Catching up...

Lillian is walking.

She has lost some weight again, but not much.

I just returned from a girl's getaway weekend at Lake Keowee in South Carolina and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Richard is having some nausea and sickness. He had a follow up appointment today and they did more x-rays and took more blood, to ensure it is not still related to the motorcycle accident.

I convinced insurance to pay for a new helmet, they did not specify which one. Richard ordered a helmet today, the total was $730.

Richard drove his completely fixed motorcycle home today from the dealership. I'm trying to be cool with this.

I got another new stroller. Yes, really. It's completely retarded that there are not stroller rental places where you can try before you buy. If I were more motivated...This stroller is a more deluxe version of the first stroller I had. I love it. We already have our old stroller sold. Who hoo!

I am leaving early EARLY Friday morning, with Lillian, to fly to Iowa for just over a week. I can't wait! But I am terrified about the flight. I have been getting sick on airplanes lately, which is a new thing for me, and she is in a tantrum phase. Please pray everything goes well Friday morning from about 6am to noon.

I am blogging less and less, life is just too busy.

We are moving. To a three bedroom. Finally. For sure. The begining of April. Our address will change, but only the house number. I will not post it here, but let me know if you need it. I'm not sending out "we're moving" cards. I'm thrilled and it will be great, but it wasn't much notice and I had two vacations planned between the notice and the move.

I started packing today and it feels great. We also have a huge Goodwill pile, which feels even better. I have to find more boxes and packing material before I can do more.

Mom and Dad are coming when we move and I am more excited about that than moving. I wish they could stay for a year.

I am still using my Wii Fit every day and I LOVE it. I will miss it while I'm in Iowa. I also have to go shopping for Disney clothes while I'm in Iowa. Hmm, maybe Iowa won't be AS fun as I was thinking. Shopping for clothes for myself is NOT my favorite thing, especially when it doesn't involve sweatshirts and pj pants.

I am still having a horrible time sleeping. I sleep about four hours a day. Although I do feel tired, I just can't sleep. Thankfully, this seems to be working okay, because I can still function.

My cousin Mikey is home from Afghanistan. Yay!

I talked to a friend from elementary school today via email. It was wierd. Facebook seems to let people try to make up for ignoring you years earlier by sending you a friend request. I had one friend in high school. Yet, dozens of people from high school have "friended" me. An odd phenomenom if you ask me.

I also had few friends in college, two total, but mostly one at a time.

I now have at least 9 girl friends and 9 of their husbands who I would consider good friends, most even "best friends". I am so completely happy with my life right now. I don't want this time to end. The first break up in our group is scheduled for August when one couple is restationed. Then we are up in January, possibly. I'm heartbroken they're leaving and I'm praying with all my might that we are able to stay in this area. I have real friends, yes, plural, dozens even, and I'm so happy.

The skin on my left hand is peeling off. Little bits of one layer at a time, constantly. It's wonderful. Pretty soon, my wedding ring will have to be re-sized because so many layers of epidermis will have fallen off.

I got to go to Hobby Lobby this last weekend. It was bliss.

I also go to go to the Jockey Lot, Anderson's flea market. It was bliss.

I almost got to go to a rodeo. But not quite. Bummer.

I cannot think of a single thing I want for myself for my birthday. I always laughed at people when they said that. Before. Now, I want stuff for Lillian. I want stuff to decorate her room. For me, but still for her. If I was given money, I would probably spend it on something for her. This isn't to say I don't see things I like when I walk through the mall, or that I never buy anything, just that I can't think of a single thing I want that I can tell someone else to get for me.

I have been searching for several things for awhile, but can't find just the right one:
A new handbag
A great pair of shoes (or four-I'm in desperate need right now)
A very small coin purse/wallet for times when I throw it in the diaper bag.
A new tote, that is the perfect size, but also zips completely (for when Lillian shakes it, tips it, drags it, etc)
Disney clothes (UGH, need I say more)
A watch
The perfect necklace. (I think I might have found it, but I'm not sure yet.)
The perfect waterbottle (skinny enough to fit in all cupholders, tall enough to hold at least 24 oz, pref 32, has a non spill -not ever, no matter what-lid but also a small enough spout to drink out of without dribbling)
A chunky bracelet to be worn (most) everyday. Although if I found a watch, that would probably negate this.
The perfect summer nail polish. I've had the same one for the last few years and now the lid is eternally stuck on and I'm deciding whether to buy the same or switch it up.

See, there are things I want, but I've been looking for awhile and can't find ones I like, so I'm certain you could not.

Although I have found the perfect thing lately for a few things I'd been searching for:
A snappy camera
A camera bag (I found it this weekend, and think its great, although I don't have enough use experience to consider it perfect just yet)
A new stroller. Actually the same stroller as #1. But snappier. This is now #3 and I'm completely satisfied.


I sent my sister in law a gift card for her birthday, and a generic card, and didn't send it til about four days after her birthday. LAME-O. Sorry Kristen, I'm not with it this year. I'm debating whether I am going to have a "no card" year. I'm thinking of boycotting Hallmark and the Post Office in any way I can. Hallmark just sent me a new rewards card because I am now a "Platinum Preferred Member". That's just sick.

We still have two girls in our sunday school class who are presently pregnant. Two. This is TERRIFYING because it always happens in threes. There are three two year old boys. There are three one year old girls. There are three newborn girls. There are two women pregnant. Do you see the problem here. I am forced not to consume any water and buy all of my Diet Coke from out of state until this situation is remedied.

I will be 27 on March 19. That is big for me. Not that I'm turning 27, but that I know I'm turning 27. For this last year, when asked how old I am, I have honestly answered "26 or 27, I'm not sure". That whole math thing is hard for me, you have to know how to subtract and then know if that is if your birthday has already happened, or not, etc. This is bad also because I know Richard is the same age as me, minus a month, Kyle and Kristen are two years younger than me, minus just a bit, Ashley is a year younger than me. Do you see? If I don't know how old I am, then I'm lost on everyone else too.

I'm going to take Lillian to Grandpa Shipp's grave while I'm in Iowa. I don't remember ever being there. I love to walk through cemetaries and even make whole letters made up of photos of last names on gravestones. However, I don't like to visit family and friends there. I don't know why, that's just how it is. But now its different. That is one of the only ways Lillian will ever connect with Grandpa Shipp and it makes me sick to think she won't know him. Even Richard. I wish for a day with him. I was only five. But I remember so much. He will forever be my favorite relative of all time. I can't wait to introduce two of my favorite people. Now that I'm bawling... on to less serious things.

I balance our checkbook. The only reason that makes me happy is because it does get done, rather than the alternative if R did it. Other than that, I hate it. I put it off as long as possible. I have a hugely intricate system of managing colums and rows on excel to keep every cent in each different category separate and accounted for and I love it but it makes me tired. Although once I start, after I have entered receipts, verified amounts online, transferred money to different accounts, paid bills and balanced, I have such a fantastic sense of accomplishment. When I have a minute next, probably in June, I plan on re-vamping my system. That makes me rediculously happy.

What would also make me rediculously happy is if it was 65 every day we were at Disney, and I had a guarrantee of that now. I can do jeans and a tee shirt all day long. Its finding shorts and capri's for a short person that makes me crazy. Next summer though, I hope to be able to wear the ones I already have in my closet that don't quite fit again yet. I also want a fantastically stellar picture of the three of us with Mickey and Minnie at Disney. In front of the castle would be AMAZING. I know the chances of this are slim, that we will see them both together, that we will be able to get a picture with them togeter and even more that the picture will be fantastically splendid of everyone, but I keep wishing. I want to blow it up huge and stare at it every day forever, instead of TV. (I'm just a little excited to go to Disney.)

And we're taking a behind the scenes tour! Without Lillian! And its five hours long!

And we're EATING IN THE CASTLE. EATING. IN. THE. DISNEY. CASTLE.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Richard laughs at me flirting with the old, dirty maintenance man. But he'll be so happy when we get all new light fixtures, door knobs, doors, etc. I hope the people in our new apartment right now are filthy pigs and ruin everything they can. I'm aiming for new carpet, new blinds, new light fixtures, new door knobs, new front door, new doors and a new kitchen floor would ROCK. I think we can do it. I mean, I did get insurance to buy R a $730 helmet.

Britt Jones is the coolest person I know. For several reasons. Only the first of which is that his initials are PBJ. His flaw though, is that he truly thought (and argued the fact that) my name was Stacey Shrimp Bill. Yes, as in the bill of a shrimp. Hmm...not so much. Although I am contemplating changing my name to that splendid combination. I could do it on facebook and throw off those "friends" from high school....It's looking better and better.

I'm still freaked out about that dumb bike. If we had the money I'd sell both that and the truck and buy him the Dodge Challenger he wants. Eh well. Maybe the stress will help me fit in those capri's in the closet that are the perfect length...

Night all, well, morning really. Its 1am. Told you I'm having trouble sleeping.