Happy Birthday....to ME!

So birthdays are not usually my forte, especially MY birthday but this year I didn't mind telling everyone "today's my birthday". Of course I worked last night and again tonight so not much in the line of party's going on. I did make "Better than Sex" cake to take to work tonight. One of the guys I work with loves this cake.

Robin surprised me with 2 bushes for my yard. Now to some ladies this might be a ho-hum gift but Rob knows me very well. I tend to be very practical and love things that I can DO something with. I am already mentally running through options for planting these 2. I did ask for one more- you know the old rule of odds.

I think they will be beautiful. Now I just need to decide where to place them...

I love ice cream. It is probably my favorite dessert. We are not much of cake eaters at our house. In fact, the boys will more often than not, request a pie or some other dessert for their birthdays. For mine, I don't usually make anything but this year I got....

 A yummy cold stone ice cream cake. Most of the time our motto is No pink allowed, but today, ok maybe a little pink. The first princess cake to enter our house!

My dear mom-in-law sent a nice card with Andrew Jackson. So, now I get to go shopping. Let's see a new shirt or home decor? I'll let you know what I decide. My camera battery was dieing so I couldn't get a good focus.....

My favorite gift was a surprise visit from my mom and niece. I had just gotten to sleep after working all night when I heard my mom's voice. Since I had talked to her earlier I questioned how tired I really was. Yeah, I tend to have bouts of psychosis. But as I listened I had to get up to see. Sure enough sitting in my living room was my mom. She had decided to surprise me by hand delivering my gift! A 4 hour drive to bring me this.....

and this is not even the best part....

Just flip them around for Christmas! Still not the best part though- it was seeing my mom. She didn't stay for long since I needed to sleep before returning to work but it was great anyway!

So, I have to say I had a fabulous birthday! Tonight is my last night at St Marks Hospital in SLC. I was offered a job at the hospital in Tooele- pay raise and no more commuting 1 hour each way. Yep, it's been a good day!

Fitness Friday

Ok, so once again I am a bit late on this but work sometimes gets in the way.

I am proud to say I have lost again this week! Horray, I am now down 5 pounds. The best part is Robin told me my back side was getting smaller. Now, I am not sure if he was just trying to make me feel better (having woke up way too early for work) or if it is true. I responded "yeah, right". "No, really you're getting smaller". Well of course I love the man dearly now! ;-)

This past week I have been working VERY hard. We are trying to get Josh's bedroom finished in the basement before school starts. With Robin working long hours that means a lot of sheet rocking for me- with Josh's help. Add to that building food storage shelves- yep I built another one- swimming and my evening walks uphill I have really racked up the activity points! I am also rather stiff in the mornings. Overall it is apparently just what I needed to loose weight and get toned up. Who needs "The Firm" workout anyway.

By the time we get the basement done or mostly done, we will be ready to put the back yard in and then I will get to be doing yardwork again. I do love gardening, it is very therapeutic for me but don't get me wrong it is not for the weak. Especially in the heat we have been having lately. Perhaps the heat just seems worse without having grass surrounding the house- oh, I DO hope so!

So for this week I am not worried about adding to my fitness goals. I still have lots of sheet rock to put up. Then comes the taping and texturing. Painting, I can handle no problem and of course the carpet will be done professionally. Add in a bit more unpacking and sorting through books and toys, plus stocking and organizing shelving units and I think I will get plenty of activity. Of course this is in addition to my nightly walks around the neighborhood. That is becoming another source of therapy for me! It is so nice to talk with Kaylyn and visit. The walk goes by much faster and before I know it we are done. Gotta love exercise partners. Now if I can just convince her to go current walking at the pool with me.........Either way I am thankful to have a new great friend!

Swing pillows: Project 27 of 52

I finally managed to finish these pillows. So nice while swinging in the evening reading a book. Of course now my cushions are already fading with the effects of the sun. Guess my next project needs to be the canopy.....

Scrapping Sunday

I am behind on my pictures- aren't we all- but I really want to try to not fall further behind and if possible catch up. Well, digital scrapping has helped that but sometimes I just need to get some pictures done. This is where quickpages come in handy. All the work is done, I only have to insert the pictures. Last summer we had a fun family BBQ. Now, you have to realize at our family get togethers water fights almost always break out. Someone gets my brother- or is he the one that starts it all? Anyway, the water starts flying and we laugh until our bellies ache. With these pictures in mind I set out tonight to use some summer fun quickpages. They are a group collaboration that you can get from Stuff to Scrap

It great to be able to throw some pictures together for memory lane in years to come. I added wordart from Bethany

here is what I did.....

Finding new sites to visit

My house is becoming all things American. When I saw this project featured on Someday Crafts via Sassy Sites I had to check it out.....

plus she has other great ideas for decorating for men. Of course with a house of boys I am going to have to check some of these out!

Like this

the boys would love to run through this in this Utah heat! Now I just need to get the back yard in for them to be able to run on the grass!

Yesterday, while looking for shelving units I found this from Ana. Knockoffwood keeps me dreaming of projects to do. Since I have a pallet sitting in my garage I knew I would be doing this project. SIMPLE! I think I can handle this one myself.

Can ya picture it in Josh's room. Or maybe the family room (when we get it finished)? Or maybe.....

Umm, perhaps I am going to need another pallet eh? ;-)

And I am sooo making this for my laundry room/closet. Of course I need a couple dozen clips for the lost socks.....from Lemon Tree Creations

Ok- I definantely have some work to do this week. Gotta crafting itch to scratch somewhere in between house work and building a boys bedroom! Ah the joys.....