Remember when I won a Pioneer Woman giveaway?  And how the heavens opened up and the angels rejoiced and there was peace across the land as a result?

Those were good times.

Anyhow, I thought you’d like to know that the measuring cups have landed.  And if possible, they are more adorable in person.  I don’t know how I’ll actually USE them (who am I kidding? how KILE will actually use them), I may just line them up on my counter and gaze at them.

So anyone who doubts that these giveaways are legit need only look here.  Yes, the measuring cups themselves weren’t a $1500 camera, but when you consider that TEN people won them, well, that sorta adds up.  Many kisses to Pioneer Woman and her prize wrangler.  Yep, she has a prize wrangler!  Wouldn’t you if you were Ree??

She was super nice to work with and I would have had the measuring cups earlier but wouldn’t you know it, they were sold out!  So they were backordered.  Still, I wasn’t expecting them for a few weeks yet and was pleasantly surprised when they showed up on my doorstep on Monday afternoon.  Yay!

So there.  A little sunshine in your otherwise drab day.  You’re welcome.

Hey, did you know I won a Pioneer Woman giveaway?  No it wasn’t for a fancy mixer or a fabulous camera or anything.  But I’m still excited because these measuring cups are TDF (that’d To Die For, in case you aren’t aware).  Aren’t you just insanely jealous now?  I can’t believe I finally won one of those giveaways.  I don’t enter all of them (a lot of them have very short time spans to enter and many times I don’t learn about the giveaway until the deadline is over), but I enter a lot.  Then again, a LOT of people enter a lot of the giveaways.  So the fact the fact that I was one of ten winners?  Makes me insanely happy.  You should have heard me shriek when I saw the post with my name on it.

I think Kile is still recovering his hearing.

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Speaking of Kile.  He’s getting a new toy today.  I will take pictures.  I’m in turn glad for him because I know this is something he wants and incredibly annoyed because he’s been a pill about planning for this and stressing about it and generally obsessing.   I’ll be glad when it “arrives” and then maybe I’ll just shove it up his butt.

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I haven’t shared some pictures in a while so I think I need to catch up.  Please refrain from pointing out if any one child is in more pictures than another, mmkay?  Otherwise I may feel obliged to thwack you in the head.

This is what we woke up to in Elko the morning we were leaving to drive back to Reno last weekend.  I call this “pretty snow” because it coats everything and looks gorgeous and then takes like an hour to completely melt.  Awesome.

Evie crapped out during breakfast and took a nap on her aunt’s shoulder.  Her aunt didn’t mind one bit.

Yes, Liam is short, but my brother in law is also VERY TALL.  His t-shirt this day was appropriate for pretty much anyone who stood next to him but with regards to Liam?  Doubly funny.

*cough*

This is what we call “fluffy mail” in the cloth diapering/knitting/sewing biz and it was GOOD. 

I love the sun shining through icicles.  <3

Yes, that’s a bruise.  And no, I don’t know how I got it.  Yes, it hurts.

Speaking of “fluffy mail” I was anxiously awaiting this diaper which I had ordered last week.  The above is what I got instead. SIGH.

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So that’s it.  I’m going shopping today with my mother in law, sister in law and niece who came to town this weekendly SIMPLY to go shopping.  No boys allowed!  I am so THERE.

So I finally got an appointment.  Kile made it for me after I spazed out yesterday (yep, I spazed out).  He instructed me to go lie down with Evie and rest while Liam was napping and he would call the doctor’s office.  When I woke up an hour later, I had an appointment for 11am this morning.  WOW.  I asked him what sexual favors he had to promise in order to get in so fast.  He told me that Raul, the receptionist, wants him to take him to dinner tonight.  (That’s a joke, in case you didn’t get it.)

I went in and the doctor is a real nice guy.  I’m not used to having a male doctor, but he was a kindly sort.  Even though it was strange discussing my sex drive with a guy.  He did ask me some questions about postpartum depression and I told him I honestly didnt’ know what was thyroid and what wasn’t.  SO, the plan is to get me on some thyroid medication right now and get my thyroid tested as soon as I can (probably not until early next week).  Then, test the thyroid again in a month and see how I’m reacting the medication.  I was on 200mcg before, but I will be taking 100mcg to start.  We don’t want to completely freak my system out, which I can understand.  And hey, it’ll be something.

He also wants to see me in a month.  When my thyroid is under control, I think he wants to revisit the possibility of postpartum depression.  He said he also wants to test my cholesterol, but not until the thyroid is happy.  So there’s that.

We’re on the road towards better health at last.  I’m pretty embarassed that I let it go this far, by the way.   So far that I can’t tell what is what anymore.  I know us moms tend to put ourselves last, but try explaining to a doctor why you’ve done nothing about your lapsed thyroid medicine in FOUR MONTHS.  That can make you feel pretty stupid pretty quick.

And I want to thank you all fo ryour kind words and encouragement this week.  You guys are, quite seriously and without sarcasm, the wind beneath my wings.  I love you all.  You guys keep me going.

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In other (but no less fabulous) news: the wonderful Brit has posted a NEW! EXCITING! GIVEAWAY! on the Cloth Diaper Mamas blog.  We hope for this giveaway to become a regular feature and this week, she is graciously putting up one of her handmade slings to one lucky commenter.  You have until Sunday night to enter so get on over there and check it out!

First off, I want to thank you ALL for entering this giveaway.  It was so much fun to give away something that is so cool.  I quickly realized what the problem was: I wanted ALL OF YOU to win.  I really did.  I’m glad I left this one up to random.org because otherwise I would have never been able to decide.  Even letting the random integer generator pick for me is giving me stress because I know that while one of you is going to be SO happy, the rest are just as deserving of going to BlogHer as she is.

Without further ado… I fired up random.org this morning and this is what came out:

Wow.  How often does that happen?  That it picks #1?  I mean… that NEVER happens, right?  It must be destiny, RIGHT?  So who is lucky #1 in this giveaway?  Let’s have a look…

It’s Rhi, of Rhi in Pink!  Congrats, Rhi!  I’ll see you (and Mini Owen) in San Francisco!

Again, thanks to EVERYONE for entering.  I hope all of you that really want to go are able to, because I think everyone who wants to go to BlogHer should be able to go.  Call me crazy (and naive) but there you have it.  And if you aren’t able to go, well… you’ll be missed.  Know that.

Until next time… (and there WILL be a next time… I just love giving things away!) you all hang tough!  I’m leaving for Elko this evening so I imagine I have a busy day ahead of me!

I made it back from my camping trip!  We left just before noon because Liam was in dire need of two things: a) a shower and b) a nap.  As it so happens, Kile was in dire need too.  Full details will follow, but despite a somewhat sleepless night, we all had a great time.  And the mere fact that I can even SAY that I had a great time and a sleepless night in the same sentence should be a testimony to how much we enjoyed ourselves.  Honestly, I’m glad we went and I can’t wait to share some of the pictures I have with you all.  I got some great ones!  I’m literally excited about these pictures.  Camping is GREAT for photography, I’ve decided.  There are just endless photo possibilities.

You’ll have to excuse me for now, however,  We need to go grab some dinner and do some shopping.  No rest for the weary!  I’ll be back (probably tomorrow) with lots of pictures and details.  In the meantime, you better get your butts over to my comment contest for the FREE BlogHer ‘08 registration!  I’ve been really enjoying hearing you all tell me a) how much you need the free pass and b) what you’re looking forward to at this year’s conference.

A note to BlogHer conference newbies:  If you’re holding back because you think BlogHer is for bigger bloggers or for serious bloggers or people who know other bloggers (etc and so forth), then please reconsider.  BlogHer is great for EVERYONE.  I was a total newbie back in ‘06 and I went and I’ve never been so glad.  So if you’ve never been and want to go, enter the contest!  Even if you don’t win, you should think about registering.  You’ll be SO glad you did!