Reverse Psychology

Colonel Mustard left me again--for the browner pastures of Arizona. And while it is not his choice to do so every year, I still don't much like him today.

Since I'd really like to welcome him back with open arms this weekend, I thought I'd try a little reverse psychology to convince myself I'm not really missing anything worth missing.

The truth is, I hate Arizona. I hate that it's sunny all the time. I hate that you can see for miles and miles. I hate the wide straight roads. I hate swimming pools at every house. And I especially hate the people there!

I haven't been back in 5 years, but I'm sure I'm not missing anything. I won't miss seeing Rod and Jazz..or playing games with them. I won't miss the Andersons- they're just my adopted family anyway. I won't miss seeing my niece and her family (though John must be pretty entertaining considering my brother didn't threaten his life for asking to join the family....or did he??) I won't miss seeing Jared and meeting Faith- after all, they are sickeningly cute newlyweds- you know the kind that make you throw up a little in your mouth??. I won't miss the Baileys (or their pool and naked streaking children- do they still do that?) or any of our other old friends and neighbors from Mesa.

Because really---I don't like any of them anymore. I mean Georgia is sooooo much better, why would I want to waste my time in Arizona anyway??

We'll still be here when you get home honey....though I'm not so certain about your last paycheck- we may have to utilize it for our "We Got Left Home" family fun fund!

Anxious

Don't you love how kids just can't wait to grow up!

And apparently she has also learned from her mother how to try and do too many things at once!

Bloodwork done!

A boring post, but Ava's 4 metabolic panels came back-all normal! So grateful we don't ever have to go back there again and that hopefully, she won't have to be poked for a long time!

She has been very healthy the past couple of months and growing well. (A blessing after doing our taxes and being horrified at just how much she cost last year!)  Now we will just have to work on her little Diva attitude!

Colonel Mustard's Creations

Well, I'm a little late posting, but I wanted to share some of Colonel Mustard's creations this past week.

Don't be too jealous now ladies, but I had dinner cooked for me on Valentine's....and it really tasted good....and no- it wasn't macaroni and cheese! It was baked Cornish Hens stuffed with mushrooms and wild rice and asparagus-- Mmmmmm...... take a look at that!

And for dessert- Strawberry shortcake! It was quite beautiful I must say-- I was very impressed. So was my stomach because now my pants don't fit anymore... not even the fat pants. Oh well, it isn't everyday I have dinner cooked for me, but pants do come in bigger sizes!

And now for a less impressive creation of Colonel Mustard's-- "Snow Woman"  He told me my snow person had child bearing hips, and he thought we ought to put the oranges to good use, lest anyone confuse her for a snowMAN. Classy, I know. Would you expect anything less from us??

Moving Van

As I pulled in to my neighborhood today, I saw something I knew was coming. A moving van. No, not mine, but our neighbor's moving van. It is of little consequence to me, but seemed to hit me like a ton of bricks.

Why... you ask? Because they are moving... and they are moving to Colorado.

Some of you may know that Byron and I have always said someday we'll make it to Colorado-- buy some land, have some animals, a motocross track, and settle down....for good. But it just doesn't seem to be in the cards for us.

A few years back I said I didn't really care anymore-- it didn't matter where we lived or settled down. Truthfully--it doesn't. But when I heard the news, I must have turned green with envy as I felt a dream had been ripped out of my heart, and haphazardly handed to someone else.

Maybe it's just that awful impending Birthday, but is seems lately as if many of those unfulfilled dreams have come to slap me in the face. So many things I've dreamed, that never came to pass. I'm reminded immediately of the lyrics of a Kenny Chesney song.

"...It'd be easy to add up all the pain

And all the dreams you sat and watch go up in flames.

Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain.

But not me... I'm alive."

So instead of watching that moving van pull away with yet another dream, I'm going to be grateful that I'm alive and well. And I think I'll take a moment to myself, to ponder all the wonderful gifts I've been given that I never even dreamed of.

My prediction

I wanted to beat the news and make a prediction before it happens. 

I predict that Punxsutawney(yeah, I had to spell check that one) Phil will stick his nose out of his hole, turn right back around, and say, "Junk this! I ain't goin' out in that nastiness!"

And thus, we will be stuck with 6 more weeks of rainy, snowless, frigid, bleh...winter. No offense to winter-it has its perks. But when there's no snow and every single weekend is an icy cold rain... it leaves something to be desired.

On the upside, at least I have a winter Birthday! 

Never mind, I just remembered I'm going to turn 30... I'm crawling back in the hole with Phil!