A quickie. . .

My dearest, Erin, and her sweet hubby, Jer, are here, and it's so so great. It's their 2nd (and last *sob*) night here before heading to Pennsylvania tomorrow. I'm doing everything in my power to try and keep them here or at least convince them to come back through Illinois on their way home. I don't think it's working, but I'll keep trying until they (and Penny) leave. It's been the best time ever. I love her (Jer, too) like she's been a best friend always. Thankfully we have the rest of our lives to be those kind of friends :c)

Happy Spring, Happy Linky-love, Happy Winnings!

I can't believe it's almost Easter Sunday! They say we will never again see Easter this early in our lifetimes. I can't remember why . . . something with the moon . . . but how interesting that is! It's really really early this year but maybe it's a sign that we are going to have bulbs poking their beautiful heads up earlier than usual? I hope so. When I peeked outside this morning, I saw some new green grass poking out above the dead wintry grass. What a nice feeling to see beautiful colors of nature.

It is our first spring here at the new house and it's really bittersweet for me. While I'm excited to have the first spring here in the new house because it means my children have a new year of being a kid with brand new adventures, it's hard for me because I really really really miss where we use to live. Like tons. I don't know. It's just hard. There are many a days where I want to be back there. I hold back tears thinking about it. You know me, attachment to everything.

But on the positive side of this, with spring brings lots of new things. New flowers, of course, which I absolutely can't wait for. Neil and I can't wait to get our hands dirty and begin getting a new garden started and design a new perennial garden for our new and very empty back yard. With spring also brings new adventures for the kids. I'm hoping Maia will be able to actually pedal on her bike this year. Last year we had to push her everywhere and that got awfully tiring! I also am excited to find a walking trail for us to go on. Back in D-town we had a "route" we walked every single night. It equaled out to 1-2 miles. It should be interesting here in this new very small town because it's not all that big and 1 mile would take us to the other side of town!

In the blogging world, spring for me means finding new blogging friends. And with the Ultimate Blog Party, I managed to find a handful of friends through their fantastic blogs. Here's s a sampling of my faves in no particular order:

Minimalist Mommy
Adventures of Wondermommy
Robin Bielman
Valley Girl - I like her name, don't you? :c)
Candi @ All Day Night
Write From Karen
Sheena @ Mommy Daddy Blog
Jimaie.marie
Jessica in Rome
my melange
Conversations with my HairdryerA Sample of Jennifer's Thoughts (we have tons in common!)
Thoughts From Dimple Queen
Noel from Pretty By Nature
Becoming Me
Little Bird Creations
Daily Randomness
Figments
The Impoverished Preppy

Now I have to figure out how I'm going to keep up reading these when I constantly already have troubles doing so with the ones I already have in my bloglines . . . { sigh . . . }

So one of the people I mentioned above won my contest!!! Only FIVE people answered correctly! I give huge kudos to these five { Aimee, Candi, Erin, Jennifer, and Katie } because there were a lot of questions to answer and a lot of reading to answer those questions! I truly thank everyone who entered because it means a) you wanted to learn more about me and/or b) you really really wanted a canvas print! Either way, thank you. I had a lot of fun doing the contest and I hope this means you learned enough about me to want to come back.

Now for the winner . . . drum roll . . . Noah drew the name for me this morning . . . and he drew . . . Candi!! Yay, Candi!! I will be emailing you to find out how you want to go about the canvas. Be looking for your favorite digital photos on your computer! Congratulations, Candi! I'm so excited to have met you and I look forward to our future blogging frenzies. :c) Sorry dear Aimee, Erin, Jennifer and Katie . . . I hope to have more contests again with the same awesome prize! Thanks so so much for playing and being so loyal!

Anyone interested in the answers? Let me know and I'll post them. I feel like this post has probably already gotten a tad bit long, eh?

We're off to see the Easter bunny tonight. We've never done it before (Santa, either) so I think we may give it a try finally. Happy spring, happy Linky-love (amanda, I hope you don't mind I stole that slogan from you -- please forgive your bbbf) and happy winnings to Candi!

Game Over!

So . . . it's time for answers to the Val Quiz!

I think I have answered them all. The only one I didn't answer was what my dad does for a living. So . . . I will just tell you. He's a seed corn manager for a seed company. If you aren't from a farm community you'll probably wonder what in the world that is, but I don't have time to get into it now. Just know he is in the agriculture business :)

Please send me your answers by tomorrow, Wednesday March 19th at noon CST. Answers not received by then will not be counted. Even if you don't have all 25, I suggest sending them anyway because if someone with all 25 is wrong with one answer, well, they would then only have 24 answered correctly too, right?. Remember, the winner will receive a canvas gallery wrap! Woo-hooo!

Check out the first post with the questions, rules, requirements and my email addy.

Thank you for visiting and playing --- it's been such fun! Hope you'll be back!

I'll post the winner tomorrow evening!!!!!

It's time to . . . PARTY ON!

{ *** This is a "sticky" . . . brand NEW posts below!! One of them being about photography and my work space! *** }


Finally it's blog party time again at 5 Minutes for Mom!

Last year was my first year participating and it was one of the best times in my blogging life. I met so many wonderful blogging women, many of whom I became close friends with, and one of whom I MET IN REAL LIFE just this past October. So I really do consider it a party with other women . . . a way to connect with other stay-at-home work-from-home mommies . . . and a way to find friendships with these super-fabulous women. They're blessings in my life and I am quite excited to meet more of these amazing women starting TODAY! It's a blast of a time not to be missed.

Oh, and apparently I don't know all the rules! You are suppose to tell about your 3 favorite things you'd like to win, among others, so here they are in order:

#12 - $50 gift certificate to Happy Panda
#15 - $50 gift certificate to Kids Magical Wonder
#20 - $50 gift certificate to Paperlicious

I also adore the following prizes, too!
#34, #50, #70 (yum!), #76, #88, #100, #101, #103, #107, #114, #117, #126, #140, and #151.


Phew, okay, so about me!

I will be thirty-two (I don't like seeing the actual numbers!) in 8 days, I have been married 9 years to my amazing hubby (we've been together 15 years!), have two spectacular (miracle) children, Noah (almost 4-1/2) and and Maia (almost 2-1/2). We live in central Illinois. I love where we live because we are within 2-3 hours to Chicago, St. Louis AND Indianapolis so I easily can enjoy the city life while still living up the small-town life as well. I am a stay-at-home mommy, but also a work-at-home mommy. I have had my photography business for almost SIX years now. I am absolutely amazed by that. I never ever EVER thought I would be able to say that. It really does put a huge smile on my face when I think about it. (And I thank those who have helped me get here. I'm so so blessed!)

Let's see . . . I grew up on a farm (corn, beans, alfalfa) and loved every single minute of it. I miss it desperately at times. I have one brother (also amazing) who lives in Kansas City right now. I have a sister-in-law and brother-in-law who are our best friends. Michelle is the sister I never had. I have 4 very special precious nieces. We have a dog and 3 cats. I love love love animals. I also have great passion for photography (obviously, hehe), my friends, graphic design, gardening, traveling and God, of course. I love ketchup, the colors red & turquoise, coffee, dark chocolate, sushi, Oprah, fashion, interior design, coffee table books, old Disney movies, magazines, oh how the list can go on and on. These passions, including my children I will talk about more in the coming week. :c)

With that said, I thank you for coming to my blog and giving me the opportunity to share my life with you. I met a dozen amazing women last year (Erin ~ who I met in real life last October!, Amanda, Jen, to name a small few!) and hope to do the same this year. Getting to know mommies who blog is such a rewarding experience and it's became a huge part of my life.

I have four blogs (1, 2, 3, and this one) and hope you have the time to come visit me at all.

Now for my exciting part . . . I would like to offer a fun little contest called "Things I've Learned About Val". I have these 5 cards with 5 questions on them (click on them to read the questions easier) and some of you will already know a few of the answers, but most of you might not know any. But at the end of this blogging party week, I hope you will have answers to all of them and know a lot about me ~ enough for you to want to stay with me here :o)

So the actual contest . . . next Friday, the 14th, the first person who can email me the answers to all 25 questions will win a . . . drumroll . . . 8x10 canvas gallery-wrap of any personal photo you choose! It's approx a $100 value!!! These canvas-wraps are one (of the many fabulous) thing(s) I offer at VWC Photography.

So just for keeping up with me at my blog for 1 week, you can win one of these!!! (I love them - I have them all over my house!)

I need to have (correct, hehe) answers to me by noon on Friday (as I am leaving that evening for a [my!] birthday getaway). Please email them to me here ----> [ valeliz @ mac . com ] no later than noon (central standard time) Friday March 14th. I will tally the answers and have a winner for you by Friday at 5:00 pm! If I have more than 1 person who answers all 25 correctly, I will put the names in a hat and draw THE winner. Yayyyy!!! This will be sooooo fun! Answers to all 25 questions will be posted throughout my blog entries all throughout the week starting today!

* Oh, and one more thing, you have to have a blog to qualify to win, so when you email me, please attach your full name and name of your blog. Have fun, and thanks again for stopping by! Party on! :c)

The "Things I've Learned About Val" Quiz:



And while you are here, check out Kidazy.com. They are giving away a $100 Toys R Us gift card! I had never heard of Kidazy, but now after looking around, I have added it to my bloglines. I've found some great gift ideas and ideas for my own kiddos. I love ideas for new unique gifts. Check it out!! Hopefully one of us will win!

Wah wah wah . . . wee wee wee!

I cannot believe it's been over a week since I posted. I'm not going to sugar coat it, I've not been feeling too dandy.

Long story short, I've been experiencing some upper back pain located between two vertebrae up near my shoulder blades. After a week I went to the doctor a month ago back when Neil was in China. They gave me motrin and told me to come back if it didn't get better. I wasn't happy with that answer so I talked to my friend who works for a chiropractor, something I had never sought out before. She thought I needed to come in. I did and had x-rays taken. It turns out my spine is not only curved, my neck is extremely curved. You know how a banana curves? Well, that is how a person's neck is suppose to be in it's natural state, at a 45 degree angle. Mine is at a -2. Can you imagine trying to pull back that banana backwards? Yeeks. And that's my neck.

Another long story short, I've suffered unexplained headaches for over 10 years now. I've had CT scans, MRI's, seen 3 neurologists, etc., and no one ever found the cause. It appears the chiropractor did. With my neck beginning to curve the opposite way, my spinal column is also being pushed the opposite way putting lots and lots of pressure in that area probably attributing to my headaches. It was a HUGE blessing in disguise. When he told me this I started to cry because for the first time I had an answer and it was at a time when I wasn't even looking for one. I had totally given up on finding a cure for my headaches. Bad news was, he didn't find anything around those vertebrae causing the pain. I've now started seeing the doctor 3 times a week and I definitely notice change in my neck area. Unfortunately not my back. So last week I went back to my general doctor and he seemed a bit worried this time. He lined me up with a CT scan of my back. I had that done on Thursday. I still haven't gotten those results back yet. I was incredibly worried - so much so that I haven't been myself, I've been on the verge of panic attacks and experienced a really bad migrane (wah wah wah). But I think I've realized this is out my hands. Hopefully today or tomorrow I will find what is wrong. Heck, maybe it's nothing?! But hopefully if it is something, it's treatable. That is why I haven't been around. I haven't had the energy emotionally or mentally to think about my blog. So that's my "wah wah wah" part of this post. I'm done with the "Wah-ing" and ready to move on for the time being. (yay me.)

This is the "wee wee wee" part.

I got two super neat-o packages in the mail last week!!! One from a very dear friend who moved away to MS. Jen sent me the yummiest package of cookies, which she beautifully made herself, as a super sweet surprise.

I think I am the only person she knows other than her mom who looooooves anise cookies. What's anise? You know . . . black licorice?? Mmmmmmmm . . . I can smell it just talking about it. Those yummy-to-my-tummy treats were gone in just 3 days all by myself. Oh my goodness are they the best. Jen and I are two black licorice peas-in-a-pod. We also crave and adore Good-N-Plenty's. Anyone else?!

Then a couple days later I received another box. This time when I picked it up, I really questioned it. "What is this?!" Well, as soon as I opened it up and saw a card inside with the logo of the product on it, I knew just what it was and who it was from. It made my day sparkle. Can you guess?!?!
I then
took out
the paper
and
inside the box
were
these 6
very pretty . . . .

{make sure you click on the picture to see what it says because it's been custom-designed and it's just way too cool!}

. . . SHARPIES from my friend, Amanda, my BBBF who sent me these as my winning prize at her (amazingly fabulously awesome) blog for .. . drumroll . . . this is kinda embarrassing . . . being her most commenting commenter! (I'm going into hiding now.) Really, though, it's SUCH an honor!!! I've had such fun at her blog over the past year and all the while I've grown to really known her and we've became the greatest friends, hence the "BBBF" which means Best Blogging Buddies Forever. We have so much alike all the way down to our love for VW's and Converse. Thanks, a, I really love you, friend! (Here is her prize-giving post!)

Lastly, two exciting bits. One is, I signed up Noah for summer t-ball last week! He wasn't so excited at first, but now that's all he talks about. I played softball for 8 years in school and then 2 more years once out of college. I looooove baseball and hope he acquires a love of it just like his mommy. His grandparents absolutely cannot wait to come see him play. It's going to be such a fun summer. I can't wait.

And lastly, I spent a lot of time during my not-myself days last week in back pain putting up pictures on my VWC blog. So check 'em out if you have time . . . there are a lot. And also, I wasn't going to say anything yet, but I might as well. At the end of May I am going to Chicago for a weekend to do shoots with some of my Chicago clients and if there is anyone else interested, let me know! The appointments are filling up quickly. I'm just in awe of the response and feeling really really really excited about it. It's going to be so so much fun shooting in downtown Chicago. It'll be a dream come true for me.

Okay, enough of my notorious rambling. I've missed you all and I hope next time I'm here, it's to give a (positive) back update.

Erin Erin Erin, oh how I miss my Erin

Oh my goodness, we had such a great time. I loved every moment, well, except finding out I was going to miss my friend's water birth. But that's okay. It was NOT Erin's fault because I would have missed it anyhow since it went soooo fast. I just felt so bad that I wasn't there. (Congrats, Lindsay!!! Lindsay was the one with the orange belly at my party and who was dressed as a . . . oh, I'm not even sure of the right word for her! Her costume . . . so super and so NOT Lindsay at ALL! She won for funniest costume.)

Anyway, Erin, she is the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, funniest (SO FUNNY!!!), most loving, spunkiest, prettiest girl I have ever met. We are so alike (not that I am any of the above), it's not even funny. I know it's not a good thing to feel this way, but I do. I am so jealous of her in-real-life friends who get to see her and spend time with her whenever they want. How blessed you all are!! I am happy to say that she and I are just 14 hours apart which is not bad at all considering she is in Canada, and a really positive thing is, there are gizillions of places we could "meet in the middle" at. (Yay!)

I wish our time together had been longer, but I'm thankful it was as long as it was (5 days!). We were up till at least midnight every night and I'm sure that will continue as we blog & email till all hours of the night every day in the future.

I got to show her the farm I grew up on, the town of 900 people that I am from, the house Neil grew up in, the hill we use to go sledding down, the house I just moved from in D-town (my first time back, I couldn't even look at the house . . . it was really hard), our wonderfully historic neighborhood that we moved from, my favorite shopping block in town which houses my favorite restaurant, Robbie's. I was able to take her to mom's house, to Allerton park, to Champaign (where the University of Illinois is), to some of my favorite shopping places in Champaign, to Starbucks (why of course -- that is one of our differences -- she doesn't drink anything coffee, not even Fraps!), to my mother-in-laws, to our mall, and to one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Champaign (Radio Maria).

She helped me put our party together -- she worked her booty off, too! -- she met all my friends and really bonded with a few -- Johanna and Heather. She got to know my kids (who happen to be the SAME ages as hers!), she got to know Neil (who is very similar to Jer -- same height even!). And she got to know me better. (I hope that's a good thing.)

She got to see how disorganized I am. She got to see how emotional I can be. She even got to pat my non-tooshie toosh. (Yes, people, I know, I do NOT have a bum.) She got to see how much I love ketchup and how much I love coffee. She got to decorate my home with her amazing interior mind's eye.

We got to do so many of our favorite things TOGETHER. In person! Face-to-face!

When we first saw each other in the airport, we didn't hesitate in hugging. We gabbed the entire way to Illinois (I picked her up in Indiana.) We knew right away that we had a million things in common. (A post to come later.) I mean, I can't even tell you how fabulous it was to meet such a special blogging friend and spend TIME with her. Lots of it. To get to know someone like her. SUCH a blessing. She was just incredible.

When I talked to Neil on the way home, I asked him a question. I said "What did you think of Erin?". Neil responded, "She was just like you, only she talked a lot more". I thought that was so funny. She does like to talk, but I love that. That's part of what makes her Erin. She makes up for my lack-of. And I love Neil's answer because I take it that that means he could almost marry her ;c)

God sent me this wonderful woman to be my friend. . . for life. We already have plans to get together again. I just cannot explain how blessed I feel.


Miss you, friend, and thank you for everything.

In honor of my 500th post . . .

. . . I honor some of the girls who have been supportive, loving, encouraging, funny, and very comment-ative (is that a word?!) to me here at my blog. They have just been very good friends and very loyal friends and so I give to them, some "Blog-a-licious Love" (as Amanda so greatly put it)!

First of all, can you believe this is my 500th post?!?! Should I be celebrating or is this just proof of all the time I waste (I mean, spend) here online?

Anyhow, a while back, Amanda tagged me. The deal is, when tagged you are suppose to show your blogging friends names in a creative way. Amanda did this with my name:Isn't it cute?!

So I kept putting this off and putting this off, knowing that I wanted to do it but just didn't put aside time to do it. But finally I decided today, while Maia was sleeping and Noah was watching Spongebob, that I would finally put my ideations to work.

Only three I made. All three go out to friends who I didn't know until I became a part of the blogging world. They have been three friends who have been so supportive over the months. All three, Amanda, Erin and Chel, indeed friends for life. I love them like sisters . . . is that weird?!?
(I so totally would have picked more, but I couldn't find a picture of them/you! This scavenger hunt for pictures was difficult, to say the least!)

So thanks, girls, for being there for me . . . for giving me some powerfully strong friendships that I never had prior to blogging. Thank you for your loyalty . . . thank you for loving me.




And I will admit, I also only did three because it took me so dang much time! That's what happens when you are so tedious (ahem, anal) about your work!

And Happy 500th post to me!