catching up

i didn't get to create any layouts this week. hate to sound like a broken record, but...i have been super busy. spent another saturday working most of the day. went to Mass and dinner. took a short nap and headed to the airport. my uncle decided to spend his two-week vacation here. alone. nice. i actually like it when he's here...i get a live-in mommy sitter. we get along great. his family gets a break from him and we get all the good, bad and ugly that he doesn't email about. my mom loves it when her brother is here because he buys all the crap food i won't buy. and it's a nice change of pace to seeing only her sisters. plus, underneath all the gruffness lies a big ol' softie. all bark. no bite. i actually leave for north carolina a few days before he leaves for home. that's what happens when he decides at the last minute to get on the plane and come this way. gotta love non-rev flights. so i get to actually see all the friends i've been neglecting this week. i know they still love me. and are just a bit jealous that my job makes me travel.

we did the family barbecue last night. i was busy getting chicken marinated and red rice made while sneaking in a much needed nap that i didn't have time to be emotional over the fact that yesterday was my grandmother's 11th death anniversary. not that i don't think of her often. because i do.

i worked this afternoon so having the bbq today would have not been a good idea. it actually worked out because my uncle took my mom and me to dinner tonight and that wouldn't have happened if we had a massively huge lunch! then I got free green tea ice cream at cold stone from my cousin zach. sweet!

this week will continue to be busy while we try to put this public health grant to bed. come hell or high water, it will be finished before i leave work on monday afternoon. never mind that my boss upped the ante on high levels of stress by going to a meeting in hawaii for the next three days. her boss said, jump. she had to say, how high? i said, oh geez. but my boss was nice enough to call from another work trip to break the news to me first-hand. how many bosses give their minions a heads up??

i'm actually looking forward to going to work tomorrow. all this crap food at home ain't helping the tight pants. can we say, hello, salads??

hope your memorial day was a good one.

i didn't forget

it's been so long since i've scrapped an actual layout. i was scared that i somehow forgot how to.

i didn't forget.

whew! (insert round of applause here)

i did make a mini album of our easter celebration (but, i'm too lazy to take pictures of that one). i also made a mini album all set to go for my upcoming trips using ali edwards' scrapbook on the road class.

a weekend where i'm not working and don't plan to work. the work computer will stay in its bag. it irked me to get feedback on a grant i'm working on yesterday. on my day off. especially since i've been asking for feedback the last two weeks. someone asked for something else on thursday night. it can wait until monday. or tuesday. seriously, these people have been making life hard for us in our office. they don't jump through hoops for us. i'm not going to take up acrobatics for them. unless it's my boss asking for something this weekend, i'm OFF. rant over.

i had a point here... oh. em. gee. i digressed.

i scrapped two layouts today. in the process of shifting through papers, i found a layout i did last month (i think it was last month). i know it was before easter. a bunch of us were recommissioned as lay ministers. i received a lector cross that night.

supplies: studio calico "singing in the rain" kit and add-ons; wrmk sew easy; epiphany button 20 tool; and fiskars butterfly punch.

last sunday nathan graduated from 8th grade.

supplies: studio calico "lawn party" kit and add-ons and scrap goods lagoon embossing powder.

on tuesday, vittoria was confirmed. she's growing too fast. i feel so emotional about it and she's not even my daughter. i almost shed a flood of tears while we were taking pictures and she said, "wait! one with auntie vera."

supplies: studio calico "lawn party" kit & add-ons and label stamps; tim holtz tiny attacher; and jenni bowlin ink.

i think i need to order some more instax film for my fujifilm pivi printer.

it was right for me

in the last 2 weeks, i worked 15 hours over time. i've tried all week to take some time off, to no avail. but, i did take today off. still have 6 hours burning a hole in my pocket with little chance of using it before i lose it.

i took my time getting ready for the day. when i have time off, i tell no one. i still get ready as if i'm going in to work. i stopped by a local coffee shop and had a frozen soy coffee toffee and a blueberry bagel. then i headed for the GATE (gifted and talented) theater. today was the 5th grade promotional ceremony for the class i left in november. i ran into my cousin lisa and her family. her daughter was being promoted.

lots of kids saw me as i walked in and i heard a lot of, "ms. blaz!"

that was nice.

so much for sneaking in at the last second.

as i sat there, i started to picture myself on stage with my former co-workers. you know what?

i didn't fit into that picture any more.

i couldn't see myself flitting to and fro on that stage making sure everything would go smoothly. i couldn't see myself standing in the wings waiting for the ceremony to begin. i couldn't see myself prepping for the event beforehand. if i had any doubts in the last 6 months, the doubts surely weren't there today.

i was okay with that.

but, i still couldn't stop my eyes from tearing up when two of them gave their speeches (and wasn't surprised at the two who did), when each of my former students was called to receive their certificates. i couldn't stop the tears from forming as they sang their song.

oh, how i worried about how they would do without me.

they did just fine and i'm okay with that.

emotions cast aside...

it was right for me...

to follow a dream to make a difference in an another way.

they're okay with that.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's been a busy few weeks. I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, but oh is that light flickering!

In the last week alone, I have accumulated 9.5 hours of flex time. Two major projects are out of the way with two more to go. One happens this week and the other MUST be completed by June 8th at the latest. Well, my part must be done by 5:59am on June 7th.

I'll be on a plane heading eastward by 6:00am June 7th. It's not a pleasure trip.

It's two back-to-back work trips. And my boss jokingly told me I'd be gone 3 weeks. Hello?? I don't think so.

Today was all about catching up on laundry, picking up lunch (after working 6.5 hours yesterday starting at 7:00am I had no energy to slave in the kitchen even for my mom) and catching up with the family. Thankfully I had the foresight to shop ahead and had a gift for my mom all ready to go.

This woman...



...brought me into the world thirty something years ago not knowing what the heck it all meant. I thank GOD for her everyday...even when she purposely annoys me! *wink* I love her!!!