Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

I love St. Patrick's Day. I am a tad bit Irish so that may be the reason. Or, it could possibly be that it is just a really fun holiday.

There's no stressing in having to get the house all cleaned up because everyone is coming over.

There's no cooking and baking all day.

There's no shopping and trying to find just the right present for someone.

It is just a day to be all jolly and take pride in your Irishness.

I think back to my St. Patrick celebrations of years past:

I met my best friend on St. Patrick's Day 1990, this was also the same day that I began my phobia with port-a-potties.

The first time I had enough money to actually buy the O'Connell's mug with green beer in it was St. Patrick's Day 1993.

My first time to call in to work sick because I had a hang-over was the day after St. Patrick's Day 1996.

My first night away from Averi was St. Patrick's Day 1997.

My first time to ride in a cab (in Norman) was St. Patrick's Day 2003.

My first time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at somewhere other than O'Connell's was 2006.

I spent St. Patrick's Day 2009 driving home from Santa Fe and I thought it was super cool that I actually drove through a town called Shamrock (in Texas).

I have lots of good memories pertaining to St. Patrick's Day. Instead of getting my party on and partaking in the drinking of green beer, I spent St. Patrick's Day 2011 cooking a green dinner for the fam. We had spinach tortellini with pesto, and nobody gripped or complained about it. Aren't I a lucky girl?

Oh, and just to settle an argument around here...do you have to wear green if you have green eyes?

Happy St. Patty's Day me friends!

Right Now...

Right Now, I am...

:: listening to Bill O'Reilly on Fox News, Teddy snore while sleeping on the couch, Chris' fingers hitting his computer keys, and Averi's pencil shading something in her sketchbook-lots going on here!

:: embracing the warmer days ahead and the beauty that this season brings.

:: enjoying having the week off for Spring Break-no school, no lessons, no practices!!!

:: marveling at the artistic talents of my daughter. Her drawings are simply amazing.

:: loving my bathroom makeover! It is getting close to done and I'm soooo excited.

:: feeling a little bummed that all of the shows I have DVR'd this past week got erased somehow...Sisterwives, Teen Mom 2, Jersey Shore, Glee, Amazing Race, The Real Housewives of Orange County...all of my smut, guilty pleasure shows.

:: watching time go too quickly

Right Now, I am...

So thankful for the Lent devotion that I read this morning and for the opportunities that it opened up for me today. It was all about forgiveness. There was an application to do and mine was so divinely orchestrated, it is almost scary. A very spiritual moment for me today that I completely saw a Glimpse of God in.

Did you know????

That March 14th is Pie Day?

Pi is 3.14 something, something, something, etc.

So, for Pie Day, I completed one of my 100 things to do in 2o11...I made a pie.

From scratch!

Crust and all!

I am becoming quite domesticated, I tell ya!

And it makes this guy pretty happy!

Happy Pie Day!

Did you get to enjoy some pie today?

In Ten Years...

In ten years...

I went from being a mom of one to a mom of two.

The day I came home from the hospital after having my sweet Cali girl, Chris left me with both Averi and Cali while he went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for me. I remember thinking to myself (while Averi uncharacteristically was bouncing off the walls and Cali was laying in her bassinet that Averi was about to tip over), "What have I done?"

I was an old pro at being a mom to one. I knew Averi. Everything about her. But here now is this baby who is completely different than Averi was. She was A LOT bigger. She had NO hair. And she was a funky yellowish, orange color. But she was so, so beautiful...just like her big sister.

I didn't know this baby. Yes, she grew inside me for the last nine months, but I didn't know if she was a mellow baby, a fussy baby, anything about her, really. And I couldn't devote all of my time and attention to just her because I had another child to care for. I knew Chris wouldn't be around a whole lot to help because at the time he had a very demanding job where he had to travel often. My mom wasn't available to help me. I just wasn't sure I could "do" two kids. Too late now, huh?

Anyways, I think back to that moment because these last ten years have been the best years ever. What was I thinking being all scared and overwhelmed? I remember back to the late nights where it was just me and my babygirl. Chris was either gone or asleep, Averi was asleep, and it was just us, Cali all snuggled up nursing the night away. And one particular thing I remember about those times was feeling complete. I was complete, my family was complete...it was just a sense of serenity, that everything was good and all was right with the world. And my world was exactly what I had hoped for.

God blessed us at just the right moment in our lives with Cali. He knew we needed another daughter to love, cherish, nurture and adore. I think of all the souls in heaven, He picked the very best one to become Cali Amanda Campbell. She has brought so much sunshine to all of our lives.

Here's some things I absolutely love about Cali:

-She is the most snuggly thing ever. I love that even at 10 years old she still prefers to sit on my lap and have me hold her as to anything else.

-She is so loving. She always has to kiss and hug everyone goodnight...sometimes more than once. And she always makes sure she gives Mamaw and Papa Jim and her other grandparents or relatives a hug when she sees them.

-She is very thoughtful and generous.

-She has a really good personality and has lots of friends.

-She tells me her dreams EVERY morning and some of them are real doozies.

-She is strong-willed (I know this sometimes is a real pain in the butt for me, but I think it is a good trait to have, and it is a trait that I admire because it is so NOT a trait that she gets from me.)

-She is a reader. She loves books and she loves to read. Sometimes she will read 3 books at one time. I love to read, so I really LOVE that she loves to read. Plus, now I have a Borders buddy.

-She's kinda shy, but she's kinda not...she is not afraid to get up and perform.

-She is Chris through and through...she looks like him, she acts like him, she thinks like him...no wonder I love her so much!

-She keeps her room pretty clean.

-She loves to be playing outdoors...riding her bike or scooter, swinging, exploring.

-She's one super, sweet, silly mama's baby.

If the next ten years are as joyous as the last, I'm bound to be one happy mama! And here's to 110 more years with Cali O'Malley the Alley Cat aka Cali BoBo aka BoBo Skinny aka Peepers aka Cali Amanda Campbell!

Update

I added my 100 things to do in 2011 list to the sidebar of my blog. Here is what I have done so far..

#99 Bake Bread.

I bought a package of bread mix a few months ago. I got it out and mixed it up and OH. MY. GOODNESS. I may never buy store bought bread again! It was sooooo delicious. I made a loaf of whole wheat bread. Of course it was a mix, but I'm thinking making it from scratch may not be all that different. Oh, it was good!

#28 Enroll Cali in gymnastics.

She loves gymnastics! And she is really good at it. She comes home each day after class and tells me what her goal for the next time is going to be. Like, "I'm going to try to flip over the high bar next time," or "My goal is to do the splits." I love that she is setting goals for herself. And I love that she has found something that she enjoys and feels confident in doing.

This picture has nothing to do with gymnastics, but I had to share it because we saw this after leaving gymnastics on our way to piano lessons...three big poodles on top of their house's roof! How bizarre! I'll get a picture of Cali at gymnastics next week when she goes.

#90 Take a Yoga Class.

I just did this last week. I got my cousin, Danyelle to go with me and we tried out the "Yoga Lite" class at the Y. It was called Yoga Lite because it is easier, which is perfect because I've never done Yoga nor had Danyelle. It was not much of a workout, so later in the week we attended the "Fitness Yoga" class.

Woh! Major difference. I was sweating like crazy, my muscles were quaking, it was intense...the chair pose, a plank, a dancer's pose...my favorite was the child's pose, HA! I did really enjoy it and plan to go back, today, in fact.

A funny story from the class: The instructor asked us to turn our phones off at the beginning of class and I did. Well at the end of class we are all in relaxation pose and my phone starts going off...I only turned the ringer off so it is vibrating LOUDLY. Then just as it quits, we hear snoring. Someone on the other side of the room FELL ASLEEP and they were sawing logs! Too funny. So it wasn't real relaxing. Amusing maybe! The girl who fell asleep, her friend had to wake her up after class was over. Poor thing. She was so embarrassed and she kept saying that she didn't get any sleep the night before. After we left, Danyelle said, "You better nudge me awake the second I start snoring if I ever fall asleep!" I told her she better do the same. Unfortunately, I have no picture to share of this accomplishment!

#31 Make a table for behind the couch.

Chris actually made it. But I designed it. It turned out great and I love having that space filled in. And a place to put more pictures and stuff.

#61 Go to World Market with Barb.

My friend Barbara and I have been talking about trekking up to north OKC to go to World Market for a few years now. We FINALLY did it last month. It is a large store that has different booths all through it where people sell anything from homemade, crafty stuff to antiques to clothes, to jewelry to all kinds of cool stuff. I came home with a antique statue of Mary and a letterpress "C". I saw all sorts of other stuff I want to get, I just have to save my pennies.

#14 Stay in my PJ's all day.

This was pretty easy to accomplish when we had all of the snowy/icy weather last month and no school for 4 days straight-2 weeks in a row. Actually, I think me and the girls did this a couple of days. Sorry, no picture.

Celebrating 14 Years With My Girl...

Averi Patricia Campbell

Last night, or should I say at 2:00 this morning, I was up with our crazy dog. She threw up in my bed then she wanted outside but then she wouldn't come back in and she kept running around the yard and barking like crazy. I'm sure our neighbors LOVE us. Anyways, while I'm cussing the dog and trying to get her back into the house and stressing over whether the neighbors were going to kill us, my thoughts turned to my life 14 years ago.

14 Years Ago, I was in the hospital awaiting my induction the next morning and anxiously awaiting my new baby.

I had expected to be nervous...I didn't know what to expect, the whole birthing experience and all.

I had expected to be scared...was it going to hurt?

I was SO excited...what was my new baby going to look like?

I was happy...I was going to be a mama-something I always wanted to be.

I was tired...who can actually sleep in the hospital 9+months pregnant, with monitors and tubes attached to your body?

I was a whole lot of things.

But NOTHING could have ever actually prepared me for the feelings I would have when they placed that itty, bitty, tiny 6 pound 3 ounce baby into my arms. I was in awe of her. She was so, so beautiful. She still is.

Not only is she the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on, she is a part of me. She is my legacy, the part of me that will live on and remain after I'm gone. I will live on through her and her children.

(1997)

She brings such joy to our lives.

(1998)

Her sweet, gentle spirit gives me a glimpse of God everyday.

(1999)

Mostly, I identify God's love for me in my love for her. I think how much I love her and what all I would do for her, and then it's like an "AHA!" moment..."so that's how much I mean and matter to God."

(2000)

Because she is my world. My first thought in the morning and my last thought at night.

She is my child. I am so blessed.

(2001)

She is absolutely, positively the best big sister there is. Cali is so very lucky.

(2002)

She is also a great friend. She has so many good, close friends that she has been friends with for a long time. She is loyal, trustworthy, and a whole lot of fun.

(2003)

One of the things I love best about her is her ability to find beauty and joy in the simplest of things...a leaf, a day of play in the snow, an interesting looking rock...things like that. Her love for all of God's creations is evident in the way she regards the beauty of the earth and the living creatures she shares the earth with.

(2004)

She has never been one to crave the spotlight. Rather, she's more of the sensitive, silent type. She amazes me sometimes with her perspective on things. She's very witty and has a very funny, comical side.

(2005)

She loves to travel and to go, go, go. But she likes home, too. And I like that she likes to be home.

(2006)

I still think she's a princess...although she loathes the whole "princess" notion. I tell her to think of it in the terms of being a daughter of the King (God) and to always respect herself and present herself as nothing less.

(2007)

I am so proud of who and what she has become. She is so talented in art and music. She is a good student. And she is an all around great young lady.

(2008)

My greatest wish for Averi is that she will always believe in herself. Confidence is the key. I believe she can accomplish anything.

(2009)

I also pray that Averi will know how incredibly much she is loved. Not just by me and Chris and other family and friends, but by God...who loves her so much more than she could ever imagine.

(2010)

I am blessed beyond measure to have been given this soul to nurture and guide. The past 14 years have flown by. I have enjoyed every minute of every day with this girl and I look forward to celebrating at least 114 more with her.

YIKES!!!!

Has it really been a week? I'm ashamed of myself. I had such good intentions of blogging EVERYDAY the things that I love this month. I have kept up with it in my mind and have taken and taken a picture each day...I'm just going to have to play catch up now. Lets see....

Tuesday, February 8-I {HEART} Couponing

Look at all this stuff. You would think that I spent quite a chunk of change on all of this, right? Well thanks to my new obsession, couponing, I didn't. Who knew? Who knew that you could really, actually save money by clipping out coupons and using them at the grocery store??? Amazing! And now I'm hooked.

You can actually get some stuff for free. For instance, I had a coupon for $1.00 off two jars of salsa. Homeland had the salsa on sale for .99 each. Also, Homeland doubles coupons. So I got 2 jars of salsa for FREE! Woohoo!!!

I will admit it is time consuming and you do have to put a lot of thought and planning into your shopping. But it is worth it. And besides, I'm not working anymore so I kind of consider this my job now...saving money.

Wednesday, February 9-I {HEART} READING

I can totally get lost in a good book. I LOVE to read. It is one of my favorite past times. And right now being snowed in...I have done nothing but sitting in this spot, wrapped up in a warm, furry blanket, enjoying this book. I'm currently reading, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson. It is the second book in a trilogy and it is REALLY good. I highly recommend!

Anyways, I have always loved reading. I can remember back to being a kid and reading Amelia Bedelia books, and Pippi Longstocking-LOVED them! I remember being like 12 and 13 and reading the ALL of the VC Andrews books. I recently re-read the Flowers in the Attic series...what was my mother thinking letting me read those books at that age????? OMG.

My ultimate goal is to some day write a novel. I betcha didn't know that one of the main reasons I began blogging was to give me practice in putting my thoughts into writing...getting me prepared to make that big step into writing that novel. I have lots of ideas for plots. I know lots of interesting people who have been in/are in very interesting circumstances, so I could write a number one best seller just on the people I know. I just need to figure out how to do it without being obvious.

Some of my favorite authors are: Billie Letts, Francine Rivers, Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Meyer, Wally Lamb, Mary Higgins-Clark, and Suzanne Collins. Billie Letts wrote my favorite book ever, Where the Heart Is. Francine Rivers writes the BEST Christian fiction, which I love because it puts a hint of reality into the lives of the biblical characters that we have heard the stories on all throughout our lives without giving a second thought to the feelings, perspective, realness of the them. Janet Evanovich-she just cracks me up! Stephanie Meyer...aaahhh, she takes me back to that younger me, lovestruck and raw with teenage emotion. However, I wasn't in love with a vampire (or a werewolf). I like Wally Lamb's books because they are so candid. He does such a great job of portraying his characters feelings and makes you feel all caught up in their thoughts and such. Mary Higgins-Clark keeps me on the edge. It is not very often that I start a book of hers and don't have it finished within a day or two. I can't put the things down! And Suzanne Collins, wow, what an imagination!

I love me some books!