tagged by Gina

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Coretta Scott King (MLK jr's wife) she was big in the news when my Dad came to the states and he liked the name my mom always liked Cornina so it was a good version off of the base. My middle name (Dee) is a nickname my mom had from her little brother growing up.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? about two weeks ago, unless you count the whimpering I did a few nights back when I was so tired and Zurich wouldn't go back to bed.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? versions of it, I am currently making a font of it, oh joys! I just finished making a font for a client that looks like staples. Fun stuff.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey, thin
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? two adorable blue eyes
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? heck ya! I don't think I am obtrusive but am supportive when needed.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? kids catch on too fast. I don't use it as much as I used to
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? all 85 of them
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? no, I am afraid of heights specifically because of the falling bit and the idea of head first to the ground just seems moronic for a person like me.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Quaker Oatmeal Squares
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? depends on if I am holding a child at the time or not. I usually try to though, otherwise I just get frustrated because I can't get them off
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? not like I used to be, I giggle in places I'd rather not admit I have. This body space should be encasing muscles not giggles. But I can finally work out again and so maybe...
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla you can dress it however you like. It's like a canvas, and every day I want something different so I just keep plenty of topping options around. (supplies)
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? hmmm general kemptness
15. RED OR PINK? pink I think
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I already told you about the giggles
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Gary, I miss him every day.
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Brownblack and red tartan-style dress pants, I avoid shoes whenever possible
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? a bag of strawberry flavored fruit snacks. Gary had gotten them thinking they were the cherry and didn't want them.
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the sweet hum of my computer fan, hammering in the basement and oh, my iTunes currently on shuffle and the song is: Joy Ride by Roxette
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? My name would be yellow, my personality I like to think is a lavender or periwinkle
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Gary, lavender, vanilla and fresh wheat bread
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Someone from my insurance company checking up on my daughter after her surgery.
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? I typically don't but if it was in person it would be hockey.
25. HAIR COLOR? dark strawberry blonde, I bleached some extra highlights in but they are blending into my summer hair for the most part
26. EYE COLOR? green... see above for more descriptive visual
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
28. FAVORITE FOOD? wheat bread. Again the canvas thing... so many possibilities. Other than that... probably pasta I love my carbs.
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. I hate icky feelings
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Ant Bully. I only watched snippets here and there though so does that count? ... oh wait, last one I watched was Young Guns II I realize this is Rated R. However, I have a soft spot for a good western and I didn't realize that the version I saw growing up was edited... I know now.
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Brown with varying shades of brown flower print.
32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer but why are we leaving out the most beloved spring and fall?
33. HUGS OR KISSES? Generally Hugs
34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Sherbet or fresh fruit
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart I am on #6 Vox. Obviously it is good or I wouldn't be on book six. Don't make fun of me for reading Junior Fiction. I love the courtesy illustrations. Oh I wish I could do pen and ink. I need to seriously try some time.
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nothing, I don't have one. I use optical mouse and my computer desk which is cheapy wood laminate covered with fake wood sticker.
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? I didn't; we don't have television.
38. FAVORITE MUSIC? I don't know what the genre is called according to my iTunes: Metal, pop, Rock, rock/pop, alternative, and new age and one or two country albums
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? The Beatles, I don't really know anything concsiously that the rolling stones do.
40. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Orlando Florida

I tag Lindsey and Joanie

tat is tat

I tat.
Now you know.
I have a problem. I like to learn. I want to be able to do everything. I have to admit, most things I can learn and do quite well. The problem is that in order to do all these different things I have to have all sorts of supplies. I have a LOT of supplies. It drives my husband crazy at times. Times like when we were loading all my stuff out of the basement into the garage so we could finish our basement. Every time we have to move he gets frustrated. But I am always there to remind him that all these things come in handy. And he agrees as he is lugging out a 50 lb box of illustration board and matte board etc.

I feel left handed now that all my stuff, or rather a large portion of it is tucked away in a pile in the garage. I feed off of my hobbies. Today I wanted to make a birthday card for a friend and had to plow through a bunch of boxes to get to my card supplies. Oh but it was worth it. It was fun and Olea and I had a punch fest. She got adhesive tape on the carpet and my chair mat, thank goodness for Goo Gone (it also works on crayon and most pen on textiles).

Between sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting, card making, crafties, graphic design and all sorts of mediums of art supplies including stained glass and pottery I have a lot of supplies. That is why Gary is so excited to finish our basement. It is also why I am so excited for it to be finished. We are using what would have been a bedroom to make an art studio for me. The coolest part is that when he took down the insulation we found a drain plumbed in already. Could anything have been more perfect? I think not. So my fancy room will also have a sink. The world is a good place. This weekend we get our first inspection on the basement progress. We have it framed, the electrical is done, the venting is done, the bathroom fan, and most of the plumbing. Gary has to bust out the shower drain and move it over, the dummies put it in too far into the room.

So what is tatting you ask? It is pretty. It's lacey. Intricate and fun.
It's something that I can keep in my purse and pull out while waiting for a doc apt or during a car ride (when I am not driving that is). It's "an ancient art" according to my husband's niece. Similar to crochet, I suppose, it's a lace making technique. I generally make little ornaments or card embellishments or bookmarks. I have grand aspirations to make a runner for our table or dresser, but that's a big project with such a little knot. I'm just made a bookmark since I gave mine to my mother in law, and am making another one. A different pattern this time. Tat is Tat.

Tuesday Tell All: Graduation

I'll talk about my college graduation, cause that's most recent. I graduated from BYU with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. My associates degree is from BYU-Idaho it is technically a degree in Science because they weren't giving associates degrees in Graphic Design at the time. Though that's a more accurate description of my degree. I missed the festivities of my Associates degree Graduation because I was getting married to Gary. I graduated in August 2005 after taking a semester off for having our little Olea and not taking a semester off after having a major surgery. Somehow with my memory and such impaired by a total thyroidectomy I managed to pass Statistics and my other courses in time to graduate and walk with Gary (who graduated in April). Gary's parents came down and my mom and little brother. Right after graduation we got down to business to move from the armpit that is Provo to Orem. We were pretty serious about getting out of Provo as soon as we were graduated. We moved to a nice duplex that we really enjoyed. Those who could stuck around and helped us move. My sister watched kids while Gary's parents helped us move stuff in. We lived there till last year when we bought our house. It was a busy day but we got all that we wanted accomplished. We were finally free of BYU. :) For all of you out there who LOVE BYU, good for you. We just don't so much. Looking at these pictures, Gosh, I was skinny after that surgery.

Tuesday Tell All: One Word

Answer the following with only one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? ..backpack..
2. Your significant other?.....Gary..................
3. Your hair?.....blonde...............................
4. Your mother? .....sweet............................
5. Your father?........German..........................
6. Your favorite thing?............imagination..............
7. Your dream last night?....horrible....................
8. Your favorite drink......water.....................
9. Your dream/goal?.....design.........................
10. The room you're in?.....mine....................
11. Your children?.........beautiful...........................
12. Your fear?..........inability.........................
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years....there.......
14. Where were you last night?.....hospital..............
15. What you're not?.....man........................
16. Muffins........poppyseed..............................
17. One of your wish list items?......laptop...........
18. Where you grew up?.........smithfield..................
20. What are you wearing?.........jammies...............
21. Your TV?..................nothing...................
22. Your pets?.............stuffed......................
23. Your computer? .........dying.....................
24. Your life?...........is........................
25. Your mood?.............blessed......................
26. Missing someone?.........Olea....................
27. Your car?............great........................
28. Something you're not wearing?........earrings........
29. Favorite Store?..........JoAnns....................
30. Your summer?............open.....................
31. Like someone?...............love.................
32. Your favorite color?.........perriwinkle................
33. Last time you laughed..........today..............
34. Last time you cried?.........Friday................

Change of Plans

This weekend didn't go at all as planned, but still things are shaping up decently.

Thursday Olea was sick and couldn't keep anything down. I could tell something was really wrong because all she did was lay around and nap all day. Anyone who knows her knows this is highly uncommon behavior. I thought I would give it 24 hours make sure it wasn't just some passing stomach bug. Friday morning after getting her out of the bath I had her lay on her back and I started poking around on her stomach. She started crying when I poked her lower right side. I called Gary, "I think Olea has appendicitis." "WOAH, wait, what makes you say that?" He said I am typically right about such things and he just wasn't ready for such a deal. I took her to her pediatrician and kept my mouth shut about what I thought and come to find out they agreed with me. We were sent to the closest hospital, and were there for quite a while.

Poor kiddo, they tried the IV twice. She was quite dehydrated by then, (not my fault, every thing she ate she vomited) they did some blood tests and an ultrasound.

They had this cute little wheel chair that she rode in for the ultrasound and I got a picture of it but it was on Gary's cell phone and I didn't realize I had to tell it to save the picture so we don't have it. :( This is the best I have.She was really being a sweetheart. She got a cute blanket and a bear from Project Lynus. She has really taken to them. We were going to get her into surgery but then found out that the surgeon couldn't/wouldn't operate on kids under 5 so she was ambulanced to Primary Children's where she waited in the ER for over an hour. But they turned on the lights and sirens and everything. Much waiting around she finally went into surgery at 11:30 (friday night). It only took about 45 mins and about that long to wake her up. The surgeon said it had ruptured. Who knows when. Could have been two to three days with how far it had progressed. So that means a longer hospital stay. 4-10 days. As of today she started on liquids and is doing really well. Today she was getting kinda ornery, not that I blame her. However, she has been a really good girl, all considered.
Gary's parents were coming down this weekend anyway so it turned out great, since I didn't have any milk stored for Zurich, so I need to be with him. So Gary's Mom has been with Olea most of the time. I stayed with her last night but needed to be home to take care of Zurich so Gary's mom will stay with her tonight. She sure enjoys having Grandma there, it is also nice that Grandma happens to be a nurse and so she's getting that extra care. When I went I brought her colored pencils and a new princess coloring book. She was really happy about that. She is making great progress. They did the surgery laprascopically so Olea and I will have twinner scars. She is all cute and swollen with fluids currently so she looks a lot pudgier than she is. Her little belly is all poochy.
Every thing is better when Daddy is holding you. Gary is all grubby from working on the basement. We can't keep the supplies in the garage forever and since we can't all be there with her we might as well make progress where we can. Besides, Olea wants the basement "fixed and pretty like the rest of the house."

Which Princess are You?

Gina copied Deeaura and I copied Gina.
You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I'm not so sure about the whole sheltered thing, but the tranquil person content with what life has given me is a good description. She also happens to be my favorite princess so that works for me.

Mother's Day

Every time this day rolls around I seem to be in the worst shape. Tired, cranky, and impatient and not feeling like a good mom at all. But while trying to take a nap I couldn't sleep because of the feelings I had experienced earlier in the day. So instead I expressed it the way I know how to. As a note my mother's favorite flowers are carnations.

Today, I got a carnation
I thought of you
and the stem, Zurich
promptly broke in two

My patience wearing thin
Cleaning up one handed
too much lost sleep
and fuzzies in my head

Carrying far too much
And trying to quell Olea’s fit
Answering unending questions
And teaching other kids not to hit

I didn’t want to be grumpy
And tried real hard not to cry
But Olea spazzed out
And hit me in the eye

And I thought of you
Your sympathy
When last we visited
Overwhelmed me

You may not be the perfect mother
I’m certainly not
But from you
I learned a lot

Contriving new discipline
And things to play
As a mom, I think of you
More than just the days in May

I got a carnation
It was pink
So of you, Mom
It made me think

Because you’ve been there
And you know
About every hard day
And I love you so

What I learned at Traffic School

April 15th or so I was headed to a doc apt as a follow up for my tumor deal... I was not late. I was not hurrying. I was enjoying the onslaught of questions from my 3.5ish year old daughter. I lie, I was getting frustrated. Anyway. Unbeknown to me at the time the speed limit on the road was 30. I am the kind of person who is motivated by guilt, among other things. If I had known I was speeding, I would not have been. Either way, there I was apparently going 43mph according to the fake-name officer who pulled me over. Ok, it might be his real name and who am I to judge, but seriously... Shaw Hammer? At first when he said his name I thought he said Officer Chalmers.

Ok so I see the stealth blue mustang cop lights flip on and immediately pull over, there was no one else on the road so it must be me... (also probably why I was going the speed I was, not to mention the fact that I am 100 yards or less from getting on the freeway). I have never been pulled over, and never got a ticket obviously. So, here I am waiting in the van answering my daughter's questions about, Why are we not going? Why is the man talking to you mommy? Because mommy was driving to fast. Why were you going so fast? I didn't know I was going so fast, Mommy made a mistake. But why Mommy? I don't know. Probably because you keep asking questions. I have 5-14 days to get it taken care of right, but we were leaving on a business trip and then directly to our vacation on day 4. Anyway I will leave out all the head ache details, we did get it squared away and I went to traffic school after our vacation. Thursday the 8th.

• I learned that I SHOULD be HAPPY I got a ticket in AF rather than say Lehi or Pleasant Grove because the traffic school admission is taken out of your ticket cost, not added to it.
• AF has TRAFFIC COPS whose sole purpose is to write tickets. They don't do regular loving, and helpful ;) cop work. According to my sister, they are called Pricks. :)
• We are all speeders
• If you have been to traffic school and the cop asks you next time you get pulled over and you say no ("if you lie" according to the Officer), you can go again (if he gives you that option). A kid in the class had been six times in at least the last six months. Technically, I guess you are only supposed to be able to go 2 times in 2 years.
• We come in all shapes and sizes. There were at least 32 of us. From 16, girl, boy, 55, punk, housewife, Princess, Dad, etc.
  
• The officer running the class didn't want to be there... so don't tell, but we got out early.
• It's a good place to run into old friends. :) I got to chat with a friend from the ward we were in when we first were married.
• The strict guidelines listed on the attendance info sheet is not followed by them, so why should it be by us. We were all congregated around the entrance and the doors weren't even open, (it says doors lock promptly at 6pm so don't be late) for us to be locked out of. The officer even let a guy in late. We didn't really need our licenses. People brought in their electronic devices and purses and no one's head or hand was severed.
  
• It was actually kinda enjoyable. hmmm that is weird. The officer was friendly and upbeat, he just answered our questions and gave us pointers on where the "speed traps" were. I should have taken notes, oh wait not pencil or paper allowed, well then mental notes.
• Watch out for Blue Mustangs. They are only there to write a ticket. (I figured this one was worth repeating in various forms).

Do I want to go again? No. It is a 45 minute drive for me. A waste of gas and Gary and the kids went on a bike ride with out me.