Don't you all forget about me! I will be back but I've got to get married, and moved and start a new job this coming up week. If I have a moment, I will be by to visit. In the meantime... Love and you shall be loved. - Emerson

If you're a blog reader of mine, you probably feel like you've come right in the middle of a television episode, needing a few of the blanks filled in. Well, I'll do my best and without any commercial interruptions. First, for those of you that were left wondering what a nutria looks like...for your viewing pleasure. It looked pretty cute swimming in the water until J Boo (my main squeeze, my soon to be better half) announced that it was a rodent...rat like. It lost it's cute factor pretty fast. On to the questions about my mystery man aka known as J Boo. J for the joy he brings and also for the journey that we're on together and the fact that his name begins with a J. Meeting J Boo is so much more than I can describe in a blog post. We met at a place in our lives where neither one of us expected to fall head over heels in love. What started out as a friendship soon became evident that we both felt much more. I hesitated to share with him a poem that I had written...

1) There's nutria in Oregon and I saw one at least 5 feet away. If you ask me, he looked a little Big Foot Jr. but maybe a bit cuter. From what I hear though, the gross factor is the tail and I didn't see the tail. 2) I know my bangs are too long when I sneeze and my hair flies up and stands at attention. 3) If someone pees in a reservoir, the reservoir will be emptied to the cost of 33k. (I bet if they added up the human pee vs the pee of flies, they'd find that there's more fly pee there than human. 4) When I'm editing or intensely figuring out a problem, I talk aloud to myself and it's not usually a small, quiet voice. 5) The men's bathroom is public places has got to be the worst, disgusting place to be, EVER!!! I feel sick just thinking about it. 6) Once I get a song stuck in my head, it's really STUCK!! Nothing like having Katie Perry's song Fireworks being whistled, hummed and sung. 7) Now that Sam is gone, the kitty Amelie and Selah, th...

Every morning, I have the joy of starting my day out by reading the blog (i)ncourage The posts always loudly clang in my ears sometimes, causing me to nod my head into Shaken Lady syndrome and other times, tears fill my eyes. The post today invited us all to share about our mysterious man. I thought to myself, "I have one of THOSE!!!" and knew that this was a post meant for me. My mysterious/mystery man came into my life when I least expected it, yet desired it. I longed for a man that I could trust, one that I could laugh with, share with, travel the roads with, worship with and more than anything, dream dreams with. In my mysterious man, I found that and more. I found that my mystery man has a huge heart for love, especially for me and for his kids. He amazes me as he holds them in his lap, gets on all fours and give them horseback rides, appeases their hearts for endless Bubble Tape, listens to his teen son share the excitement of his day, including encouraging him to be ...

1) The coolest thing is meeting another twin who validates that it's not "weird" to talk to your twin sis 4 times in a day and then watch a tv show together while on the phone. 2) I have a newly discovered medical condition called Musical Tourette's. I break out into singing without warning, especially in stressful situations. Singing beats screaming! 3) Lover Boo talks to hisself. The funny thing is, I heard him answer back. (He may totally deny this but I know what I heard!) 4) Librarians no longer stress the importance of kids talking quietly or using inside voices. What happened to, "Quiet please?" 5) I must be clueless because I have no idea who Weiner is and what he did. 6) Bees, in their small little life times, only produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey. Talk about being "productive". I am so glad that they have something else they are famous for such as the "birds and the bees". 7) As the Fed Ex truck drove past me, I discover...

Geez, the time has flown by so fast. It seems like just yesterday, I was welcoming you into the world with a "Hi, Baby Girl". You were beautiful then and are even more beautiful now. You've had some pretty interesting adventures in your life time and I anticipate many more to come. I cherish the memories of your childhood...the chuckle you always gave when I bumped you up and down on my knee and said, "Yeehaw, ridin' on Cowboy!" Or, the many times I sang, "Hi my name is Joe and I work in a button factory..." One thing remains true to this day, you are one easily amused girl! (And for that, I'm thankful.) You make my heart smile as I realize how many adventures we've shared along the way. I'm thankful to have you as a traveling navigator while driving you to gymnastics and back each day. Some of the trips were mighty scary but you were tough enough and didn't scream, "We're going to die today in this snow storm!" I will...

I have been missing all of you. Life has been way busier than I'd like but hoping to see it slow down within the next two months. A big surprise is on the horizon....but in the meantime, here are the things I've learned... 1) When Mama said there'd be days like this, she wasn't kidding. 2) Sugar is a hallucinogenic to ants. When I open up the sugar canister, the ants are all sprawled out, with dream clouds circling over their heads. The moment I shake it, they wake up and look as if they are saying, "Hey! Who turned on the lights?" 3) Even perfectly good flowers have to be thrown away at an unmentioned store because they are considered less than perfect. (I'm willing to dumpster dive just to take home a few bouquets.) 4) Sweetened condensed milk on a peanut butter sandwich is messy but delicious. 5) I will never learn to spell the word, h'or deurvs. (See!?!?!) 6) There's no such thing as making time. It's all about making time. 7) Flunking the ...