prayers for emily

tonight as you're trick or treating, passing out candy, consuming sugar, and bein' festive...

please, please, please

take a [moment] to send some prayers up for my

strong, faithful, dear friend
emily & her family.

***

e-

i pray for your peace to continue.
and for the angels of heaven to be round about you.

love always,
ang

michelle's feeling a little festive!

remember this little gem?

go to papertherapy.com [today] and today only...
& get 31% off your book order!


{promise: you won't be sorry!}

happy halloween!

kind of gross, really funny

it was a quiet afternoon.

i was busy organizing, sorting, & project-ing.
chloe was puttering, playing, & pretending.

i come downstairs after a few {short} minutes of being out of her sight.

and low & behold:
she's chugging the syrup.

[awesome.]

{hope you have a [sweet] weekend...}

the fruits of my labor

i am a h-core perfectionist.

i am also not a very [confident] individual.

and because of these two angie-traits/flaws...i am very rarely {totally} proud of my accomplishments.

it's simply exhausting to be me sometimes because done is never done & things can {always} be better.

i can only recall a couple of instances in my lifetime where i've been {truly} satisfied by my work/efforts, and thought to myself - hmmm...i am kind of awesome.

the first occasion being: this day.


{aka: the blissful morning i gave birth to absolute perfection.}

***
and the second being: today.


{aka: the afternoon i finally, finally finished cleaning the garage!}

***

myron & i have wanted to tackle our garage for a REALLY long time.
it has been our junk-catch-all for the entire two years we've been residing in gilbert.

organizing & cleaning it has been on our to-do list for his upcoming week off. but i thought while he was away & haulin' copper to pay the bills, i might surprise him & have it all clean when he came home to us!

***

so i began...

and let me just tell ya: for a couple of kids who consider themselves minimalists, us dunns sure have a lotta crap!
{holy smokes!}

i labored diligently for days, organizing things in four piles:

1. stuff we need/want for sure
2. stuff to chuck
3. stuff to give to di
4. stuff to beg myron to get rid of

[i consolidated pile 3 & 4 when i remembered that he wasn't helping.]

***

then i took all of the stuff we wanted to hang onto & hosed & windexed the three inches of dust off.


[my neighbor might have laughed at me when he saw me polishing the air-compressor.]

***

when everything was clean i started organizing & catagorizing.


binning stuff up.


and labeling.


***

we took a massive trip to di in claud's sequoia.

and i paid the town of gilbert the best 30 bones i've ever spent to haul off all my bulk-garbage.

[a big thanks to eric & granny for helping my pregnant-self lift the heavy stuff...]

***

i swept.

and might have wept
{for joy}
when i was all finished.

***

here it is in all it's glory, mid-project:
{yes, i was too prideful to take a true-before-picture.}


and here it is after:


[welcome home babe!]

focus

as we all know, i have a tendency to be somewhat ADD with projects.

my simplifying is going fabulously...i've made oh-so-much progress.

BUT i seem to have little piles of mid-organization everywhere.
{and laundry.}

it's sort of driving me {crazy!}...i'm anxious for it to be finished...
[is it ever finished?]

***

so: today is my day to tie up loose ends.
today is my day to crank up the music & work.
today is my day to focus.

***

i didn't {quite} finish my monday to-do's either...
[including my date with lincoln burrows...]

and thus: bandana+no makeup all the live long day.

{focus, angie, focus.}

***

happy tuesday to all!!

on the monday to-do list

*take chloe over to our bff's house to play for a few hours.
[done.]

*go to place o' employment & get paper/ goods for overdue assignments.
[done.]

*pick the chloster up & simutaneously visit with cor&bry & remember just how freaking much i love them.
[done.]

*make mac & cheesy for lunch/watch charolette's web with my daughters.
[done.]

*call our HOA & angie-yell {aka try my hardest to be semi-assertive} at them for not fixing our poor blown-over tree.
[done.]

*all girls in da house take naps.
[ready for this to be done.]

*drop off a few belated packages at the post office.
[needs to be done.]

*fill granny's silver sequoia with lots of dunn-junk & promptly deposit at deseret industries.

*make progress on a few house things...[should be up for rent on craigslist w/in the next few days!]

*catch up on email if i have time.

*be grateful.
[done.]

*finish up assignments & deliver them to scrapbooks, etc.
[half done.]

*make a grocery list.

*telephone my redhead.
[of course, done.]

*watch prison break.
[maybe tomorrow?]

*check out by midnight.
[done...i got tired @ 10...]

{the end: have a happy day!}

we made it to the soft seats

a small early-christmas miracle happened today.

[we were on time to church.]

can i please say how much more enjoyable sacrament meeting is when you aren't chillin' in the foyer due to lack of chairs in the overflow?

{lots more enjoyable.}
*aka: you can hear & feel the spirit.

granted: chloe was still {very} two throughout the whole meeting...and i did hafta remove her from the premises, mid-meltdown, just before the closing hymn.
[cest la vie]

and: i barfed before senior primary & i had to go home & brush my teeth.
[TMI?]

but! we got there before 8:07...and that hasn't occurred in months.
{so i am happy.}

***

off to eric's birthday dinner!
menu: chicken pillows, claud's famous chocolate pie, etc.
{i am already dreaming about it.}

happy 22-years, cute little brother!
and
happy half-way-day until myron comes home to me!

saturday is a special day

today chloe went on a fun date with aunt barbie in her new outfit.
today i cleaned out the garage for a really long time.


today chloe wanted yogurt & pepsi for breakfast. {she only got yogurt.}
today i didn't have one shred of morning sickness. {praise!}

today chloe spent 37 minutes in the bathtub because she was having so much fun.
today i have yet to shower. {but i will...i promise.}

today chloe sent her daddy a {good morning} picture text.
today myron called me on all of his breaks.

today chloe took a four hour nap.
today i wore myself out.

today chloe made me smile a lot.
today i thought to myself on more than one occasion:

[today is a {really} good day.]

{happy saturday!}

"let him do it with simplicity"

i have a new favorite show.

tlc's: real simple. real life.

the peeps from real simple {my fave mag of all time} go to different houses & makeover folks' lives by helping them simplify stuff.

it pretty much inspires me to death.

my once-lonely friday nights without myron have turned into self-help-galore ala tivo.

it's amazing.

ever since the beginning of the year, [but particularly since this last conference], i have felt an out-of-control angie-prompting to simplify my life.

during the conference sessions, i felt totally motivated & inspired, especially by this talk & this talk.

[i knew it was time to get real about some stuff.]

*hence us moving soon-ish, prob.
*hence me cutting back to less classes/no register at work in january.
*hence the three trunk fulls & trips to di this week. [and counting.]
*hence my h-core lack of blogging/commenting.
*hence me {trying} [and sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding] to not sweat the small stuff.

this week i have been:
*chilling at home with my girl{s}.
*preppin' my house to be rented.
*purging random & un-needed items like crazy.
*organizing things differently than before.
*prioritizing as well as i know how.
*clearing my head.
*& renewing my spirit.

and it has felt SO stinkin' good.

my new motto:

"stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. we must deal with them the best we can. but we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. often we assume that they must know how much we love them. but we should never assume; we should let them know. wrote william shakespeare, “they do not love that do not show their love.” we will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us."

-thomas s. monson.

***

starting tonight:

i am going to eliminate the word stress from my vocabulary.

*or die trying.

it's a girlfriend!!!

world: it's our pleasure to introduce you to our second pink one!

we love her so much already.

and i love her even more for flashing the camera a #1 sign in the top shot.

***

oh dearest lucky stars: rest assured, you have been counted.

{happy pink!}

g-valley, roadtrips, & creativity

this weekend we visited our {potential} new home, aka thatcher/safford/pima.

i met gila valley for the first time.

i love the beautiful mountains, the huge cotton fields,
and the wide open spaces.

on saturday we cruised around with our realtor/dad lookin' at properties, & sunday {post-church} we took a family drive all around.

the first day it all became real to me. i thought to myself: dude, am i really moving away for the first time ever, leaving behind family, friends, babysitters, my job, brand new stainless steal appliances, HOAs, cafe rio, etc?
{the thought was slightly overwhelming.}

but on sunday as we were together as a family {belting ei-ei-o on the top of our lungs in the car}, just exploring the 'hood, i felt at major peace.

and this quote from a recent conference address kept popping into my mind:

"you may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. the bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter."

and upon revisiting that quote from time to time i realize, that moving somewhere so different from what i'm used to may require me to use some creativity, but where ever the heavens lead us, i have the ability to create a happy, blissful life anywhere my little family is.

and that makes me feel excited for our new chapter.

{gila valley, here we *probably* come.}

aunt barbie & her amazing cupcakes

aunt barbie/audrey made us these adorably {to die for} cupcakes today.
could they be any cuter? seriously.

thanks for comin' over aud.
we love you!

{happy friday!}

kits-n-ideas.

i had pkp {page kit paradise} this week!

i [love] my job & the fabulous customers at scrapbooks etc.
i'm so [grateful] to call 'em friends.
thanks for coming ladies!

these were the three [kits] we did in class:

and these were the extra [ideas]:

pages for next month to be posted soon!

{keep your eyes peeled} & have a happy day!

"it's a bebe punkin"

it's fall.
{and i am in love.}

this small town girl needs your help.

*Update:

Thank you SO so SO much for your help, suggestions, emails, sweet comments, phone calls, & offers to network for our little fam! Lots of things need to fall into place for our potential move & you're helping us out a ton! Thank you, thank you!

In answer to some of your questions: We're not really sure when this will all go down. Still in the very beginning stages. It'll either happen really fast, like before I'm about to pop. Or it will happen post-babe. Or there's still a chance we'll chill here for a while.

Also: My kind & generous boss has agreed to let me travel down every so oft & teach classes. Scrapbooks, Etc. {the best store} will still be a part of my life & I am not leaving you. (:

Oh & Myron told me for a day that small towns don't have the internet, and I maybe believed him.
So I thought I'd have to quit blogging. But, as it turns out, he was kidding. So...I shall keep blogging & recording my randomnicity all the live long days.

Happy watching the office tonight!
*Sleep tight.


many of you are aware that our little fam is {toying} with the idea of moving to safford-ish, arizona.

aside from the sheer {thought} of missing our families & friends, we are actually really excited about this {possible} upcoming adventure.

our plan {or one of our plans} is to rent our current casa out & then either buy or rent a place out east for us to live there for the next few years while myron goes through his program.

we are actively searching for a place, have found a few possibilities & have a great realtor, but we are asking {slash pleading} for your help!

*do you know of anyone that is renting a house/place/doublewide, whatever in the safford/thatcher area?

*do you know of any small cute fixer-uppers that are for sale in those parts?

our criteria is:
a. cheap
b. cheap
c. cheap
{and if it wasn't close to a bar or prison, that would be cool too.}

us dunns: we have elbow grease. and we work well together on home improvement projects. it doesn't really need to be the taj mahal.

just lookin' for a place to hang our hats/hearts for a little while.

if anyone *knows of a place, or *knows of a cute little non-smokin' fam w/ no cats that wants to rent our 4 bed/2.5 bath gilbert home, would you mind giving me a hollar back, yo?

angieinpink@gmail.com

muchos gracias!!

my report

Alls I have to say regarding this weekend’s conference is: “word.” Indeed it was an fabulously uplifting 8 hours & I feel blessed & enriched because of it.

We did discover however, that sitting through 4 sessions of old/amazing men & women in suits give inspiring talks, isn’t {quite} a 2.5 year old’s corner of fun. This required me to revisit the messages on my tivo post-bedtime to well…a: hear…b: and soak in the Spirit.

There were many words that resonated with me. I was amazed at how my guilt & worries were lifted as I listened to the messages of hope & endurance. Some of the talks, I felt, were specifically given for me- at least it seemed. It was all just a total testament to me that our Father in Heaven loves & knows all of His children individually.

I have felt inspired to make many changes in my life & habits, (one step at a time.} I have felt prompted to publicly stand up for the values that I believe in, no matter how unpopular they may be. I feel motivated to continue in the faith, regardless of the MANY temptations which do so easily beset me.

At this point in my 25-year-old existence, I feel very blessed & happy. But I also face challenges, as we all do. Goin’ into this conference I was feeling extremely bogged down. Very tired. Very overwhelmed. Very stressed & fearful about the uncertainty of the world & our future. I prayed that I would receive answers to my concerns through the Lord’s prophets. I prayed that via this conference I would learn how to best eliminate stress & have more joy.

And through quiet whisperings of the Spirit & a handful of tender mercies over the past few days, my prayers have been answered.

{happy monday.}

8

{copied this cute idea from amy's blog!}

*8 current obsessions...

1. myron lee dunn.
2. chloe & chloe jr.
3. making lists like this one.
4. happy news.
5. fresh halloween candy. {nerds, sweet tarts: things of that nature.}
6. constructing a planA, planB, planC, planD, etc. for our little life.
7. politics, current events, & hating the media.
8. chapters 16,18,19,21,22 & 27 of the dvd ps: i love you. {denny duquette + gerard butler + this song = i'm in love.}

*8 words or phrases i use often...

1. i’m sorry.

2. aw, tender.
3. kill me. {in a sarcastic voice.}
4. oh, okay. {also sarcastic}
5. what ep?

6. crap.

7. thanks dawg.
8. we’ll see! {i say that a lot lately…}

*8 things i want to do before i die...

1. give birth a couple/few more times & watch my kiddies grow.

2. pull a mark dixon. {aka be a weight-loosing rockstar.}

3. go to lunch with kaytie & anja when i’m 92.
4. develop a green thumb & create a full-functioning garden.
5. take an amazing trip somewhere with my man.

6. discover how to balance time, work & play a tad bit better.

7. share the gospel.

8. learn my lessons.

*8 things i have learned from my past...

1. that perms are sometimes a bad idea.

2. that i rarely regret being nice, but i always regret being mean.

3. that feeling chubby & secure is much better than feeling super skinny & insecure.
4. that people will show you their good side if you wait long enough.

5. that i want a c-section with baby number 2.
6. that being a bank teller = stomach ulcers.

7. that opening a booth @ old school coomers doesn’t pay the bills.
8. that eating a slice o' white bread and a 32 oz. pepsi from the bread basket every morning for three years straight will make you gain 30-ish lbs.

*8 places i would love to go or see..

1. disneyland with the chlo’.

2. moon palace ala cancun with my.

3. bartles house in CO.
4. myron’s mission. {TN & KY}.

5. a weekend in sedona.
6. boston!
7. american fork canyon breakfast with my grandma & grandpa.
8. hobby lobby {still haven't been!}

*8 things i currently need or want...

1. a visit from matt’s power carpet cleaning co.

2. clear skin.
3. a few new fall/winter outfits for chloe.
4. a brake job on the camry. {or else i literally, might die.}
5. energy & motivation to be productive.
6. a romantic night out with my man.
7. a temple session.
8. pushing daisies season uno on dvd.

***

{happy october!}

can't wait!

i love looking forward to things.

{it keeps me going.}

right now there are three things i simply can't wait for.
{but i will, because i have to.}

#1: miner-myron's arrival!


today i've been preparing for our dad to come home for the week. i {try} to wash sheets, stock the fridge w/ pep, and spruce things up for his homecoming. as i've been doing so, i have had the lisa loeb classic, "waiting for wednesday" in my head. {i love that song.} every other wednesday is a blessed day for sure. *travel safe, baby!

#2: finding out the gender of chloe jr. in 3-4 weeks!


peeps ask me all the time if i have a preference whether the upcoming babe is pink or blue. answer: not really. i'll be thrilled either way. what we'll call said child is still up in the air, but myron & i have a list of girl & boy names that we've both loved since choosing chloe...so we'll select from our archives when the time comes.

#3: general conference this weekend!


with all the craziness that's been going down in the stock market/world/ridiculous politics, etc. this week...i am just craving a healthy dose of general conference instead of all the mind-numbing cnn i've been watching. i have work off, myron will be home & the dvr is set to record! i am so looking forward to listening to the leaders of my church speak truths, give direction & counsel, and inspire confidence in me & others. their talks every six months {always} bring peace & reassurance.

***

and like i said: i can't wait.

{happy wednesday!}