A memorable summer!

As I prepare for the Potter's Ranch weekend coming up, i ran across some fun pics of this summer. Here in Northern Kentucky/Cinci area, we went months without a drop of rain. It proved to be one of the hottest ones on record.

As I am a total festival nut, some of these pics are taken of the kids waiting in line at various rides. Bless them, for they got sent to all the festivals just for the Knights of Columbus Donuts. I would run 10 miles every Sat. morning we went to a festival, just to pre-emptive strike those calories.

Check out the picture of Lukey going down the slide at the sack races. Thanks my dear Sarah for taking him and pushing him down. For he really wanted to go, and i couldn't bear to give him the final push.

Lily's darling lil face is so strikingly pretty as she sits at the church picnic, she had a total blast.

No pics of me, for i am always behind the camera.

Have a great weekend.

Another Hellacious Day...

So I am really tired today, tonight, whatever. The 12 hour day, turned into a 14 hour one. Meetings on my lunch hour, all in the name of "connecting". Piling more work on top of more work. I am very glad that my day job is very fulfilling and I am not just home sitting around. I really don't know how the other half lives who don't have to work. Those people who live off trust funds and think their lives are so hard.

I am being mean. I'll stop.

Nite all.

Oh, and when I can scrape enough $$ from my Paypal, this Pendant from artbyheather, will be mine.

A Great Birthday...

Well, I was grumpy today, then it got better. I think once you get into your thirties, birthdays are just blah. I mean, i would totally rather skip mine. I almost forgot today was the day.

Early morning calls started coming in...

Here they are in order (i am blessed, i truly am to have people who love me)

8 am and 10 am - Andy from Korea (totally drunk on some Korean liquor)

12:30 pm - Brent (i called him frantic about my check card being missing, which wound up in his pocket)

3:30 pm - Cheryl

4:00 pm - Lisa

4:30 - Sandy in Seattle (singing on the answering machine)

5:30 - My mom (she too was singing on the machine)

5:45 - Cathy

7:30 - Connie (i am glad she called 'cause I want to take a trip to Archivers on Thurs!!!!)

9:30 - Steve and Karen

Holy crap that is 9 people who called me today. 9 people who love me and were thinking of me.

Then, Brent twisted my arm to go to Margarita's for dinner. "NO, i don't want to go". "get dressed" "Fine". It was great. My kids were as good as gold, which is AMAZING! Lukey actually finished his dinner and there was no hitting, crying, or trying to get out of the booth. Lovin' it.

I hope everyone else has a great birthday too, i sure did.

One Wish...

I do have one wish... I wish for a more cathartic blog. I sometimes sit and think about all these things I want to say. Things I want to complain about, people who make me mad, happenstances that just infuriate me. In the sake of blogdom, and getting people to come here and read, I have given the whole free world privy to my thoughts. So, with that having been said, i must stick to benign things, good, fun, cheery thoughts, that are very true... but sometimes not what I want to say.

I would love to have a blog, a separate one that no one knows about. One that is totally cathartic for me. One I can express my anger at friends, neighbors, co workers, etc. and not have to worry that they have, heaven forbid, read it.

A public diary of sorts.

LOL.

I will say that I got a card from my dearest and best friend in the whole world today. Shana mama, i love you to pieces. Thanks for summing up our relationship in that card. I hope that our friendship, that has endured over the years, lasts forever. I loved it that i got a chance to see you a couple of months ago. I loved it how we can just pick up a conversation together. I really do love it that we have lost close loved ones and we are still the outsiders. Still makin it.

I miss you!!

I miss you too Chris, it was so good to talk to you last week. I can't wait until you come and stay this Christmas. I wish we had the basement finished so you could have a really cozy place to lay your head. Oh, and one you could totally trash and I wouldn't care.

Love to all I care about.

Nite.

Sprints Today...

No that is not my gym bag or shoes, just a representation of my most greatest passion. No, I am not a track girl, but to get the sprints right, one must go there. I won't say how many I did, let's just say, I was near barfdom. Safe to say, close enough to exhaustion, were the key words. Trying to pick up speed in my long distance runs is hard, but thanks to a friend who encouraged me to cut distance just one day, would help me in the long run.

Personal goal envisioned.

Ready.

Set.

Go.

As the maintenance man at the track adjusted the sprinkler heads at dusk and the racoon scurried on the bleachers, there I was audibly breathing and groaning. (Exactly like the Russian fighter on Rocky 4 as his trainer kept upping the speed on his tread mill). I am no star, but it felt good, and bad. My intercostals were cramping, i needed to poop. I hope i can walk in the morning.

Nite all.

Nothing Like Family

Tonight we celebrated my Uncle Mike's Birthday here at the house. Most of the family was here, 'cept for the Sarah and Chris. We had plenty of fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy to go around.

Lots of laughs.

The kids loved it.

No scrapping got done.

At. all.

Will try again tomorrow.

Good night.

For Jenny~

Thanks for your purchase Jenny! Just let me know what you like.

Creatures of Habit

Tonight was just another night, you know? Everything goes how it normally goes in the evening on my days off...

1. Arrive home from the gym or run
2. Eat dinner
3. Clean up
4. Showers
5. Milkshakes or ice cream... (bad habit)
6. TV time (luke and lily on brent's lap, me at the computer)
7. kids to bed
8. me at the computer with General Hospital in one ear and my I tunes in the other.
9. who knows when i will crawl into bed and start it over?

I love these times. I love the regimen and structure. I love the predictability.
I love knowing i don't have to work tomorrow.
I have so many other things to do.
I hope I get them done.
Nighty, night.

He Loves Me!

So, I was getting into the fall/halloween spirit this weekend, decorating and pulling out all my goodies. The kids were super into it too, and Lukey was watching me wrap the mantel in garland and lights.

Bright Orange Lights!!

I had the strands all lit up as I was wrapping them. His little eyes were so bright and inquisitive. Being a 2 year old, he is inquisitive all the time...

As he sat on step #5 and watched me, he said so very casually... "I love you".

what?

He said it sort of like... deal with it.... i love you.

"Lukey, I love you too honey." This child melts me every time.

Dude I am lucky. So blessed and loved by my kids. Who knows when I will hear it again, that pure, innocent, wanting nothing in return... "i love you".

I am counting my blessings everyday. As the amber lights glow in the hall and they are tucked into their warm, comfortable beds, I realize how very special my life is.

SO Powerful it overwhelms me...

I can't get this one out of my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Moving.

Devastating.

Please watch.

Her First Day!

So, I totally thought I was prepared when I shipped her off to school. Wrongo. She was apprehensive, yet eager to go. When I saw the tiny tear come down her face, I knew she was scared and hated that. My girl is so strong and to see her cry, broke me. As I hugged her, i choked back tears and said, "It will be alright darlin', I'll see you soon". Mrs. Van shuffled them away, book bags hanging and feet dragging. All of them turning back to their mommies, and waving. Little people.

I turned on my heel and walked away. I pushed open the school doors and let the tears flow. Just a few. They stopped soon, as I realized that I had the afternoon free. Not too bad a first day.

As she got off the bus, she was excited to tell me about her day and then I felt even better.

This could really work.

Ventilator Acquired Pneumonia (VAP)

As the task force unfolds, I realize now that I have to do a presentation on this lovely problem. I am nervous and less comfortable talking to people in large groups. So, I especially need your prayers on May 9th, when I speak at the hospital's "Research and Evidence Based Practice" Day.

Since I am the one who seems to take VAP very seriously and now the hospital seems to care, I am thrust into the arena of defending this problem and what we in the Medical Intensive Care Unit intend to do about it.

So busy I am with studying for the Critical Care Registered Nurse Certification and preparing for family vacations, and not to mention my second job at instructor at the University, my plate is full. What is one more thing?

Just in case anyone was wondering... VAP is a pneumonia a patient acquires whilest they are on the ventilator. Average cost of each incidence is $150K not to mention loss of precious human life.

Gosh, I just love my job. I really do.

I almost forgot!!

My new Etsy Shop is....

Kelly Designs 4 U! Duh... Home of all things artsy/fartsy/paper/fabric.

I am just using up scraps y'all!

www.kellydesigns4u.etsy.com

Check it out!

My New Etsy Shop!

So... I have gone and decided to get an etsy shop. What a fabulous way for artists to create and sell freely.

Wonderful.

The gorgeous nest rings above are from Etsy seller http://www.starrydesigns.etsy.com. I am almost tempted to buy one. I am truly thrilled with everything there. I am on the hunt for an i pod case/cozy for my shuffle. Those long runs are sooo much better when you can listen to good tunes. When I am done running I want to put it to bed, safe and sound for the next day.

I am weird.

This is what is coming... 'cept mine is diet coke. Yum yum.

Check out www.vintagenouveous.etsy.com to get one of your own! Thanks Nicole.

Have a blessed day!

Baby Logan Turns One!!

Is she not darling??? My best friend Shana's daughter, Logan turned one on March 10th, and she has changed so much. Shana and I have been apart for a while now, she in "Hot Lanta", and me in "Caintucky". Each of us are off, having babies, building houses, doing laundry, putting up with husbands... getting older. Remember... "give me whutcha got fo a pork chop"? "my dodge" or was it your dodge? Do you remember when your car got shot on Julington Creek Road. You doin' 60, so ghetto. Tee Hee.

I can't wait to see you and Mark, Zack and Logan in May.

All is well here in Caintucky, training for the heart mini come 2 weeks.

Peace out

Kelly Jo Ho

So, this is me and my bro Christopher last year at my mom's wedding. Shall I say, I am so proud of him? Yes. I will.

He graduated from FSU last year and is now working for the Tallahassee Capitol and the Governor in an IT firm. I remember him when he was little, so fast on the keyboard, a whiz he was and still is. He is getting married this year to a darling girl, "fellow RN", she's in. It's cool. If you are reading this, know I love you and am thinking about you and the 9th still hurts even after all this time. You look so much like him, we are blessed beyond words.

Enough.

Your wedding then Disney bound baby.

Remember these movies??...

a."That's Ho Kim to you, Mutha F....."

b."and den????"

c."yours says Dude and yours says sweet" "you two are stupid"

Kitchen Frenzy

I have been in this Kraft Food and Family kick for while now. Never look at this mag if you are hungry and trying to lose weight. But, I am determined to make a low cal meal that is tasty. I made these meatloaves, above, for tonight's dinner and I hope they turn out good.

I sort of made my own recipe.
Kelly style.
Low cal.
Probably not good.

The above picture is from Kraft.com, I will load a picture of mine tonight after they are baked. We'll see....

For this recipe visit kraft.com
For my, Low Cal, Low Fat, yummy version, email me.

Little Pieces of ME

Little Pieces of ME

Multiple Photo Scrappers out there???

I was extremely surprised by an email from Tenika, asking me if she could "blog publish" my LO that contains mulitple photos. How nice of her? I decided to take a look at the other LOs she posted and I was blown away. She chose mine to be posted? Please go and take a look, you will be inspired by such talent.

Have a great Labor Day.
http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com

My adorable 20 month old Luke.