*Grump*

I dare you not to laugh. I just dare you.

I’ve decided that I’m going to be happy.

I've decided that I'm going to be happy.

I <3 John Bytheway! I know that most of his stuff is for teenagers, but the principals and stories he relates have just as much application in adult situations. For example, one of my favorites of his is "What I wish I'd known when I was Single". In it, he talks about people who interject their singleness into every situation.

"Hey, are you going to the concert this weekend?"

"Well, I really wish I had someone to go with, but I don't because I'm single"

Or

"Can you believe the construction on I-80 lately?"

"Yeah, the traffic gives me time to think about how I'm still single"

At first I laughed at it, but you know what? I realized that I'm that same way about pregnancy and babies. Maybe not quite that bad, but pretty close.


There's another part that stuck out to me, when he said that "An unhappy single person will almost never, by the simple act of becoming married, become a happy person" and it made me think, I'm somewhat unhappy right now without kinds, and I was definitely unsatisfied with being single, so what makes me think that just having kids will make me happy? I was an unhappy single person and I am not a very happy married person right now, so what needs to change?

The answer my friends, is that I need to change. Aubrey mentioned in her blog that happiness is more like a habit, and I wholeheartedly agree with her. There isn't a magical happiness fairy that sprinkles happiness on our lives like the last missing ingredient in a killer casserole. Happiness is like the hearty, homegrown-with-love starter ingredients. A little bit of paprika happiness is not going to help if your macaroni is rotten.


Call it a mid-year's resolution, but I am going to get into the habit of being happy. Not "I've got to put on a happy face for my friends" happy, but genuinely in-love-with-life happy. I think the biggest part of it will be getting out of my routine some more, and for Alan and I to spend more time among the living.

Wish me luck!

Jeremiah was a bullfrog!

It's amazing how influential music can be. I've woken up on the wrong side of the bed the past few mornings, and this morning was no different. I didn't take a shower because there is no water pressure (a pipe burst at out apartment complex Saturday, and still has not been fixed despite 2 plumbers), and I really wasn't in the mood to pour a few pitchers of water over my head, or wait for the tub to fill up. I loath baths unless they are specifically for the purpose of relaxation because I don't feel clean enough after taking one.  Anyways, I was driving to work and up popped Jeremiah was a bullfrog!  It's amazing how much of a difference a good mood song can make!  My whole day was just that much better because of it!

Everything Android

At the request of Shambray, this is a more detailed description of why I love android phones

The apps

Android allows you to download apps to your phone, just like the iphone (iOS) does, but there are some different pros and cons

+Most of the apps are free with Android

+ you can download a bunch of them, just depends on how much space you have on your phone

+ there is no restriction to the apps that can be developed with Android like there is with the ios. If there is already a similar app, iOS will not allow the second one, even if it's a better app. This means that Android has more duplicates, but you can find the one you like the best. Also, since there is more freedom with an app being released, the prices are generally lower to increase popularity of one over the other.

- Most apps cannot be downloaded and used from your memory card, they must be downloaded to the phone memory, so you cannot just increase your space to store more apps. I usually go through and switch out apps for games and such about once every 2 weeks

-There are less apps currently on the Android market than there are on the iOS market.

- Some apps really REALLY drain your battery, and the battery life is pretty short on my phone.

As far as apps I love:

Farm Frenzy - Game

One of the best live action games on the market, this one was so worth the full version (less than $3). You buy and raise farm animals, and produce different things with what they give you (IE, sheep give you wool, which you spin into thread, then weave into cloth). It has a bunch of levels, and you can set up multiple users with the full version. My siblings always steal my phone when I come over just so they can play this game.

ShopSavvy- Shopping barcode scanner

Anytime I see any shiny new electronic (cameras, laptops, dvds) I whip out this app, scan in the item, and find both locally and online (usually for nearly half the price on amazon.com). It even links up with the site it finds the item on, so I can order it right then and there. I'm amazed at how many barcodes it has stored, as I find almost everything from food to clothes to electronics quickly and easily. This is actually the app that inspired me to get my Android phone.

Google Maps - Maps/navigation

This app saves my butt on a fairly regular basis. Alan has his gps and I have my phone. I can pull the address from my contacts, and then it will give me turn by turn directions to the location.

The voice is a little robotic sounding, and it sometimes gives more information than needed (did you know there are apparently 5 different names for Geneva road?) but it does a great job in getting me where I need to go, and I don't need to lug around yet another piece of equipment around.

*In case you can't tell, I am really really proud of that picture

This one's for you Shambray!

Now seems like a good time to promote some lovely tutorials by some fabulous people.

First, this Family Tree picture frame by The Bird's Papaya

So cute! This would be adorable with pictures of each family member!

Secondly, this Receiving Blankets Baby Wrap by Shannon Makes Stuff

Her design is so cute and definitely would help keep your little ones snugly wrapped!

A shout-out to my peeps

A shout-out to my peeps

1. My wonderful Husband

Alan, you are the best man in the whole wide world! You put up with my crap, and don’t even complain about it (for the most part ~_^). I am so grateful that you are a part of my life, and I don’t know what I’d do without you. Some people will pull out that cheesy line “I married my best friend” and you know what? I did! I can talk with you about everything, and you understand me better than just about anyone else. I love that with a look we can read each other’s minds about certain situations (the tramp ten-year-olds in the grocery store) and that our plans for the future are so in harmony. I love that you tear up when you talk about our future kids, and that your love and loyalty for your friends and family knows no bounds. I love how safe and protected you make me feel, and how your eyes light up when you see me. I love that our strengths and weaknesses complement each other, and how selflessly dependable you are. I can’t believe that in 11 days we will have been married for two years! The time has flown by and I can’t believe how lucky I am that I get to spend the rest of eternity with you!

2. My tolerant neurotic dog

Oh poor Cleo! The things you put up with when your owners are baby hungry! You’ve been dressed in sweaters, shoved in purses, dragged with us all over the place, and you still are hopelessly devoted and sweet. And yes, you do have your own facebook page, because you’re just that cool.

I love you guys!

Android

Have I mentioned before how fabulous Android is? Oh let me count the ways!

I got my first android phone back in April of 2009. The G1, which I still have to this day (I plan to switch to sprint when my contract expires) is rather clunky, but totally worth it for the touch screen, plus the full keyboard which I LOVE.

I've had it in a case with a screen protector nearly every minute since I got it, and I would recommend it to everyone! It is so worth the extra bulk. I am someone who is prone to dropping a new phone seconds after I pay for it, so it was definitely worth it for me.

I won't go over all of the lovliness of the Android market, because it's basically old news, but I will mention the app that initiated this post: Kindle for Android!

I mean, honestly, is this not amazing! I personally am not one of those people who are Nazi's about having a physical book - I'm way more about convenience. I read books on my phone all the time right now, but I've been limited as to which books were available for cheap. One of my main reservations with the kindle is that it's freaking expensive, so you have to buy a ton of books to justify the cost of the reader. With this, I can get the books for cheap, they're with me wherever I go, and that also means one less piece of technology that I need to carry around with me.

I think this illustrates my point, and those are just some of the things that it can do! So for all those people that complain that Android phones are clunky, I say to you neener-neener!

I'm way excited about it! I've already ordered Mockingjay on it, so it will automatically upload to my phone when it releases, and is about half the price of buying the book in the store, or ordering it online with same day shipping.

Ani=content

Buying a car...A better approach.

This is awesome!

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=162601&t=1941590

Wishes, Dreams, and "What if?"

I get my hopes up way too easily.

I was watching Star Wars (yes, all of them) the other day. Many people have found such deep personal revelation and insight from the series, and I guess it was about time for me.

I would not make a good Jedi. I live far to much in the future, looking forward to the "When we have money" or "When we have kids" or "When we have a house". I suppose I've always been this way, only it's been "When I have a boyfriend" or "When I have a good job" or "When I have my degree" or "When I get married". I missed most of the opportunities available in my first year of marriage, because I was too obsessed with the future to enjoy what I have. I have a wonderful husband who loves me more than anything, a hopelessly devoted puppy dog, family on both sides that care about me, a wonderful job that I enjoy and do well at, and wonderful people wherever I go.

I still can't help wishing sometimes. I can't help just hoping that one of our big dreams actually comes true. It's not like they're outside the realm of possibility, far from it. We may get carried away in the details, but every one of our wishing have a basis in an actual opportunity that has been waved tantalizingly in our faces, but for one reason or another the bottom has completely fallen out of it. And I'm getting really sick and tired of getting back on that horse.

If wishes were fishes mine would probably look like this.