. I am telling more people "have a great day" and trying to be positive in my words and actions. Because here is what I have realized... I CHOOSE! No one forces me to feel, no one forces me to react, no one makes me to be happy or sad or angry or anything else. I choose. My choices bring blessings. At the end of the day when I am alone, I have to give an accounting to the Lord about the choices I made that day. I have to tell him about how I spent the day he has blessed me with. Did I use it for good or negative? Did I brighten anothers life and make someone smile or did I go through the day in a pity party state? I choose... I choose happiness.

Things I love...

Its kind of funny that Mrs. Briggs tagged me on this because earlier this week I was talking to my husband along with friends from work about what their FAVORITE things are. What makes them happy??  So this fit right along with those discussions. I have spent alot of time thinking about this the last couple weeks.

To accept this award I must list 10 things that make me happy and then pass this award along to 10 fabulous blogs!

Things that make me HAPPY:

1. My knowledge that I have a Savior... helps when I make mistakes which I do often

2. My super fabulous husband... he loves me for all my quirkiness, he allows me to be myself, he supports me in all that I do (and attempt to do), he has his own passions (guitar and music) and lets me have mine, he make me laugh, he is such a great husband. I love just hanging out with him, waking up next to him and getting to go to sleep with him every night. I am forever grateful he married me.

3. Quilting... duhhh. I love sitting down at my sewing machine and playing with fabric. I love shopping for fabric, I love getting packages of fabric in the mail, I love laying out the fabric on the carpet and planning the end product.

4. Spending time with my mom She is awesome. As I get older I see more and more of my mom in me. When I was younger, I would never admit that I was like my mom but now I can see it. She is so fun to hang out with.

5. Clean sheets... Before The Hubbs and I got married, I made him invest in new bedding. After a $1000.00 trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Dillards, we came home with some AMAZING sheets and a warm down comforter. Great investment (on his part) because these are like sleeping on clouds. Love that first time you slip into clean sheets.

6. Burts Bees

7. Pina Colada Jelly Bellys.YUMMY!!

8. My dog Mia- I know I shouldn't say that Mia makes me happy and the rest don't (we have FOUR dogs) but Mia was my best impulsive buy ever. She brings me joy. Just FYI these are not really in order. I can't put Jelly Belly's before Mia.

9. Sedona- I have never had a bad time in Sedona. I love the feeling you get when you drive into Sedona and you see the first set of Red Rocks... its breathtakingly beautiful. Sedona has always been my getaway spot. The Hubbs and I got engaged in Sedona and married in Sedona. Many new agers say that Sedona is a powerful place, special auras are there. I believe it because I always feel better after I visit there.

10. It makes me happy when I have friends that blog and I can keep in touch with them and see their families. I love the internet. I am grateful for the blogging world and how it has been a sort of journal, a release, and a way for me to keep connected with all of my friends. I also love that I am able to meet so many amazing people through blogging. The blogsphere is great and I am happy that I finally got over myself and started blogging.

Now here is the part that I don't ever like to do... I am not a "tagger" and I never pass on chain mail. So if you want to add this to your blog (and I would hope that you would take the time), put the first picture at the top then list your 10 favorites, 10 loves, 10 things that MAKE YOU HAPPY.