A-Z on Mondays: J is for Jumping for Joy

(Hi everyone. I always feel this need to explain where I've been when I haven't blogged in a while, and the answer is usually: just plain busy. Busy with the girls, busy with Twin Club, busy with the house. I get such a feeling of guilt when I don't blog or make comments on your blogs - like I am letting you guys down or something - which I know is just silly. Blogging should be fun! So, if I go through busy times when I don't blog, please know that I am thinking of you all and I'll be back when I can!)

This week, J stands for Jumping for Joy! I won a giveaway! A cool giveaway! A big thanks to Tiffany over at Songbirdtiff! Lots of exclamation points!!!

Through Tiffany, I won a 16x20 poster print from www.onlineposterprinting.com - now all I have to do is decide which of my pictures I should get blown up! I am thinking it should be something from the past year with my new camera, since the resolution is sharper than my old camera, but we shall see.

Have a great day everyone - I plan on doing lots of reading today and making lots of comments.

A-Z on Mondays: I is for "It's a Small World" (and a winner!)

A big congratulations to Liz (TidBits from Liz) who made the first correct guess! You won the surprise prize! Send me your address (to madkatblog@yahoo.com) and I'll get it out to you ASAP. Honorable mention goes to Safire - right ride, wrong park! :)

These pictures were from our Honeymoon in Disneyworld in July 2003. I worked for Disney for almost 5 years (before I knew Andy) and had fabulous discounts and perks (which no longer exist to the same extent, I hear). We would get 2 free tickets a year, close to 50% off our hotels, and 30% off all food and shopping. It was hard not to go - and "go" I went - about 3 or 4 times a year. Andy, however, had not been there since he was a little kid. He was just as excited to go as I was ... and I think he had the most fun out of the two of us.

It rained almost everyday we were there, but you expect that in Disney - it usually last about 15-20 minutes in the middle of the day and then it's over. All the weaklings leave and you get a nice empty park for a couple of hours. But it rained HARD for us - and two days it rained almost the whole day. We were troopers, though, and just got wet. I even got my hair cut off at the Grand Floridian so I didn't have to worry about the humidity.

One night it poured, and Andy wanted to ride It's a Small World over and over and over and over ... and over. He loved it, and I loved him - so I went along for the ride. He had me adjust the setting on our camera and take picture after picture of him making this face. He is a crack.

(The third picture was with the flash - no fun.)

We were there for 10 days and had a great time. We always look at our honeymoon pictures and smile.

Congratulations, Liz!

Computer back up and running

Thank you, Mr. Andy Man! Thank you for buying me an external hard drive for Valentine's Day. If it were not for that - and for backing up my entire system for me - I would have lost each and every single picture of our lives together since we met.

Pictures us dating ...



Pictures of our wedding ...



Pictures of us in our first home ...



Pictures of Daisy Cat ...




Pictures of the girls ...



Pictures like this ...



... that would be irreplaceable.

(Can you guess where (specifically) this last pic was taken? And I mean be specific. Prize to the first correct guess. Don't know what the prize will be yet.)

I wish I lived in the Midwest (next week)

Sigh ...

Pioneer Woman is holding a contest for 4 winners to visit her at her ranch next week (in Oklahoma) for a baking demonstration from Bakerella ... two of my favorite bloggers in one place and the unrealistic possibility of me being able to be there.

Assuming I would even win.

Which I would.

Because I wouldn't be able to go!

Of course I would win!

I feel like Maddie, in the yellow.

If you could live anywhere in the world next week - where would it be? Yes, just next week!

Updated: Did anyone else get this email?

I got an email from a student at Washington University looking to conduct a study about personality types among bloggers (or something of the sort). Anyone else get something similar? It kind of intrigues me ...

Update: Well, I took the questionnaire! I was at one point a graduate student in a psych program and I remember how hard it was to get participants. I went to the website to check it out first, and then went to work. It was interesting! I answered about 315 questions like, "Do you like to take risks?" "Do you have mood swings?" "Are you an organized person?" etc, and then I received my score on 5 different scales. (Which I am still trying to figure out if I should post for you all to see into the depths of my soul! Haha!)

If you are interested ... here is the link ... http://e-xperiments.org/personality/

One award and 25 other things

I know that I have been remiss about passing on the awards I've received - and that is just inexcusable! But I also have forgotten some of them ... sorry ... so if you've sent me something and I never posted it - give me a yell. I mean that literally - yell at me to get my butt in gear!

I received the award above from one of my very first blog friends, Darla! Thank you, Darla - I love it! I don't have a sister, so my friendships are very important to me - and a sisterhood award from one of them is awesome.

I would like to pass this award on to any of my readers who don't have a sister. (Anyone out there?) I'd love to know if you accept it - let me know!

And as an added bonus, I am going to include one of those corny"25 things about me" ... just 'cause you can't get enough of me!

1. I met Andy on July 31, 2001 when I was working at Barnes & Noble - he was a customer. We were friends first, and then started dating in February 2002. We were engaged 4 months later and were married in July 2003. He is the most fantastic husband and father and he is my best friend.

2. After trying to have kids for two years we knew it would not come easy. It took us three (failed) IUIs and one (successful!) IVF to have our twin girls. I’ve had more needles stuck in me than a pin cushion.

3. I am a steak and potatoes girl.

4. I am a blogger. I never managed to put together baby albums for the girls, so the blog is a journal of our lives. I love it.

5. I miss cooking. I used to cook all the time before the girls (and sleep deprivation) came along. I stick to the usual menu plans now. I keep promising myself I will start up again!

6. Although I do soooo love eating out.

7. I regret not getting my teaching degree in college. I actually did teach for 4 years and was just looking into getting my certificate through alternate route when we finally got pregnant and I decided I wanted nothing more than to stay home with the girls.

8. We hope to have one more child to complete our crazy life!

9. When all the kids are in school, I plan on going back myself for graphic design, specifically for the web. I’d like to open my own Web Design business. (What happened to teaching, Rose???)

10. TIVO is the best invention – EVER.

11. I am glad that I am a member of my local twin club. I have met so many great moms and I love being involved in something I really care about.

12. I keep my house really cold. Really. My friends know to bring a sweater.

13. My desk is a mess – papers, books, coupons are in lots of tiny piles. I do a major clean up every few months that usually only lasts a week.

14. My mom is my personal superhero. She comes over every day after work to help me with the girls – and has done so since they were born. (It really helps during tax season when Andy works late nights and Saturdays.)

15. My girls are the reason I was born.

16. I love reading science fiction. Always have. Right now I am reading the “Dragonrider” series by Anne McCaffrey. (And I can't wait to see the new Star Trek movie.)

17. I regret hurting people – especially past friends. I made a lot of stupid decisions about stupid things that seemed to matter so much at the time. I see some of these people on Facebook and want to apologize, but have no clue how it will be received.

18. At the same time I have so many good memories of my friends that make me laugh out loud and I wonder if they remember them, too.

19. I love to gamble – small amounts. Just for fun. Put me in front of the craps table and I’ll play the minimum all night – and win. (I love playing BINGO, too, and hope to find a friend who meet me at the local Catholic Church one night and play for real!)

20. I love Vera Bradley – she makes the most beautiful quilted bags in beautiful colors and styles. I have over 20 of them. Andy is happy that I am not into Coach.

21. I cried every day the first week we moved into this house. I missed my townhouse so much and I wanted to start looking for a new home immediately. I drove Andy nuts. I do love it now – and I am thankful we have a home to keep us safe.

22. Nothing makes me angrier than poor customer service. I have written more complaint letters than I can count. Poor product upsets me, too. I got Home Depot to re-carpet our entire upstairs after the original carpet they sold us started to show wear after two months. Lots of letters and phone calls over three months but totally worth it.

23. I love watching Family Guy.

24. I don’t drink – just don’t care for it. I have no problem if people are drinking around me (not morally against it or anything) – but I get very uncomfortable being around people who are drunk. Don’t like it.

25. Andy and I are opposite in many ways – but totally alike in the things that really matter. And our birthdays are only one day apart.

I'd love it if anyone else did their "25 things" - c'mon ... you know you have one!

Updated: A-Z on Mondays: H is for Help

I crashed my laptop. I could just say, "My laptop crashed" - but that would be a fib. I downloaded a digiscrap freebie and I think that'swhat did it.

The good news is I just backed up all my documents and pictures Friday morning - so I have not lost a thing! (Just some digiscrap layouts - which is not bad at all in the scheme of things. I'll take it!) Andy got me a removable hard drive for Valentine's Day - best present ever!

I am working on his computer now - which I am totally not used to and have no pictures on - but I will post the updates as we go. Andy thinks that all the files are still there - we found them in DOS mode - and just the operating system is screwed up. We shall see!

Update: Andy had to reformat the entire drive. I did end up losing all those digiscrap files, 12 of them, which I spent all day Saturday doing. My friend Carol and I went to an all-day crop. I know I should be thankful that I didn't lose anything else - but I am still sad.

Update 2: My computer is back up and running. We reloaded all my software this morning - and then took the girls outside to play in the snow! I took a ton of pictures - which I immediately downloaded and picked one out to be my new header. It's similar to the January one - but it's all I got right now! :)

The girls had a great time in the snow - and didn't want to come inside at all. I am going to make a slideshow and post it tomorrow - too many to post now!

Well, OK ... here are a few ...