"i cannot say the smallest part which i feel."

every morning at approximately 3:10am i receive an email from the foundation for a better life.

they send me an inspiring quote/message.

*it's a happy little ritual
slash
makes me feel kinda special.

***

today's quote=

“when you get in a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”

—Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896); writer

***

my year has been a testament to that fact.

{2008 was challenging for me.}

but now, here,
on the very last day of the 365 big ones...
i am watching many prayed-for blessings unfold.

as i approach a new, fresh, and exciting set of
joys & days
i find myself feeling kinda like that dude in the book of mormon,
[i think it was ammon]
when he said:

"therefore, let us glory,
yea we will glory in the lord;
yea, we will praise our god forever.
behold, who can glory too much in the lord?
yea, who can say too much of his great power,
and of his mercy,
and of his long-suffering towards the children of men?
behold, i say unto you,
i cannot say the smallest part which i feel."

***

here's to new beginnings, tides turning,
& a gracious god in heaven who blesses us with that
beautiful opportunity.

[happy new year, blogsters!]

early to rise

today's happy list
{thus far}

*waking up next to my man at 6:39am
[6:30+one round of snooze]

*myron opening the new costco-syrup with a very large wrench

*this beautiful music serenading me

*sending m-diz off for a first day @ his new chandler-located job!
[hip, hip, hooray!!]

*a baby who sleeps past 8:30. [usually.]
{apparently you can get lots done if you wake up before her...who knew?}

*a freshly sparkling kitchen

*jeans: fresh out of the dryer style

*& to be continued, i'm sure...

[happy monday everyone!]

hata birfday one month, and four days late.

thanks to D&R who gifted us a multi-card reader for christmas...

i am now able to post this lil video chlo' & i recorded for our
miner-daddy/man on his birthday away.

{it's been stuck on the camera since november 24th!}

*she's since been able to adorably sing to him [in person]...

but i thought it's cuteness was worth sharing...

***

[happy sunday everyone!]

"ooh, i should´ve gotten the blue spruce. they´re lighter."

it was a {very} very merry {merry} christmas INDEED for our little family of 3 1/2.

truth be told,
we were a lil {too busy} having a fabulous time to take pictures.

but here are a [few] photos of our festivities.
[and the rest of the memories are written on our hearts.]

traditional christmas eve dixon-dalton dinner.
{AKA clodhopper's adorable table + fun fam + heaven on a plate.}

sibs holly [minus braces] & eric being attractive.
[love them with all my heart.]

christmas evie.
[love her too.]

me & my girl[s] chillin' in line to meet santa & mrs. claus.
{they visited a nearby mesa-culdesac.}
chloe was so beyond [in love.]
and our camera battery died. [tears.]
santa asked chloe what she wanted for christmas.
{she said a candy cane.}
[her wish was granted on the spot.]
and
it was " just sooooo magical, mommy."

eating/laying out cookies for santa.
chewy chips ahoy.
[rumor has it santa likes that kind.]
{so does chloe.}

[chloe also really likes wall-e jammies.]
mommy let her pick this year because she couldn't find anything she liked in a size 2T.
{whatever.}

cookies for santa.
carrots for the reindeer.
{thanks for the TDF-plates kel!}


santa & his reindeer musta have loved their treats 'cause
{they were VERY good to our girl.}
*she was on the nice list, i reckon.

coming down the stairs [80% asleep] with daddy.
we had to wake her up at 7:20-ish.
{she's her mother's daughter.}
her bedhead was basically awesome.com.

slowly waking up & being very excited/animated/over-joyed.
[i could watch her do this all-day-everyday for the rest of my entire life &
be completely satisfied.]


obsessed with her new farm.
she performed e-i-e-i-o [into the microphone from katie] over & over & over.


pro gift opener.
she was SPOILED.
{thank you family...}

bridget & josh showing us how it's done.

cute girls.

aunt barbie/audrey & uncle popeye/cole @ grandma deb's house.

watchin' an afternoon movie & playing with grandpa dunn.

***

not photographed:

*nativity dress-up style
[chloe was a wise-man/looked like a gypsy.]

*granny & her christmas eve host-amazingness.

*santa & chloe's priceless encounter.

*chillin' with all our beautiful fams.

*talking about gifts we can give the savior.
[new white stocking tradition...thanks granny!]

*chloe being tucked in.
{"i go to sleep, santa comes, i wake up."}

*debra's mouth watering biscuits & gravy.

*chloe stripping down to wear her new clothes
that she opened from grandma deb.

*playing with the remote control car.
[chloe named him "monster."]

*"happy hour" at the dixon home.
{we miss you uncle ry-ree}

*exchanging gifts & loving every minute of it.

*mexican fiesta at grandpa dunn's.
{i'm still dreaming about the meal you made, audrey.}

*mandatory 3 hour naps for chloe, "bebe o-i-dia", and ang.

*laughing, talking & thinking, "this has been the most blessed day, ever."

***

thank you to all our peeps who made it [the most fun] 24 hours
i've had in a really really long time.

***

and most importantly,
happy birthday to our savior whos spirit has
filled my angie-soul this holiday season.

[the end.]

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever,
and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children
in Thy tender care
And take us to heaven,
to Live with Thee there.

***

{Merry Christmas!}

merry christmas eve to me!

look who surprised us with a 24-hour early homecoming??

[thanks santa!]

***

merry christmas to [all.]

{and to all a g-night.}

it's been real, morenci.

1pm today marked our blessed half-way point to when our miner dad/love comes home to us for a fun, festive, christmasy week.

{he arrives in our gilbert garage christmas morn @ ‘bout 2am.}

***

and this time: it’s for good.

***

that’s right folks: recent developments in dunn-limbo-land-2008 indicate we will NOT be making a move to thatcher-country, afterall.

freeport mcmoran [bless it’s heart] is cutting their workforce {once again}…and it looks as though a lay off for my-dawg [and the rest of his crew] is inevitable.

thus, we have prayerfully decided to resign from the company with a grateful heart & optimistic expectations for our future.

as i have mentioned on my blog before: the past few months have been a rollercoaster ride of plans, emotions, and unexpected circumstances. but right now, my & i truly feel like all the little lessons we’ve learned during our six months in morenci have been for our growth & experience. though our time there was shorter than anticipated, we know we were sent there for a reason.

we went there seeking an apprenticeship to jump-start a new exciting career & came home with experiences of life that will be far more valuable to our lil fam.

now don’t get me wrong…being jobless in this *awesome* economy is always disappointing. we’ve had our discouraging moments & continue to.

but it’s through these uncertain times that we learned for ourselves more than ever before what is certain in our lives.

god is good. he knows what’s best for us. and he has something chillin’ around the corner that’s going to be that much better [and with less barf-cafeteria food] hopefully.

there are times when i have questioned my faith. why did we feel so strongly to leave our previous business when we did? why did i have a “this is the place” moment in that charming little 70’s thatcher-trailor? why did gila valley feel like home when we visited that memorable sunday afternoon?

but as the days go by, i am learning the answers to those questions.

and even though i still don’t have all the answers, what i do have is gratitude.

i’m thankful to a heavenly father who knows me better than i know myself….who has sent me to earth with this package o’ circumstances that are the perf mix of what i can handle [though i don’t always think i can] and what will stretch me to be a better person & reach my potential.

so:

we’re hanging up the hard hat for the time being.

***

morenci: it’s been real.

[but it hasn’t been real fun.]

{lol.}

***

{happy sunday!}

sweat sidisters

back in my second trimester,
[oh wait, i think i'm still in my 2nd trimester...]
myron & i decided to bring chlo' to the
19 week discover-the-gender ultra sound,
so she could meet her new sibling for the first time.

i'm not gonna lie...bringing bowie to doctor appointments is pretty much [the opposite] of my favorite thing to do...

BUT...

the technician was so sweet & patient with chloe bein' all up in her grill while she measured & checked out our babe....

AND...

she even printed chloe her very own {special} pictures of bite-sized olivia.

[it was precious moments.]

ever since then,
chloe has fingerprinted up & held onto her little sissies photos.

*she has been known to sleep with livy.
*take livy for rides in the stroller.
*and even sing 'the wheels on the bus' to her.

and tonight....

i come downstairs to the [above] kodak moment.

"i coloring with bebe o-i-dia, mommy."

[aw, i just love my sweet sisters.]

***
ps:
the title of this post will {probably} only be funny/make sense if your name is heidi bartle, clodhopper dixon, or bff kaytie brown.
[omg: remember sweet sisters, kayt?]
*oh, and remember how i can't spell worth cr*p?
{lol.}

pps:

happy last SATURDAY before christmas everyone!
[insert angie-mini-heart-attack here.]

who's the boss?

sometimes my two year old likes to lock me out of the house for 15+ minutes.

and laughs at me through the crack in the door.

and says, "hahaha mommy, i no go to bed."

and then i have to be all macgyver-ish & break into my house via a screwdriver/mad-hacking-skills.

and in all my large-&-pregnant glory, crawl through a miniature window into the warmth. [note: not pretty.]

to which i find her coloring at the kitchen table whilst sipping my sonic route 44.
"hey mom, what's up?"

[little devil.]
gotta love 'er.

a tree, a toddler, & a tag

i had a night full of work planned for this evening.

but chlo' & i opted to scratch that agenda &

*hit up our pjs @ 6pm
*decorate the tree whilst viewing mickey's christmas {for the 2,456,876 time}
*early bedtime for all dunn-girls [olivia included]

unfortunately my anti-awesome-brain won't stop making angie-to-do-lists...hence me insomniacly blogging at midnight-thirty [instead] of catchin' up on my slumber.

though sleepless i may be: i am happy.
'cause i love my tree.
and my first born.

tonight i learned that:
pretty much {nothing} beats decking the halls with chlo-bow.

and i quote:
"ohmigosh! it's so magical!"
"oh mom, it's sooooo perpect."
"ho, ho, ho...merry tristmos."
"wook at the pretty, pretty wights, mommy!"
"oh, i just wub it."
"thank you mommy, it's so delicious."

tomorrow we shall set up the rest of our few decorations.
and i can't wait for more chloe-hilariousness galore.

***

in other christmas-related news,
i've been tagged by my bff cousin rachie.

1. wrapping paper or gift bags?

whatever floats your boat, dude.
but i wrap. 'cause i think it's fun.

2. real tree or artificial?

paranoid angie prefers a fakester.
[house fires=irrational fear.]

3. when do you put up the tree?

december 17th, apparently.

4. when do you take the tree down?

usually like...the day after, while obnoxiously belting "and i cried the day i took the tree down." [forgotten carols 4 life.]

5. do you like eggnog?

barf.com

6. favorite gift received?

as a child? the heart [barbie] family w/ claud-handmade wardrobes.
as a grown up? my norman rockwell print. {as seen behind tree in picture.}

7. hardest person to buy for?

my peeps that kinda have everything and/or expensive taste.

8. easiest person to buy for?

my cute mom...
{the hardest thing with her is narrowing down what i want to get her the most.}

9. do you have a nativity scene?

yep. a little minature set...i love it.

10. mail or email christmas cards?

whatever you're feelin'...love 'em both.

11. worst christmas gift you ever received?

no recollection of ever being disappointed.
[i'm easy to please.]

12. favorite christmas movie?

while you were sleeping. [hands down.]

13. when do you start shopping for christmas?

december 18th perhaps?

14. have you ever recycled a christmas present?

not so much.

15. favorite thing to eat at christmas?

the world.
hence my doctor's eye brow raise whilst glancing @ my weight this month.

16. lights on the tree?

pre-lit martha stewart w/ clear style.

17. favorite christmas song?

i really like o come all ye faithful.
but only if it's sung by carol brady/florence hendersen. [jk.]

18. travel at christmas or stay home?
there's no place like home for the holidays.
*with the exception of benson, az.

19. can you name all of santa's reindeer?
ya. [mickey's christmas will do that to ya.]

20. angel on the tree top or a star?

something of that nature is penciled in on my target's day after christmas shopping list.
[us dunns currently have a topless christmas tree.]

21. open the presents christmas eve or morning?

christmas eve: the traditional jammies.
christmas day: santa's gifts+everything else.

22. most annoying thing about this time of year?

the overly-complicated, commercialized part.

23. favorite ornament theme or color?

randomly random is forever my skeam of choice.

24. favorite time for christmas dinner?

whenever's clever.
if you're making me food: i'm there dawg.

25. what do you want for christmas this year?

hmmm...
a crystal ball into which you can see the future, my hard drive/computer to be magically fixed, & peace on earth good will toward man.
[por favor.]

merry {merriest} christmas, friends!!

on my mind

*i’m having a sudden urge to bust out our cute lil 6 ft. pre-lit christmas tree.

and i think i shall.

{stay tuned for pictures.}

*my hair is seriously overdue for a date with audrey’s magic fingers.

[note to self: don’t forget to call the salon this week, asap.]

*the movie elf never gets old.

[it's okay buddy: sometimes i feel like a cotton headed ninny muggins too.]

*i wonder if livy will be a redhead.

[that would be so delicious.]

*did i {really} spend an hour watching a recorded E! true hollywood story about punky bruster this weekend?

[answer: yes, and i will never get that 60 minutes back.]

*love and logic totally works on husbands too.

[maybe better than on kids.]

thanks for green machining the stairs, babe!

*is my blog too personal slash TMI? [probably.]

but do i care? [not so much.]

to quote the profound words/lyrics of lisa loeb, “this is where i meet my muse, & it feeds me.”

*its2gs: you were absolutely correct.

i LOVE love. lovey love. THIS.

{thanks for sharing!}

*there is now 40 lbs of me that myron isn’t sealed to. [gaining weight = my favorite pass time]…one of my talents, for sure. (:

*i love christmas-hymns-@-church season.

[it makes me happy.]

*when will my child stop pretending she’s ghandi?

{seriously: chlo’ refuses to eat.}

*this week is going to be out-of-control busy.

[i’m sleepy just thinking about it.]

(good night & god bless!)

a christmas story.

once upon a time there was a super cute couple named the haddoxes.
-they have awesome blogs.
-amazing taste-n-style. [fer reals.]
-numerous gifts & talents.
-a {perfect} christmas tree.
-a model-baby named paisley.
-[and a dog called chloe.]

one chilly winter night, this sweet little family showed up at the dunns' doorstep.
they were looking adorable &
[bearing festive gifts.]

first, was a container of mouth-watering
{to die for}
melt-in-your-mouth katie-homemade caramels.
[AKA heaven in wrapper.]
*she even made tiny-custom-chloe pieces.*
they are beyond delightful.
{and addicting....in a *very* good way!}

the second gift =
a super nice real-life
psp+games+case!!!!

angie and myron were completely overwhelmed
& touched by such thoughtfulness & generosity.

truly: there aren't really words to describe how much this amazing gesture
made the dunn's day/week/month/life.

angie & her emotionally pregnant self has {already} cried a river of gratitude.

and myron has a perma-grin as he holds/pets his new toy.

just as the dunns were feeling [a little down] by a disappointing theft
their upmost faith has been restored in the sheer goodness of humanity.

***

thank you katie, steven & paisley,
for having huge hearts this holiday season!

you have [no idea] how much we appreciate your rockstar-ness.

merriest christmas from our little fam to yours!

*now, peace out*
[while i go {devour} another caramel.]

these are the magic years…

and therefore magic days…

and therefore magic moments.

-anonymous

theivery or *thievery* rather

dear child of god
that broke into our
vehicle yesterday,

i hope you're enjoying the 500+ dollars worth of electronic equipment you stole from us.

[don't worry, we didn't really need it.]

we wish you all the happiness with that shiny new-ish psp that we saved up to buy so that myron could check our family blog/his email on the weeks he is away at work.

truth be told: if you would have just knocked on the door,
[i probably would have given it to you.]

check back tonight though:
we'll leave the zune's chargers & hard case [pictured above] so that you'll get more for your pawn.

have a merry christmas & we will too...{despite} your very unfortunate behavior.

with love,
angie

***

ps:

really though: we're {almost} over it.
[afterall: it is just stuff.]

but let's get real: who steals used slippers?

our *big plans* for the weekend

morenci loaned me back my newly-non-bearded
husband for another week.

[all is good & well in the world.]

***
i've assigned us each tasks for the weekend.

myron lee:
*entertain our offspring.
*relax & dvr catch-up.
*prepare your wife food whenever she wants/needs it.
*find the perfect renter. [por favor]

angela michelle:
*work [like mad] on custom projects for a client.
*shower daily.
*breathe.
*grow a baby.

chloe mae:
*be cute.
*potty train yourself.
*take naps.
*be a gem & ditch the binky.

olivia kate:
*kick your mother hourly.
*keep a strong & steady heartbeat.
*take it easy.
*grow.

***

[sweet dreams!]