This Week or "Why I have been banned from Press Releases"

This last week was a very busy but wonderful week for me. There's just a lot going on both here at home and at work. Let's review...shall we?

Monday, I had an interview and assessment for a NEW JOB. It went really well and I was able to find out a lot about the company. It is appealing to me for many reasons...the biggest reason being that in as little as a year I could be telecommuting from my own home office (home office provided by the company). That means that when TW starts kindergarten, I will be able to do what I have ALWAYS wanted to do...which is be here the second he gets home.

Tuesday, I drove (like a woman possessed) to Mount Vernon to meet Dad for dinner. I love getting to spend time with my family, even if it is only for a meal...and Tanner LOVES to hang out with Papa. Those two are silly together and a lot of fun to watch. MY PARENTS SPOIL MY CHILD. He adores them.

Wednesday and Thursday were kind of quiet. Although Thursday I helped write my very first (and last) press release. This week we closed on the Howsmon's building in Joplin. Whenever we close on a project like that, we always issue a press release to the appropriate news media. Janet used to do that. But Janet left us--so Chyna and I tried to muddle through it. She did the majority of the work and used me as her word placement, grammar and pretty word person. You can read parts of this press release in today's issue of The Joplin Globe . You will not, however, read my BEST contribution to the piece. It got booted...and then I think I was banned from ever writing a press release again. Chyna needed a quote for the article from "Matt". We were kind of making jokes about it and she came up with "We are really cool and we think Joplin is really cool so it is a natural fit" I came up with "We think Joplin is off the heezey and we can't wait to rock this mother out." It was deemed unworthy for the press release. But you all know that MY quote is WAY better than what ended up in the paper. What can I say, my company has no sense of humor. Nazis!

Friday, I had a second interview with United Health Group. It was a phone interview, which I hate. But I took the time to prepare and again did well and have another interview scheduled for Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm. YIPPEE!!!

Today, Tanner and I are just chilling. He is building a castle with some blocks and playing with the puppies and I am...well blogging. Did you catch that??? I said "puppies". For those of you who haven't heard yet, we ended up keeping the chihuahua. Erma loved him! But Wayne could not be persuaded to keep him. Bummer--but somehow when Jeremy said "let's buy my Grandma a puppy", I knew this was going to happen. He is a cutie though, and when my boys look at me with their big blue eyes and they pout, I can't turn them down. And they BOTH do this frequently. I am such a sucker.

Tanner just informed me that he wants to play outside, so I am off to get dressed and have some fun in the sun with my favorite little guy. Check back later for pics of our day.

Can we keep him??

Today, we bought a Chihuahua. Technically, he is not ours. He is a birthday present for Jeremy's Grandma Erma. Of course there is a chance that tomorrow when we drive to Preston to deliver him that she rejects him and he returns home with us. But how can you reject this little cutie???

Jeremy decided he wanted to name him Rocky, because it looks like he has two black eyes. I suggested we call him Balboa, if that was the effect he was really after. Tanner said, "Let's name him Freddy!" Then I remembered he's not really ours to name...so for tonight he is just "puppy". Kinda cute isn't he?? At nine weeks old, he weighs in at just over a pound, and he is a little spit fire. For the last hour or so, he's been growling at Daisy and the cats (if you can call it growling). It is TOO adorable.

As you can see, Tanner loves him already. We made sure to tell him up front that this was not OUR puppy...I'm not entirely sure he was listening. But for now we are all enjoying having him in our home. Tomorrow will be a sad day.

So for those of you I haven't told yet, Monday I have a job interview at 2:30. I wasn't really actively looking for a job, but I happened on this one and I think I would really enjoy it. So send lots of prayers my way. It is really past time for me to leave where I am, and this could be the start of a new chapter. I am putting it in God's hands though. And speaking of God, he wants me to be in church tomorrow and Shelly and I have decided to go to the EARLY service so Jeremy and I can get an earlier start to his grandparent's house, so I am signing off and heading for bed. Sweet Dreams.

T-Ball Tanner Style

The sun was out today, and Tanner and I took full advantage of it. He kept missing the regular t-ball, so he switched it up a little and played t-ball "Tanner style".

Thumbs Up, Mom!

How can you resist that grin???

It was nice to be outside in the warmth...I did a few videos today also. My intention is to post them even though you can hear me wheezing in the background. Thanks to those of you who called to make sure I was feeling better. I love you too!

DING--Round Two!

Thank you to whomever decided to pass what can only be called "the world's ickiest cold" back to me. It wasn't bad enough the first time!

Tonight, I feel worn...and yucky...and sorry for myself. SIGH! As a matter of fact, I am going to go and crawl into my warm, cozy bed, bury my head underneath my pillow, and let the NyQuil carry me off into dreamland. To the doctor who invented NyQuil...BLESS YOU! To the man who decided Kleenexes would be even better with lotion...YOU ARE WONDERFUL! To all of you who know exactly the ickiness of the cold I am speaking of because you too have had it...I REALLY feel for you. Being sick stinks! Let's boycott it! Yeah, I know. It's crazy talk--that's the NyQuil kicking in ;o)

Sweet Dreams all. I have high hopes that the next time I am here in blog land that I will be able to breathe from both nostrils. Ah the power of positive thinking. XOXOXO

In Like a Lion

March is here!! THAT means Spring is almost here...and I L-O-V-E Spring time. But as the saying goes, March came in like a lion this year. At 4 am on March 1st, tornado sirens were wailing here in Springfield letting us know that severe weather season was back. Since I am the responsible one, I padded out of my warm comfortable bed (after having been jumped on by a terrified four year old) and into the living room to monitor the storm on the radio. An hour later, satisfied that we were completely out of harm's way, I crawled back into bed. I predict many more of those storms this spring. We'll see if my intuition is correct.

Last night was terrific! My beautiful friends Sara and Steve came to visit us for the evening. A year and a half is WAY too long to go without seeing your best-est buddy. I miss her already. I FINALLY got to meet Barron, whom I simply adore. I'd kiss his sweet little cheeks a million more times if I could. Tanner adores Steve and thinks he is the coolest guy ever...maybe even almost as cool as Daddy. I wish you all could have seen those three boys playing with the Nerf guns and rough housing. It was too funny. After Sara and Steve's departure today, we crashed hard. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a long afternoon nap. Especially when it is cloudy and cold outside.

Now, we are simply relaxing. Jeremy is watching some bull riding ( huge eye roll at my husband's redneck ways), and I am surfing the web, downloading some tunes and editing some photos. Outside, I can hear the March wind howling...but inside 404 East Morningside, it is calm and quiet and toasty warm.