U... Unconditional

...without regard to qualities or actions...
Absolute. Total. Certain. Clear. Complete. Unequivocal. Genuine.
Unconditional Love.

In honor of Free Love Day... a day to promote awareness of suicide and depression, as well as to advocate a LIFESTYLE of unconditional love.

T...This Time

This time, last year, this is what I was writing about.
I can hardly believe it's already been a year...

...and only been a year.

I know... you all are probably getting tired of hearing about my "one year old".

S... Sunny Springtime Scenes

R... Random

• I love to make lists
• I bite the sides of my fingers when I'm bored, or nervous
• I drove a 66 Mustang in high school
• it was light blue
• I visit Starbucks for a treat when I go to town
• I almost always order a white chocolate mocha
• I have one little brother
• actually, I have one younger brother
• I will add things to my list that I've already done just so I can scratch them off
• I sometimes chew on the neck of my sweatshirt without even noticing
• I had braces for TMJ in high school
• I now wonder if it would have been helped with chiropractic instead
  
• my teeth were straight before the braces
• I took piano lessons for 10+ years
• I feel like I should be able to play a lot better than I do now
• I played tennis in high school and college
• I took an English Lit class in college that I hardly remember and rarely attended because of tennis
• I got a B
  
• I have no idea how
• I'm sure my mom is thrilled with that. (hi mom!)
• If I try a new burger place and they have a mushroom burger, I will try it
• my sister in law HATES mushrooms (hi Lace!)
• when I drive by this building, I can feel the pit in my stomach




• it kills me if there's a light on in the far left, second from the top, window
• Stella was born in the room four window to the right
  
• I'm 5'4"
• not 5'3"
• I was accepted to a college that I never applied to
• I live in the home that my great grandparents built
• I have a pair of boots that I bought 10 years ago!
• and they're still the most comfortable things around
  
• I had to hold my baby girl down for four shots yesterday
• I then had to hold her still while she had a head ultrasound through her fontanel
  




• I let my kids throw pennies in a fountain any time they ask (as long as it's "legal")
• my older two are 21 months apart

• at one point we had 9 cats here
• they were supposed to be outside cats
• we now have two cats and one dog
• a photo of me hangs in the museum in the town were I grew up
• taking photos is my hobby
• I think saying it that way carries less weight than "photography" is my hobby
• I've an eclectic collection of jobs on my resume'
  
• I have no idea how I'll get back into the workforce when I choose to
• I have my bachelors degree in marketing
• I've never worked in fast food
• my current job offers a lot of job security ;)
• many of the people I consider close friends, I've never met in real life
• I have received one speeding ticket in my life
• I deserved it
• it was in Montana
• it was for less than the speed I was going
• the ticket was almost $100
  
• I believe in ghosts
• not GHOST ghosts but that there are things beyond our perception
• one dark snowy night, while Jim and I were parking our car in our lower field (because we couldn't get into our driveway) there was a man who walked out of the woods and diagonally across the field and our yard
• he never said a word to us
• we live on 90 acres
• I have no idea where he came from or where he went
• that still creeps me out
• I have never been to Disneyland
• I have been to Disney World
• I am a horrific speller
• I grew up on an island
• I . LOVE. SLEEP!
• I do crazy amounts of thinking in the shower
• I usually forget it all by the time I get my hair dried off
• I sing out loud in the car
• and dance like a crazy person when home with the kids
• they think it's hilarious
• I tend to be a jack of all trades, master of none
• I kind of like that - low pressure
• I hate grocery shopping
• I feel guilty about the amount of water necessary to rinse out my items before I can recycle them
• I live in Washington and our waste water is nearly immediately returned to the ground
• I should not feel guilty about using the water
• I can't remember the last time I didn't wear my diamond earrings
• I broke my leg in high school
• I was going down stairs
• because of it, I had to wait to get my driver's license unless I took the driving test in a standard
• it was my right leg, not my left
• I'm still confused by that rule
• I used to have great vision
• then I got contacts in college to help me see the white boards
• my vision got progressively worse, quickly
• it turns out I was allergic to the contact lens solution
• my prescription has finally stabilized. Sort of.
  
• I have a hard time finding glasses I like
• it's too bad because I get a free pair every year
• my husband works in the eye care industry so I can pick pretty much anything
  

• I'm a Gemini and if I believed in that stuff, it would explain a lot about me ;)
• I love the smell of fresh cut grass and the sound that hummingbirds make
• I felt sick to my stomach when I realized that I hadn't prayed before we started Stella's ultrasound yesterday
• I prayed during
• today Karleigh asked me why I never took her to any baby ultrasounds
• I was honest and told her I was afraid
• I'm kind of angry that she understands why
• Faith is a big part of my foundation
  
• I have a hard time "getting into" organized religion
• I have been married to my best friend for almost 12 years
• there is a cat snoring in my ear right now
• and a husband snoring to my left!
  

Q... Quixotic

What do you do with your quixotic thoughts?

I have this one that I've had for years. The end result is this incredible, seamless picture that I can see, very clearly, in my mind. However, the chances of it coming to fruition are minuscule. There are so many roadblocks: the attitudes of those around me, money, space, time, capability...fear.

Yet, I feel like it's this thing that just keeps poking and poking and poking at me.
Like a woodpecker.
In the back of my head.

How do you determine the difference between something being a true "calling" and being a quixotic daydream that's driven by something similar to envy? Or do you feel envious because you see your daydream being realized by someone else?

Quite the quandary that likely requires more quietude.

P... Posing for Photos

I hate it. Hate posing for photos.
It's, literally, painful for me.
To say I'm much more comfortable behind my camera would be a major. HUGE. understatement.
I've never been a photogenic person. As a child I messed up many a family and school picture.
It's still pointed out.
And joked about.
But at least now we're in the digital age so countless photos can be snapped to get a decent one without "wasting" film on me.

This A-Z Challenge is about pushing ourselves and I've been trying to move outside of my comfort zone in several areas. This area would take a whole lot more work than I'm willing to put in. I know the "rules" for getting a pleasing photo - if you're a woman and it bends, bend it. Chin slightly down and out... yet, when it comes to me. ACK!

P is also for promise and I promised Ella that I would post a picture of the Shabby Apple dress that I won on her blog. It arrived yesterday evening so I had Jim go out and take a few pics.
I felt ridiculous.
The pictures were... eh.

So, today I took Rylan outside with me. It's always easier for me, if my kid is behind the camera. They judge less and talk like they're professionals. Rylan was all: "turn a little more" "you look beeeeeautiful!" "Nice!" It's fun to set him up and just let him go. Jim... he doesn't judge but you know... another adult... very different.

Anyway! I found one in the bunch that I was ok with:

I really like the idea behind this dress and it is very comfortable! However, for me, to be perfect, it needs some tweaking. I'm not built like a model so the front darts hit me in a kind of funny place (which is odd because if I were taller, they'd hit me even lower I think) and the color of the top is a pretty tough sell but I don't have anything like it so it was wonderful to receive it and I can't wait to try it out a few other ways. Thanks Ella!

O... Oranges

Oranges!
Orange is totally Rylan's favorite color. It always has been, which I've always found a bit odd because well... orange? Not many people choose that as their favorite color.
But he is steadfast.
Orange IS the best color.
Also? Oranges have always been one of his favorite foods. The kid would eat mandarin orange packs hand over fist. He was able to peel and eat clementines from a very young age. If we have to grab fast food, we usually end up at Wendy's so that he can choose oranges over fries. You get the idea.

I thought it would be fun to look up what it could possibly mean. Here's what this website had to say:
Orange: This color of luxury and pleasure appeals to the flamboyant and fun-loving person who likes a lively social round. Orange people may be inclined to dramatize a bit, and people notice them, but they are generally good-natured and popular. They can be a little fickle and vacillating, but on the whole they try hard to be agreeable. Orange is the color of youth, strength, fearlessness, curiosity and restlessness.

Yup, my little dude seems to come by his love of orange naturally!