Yeah, that's my kid

http://client.briettepeterson.com/user

User name: Dayna
Password: Samantha

Amazing pics. Or maybe it's because it's my kid. I wish I was good at photography like this!

Where does the time go?????????

I can't believe it's December 22 already! To think I am only working a few more days this month is crazy! My DH's b-day is tomorrow, he'll be the big 35. He thinks that's old but I still got almost 4 years on him!

Things are going well, got Samantha's 2 year pics done this past weekend even though she turned 2 in September. Oh well! Almost got my rental house all painted, just a little touching up to do and it's ready. The renter is excited to move in and that makes me happy. I hope he stays a long time.

The weather is great too! I love it when it rains! Well, it's not raining at the moment but it's nice and cloudy out. I feel for the people on the east coast though where the weather's nothing but a big pain in the ass. I can't imagine living in snow and having to deal with that every winter. We are spoiled here in so cal. We drove to see the snow this weekend and it only took us about 50 min. to get to it. I am a retard in snow too. My DSS fell like every 5 minutes but I didn't. I was VEEEERY careful walking in it though. My DH just trudges through it as if it were nothing. He grew up in Idaho though and I grew up in San Diego so you can imagine how lame I am in snow. LOL. Apparently my DSS doesn't have a prayer either being born and raised in southern CA too, ha. Samantha thought it was way cool to just pick up any snow she saw and put it in her mouth. We had to keep an eye on her after that happened once. That crazy kid loves ice so snow isn't too much different I guess.

My lovely DH volunteered us to host Christmas dinner for the family so I am a bit stressed about that. Then the day after Christmas we're leaving for the annual New Year's desert trip & I have no time to get all this stuff done--Christmas dinner & having people over and at the same time being at work all day and oh yeah also try and get the trailer ready for a week's trip out in it in the desert. Hey, no problem! Ugh. It's easy for him though, he's got all week (and had last week) off. Oh well.

Guess that's about all there is here. I can't wait to share some of Samantha's new photos with you, they're awesome! In the meantime here's Samantha's Santa photo for 2008. She would have nothing to do w/ santa so DH & I had to be in the pic also. You can tell she is not amused. Hilarious!

Wait scratch that...life is not always fair

Oh my god, I feel like a total heel. Here I am complaining about my renter situation and there is a family I know of and their son is dying from cancer and they're just hoping he can make it through the holiday. He is dying and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Ugh, I can't stop crying. Here I am at work and looking like an ass but I can't help it.

I thought I had problems but compared to them. I have nothing to complain about and all I can do is send good thoughts their way-hoping he will get better.

whoo hoo! Life is good once again!

Oh my gosh, the past 2 weeks have been really rough on me trying to find someone to rent my other house. I even entertained the idea of a property manager. That is, until I talked to a guy at a mgmt. company yesterday who was a total ass. I won't go into detail, it's not worth it.

Anyway, I think I have found the most gentle, easy going, nice, compassionate older gentleman to rent my house. Maybe all the no-shows and inconsideration by people for my time was worth it? You have no idea what a relief this is for me. I was stressed out so bad, feeling really anxious and full of dread. It was ruining my holiday season. I was getting those old habits I had when I was really depressed a few years ago. Not wanting to do anything, not enjoying anything, distant from people, wanting to lay in bed and do nothing.<---Thats the true sign I know I need anti depressants in my life still.

I feel like myself once again now. Reminds me that I need to take my Lexapro even though I thought I was over being depressed or anxious for good. Apparently not. It still rears its ugly head every once in awhile obviously.

So, that's my big news. I sure hope this guy is always the way he seems now. I even offered free rent until the end of December but he wants to move in on 1/1/09.

Life is once again.....good.

Being a landlord is no fun

As a matter of fact, it really sucks. I have been stressing for like a week because my renters moved out and there's about a million & one rentals out there for competition and I am not seeing very much action, if at all for potential renters. Ugh. It makes it hard for me to do my job at work since I think about it constantly. I worry so much sometimes. I already pay out the ass just to keep the house every month on top of what the renters pay so if I don't find any by the end of this month, I'll have to make the entire payment myself which will make things extremely hard on us.

I will never buy investment properties now because of this! Its tempting since there are so many good buys in my area but we're not made of $ you know? I woud sell this house if I could but in the current market, I can't so am forced to rent it or foreclose on it and I don't want to do the latter.

Onto other things....we finally got our Christmas tree up and decorated! Sure smells good in the house right now. Samantha keeps wanting to mess with it of course. No big surprise there. I'm just about all done w/ my shopping, only like 1 more gift to get. We have so many things to do and not enough time. Well, DH has a lot mroe to do than me. For one, getting our 5th wheel hitch installed in our new truck so we can go get our trailer back from the dealership (it's in for repairs). He's got to help me get my rental house ready. I took off a little early yesterday and spent the time painting. Whoo hoo! He's there today doing the same thing. I have 1 potential renter that's going to look at it on Sat. morning. That is, if he doesn't flake out on me. I sure hope I get it rented so I can once again enjoy myself and not be constantly stressing out all the time.

Will keep you posted...

My nutty kid

I was on the computer and couldn't hear what Samantha was doing so I go looking for her and I find her standing up on the couch--naked--dancing to a song Dave Chappelle (the comedian) was doing on TV. It cracked me up! When she saw me she was a little startled like she wasn't expecing anyone to see her doing it. I wish I had it on tape since its one of those things that's funnier if you see it for yourself.

Why does she insist on taking her clothes and diaper off all the time at home now? Arrrgh!

I have to keep editing (adding to) this post because she's cracking me up tonight. She just came into our office where the computer and I are, naked with a marker in her mouth (capped thank god) singing hmmm hmmm hmmmm and then promptly looked up at me and cut the biggest fart ever. I am still laughing. I think I'd better check and see if she's clean back there. LOL!

Thoughts for today

1. I hate being poor. I messed up on our finances this month so now I'm payin' for it but it'll be ok in the future. Just right now I am stressed.

2. I hate being a landlord. No one who ever rents my other house ever takes good care of it. I end up having to do the work myself and am always short on time. And always get gypped in $. Why can't people NOT put a 3" screw in my wall to hang a simple picture? And then leave all the screws in the wall still when they vacate. I don't get it...it's such a source of stress for me. As soon as the market gets better, I am sellin' the damn thing.

3. I have another pinched nerve in my neck. A pain in my neck if you will. It's killin' me and totally sucks.

4. Hey, it's FRIDAY! That's a good thing! Almost done w/ my Christmas shopping too. Seriously.