How to use this Page

So. I did the unthinkable, I befriended a co-worker on Facebook. *gasp* I sort of broke my cardinal rule. Let the drama begin.—
Write From Karen (@writefromkaren) June 27, 2014

Brandon has an interview at 11:00 p.m. – yes, you read that correctly. It's not even 9:00 p.m. and I'm yawning my face off.—
Write From Karen (@writefromkaren) June 25, 2014

Happy Father’s Day, Papa!

(I never call my dad papa, but it sounded cute so …)

(Also – I’m the girl dweeb on the right on the floor looking all cheesy and onery … yep. I’m the oldest. Explains a lot, doesn’t it).

(And also – PLAID PANTS! *snap* I’m so cool!)

They really come in handy when you play video games in a cold house all day.

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember three weeks from now anyway. Choose just one word.

One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your word will shape you and your year. It will guide your decisions and help you grow.

Discover the big impact one word can make.

One word: 365 days.

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a giant cookie to add to the rest of the Christmas junk we eat this time of year.

TICK TOCK. Christmas begins in just a few short hours!!

Also? I found out that we have a 100% chance of snow tomorrow.

A White Christmas???? I can’t even remember how long it’s been since we had a white Christmas. I hope the weather guys are right!

… BUT. Kevin went to work, the boys are still snoozing away and now would be the perfect time for me to get my butt out of this computer chair and WRAP GIFTS.

So.

I’m going to go do that.

But I’ll be back later(ish) will more posts because I’m so far behind, ya’ll! I need to catch up.

Here’s a cute little movie that made the email rounds at work this past week to entertain you while you wait on me …

I love this video.

How many of you get quiet? How many of you step away from your electronic toys, from other human beings, from environmental noise and just savor the moment?

It cleanses your soul. Even if you can’t get somewhere like pictured in this video, grab a chair, sit next to a window, go outside and sit on your stoop, take a drive to a park, or a nearby lake – and just sit. Breathe. Soak in the quiet.

Clear your mind.

Heal your soul.

Life is crazy. The holidays are hectic. Family is exhausting.

Sometimes, you just need to step away … and breathe.

Try it.

I know, right??

This sort of makes me want to ride a motorized bike to work. (Keywords, sort of! HA!)

But seriously – think how much you’d save on gas!! And how much weight you’d lose! And how much deodorant you’d go through when you got to work! HA!

-
-

GOD BLESS YOU AND BE SAFE.

And suddenly, we’re here.

Kevin went with Jazz when he had his picture taken. Jazz had no interest in the whole changing outfits and posing 100 times thing, so Kevin took him to get his senior picture taken and nothing more.

However, they took several and though the one you see above is the one Jazz picked out for the yearbook, Kevin couldn’t resist buying one copy of this expression, too.

Senior year starts in two short days.

My baby is a senior … I can’t even wrap my brain around that one yet.

Check out these cute pillows my cousin’s daughter (second cousin? I’m terrible at family hierarchies) designed and MADE.

She’s like TEN, ya’ll.

You can find these pillows, along with other awesome stuff, at my aunt’s Etsy shop, Sewn With Love by Vicki.

Unfortunately, the crafty gene skipped me. lol

I’m HOME!! I left work at 1:00 p.m. today (we didn’t have any doctors and I have everything “pretty” much caught up) and OMG … it feels so good to take an afternoon off!

This does not happen very often, but I’m going to try and make it happen at least once a month, if possible, because it does wonders for the morale!!

I came home to find both boys looking rough and beds unmade. I hate that I’m not around to whip their butts into gear, but oh well, they’ll have to learn they can’t sit around and be lazy all day soon enough. I’m taking Jazz out to buy some clothes. I haven’t bought the boys clothes in, oh gosh, over two years? And I know Jazz is only down to one pair of jeans that fit him now and I think he rotates about three t-shirts now – everything else is too small.

I told Dude a long time ago if he needed new clothes, he would have to get a job and pay for them himself. Of course, knowing Dude, he couldn’t care less and will likely wear his clothes until they literally disintegrate on his body.

I need to buy more body lotion (I LOVE shopping for body lotion) and pick up my 5K packet today, too – the Girls Just Wanna Run 5K is tomorrow morning, so I GUESS it’s not “technically” a day off since I’m running errands, but STILL ….

I’M SO HAPPY TO BE OFF WORK!! I know that sounds so silly, and taking off four hours early is not that big of a deal, and yet, it FEELS like a big deal and … FREEDOM!!

I have a lot of website work ahead of me this weekend so I feel like I’m playing hooky by taking off early.

Yep. I’m going to have to do this more often.

… or walk in my case because I don’t want to have knee surgery when I’m in my 50′s … or in other words, in a few years!!!

Yep. I’m doing another 5K next Saturday. It’s for women only (do they have a men’s only walk/run? Why not? Fair is fair).

I haven’t told anyone at work I’m doing this 5K. I don’t want to have walk with anyone. I just want to listen to my music and walk/jog at my own pace.

I know. I’m so anti-social it’s not even funny.

And he wonders why he’s tired all the time??

But I can’t tell him anything, because I’m stupid and MOM and don’t know a damn thing.

I guess he’ll have to figure this sleep thing out on his own.

(To be fair, I used to do the SAME THING when I was his age. It wasn’t until I married an early bird and would have fights over the fact that I slept in until 10:00 a.m. and then I had kids and was FORCED to get up early to take care of them that I finally broke the cycle).

I feel so guilty!!!! I took Dude to take his driver’s test and I’m not available to take Jazz.

It’s just one more peg in my guilt wheel. I think I might have gone back to work too soon. Maybe I should have waited for my youngest to graduate from high school first.

I miss this moments!!!

I will be anxiously waiting to hear how it goes today.

Send positive thoughts, ya’ll!

(Taken at Shedd’s Aquarium in Chicago).

Feel free to download this photo for your own use, if you wish.

I took this picture at Shedd’s Aquarium in Chicago.

Did you have a good Easter?

Ours was pretty laid back. We went to my in-laws and had hamburgers/hotdogs, sat outside and chatted a bit and oh yeah – I’m hooked on hummus now, thanks to Kevin’s younger sister.

Baby carrots and hummus ……….mmmmmmmmmmm…………..

Thanks to my sister-in-law, I'm now a big fan of hummus. Baby carrots dipped into hummus …. Yummmmmm—
Karen M (@writefromkaren) April 08, 2012

This is the same sister-in-law who is trying to talk me into buying an iPhone so I can start posting Instagrams. I’d love an iPhone, but I just can’t bring myself to pay $60 bucks a month to use it.

It’s a curse being cheap.

Where was I?

All of the kids are grown now. In fact, most of them weren’t even there – they’re too busy living their lives. One of the nephews showed up on a Yamaha motorcycle, which sort of made us cringe, but all we can do is pray the boy stays safe and people SEE him.

It was a relaxing day. Too relaxing. Now I’m sitting here, drinking coffee, munching on a cookie (bad Karen), and looking up flights to Chicago because Kevin (okay, fine, me) wants to go back and do some sightseeing around the city.

We’re planning on having breakfast for dinner. Then we’re going to watch “Leap Year.”

After that? Bed. Because I’m old and I have to get up early and go to work in the morning.

I miss the days when we hid eggs and gave the kids Easter baskets. Now? We’re just a bunch of old fogeys sitting around and trying not to nod off.

I hope you had a blessed day and have a blessed week!

No joke – it got up to 86 degrees today.

And it’s April 1st.

Actually. I don’t know if we broke a record, but we have to be close.

It’s WEIRD seeing people running around in shorts and flip-flops, including me! (Plus all that blinding white skin. ha!)

I want to record this so WHEN it happens again (and it will, not because of Global Warming but because weather is cyclical), I can say to all of the people who start freaking out about the “strange” weather …

“Look. We had equally warm temperatures in 2012.”

It’s gonna happen. And I’ll be ready.

Kevin and Dude mowed the grass today. Dude is getting better at it. I wish the boy would get a job. Then I could breathe easier. I’m also convinced that it will help bring him out of his shell … he needs to get out around people. Sure. There’s the school thing, but a JOB will make all the difference in the world, I think.

Jazz had some buddies over yesterday. It’s nice that he has so many friends.

Our boys are polar opposites. It’s exhausting sometimes.

I didn’t even know Easter was next weekend until my MIL called Kevin today. I’m so out of it.

Kevin told me I need to start wearing more form-fitting t-shirts. He’s right. My t-shirts ARE big. I think I need to start buying medium-sized t-shirts instead of large. And not because he’s “telling” me to, but because I agree with him.

Worrying about my t-shirt size – my problems are small. I’ll take ‘em.

I WILL work out tonight. The stomach rolls are getting out of hand. Plus. I sit. All day. It feels good to walk and MOVE, for a change.

I bought false eyelashes today. And liquid eyeliner so I can make cat eyes. (I think I’m going through a mid-life crisis, quite honestly).

Kevin thinks I’m nuts, but when I wondered out loud when in the world I would have a chance to try out the lashes, he said, “We’ll have a date night.”

I can’t wait.

I’ll take pictures.

Kevin cooked hamburgers on the grill. (Perfect day for grilling, I must say). And it’s time to eat.

Bye.