Hello, Cupcake!

My dear friend Jess Deal gave me this adorable cupcake cookbook for Christmas.



















Then come to find out, my Mom got me the exact same one, and they each said "I just thought of you when I saw it and had to get it for you." Which means it's the perfect gift!! I'm so lucky to have people who know me so well buy me such wonderful presents.

As mentioned in the previous blog, we decided to make the edible ornaments cupcakes. Here's our spread of supplies.














Our colored sugars for dipping














And here are some of our masterpieces! They are cupcake Christmas ornaments.














This one was my very favorite that we did.














This is Austin's Christmas present cupcake. He insisted on doing one that wasn't an ornament. He's always gotta be different!














A whole box of ornaments ready to be delivered!














Thank to Jess and my mom for giving us something so fun to do on our Christmas Eve in Provo!

Our First Christmas

Inspired by my mother's incredible talent for writing poetry, and to avoid any ranting and anger that could come from relaying the story, here's an emotionally controlled version of mine and Austin's first, and somewhat tragic Christmas together.

'Twas two days before Christmas
And all through the state
Travelers were unsure
Of their holiday fate

With snow came delays
And cancellations a-plenty
It fell in record highs
In inches up to twenty!

Austin and I with our suitcases
Were well on our way
To the SLC airport
To catch our United plane

Everything went smoothly
We could not foresee it
We thought we'd be in the air shortly
Enjoying our complimentary peanuts

But after hours in the airport
And with much devastation
We learned we would not
Reach our beloved destination

The "customer service" agent
Was just a mean old man
Nothing could be done
We'd been dealt a terrible hand

Christmas was ruined
And I cannot deny
I wanted to punch a United employee
Right in their dumb eye

But what good would it do?
It wasn't their crime
As sad as I was
Holiday spirit we would try to find

We started right away
As soon as we got home
We prayed for comfort,
And peace, and hope

Our eyes were opened
And our hearts were too
We clearly understood
What we needed to do

We started off by counting
All the ways we are blessed
Even with such a tragedy
Our lives are the best

With friends and family
We are loved so much
A home, jobs, cars, schooling
We have more than enough

We have our health, the Gospel
Many talents to share
We could find a way to show others
How much we care

So we baked and frosted
Most all of the day
Then we went out
And gave our cupcakes away

It was something so simple
And so easy to do
But it lifted all
Of the sorrowful gloom

Now we are cheerful and grateful
And have certainly found
No matter where you are
You can spread love around

Gale family fun and tradition
We have undoubtedly missed
But there will be other years
That we can enjoy it

From anger to joy
In just a few hours
Your outlook on life
Is all in your power

The Lord's love is stronger
Than any hardship
Even the disappointment
Of a ruined trip

This Christmas tale
Our kids will surely hear
Of the greatest day
Austin and I had all year

What are sisters for??

Here's a conversation Siara and I had via text message today...

Siara: Good thing Mariposa reopened because I wasn't sure what to get you for Christmas...
Me: Oh my gosh no way. Why did they even bother bringing that trash back?
Siara: Maybe now that Mervyn's is closed they'll have the corner on the fugly clothes market.
Me: And the corner on the unorganized store and trashy employees market. That place blows.
Siara: Yeah no kidding. Pretty much every store here is gross.
Me: I can't believe the places like "Deb", or "UrbanWear", or "Papaya". They're all the same junk. Forever 21 is the only good cheap store.
Siara: Haha oh my those stores crack me up. Imagine working there....they'd probably pay you in tube tops.
Me: Hahahahahahaha

More than ready....

...to get out of Provo for a few days. I cannot wait to go to the cabin, see Bailey, see all my little siblings who aren't so little anymore, be snowed in for a while, go shopping in Portland, and just have a break. Here's a little preview of where we'll be spending Christmas, and thanks to my mom, because I stole these from her blog. =)















I like snow when you just see it like this, and you don't have to drive in it.





























And here's the adorably cozy fireplace with all the stockings!














Wish us luck that our flight doesn't get delayed or canceled. Merry Christmas!!!

Calling

I've written about how much I love PostSecret before, and this is just another reason why.














This is what someone wrote in response to this postcard that was sent in...

"i was faced with a decision almost five years ago. whether to let my mother live or die.

my mothers nurse saved me. so to the nurse, i say, that maybe sometimes it is not the patient you save."




That's why I will be a nurse, so I can save someone.

This is why I watch TV

I love my job....

....because it's always different. One minute I'm doing something as minor as drawing blood or giving a CT scan, and the next minute I'm helping with an eye lift, a nose cautery, a thyroid FNA, straightening a nose fracture, and anything else that involves blood and guts. I guess everyone doesn't have an inherent love of needles and sterile instruments. But I'm just living the dream.

AUSTRALIA!

Baz Luhrmann is officially a genius.

First Romeo and Juliet














Then Moulin Rouge













And now Australia. The entire 2 hours and 45 minutes is totally worth it, and I think I might see it in the theater again. Nicole Kidman is incredible and gorgeous, as always. And oh my goodness. Hugh Jackman...I'll admit I didn't really like him before this movie, but I am sold. He has now joined the ranks with Brad Pitt as Tristan in Legends of the Fall...
































Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday...

































And Jude Law in Cold Mountain






























Because seriously, look at him in this movie...






























Him and Nicole Kidman are incredible together
























So if you want to see an amazing epic that will seriously make you cry your eyes out, go see Australia. It's better than Titanic the first time you saw it.

Hang Up

I understand our country's current addiction to our cell phones. I get that panicky feeling just like anyone else when I realize I've left it at home, or when I can't check it every five minutes for any reason. But what I just don't understand is the ridiculous way that people refuse to GET OFF THEIR CELL PHONES. If you're in line at the grocery store, get off the phone. Don't hold up the entire line behind you by blabbing incessantly instead of paying for your groceries. And for heaven's sake, if you're waiting in the doctor's office and you get called back to be seen, HANG UP. I can't believe how many times I have waited, waited, waited for patient's to get off of their phone so I can check them in. And then they complain about how long they are in the office. I just wish people would have a little more discretion when it comes to appropriate cell phone use. There is a time and a place.

Life is a dance floor

Jamie did this fun blog, and I normally don't do anything that resembles a "Forward", but this one actually seemed interesting! So what you do is put your iPod on shuffle and for every question, you type the song that's playing. So here it is!

Shanna's Movie Life Soundtrack (by the way, I'd like Jennifer Connelly to play me in the movie)
Opening Credits: "There's No Going Back" -Midtown
Waking Up: "Black Balloon" -Goo Goo Dolls
First Day of School: "Sleeping In" -The Postal Service
Falling in Love: "Perfect" -Alanis Morissette
Fight Song: "Uptown Girl" -Billy Joel
Breaking Up: "Great Romances of the 20th Century" -Taking Back Sunday
Life: "Addicted" -Simple Plan
Mental Breakdown: "Any Way You Want It" -Journey
Driving: "Just What I Needed" -The Cars
Flashbacks: "Real World" -Matchbox Twenty
Getting Back Together: "To The World" -Brad Paisley
Wedding: "You Were Meant For Me" -Jewel
Birth of a Child: "Lovely Day" -Lit
Final Battle: "Foolish Games" -Jewel
Death Scene: "Still" -Rufio
Funeral Song: "New Born" -Muse
End Credits: "Season" -The Academy Is...

It really is weird how perfectly some of those work out! Like Jewel for my wedding. Austin and I didn't actually dance to that song, but I would like to in my movie! And hello! "Sleeping In" for the first day of school?? I laughed when that one came up. I'm pretty okay with my soundtrack, so someone remember to make it when my saga comes out! =)

We've definitely come a long way.

I just started reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and I'm already loving it. I came across this great little quote that should make any woman grateful to be living in THIS day, rather than back then.

"Cyrus wanted a woman to take care of Adam. He needed someone to keep house and cook, and a servant cost money. He was a vigorous man and needed the body of a woman, and that too cost money--unless you were married to it. Within two weeks Cyrus had wooed, wedded, bedded, and impregnated her. His neighbors did not find his action hasty. It was quite normal in that day for a man to use up three or four wives in a normal lifetime.

Alice Trask had a number of admirable qualities. She was a deep scrubber and a corner-cleaner in the house. She was not very pretty, so there was no need to watch her. Her eyes were pale, her complexion shallow, and her teeth crooked, but she was extremely healthy and never complained during her pregnancy. Whether she liked children or not no one ever knew. She was not asked, and she never said anything unless she was asked. From Cyrus's point of view this was possibly the greatest of her virtues. She never offered any opinion or statement, and when a man was talking she gave a vague impression of listening while she went about doing the housework."

Nothing like a woman that keeps her mouth shut and cleans, right? It's like in Little Women when Amy's teacher tells her that "It's as useful to educate a woman as it is to educate a female cat."

Thank the heavens for women like Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony, etc. Or we'd still be scrubbing floors barefoot and pregnant with no useful thoughts in our heads except how to please our husbands.

O Christmas Tree

It's a good thing Austin and I are both Christmas tree fanatics, because it made it an easy decision when we decided to get one right after Thanksgiving. And we didn't even need to discuss whether it would be a real one or not. So we went and picked out the best tree on the lot, tied it to the top of the Corolla, and hauled it to our little apartment. I must say, it looks just perfect in our tiny living room!
Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, it was the best I could get without a flash, otherwise you can hardly see it!



















And Aunt Kelly sent us a whole box of adorable ornaments!




























And we already have our presents under the tree, cause we are done Christmas shopping!














We don't have a lot of other Christmas decorations, but I did find these cute stockings at a sale last week.



















The Santa is Austin's and the Snowman is mine!

Finding Joy in the Journey

I have the most wonderful visiting teacher in this ward right now, and she always brings me the most inspired and perfect messages. Tonight she visited me and shared President Monson's talk from October conference about finding joy in the journey of our lives. He shared this quote in his talk that I think it so important for everyone trying to live in a world that focuses so much on greed, possessions, fame, and fortune.


Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

It's amazing that we can feel so poor monetarily at times, but always feel so incredibly and richly blessed because of the Church, and our families, and because we know why we're here. Living this life would be so difficult without the ability to view an imperfect world through the eternal, perfect, and true perspective of the gospel. Like President Monson says,

"I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

The Giving of Thanks

I have to say that I HATE it when people refer to Thanksgiving as "Turkey Day". It's the same way I feel about when people abbreviate Christmas like "Xmas". It takes out the most important part of the name, and completely demeans the whole point of the holiday. So in honor of THANKSGIVING Day, here's a list of ten things, in no particular order, that I am giving thanks for this year.

1. My new adorable, sweet niece Bailey
2. Austin and I both have good jobs that we love
3. My parents and family are happier than ever, unemployed in their cute cabin
4. Our economy sucks, but it seems to be helping people realize what's more important than money and material things
5. Rachel and Jess, who are the funnest, most amazing friends in the world
6. Everything has come together perfectly so that I can go to Nursing school in January
7. We get to spend Christmas in the cabin with my whole family
8. Ash and Chris live right down the road, so we have a little bit of North Carolina with us all the time
9. Austin's parents are so wonderful to us, and I love them to death, and it's often considered a rare blessing to love your in-laws =)
10. We have a clean, cheap, and I have to say pretty cute little basement apartment that we love living in

There are hundreds more, and I hope that we'll get better at counting our blessings all year, and not just on Thanksgiving.

Baby Crazy

Here is my adorable niece Bailey. I absolutely can't get enough of her, and she even makes me want to have kids just a little bit!

Break Time

I am so ready for Thanksgiving break. A much-needed vacation from work, with some much-needed family time.

And in honor of my love for ridiculous, childish jokes, a cartoon.

Penny Pincher

Like most people, Austin and I have been trying to cut back on expenses, and save a little money. Our monthly cost of living is relatively low, considering that we live in a basement and do without a lot of luxuries. And luckily we have cars with good gas mileage, and we live within about a 3 mile radius of anywhere we need to go.

So we decided the best place to save more was in our grocery bill. I feel like it's much harder to cook for just two people, cause I find myself throwing out a lot of leftovers and produce that goes bad before I can use it. So I did some research, and read tons of articles on how to avoid throwing money away.

The best advice I found was using the 80/20 rule. The idea is that 20% of the items on your grocery list will cost 80% of your budget, so by cutting out just a few things in that 20%, you'll save a ton. And it applied it to the actual kitchen--that 20% of the staples you already have (flour, eggs, milk, sugar, etc.) will be used in 80% of the meals you make. So there's no point in keeping a ton of excess around, when you already have 80% of what you need.

With that in mind, I sat down last night and planned out 14 healthy (and delicious) meals, meals that we already had the majority of the ingredients for in the house. I found that we have a lot more on hand than I ever would have thought. I also chose meals with similar ingredients, so that each item on my grocery list would be used in at least 2 or 3 meals (I found some things that I would use in 5 of them). Our list was much shorter than usual, and more efficient.

We ended up buying everything we needed for all 14 meals for just over $70.00. That works out to almost exactly $5.00 dollars a meal. And that's only $2.50 a person! And I tried to choose things that would be easy to take for lunch as leftovers, so who knows how long it will last. It all seems so simple, but it ended up cutting our grocery bill almost in half, and will likely avoid all that waste.

Sometimes it's just not so bad being poor.

Things I love....

NARS blush!



My dear sister and make-up coach Siara introduced me to this blush. I have it in a color called Torrid, and it is absolutely amazing. I've had the same one for THREE YEARS, and it's still not out. And I use it almost every day. It is the most beautiful texture and shade, and seriously will change the way your face looks. The $25 is more than worth it for how long it lasts.

Things I love...

Here is something I discovered burning at a little shop in Sugarhouse called Koodeker. They actually sell them at the place next door called Hip and Humble, but you can get them online.

Votivo Red Currant Candles


They smell absolutely divine. Seriously, the most incredible smell ever. You can order them online here. They are so potent that you only need to light it for a few minutes and your whole house will smell like heaven!

Encounter

So at the Gold's Gym right by our house, they finally put those awesome individual TV's on each of the machines, so you can watch any channel you want. The other day I'm minding my own business, just watching a marathon of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading Tryouts on CMT, and this guy comes up and is kind of lingering behind my machine. I had headphones in obviously, so I was trying to ignore him. But then he comes up to me and says, obviously a little embarrassed,...

"Uhh...what channel are you watching?"

"Channel 31"

"Umm...okay thanks."

Then he precedes to go get on another machine, and watch the scantily clad blonde girls jump around in their uniforms.

Some boys have no shame.

Give. Me. A. Break.

I must say that I think it's absolutely ridiculous that all these rumors are spreading about Barack Obama being the "Antichrist". Not only is it just plain ignorant, stupid, and fanatical, it's not fair. Just because the candidate you voted for didn't win doesn't make our President the Antichrist. Don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of signs that the end of the world is nearing. But to make such an audacious statement about a politician is out of line. I just wonder what happened to supporting the leaders of our country simply because we are American citizens?

I think there were a few other people in recent history that are more worthy of the title Antichrist. Anyone remember Hitler? Stalin? Mao? Give me a break. This doesn't mean that I'm happy about the direction our country may be going, and it doesn't make me an Obama supporter--I'm against Socialism and government handouts as much as the next person. But what I don't support is the rumorous slander that instantly starts spreading amongst dissatisfied election losers who exaggerate the power that Obama will actually have.

If you still believe all this trash about Obama fitting the bill for the Antichrist as supposedly described in the Book of Revelation, read THIS.

A modern American's interpretation of Socialism...

Please tell me this is a joke.





Karl Marx is turning in his grave.

BABY TIME!!!

So, not to make the announcement and upstage Scott and Nicole's blog, but I figure they won't have time to be blogging during the next few days...cause Nicole is definitely in labor! That's right, baby Bailey will be here "by morning", according to the doctor. We are all dying to meet her, and to finally be Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, etc. My parents are coming into town tomorrow, and we all get to have an adorable little addition to our family. Can't wait.

Finally....

It's almost time for the magic of Halloween night! Honestly, the best night of the year.

And in case you want to know the REAL story behind Halloween go HERE to find out!


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Sickly

Austin and I have both been sick for days now. Seriously. Bed-ridden, coughing, sneezing, can't breathe while we're sleeping kind of sick. Unfortunately we both haven't been able to rest adequately, since we took an entire week off to go to North Carolina. When Austin came home from work on Saturday afternoon, I was laying on the couch wrapped in a blanket, and he walked in the door and said "Uh oh, who's going to take care of who?!"
So we tried our best to recover over the weekend. Monday I spent all day trying to suppress the urge to cough all over patients in the exam rooms, and went through two entire bags of cough drops. Tuesday morning I couldn't bear the thought of going in to work, so I finally gave in and called in sick. After a Nyquil induced slumber that lasted until 1 p.m., I got up and cleaned the entire house. I did everything short of a controlled burn to get rid of any germs in that place.
This included plenty of Clorox, boiling water, and eight loads of laundry. Every doorknob was sanitized, every linen washed, and every square inch of our house was scrubbed down. I threw away all of our chapsticks and toothbrushes, and boiled our waterbottles. I even made Austin let me Clorox wipe his cell phone and keys on the way out the door. We slept on temporary sheets and pillowcases last night, because we will not use the regular ones until we are fully cured! I am determined to get us over this illness before Halloween, because I will not have anything ruining my favorite holiday!!

Needlestick

I'm just starting my official application for Nursing school, and I hope to start in January. So I naively went online to print off what I thought would be a two page application that I would mail in with a BYU transcript. Little did I know.....here is the massive list of all the things I have to do just to GET IN to the school.

1. Application checklist

2.Official application to the Nursing program
3. Copy of High School Diploma

4. Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended, mailed in sealed envelopes

5. Proof of medical/healthcare employment on company letterhead from the human resources department stating: name, job title and duties, start and end dates of employment

6. Three professional references from people who have worked with you as a supervisor, manager, leader, or teacher. References must completely official Nursing Program Reference form.

7. Provide a copy of your current Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or renewal letter. The expiration date must be visible.

8. Provide a copy of your current Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification. The expiration date must be visible. Your CPR certification must include basic life support (BLS) and must be accepted by the American Heart Association.

9. Personal essay: Type a three to five page essay with 1” margins, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. Your essay must answer the following four questions: 1) What has motivated you to seek a career in nursing? 2) What are your future career goals? 3) What are your educational objectives? 4) How can you ensure you will successfully complete the nursing program? Submit two copies of your essay.

10. Medical Documentation: Obtain records from your medical provider, State Health Department or Employer. and provide a copy of your current immunization documentation for the following:
Tuberculosis (TB)- Must be repeated on an annual basis
Diptheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DPT)
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Booster/Titer in adult years
Hepatitis B 3 part series
Hepatitis A 2 part series

11. Provide a copy of your official Criminal Background Check .


All of this, PLUS I have to take a placement test, PLUS I have to have it all submitted within two weeks of taking that placement test. And that's just the beginning of about two very rigorous years of nursing classes and internships. And after all of the schooling, I still have to pass the NCLEX-RN to nationally certify as a Registered Nurse. I guess it takes a lot of work to get your dream job, right? Too bad I didn't figure this all out when I was going to BYU for three and a half years....

So I'm off to get all my shots today. I'll have to endure a total of 9 needle sticks just to get me on the way to a new career. Wish me luck!

Leavin' on a jet plane....

Tomorrow we're off to North Carolina! In honor of our trip down South, here's a few facts about the state...

The state flower is the Dogwood


















The state bird is the cardinal


















The first airplane was flown by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk














It's home of the Outer Banks, considered some of the most beautiful beaches in the country













North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the country


















The first miniature golf course was built in Fayetteville


















Pepsi was created in New Bern in 1898













Babe Ruth hit his first home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914
















If you're a Keaton, it's home to the most important sports team, the Wolfpack










And if you're a Gilreath, it's the home of the Tarheels!














But best of all, it's home to Austin's amazing family, to Devin and Sarah's new baby Delainey (who we are DYING to meet!), and to the North Carolina State Fair!!! Don't miss us too much...=)

October is....

NATIONAL APPLE MONTH!




















Seriously, it exists.

And the best part is, this is also the time of year when HONEYCRISP apples are in season. Normally you can't find them in Utah, but last night Austin and I went into Target, and lo and behold, by the Indian corn and the pumpkins, there they were. I recognized them from a hundred yards away. They are the most delicious apples IN THE WORLD. I do love Pink Lady apples, but only because Honeycrisp aren't always available. They are so sweet and crunchy and perfect. They are exactly what an apple should taste like. If you haven't tried them, FIND THEM. They will change your life.

October is....

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Here are some facts about breast cancer...

Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.

More than 1.7 million women who have had breast cancer are still alive in the United States.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause of cancer death in women 55 to 74.

It is the most common cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity.

About 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide.


The majority of people are related to someone, or close to someone who has had breast cancer. Wear your pink ribbons, but be proactive too! Get screened, and support the cause to find a cure.

Visit the Susan G. Komen site for more information.

A little quote...

So of course my mother commented on my home school blog. =) As I certainly hoped and knew she would! And gave me a perfect quote that I wanted to put up front so everyone can see it. It's from a book called "Dumbing Us Down" by John Taylor Gatto. It's about the public school system, and how it pretty much destroys a children's ability to enjoy learning...

"Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important; force them to plead for the natural right to the toilet and they will become liars and toadies; ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even."

A-NNOY-ING

One of the things I can't stand, so I know my mom can't stand it either, is how people react whenever I say that my younger siblings are home schooled. Yeah, there is a stereotype of home school children...anti-social weirdos who smell a little, and are three years behind in their educations. So I find myself ALWAYS defending my mom's choice. They are NOT your typical home school kids, and my mom does NOT use the typical methods of teaching. I know few women who could actually pull it off the way my mom does, so I do take it a little personally every time someone scowls, or makes a comment, or asks if they are weird because of it. If people could only understand the million reasons why it's better to home school when it's done right, I think the reactions wouldn't be so blatantly rude. My mom is the smartest woman I know, regardless of "education" level. And she is the teacher I wish I could have had during my time in school...she actually cares, lets you learn at your own pace and in your own way, allows for curiosity, AND actually finds truthful answers to questions. Plus she likes doing it, so she's not the mean old teacher who's been doing the job for 30 years and hates kids. I guess the criticism will never stop, but it's worth putting up with, rather than putting more children through the awful public school system that's not teaching about God anymore, that now teaches homosexuality, that gives detention for EVERYTHING but only to the kids who don't deserve it, that stereotypes kids at age 10 and treats them accordingly for the rest of their school career, and that does not care at all about individual learning as long as the WASL and IOWA test scores are high enough...I'm gonna say that my "weird home schooled" siblings are way better off.

Why I Love...

The Colbert Report...
"If you're like me, you have your Google Alerts set to the words 'Ryan Seacrest' and 'animal attack'."

Conan O'Brian...
"So Clay Aiken finally admitted that he is gay..."
{Everyone in the crowd gasps in shock}
"Yeah, it came out in this month's issue of 'DUH!' magazine."

AMAZON

The greatest website on the internet today. Seriously. You can get anything you want on this thing for SO cheap! No bidding. No outrageous shipping costs. Way more accountability. I love it! I just bought a book for a penny! ONE PENNY. And a couple of years ago I got the Amy Grant-House of Love CD for that same price. Such a valuable find for so little!














Then today I purchased the amazing book East of Eden for 80 cents.



















I usually get everything I buy within a few days as well. You can buy movies, books, CDs, but also clothes, bedding, house stuff, EVERYTHING. I am a firm believer in this website.

What I Miss the Most

I wish I were here....



















With these girls...










































Eating some of these...












And lots of these...














Drinking some of this...














And watching a play here...



















Signing our names here...



















And taking a ride on this...














Listening to Blues music...














Seeing the beginning of time here...














Afternoon napping here...



















Learning Shakespeare from this teacher...














Riding these bikes...














And then getting lost here...




























But most of all...

I just miss being with these girls every day...