Pink Eye

Tuesday morning, Dillon had decided to take the day off when we got up that day. A little while later, I got a call from my brother and sister-in-law (Rob and Sheri). They were in a bit of a jam. Aubrey came down with pink eye and couldn't go to school or daycare. She was already being medicated but it hadn't been long enough that either place would accept her. Both Rob and Sheri were already at work - Aubrey was with Sheri at her school.

I went over to Sheri's school and got Aubrey. Just as we were leaving the school was going in to lock-down because some dude was on the loose over with weapons. Needless to say, we locked the car doors and got out of there, FAST.

The thing about pink-eye is that you feel totally fine, you just can't go to school. I was a little worried that Aubrey would be bored out of her mind while she watched me work.

We grabbed some lunch and came back to the house. We ate and then I went back to work. Dillon was amazing. He spent the whole day with her and kept her entertained. They looked things up on Google Earth, played video games, made videos, went to the park - I took at break from work to go with them to the park.

Aubrey and I made a sand manor. It was pretty nice - complete with a mansion, farm, barn and landscaped pool.


Then "Monster Aubrey" smashed the mansion.


Aubrey asked me if I wanted her to show me how to draw a dog. I told her yes and this is what she made - from memory - awesome!


I didn't ask or expect Dillon to entertain our niece all day, but he was glad to do it and I think she had a fun time. He's going to be a GREAT dad!

And speaking of Aubrey:



Seems like only yesterday...

Videos of My Little Friends

I once told a fellow blogger that I like it better when she catches up on blogging to still have separate posts like she would if she blogged about them as she went instead of just one, massive post. I told her it was like Christmas - the more packages, the better... so, Merry Christmas to you!

These are videos of some of my little friends. Enjoy.

My New Digs

I love my new appliances.

This is my fridge.


We sprung for the smooth black finish. I am so glad we did. It goes so well with my other black appliances and ceramic stove top.

Also, I realized a few days after I got it that this is my first very, own fridge. I have never before owned one. I think it's a great first fridge.

Here are my washer and dryer.


They play me a tune when they are done.



And when I turn them on and off.



(I sooooo almost photobombed myself in these videos - but I didn't so quit looking, perv!)

They also do a really good job of getting our clothes oh so clean and soft.

I really like them and we got them all for a great price. Yay!

The Making of Cerra's Office

So the only thing that will probably take as much time as my office did to complete is blogging about it.

It started back a month ago. It was the first project in my new house. Like I said before, it was a must. I couldn't work in it like it was. It looked like a school full of little boys exploded in there - even the ceiling was blue!


So you see? I had to paint. I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily Sasha was there and she did. She helped me spend a bunch of money at Lowes - $2700 if you ask Dillon ;-) - but get exactly what I needed to paint.

My bro, Rob, filled my garage with all his tools. They are renting down here, so home improvements, he ain't doin'. He figured I could (and would) use them, so he hooked me up with a bunch of cool stuff. Some of which came in very handy for my first project.

Sasha and Nolan were there for all of the prep-work and the start of the edging. Me, being me, the very first stroke I took with the roller, I smacked into something I didn't want painted - nice... and so typical.


And I COVERED my hair in paint. I just barely stopped finding white streaks.


I think Sasha was trying to make me feel better about my clumsiness when she did this. I was laughing so hard I almost peed. She ask Nolan and I, mumbling through the paint, "Is there something on my face?..." So funny!


So like I said, Sasha and Nolan got me all primed and Sasha got me started on the edging before they had to go back home. And I am so thankful to have had their help.


Sasha doesn't use tape to edge. It takes too long and doesn't work well most of the time anyway. She likes to just be careful and go slowly. It made sense to me and since I had used tape before with frustrating results, I decided to try it her way. I think I've adapted to this way as well. It was difficult and took a long time, but it would have with tape too. The hardest part was when I could see I was close to being finished with any given goal. I would tend to hurry and make a lot more mistakes. I like the look of the hand edging too. It's like wabi-sabi or something.

Five days (and I don't want to know how many hours) later. I was done with the edging. I don't think I did half bad for my first time either.



I was really excited to get the paint up and really see how my room was going to turn out. That didn't take nearly as long. I had both coats on and dry in a day and a half. It was so cool to see.


I was so excited to start working in there, but I had to buy a desk. I talked Sheri in to taking me to Ikea on Christmas Eve. I really didn't know what I was after, but I bought somethings totally different than I thought I would. I found a glass table top that I absolutely love.


I had no intention of getting a glass desk, but it just made me happy inside. The original legs I got for it did not support it at all - even though they were one of the "Ikea recommended options" for the table top.


I was so bummed and discouraged because I thought I was going to have to give up on my glass desk, but Dillon helped me find something that would support it better. I actually like these legs better.


Cevin seems to approve as well.


I also got a matching filing cabinet.


Cevin found her designated place pretty quickly.


It's an old kid chair that Dillon's dad had from when Sasha was a teenager. I threw a $3 fleece throw over it and it goes great.

I put up a clock, a cork-board , and my payroll certification - you know, 'cause I'm all official like that.


After a couple of weeks of blinding sun from 3:15 - 4:15p, I finally got and hung drapes.


I also got a cool piece of framed art and pillow that tied things together nicely.


Sasha suggested I buy a bird bath for outside my window to improve the view from my desk. I think that is a great idea. I am looking for one I like. In the mean time, I hung some bird feeders.


And finally tonight, I hung my shelf that I painted to match.


There are a handful of little things here and there that I need to do still to make it meet my perfectionist nature, but it's definitely livable as is. I really love it!

Say Hello to My Little Friends

For those of you that have been worried about me making new friends since moving and working from home, fear not. I have lots of new friends now - and the photographic evidence to prove it.

This is my friend Lester. He's just a baby and he's really shy and small. He likes to sun himself of the bricks right outside my kitchen window in my back yard. We met about a week ago.


This is Mantis. I'm not going to lie. We didn't hit it off at first. I really didn't trust or like him at first. I thought he was going to eat Lester. He's that small, that little Manny could eat him.


After Manny didn't eat Lester, we grew closer. He hasn't been around for a few days now though. Maybe I insulted him with my snap judgments about him. Mantis, if you are reading this, I'm sorry and you're welcome in my back yard any time.


Lester says "Hey" almost daily. He doesn't like it when the sun's not out, so I didn't see him today though.


I am so not above bribing to make friends either. I put out a couple of bird feeders. One for humming birds and then another with "Wild Bird Seed" in it. So far I have had one humming bird and that's it. She has a green belly and bottom. She is beautiful. Her name is Emerald. She's been too quick for me to get a pic though. I am beginning to think she doesn't want to be seen with me. We'll see.


AZ has these awesome birds that I have never known before. They are called grackles. They look like small magpies that are solid black, even their beaks, and they have light eyes. Their look has nothing to do with why I like them so much. It's their sound. It's like nothing I have ever heard, and I like it.

I don't know this one's name. They all look alike to me. Is that wrong to say?...

There you have it - and you were worried! Don't you feel foolish?!...... No I haven't been drinking; why?