Welcome, New Year

I did it; I had a GREAT year. I can’t even believe it. FINALLY.

2012 far surpassed my expectations in almost every area of my life. Among the highlights – I celebrated one year at my job, my little girl (baby) started school (!!!), and….. she cut her hair. Twice.

I had 100% resolution of my legal issues, and 99% of my financial ones. Freedom! For about a minute, I had a cute boyfriend..it was fun. I spent tons of quality time with my family and friends. And, I traveled to Couer D’alene/Spokane, Austin, Texas and Las Vegas. I saw several rock shows too (and one rap one. Um…yeah.)

And, I am another year stronger – mentally, emotionally, spiritually and now, working on the physical….I’m definitely getting there.

We can’t forget to mention, Obama was re-elected. I’ve voted twice in my life and both times – he won.

Here’s a recap, in pics. ❤

Adventures in Boise

For Thanksgiving/my birthday weekend, my family made two excursions to The Idaho Aquarium and The Discovery Center (to see the Bodies Revealed exhibit). My daughter was in heaven and we all had a good time too =)

I am a big sissy when it comes to most “critters” – snakes, iguanas, and especially birds. So, walking into the Idaho Aquarium, I was on guard. But, Berlyn had a fantastic time. Her favorite part was touching sting rays and sharks…whaaaa?? That’s my girl: totally fearless.

The next day, we headed over to the Discovery Center. Berlyn had never been before so she was in for a treat. But, first we all went through the Bodies Revealed exhibit. There were No Pictures Allowed in that area, but, I was so thankful for my Mom’s covert ninja like skills in pic-taking when I pointed out Berlyn, standing in front of a body with a serious expression on her face. My Mom captured the photo like a champ! (Note: Berlyn stood like that for a good 3 or 4 minutes, concentrating very hard. I was so amused by her and couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her little brain…).

I literally had the BEST 4 day weekend I’ve ever had – so thankful, blessed and grateful for my life and the people in it. Not to mention the opportunities I have. I can’t forget to mention, not only is Christmas almost here (yippee!), I am in Vegas next weekend with 2 of my co-workers to party hard; I’m also seeing Snoop Dogg w/ my sister-in-law in 3 weeks. So STOKED ❤

Much love,

Sarah

Thanksgiving / Birthday Fun

Every year, most everyone is thankful for the same things. Family, friends, their job, their freedom…etc. These, I too am most thankful for. But this year I also added in I was thankful for “men that wear eyeliner.”

LMAO!

I had a good laugh over it, even my Mom had to crack a joke. Hey, life is too short to be so damn serious – sheesh!

Our Thanksgiving this year was a special one. My uncle from California was here, my aunt attended as well and I have never laughed as much as I did this time…I finally feel such a sense of peace and harmony when it comes to family – I am so thankful. No drama here!

The following day was my 33rd birthday. I spent the day watching “I Love Lucy”, painting fingernails and relaxing with my little girl. And the night before, our tree was put up – bring on Christmas!

My birthday was yet another day of laughter, good food and quality time with my family, creating memories. One of my relatives even said to me (I was wearing a skull shirt) that I was the only person she knew that could carry that off. I’ll take that compliment, lol! =)

I am not even sweating over the fact that I am 33. I could care less. My uncle asked me if I felt older…I thought about it; and said “No! Actually, I feel very young lately…” I am thankful for my youth and no matter how old my body gets…..I’ll always be a teenager at heart. Bhahahaha!

The highlight of the past 2 days was that my Mom got a brand new camera and some pretty awesome pics came as a result. I think Berlyn and I even got a Christmas pic for our card this year!

I bought these socks for my Dad and brother while in Texas – I was pleased with their reactions…

My brother is a proud owner of a crotch-rocket!

The Fonz!

Our Family “Gang” Pic: LOL! My Dad turned his back, and my brother’s face is killing me…

Bet y’all didn’t know I was 321, huh? See…I am a vampire.

My Princess and I, 11-22-12 ❤

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

My “30-teens” are in full force these days and I couldn’t be happier.

Last Monday night, I went to a rock show. Here’s the back story…

In June, my brother came over to hang out. I rarely see my brother but, am always so happy when I do. We are one of those brother/sister combos’ who a) never fight b) actually like each other and c) are best friends. And, d) he’s cool and I’m cool 😉

We were on youtube one night and I was showing him random videos. I am a big KISS fan (yeah, go ahead and judge me…I dare ya), and all of a sudden, he said “Have you seen Ronnie Radke?”

Uh, no I have not. “Never heard of the guy” is what I said. My brother prefaces this with “He killed someone.” Curiosity piqued! SHOW ME! (he actually did not kill someone, FYI.)

So, he pulls up a video and I am pretty much done for.

If you have never been a fan-girl, or obsessive over rock stars then you have nothing to compare what I felt to , well…what I felt. It’s LIKE BEING ON CRACK, TIMES…ONE MILLION.

Love at first sight. Or, lust – to be accurate. Total obsession, compulsion, and all that crazy stuff. I saw this guy and I was right back in my bedroom at 12 years old, with my angst, my hormones and slobbering over my Motley Crue posters.

Yikes, like, this guy was H-O-T!!!! I thought I would internally combust when I saw him sing/gyrate/stand there. So gorgeous.

That’s where it starts. Of course I do my “research” and find out the guy is not only 5 years younger than me (gross, haha!) he is in and out of prison and a total train-wreck. Add to that, he’s a Sagittarius, like me.

IN LOVE. BAM!

What was ironic about my new crush was the fact that just a month or so later, they announced a tour and I snatched up two VIP tickets to their Boise show. The timing of this was unreal. Either I miss shows all the time by my favorite entertainers (because I’m not paying attention) or they just don’t stop in Idaho.

Obviously, I was meant to go to this show 😉 Naturally, I took my sister in law because this is her “kind of music” LOL (emo) but, I have the massive crush on the singer, not her. So, really she was doing me a favor since there was to be a “Meet and Greet” with the band before the show.

I was nervous as all hell. I had to laugh at myself but, really it made me smile. Moments like that make life worth living. Creating memories, being a goofball.

The “Meet and Greet” lasted all of 3 minutes. I said hello/thank you to each of the 5 members and I basically saw God when I looked into Ronnie Radke’s eyes (twice). That man is just BEAUTIFUL. I could barely function after that but, I managed.

I soon noticed that I was one of the oldest people there. The fanbase for Falling in Reverse and Ronnie is more or less 13 year old girls (which, mentally, I am anyways)…and I found myself chatting with 2 ladies who were moms of 14 year old girls (and were embarrassed to be there). One was 34, the other was 36. They stated their girls had gotten good grades so they brought them to the show. I said, “Oh…well, I’m here for me. Have you seen that singer?”

They stared at me blankly, and I could hear crickets. Hahahahaha.

In addition to all the “Ronnie Madness”, my sister in law and I enjoyed each other’s company immensely. We always do though. She is one of my best friends and she makes me laugh like a hyena.

I had my KISS cigarette lighter with me and I handed it to her and said “Name them.” She stared at it intently and said, “Gene………..?” Then stared again for a long time, concentrating. “Cat man….star man.” I was dying.

Once back inside, one of the opening acts was kinda weird….and she said “This band is strange. And I’ve seen Skinny Puppy!”

The night wasn’t complete without us yelling “YOLO!” at each other, my sis in law getting into a heated political discussion with 2 guys and me screaming at Ronnie to take his damn shirt off (he did.)

Great night ❤

Fall Fun!

I am going to attempt to capture all the goings-on in the last little while, though, I’ll probably leave some stuff out. Life has been moving at such a fast pace lately – sheesh!!

So, what have I done lately?

LOTS!

My job has offered me many great opportunities. One of which, is that I get to work for an amazing woman AND a wonderful company/cause. Celebrating my ONE YEAR anniversary this month!

My co-workers and I got to participate/attend a 1920s Mystery Dinner several weeks ago. SO FUN. My boss was in character the whole evening as a “showgirl” and we all knocked back a few gin n tonics while dressed in our best 20s attire.

Can you say, sassy ?! 😉

The next morning, my Mom and I participated in the Annual NAMI Walk, and this year my Aunt Wendy and best friend, Ivy joined us. {Berlyn was with her daddy that weekend.} I did a 5K! I hadn’t even planned on it, but, once we got going, it just made sense to finish. It felt so good!

That evening, I went to Haunted World for the first time in about 4 years. The last time, was rather….eventful {see this old post}. Can I just say how much I LOVE my sister in law? Like, seriously. I laugh harder than I ever have when she is around. Such great times! Oh my, the jokes we share, I couldn’t possibly share them all (or any of them, for that matter – because they are highly inappropriate, lol.)

By the end of the night, we were professing our love for each other, because, honestly even if she wasn’t married to my brother, she’d still be my “sister.” ♥

A few weeks ago, my Mom and I took Berlyn to the Idaho Botanical Gardens for Bug Day! {She even got to wear a bee suit.}

Berlyn just had her “picture day” at school. I am anxiously awaiting the results….god knows MY kindergarten picture was atrocious. But something tells me, Berlyn’s will be just fine. She’s such a cutie patootie – and, no, I’m not biased at all. (lol)

That’s all, for now!

Stay tuned though. This next week I’m attending that rock concert I’ve been freaking out over (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!) *hottie alert*

AND…..

….my trip to TEXAS is right around the corner! I get THIS beautiful gal all to myself!

 

Five Years ♥

I can’t believe it’s happened; I have a FIVE year old!!!!

I still remember finding out I was expecting.

What a rollercoaster that was!  My life was decent. I had friends, I did a lot, I had tons of hobbies. But, something was just….missing. When I found out Berlyn was coming, I was OVERJOYED. And scared to death.

Going through pregnancy was not a fun experience for me. I felt out of touch with my body, I was single and didn’t have that male support and let’s not even talk about the LABOR. Sheesh! Hands down, my favorite part was feeling Berlyn moving, kicking and karate chopping inside of my belly. I miss those moments SO MUCH.

The first scary and unsure, but priceless and amazing, months with Berlyn – I miss those too. I thought she was so heavy (lol) – really, she was 8 lbs but all muscle. I had hardly ever held a newborn; I had always been a little awkward around tiny babies and preferred the toddler age. I struggled, and so did she, with trying to breast feed. It was a painful experience, one I wish I wouldn’t have given up so easily on. But unfortunately being a single mom, going back to work immediately – I chose what was convenient over what was probably the best thing for my child. Just one of many tough decisions you make as a parent, I suppose.

All of this doesn’t really seem all that long ago….

Berlyn has been not only the light of MY life, but pretty much everyone who has ever come into contact with her. She is so loved. This makes me beam, thinking about all the people over the years who’ve been there for her, in her life and show her kindness, love and support.

Out of all of her MANY qualities – her feisty-ness, stubbornness, her affectionate side, independence, intelligence, sweetness – my favorite quality ever is how headstrong she is. I feel a huge sense of pride over this. Her personality is one that will get her very far ahead in life and bring about great things. She will never be bullied, take shit or let someone treat her badly. I am kinda envious, lol.

Over the past year, she has grown into a little person. I still call her my baby but, she just isn’t anymore and that makes me almost panic! She is becoming such a beautiful little girl; and definitely developing a strong personality all her own.

These past 5 years have taught me so very much.

I rarely talk about being a parent. But, the information I’ve acquired over the years I’ve been one have been invaluable. I won’t really go into my “schpeel” but, I am definitely in the arena of being a more “unconventional” parent and this seems to suit Berlyn and I just fine. I like that I can raise my child any way I choose and in the process, create some amazing memories with her.

Today is such a special day and there are so many more to come…..life is good.

My dear Princess, I love you so so much! ♥ Thank you for being all mine!

Being Berlyn’s Mommy and Kathy’s Daughter

Nearly 5 years ago, my life changed drastically…and in the best way possible.

I became a MOMMY!

Berlyn is the most amazing little girl in the World. Of course, EVERY parent says that about their own but for me, she did everything to help me to become a better person. That and she gives me endless joy ♥

She’s growing up so very fast. She’s inquisitive, and sharp as a tack. She has a quirky sense of humor (similar to mine) and she is so passionate! I love her little temper and her stuborness and the way her brain ticks. She makes me laugh (and others) all of the time. In addition, she can be so affectionate and genuinely show her love – it is such a great gift to be able to see your child becoming a little human, expressing themselves and being a part of their family and the world around them.

Our Mother’s Day this year was spent with our family, of course. Instead of the over-rated brunch thing, we had a nice lunch at home, on our back deck. The weather was perfection, Berlyn was in top form (salamander hunting, badminton playing and hose spraying) and everyone enjoyed the day.

I have been really blessed having the mother I have AND the daughter I have and that is something I will never ever take for granted.

My own mother has been a godsend in my life. It’s no secret that in my childhood I wasn’t super close to my parents. I regret that but that’s just the way it was. As I entered my 20s, my mom and I seemed to just look at each other and say “Aha – there’s my best friend!” I thank God every single day. Without her, I don’t know where I would be or what I would do. She exemplifies everything a mother should be…and more.

Easter Weekend 2012

Our Easter weekend started off on Good Friday.

I went into work that day, and my darling co-worker “D” gave me a sausage mcmuffin. YUM. Promptly after that, I was bombarded with sweets and goodies by my boss, other co-workers and referral sources.

Candy, cake pops, cupcakes….

{CAKEPOPS!!!! I’d never had one and now, well…I’m screwed.}

By noon, I was ready to barf. I really have no self control when it comes to the sweets.

There may or may not also have been a bottle of Merlot that made the rounds among us girls that afternoon… 😉

On Saturday, my beautiful boss “S” invited Berlyn and I to her neighborhood egg hunt. We gathered there about 1030, thinking the hunt started at 1100. Turns out, it didn’t start til noon. That was okay since Berlyn had time to get her face painted AND meet the Easter Bunny! She’s never even met Santa so this was a big deal.

 

Unfortunately, that only killed about 10 minutes and this left nearly an hour for all those little kids to have to wait for the egg hunt to begin. That’s like 5 hours in kid-time.

Add to this, the wind kicked up like crazy and Berlyn stood there crying for about half an hour. I almost was tempted to yell “GO!” to all those poor kids, haha and, a few of the other parents shared in my sentiments….Once it commenced, Berlyn more or less got trampled and ended up with 2 little eggs. She lie down in the grass, sobbing 😦

I ended up buying Berlyn a lollipop at Walgreens afterwards because I felt bad for her. Shit, I would expect any parent to do the same.

The next morning, I somehow missed going to church. Normally, I wouldn’t have been that bothered, but, my mom was singing in the choir and I should have been there. So instead, I had a pineapple mimosa.

However, after the last 2 years of being interested in (and partially following) the Buddhist teachings, sometimes I don’t feel like I belong in a Christian church anymore. Not that I am an anti-believer, because, I’m not. But my beliefs just lie elsewhere these days.

Sunday, we enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL day with family at my Aunt Terry’s house, where there was tons of food and an egg hunt for the kids.

All in all, we had a fantastic weekend. We spent it with family, the weather was lovely and well, LIFE IS GOOD!!!

{Berlyn even had time to stop and smell the flowers…}

A Conversation with Mom: Flashback!

I originally posted this back in October of 2008, when I first started my blog. Since I just posted about conversations with my Dad, I thought it only fair to re-visit this post about my Mom because, well, it’s damn funny.

Enjoy!

The funniest events tend to involve my immediate family. They amuse me beyond words.
This past weekend, my brother, Sean came over to our house to visit. He is an AMAZING, prolific musician and talent….and not just because he’s my baby brother. I am damn proud of him!

One of the major commonalities between him and I has always been music. Even though we are different people with different tastes, we normally like the same kinds of stuff. We got our music loving gene from our Mom; she grew up in Southern California in the late 60’s/early 70’s and was an avid concert-goer and music fan. Hell, I was named after Fleetwood Mac!

So, when my brother came to visit, we were showing my Mom iTunes, because she is interested in getting an iPod (finally!)…and as extremely intelligent as my Mom is, sometimes this generation and it’s technology can still baffle our parents. God bless them.

Somehow or another, Type O Negative came up between my brother and I in conversation; and I mentioned to her that they did a cover of Seals and Crofts 70’s hit, “Summer Breeze”, albeit in a very different style….we are talking Type O Negative here, people.

Naturally curious, she wanted to hear their version….as we were trying to find the song, my brother pulled up a photo of their singer, Peter Steele….we also described his appearance in that, he is about 6’6 and HUGE. Bulging muscles. Long black hair. Kinda scary. And one of the deepest baritone voices I have ever heard.

When the song came on and she stared at his photo (lol…and mentioned how ATTRACTIVE he was – my Mom never ceases to amaze me!)….the lyrics “….Jasmine running through my mind…” played, my Mom looked at us and said,

“Somehow I doubt that man knows anything about Jasmine running through his mind.”

LOL!

*I should also mention, Peter Steele passed away in April of 2010…Very sad. But, he was kind of an a-hole actually. My brother and I “met” him years ago when they played in Idaho.

A Conversation with Dad: Flashback!

I previously did a post about a conversation I had with my Dad regarding my love life. It makes me laugh everytime I re-read it.

In the past, I’ve had a few other conversations with him that were downright comical. This is one of them…

About 10 years ago, I was sitting on the couch in our family room with my Dad, watching the MTV Music Awards.

A male musician was performing. It was Perry Farrell from Jane’s Addiction. I love love love him…he’s a great singer, performer and is super hot.

My Dad was quiet for a few minutes then said “God, I hate that guy.”

I looked at him and in shock, said “You don’t even know who that is!” Seriously, there was no way my Dad knew who Perry Farrell was. Pretty sure he’d never even heard of Jane’s Addiction before.

My Dad grumbled “That’s that f%$ing Kid Rock guy.”

LOLOL!

I nearly lost it right then and there. I was laughing so hard I was crying.

Yeah, I totally see the resemblance, don’t you?