Blog Following I will go.....

I am so determined to blog my heart out this year. My ramblings & what not will be kept on here in "Di's Thoughts" & I will do my project 365 on the "PahmanFamilyYearBook." Friends, family, fellow military, independent PartyLite consultants, fellow scrapbookers/crafters & so on, if you have a blog, post a comment, let me know. You can 'follow' me & I will 'follow' you. Google has that wonderful feature found at the very top of each blog & some of us have it added on our sidebar as well (I just added mine to both blogs). Here is to a great 2011!!

Photo taken with no flash to see the beautiful illumination:) PartyLites new Infinite Reflections Prism Tealight Holder + a jar candle on each side

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years! Although I haven't been so good with updating a blog & my resolutions last year didn't work, I am seriously thinking of trying to do a photo a day challenge. If I do do it & am successful (ok minus the 2 days I missed already) you will need to check or follow along with my other blog. Since the name of this one is Di's thoughts, I'll leave it at that, but the other is The Pahman Family so what better of a place to have a photo a day blog, my own project 365:)

Btw, isnt' this cute?!? It's PartyLite's new customizable tealight holder:) This is one of their photos but I do have one & saw the cutest idea that I plan to use. When I get it done, I'll upload & show you what it looks like:)

Item P90171 Customizable Tealight Centerpiece by PartyLite

End of the Year

I bet you can't believe you are actually seeing a blog from me! Amazing huh!?! Well lets see, this makes my 3rd blog for the entire year. Not very good considering one of my new years resolutions was to blog more. In fact lets recap them:

1. Continue my schooling - That one I accomplished, in fact if you don't already know, I'll give you a little run down of it. Spring & summer semesters I continued with 3 classes, 10 credit total both ending in 4.0 GPA. This last sememster I made the decision to double major, added a class boosting me to 13 credits & was accepted into the honors program. In the honors program, I had to do an extra project/paper & have an instructor sponsor me, I chose my microbiology instructor. In the beginning of the semester she told our class about an opportunity that was truly out of this world (literally). I thought to myself what are my chances, but this may be a one time shot that I just had to try. Once accepted into the honors program, she asked me would I be interested in participating which of course I was & that became my honors project. To make this short, google SSEP (Student Science Experiment Program).

Opportunity knocked & I opened the door. Our window the little, but we did it. I met with a everyone interested, became the college student for team 1 & matched up with early college high school team members, two of them. We were one of the smallest teams. We worked hard, created our proposal, were finalists in the local panel (3 out of the 7 submitted were picked) & then all our hard work truly paid off when we won the final spot from the national panel. What does that mean? So long as no problems come up, our proposed experiment will be on board the next/last space shuttle flight. My teammates & I have already appeared on three local news channels, had an article in our local press & have been mentioned on SSEP's national blog. Prayfully everything goes to plan, as of now, we'll be present at the time of the shuttle launch (yes, NASA's Kennedy Space Center) & presenting our findings at a national conference in DC. Pretty amazing huh!?

Michelle, Jarisma & myself

2. Reduce the amount of crap we have - Certainly in the process but at the same time we moved & life has changed so its really hard to say. Old toys, items not needed & so on have left but at the same time school books & things like sports equipment have entered the home.

3. Blog more - Well that sure didn't happen!

4. I will lose 1/4 of the wt I want to lose in total - That didn't really happen either.

5. I will scrapbook more - That certainly didn't happen either:(

6. Print more photos - Nope, not really. But when you have to move unexpectedly in the year, not everything you plan on can be done.

Emma - December 2010 - 8 yrs old

Christopher - December 2010 - 7 yrs old

Matthew - December 2010 - 5.5 yrs old

7. Continue to learn about my OCD - Yup, done that:) In fact I've actually helped some others.

8. Put my needs before my friends - Definitely did that!!

9. Refresh my memory of the second language I once learned - Mmm, not so much, but really need to!

10. Organize more, in a normal & not so OCD sense, I hope - I'll say from what I did accomplish its a for sure. Some of it just goes with #7 & some of it I decided my way is just better:)

Oh & before I forget, yes, I got into a home based business, one I have always loved & was with once before. At first I told myself I'm signing up because I love the products so much but truly, our family can use the extra income when I can bring some in & neither Jesse or I has the time to go out & job where someone else makes our schedual. So PartyLite it is:) They have been in business for nearly 38 years & are the only candles I swear by. Don't like to burn, they have warmers, reeds & more to help freshen your home, car & so on.

My set up at a home based business open house. Feel free to visit my website anytime:) www.partylite.biz/dianapahman

Well, I think I'll stop there for now. I want to say at the top of this site there is an option that lets you follow my blog. So you aren't hopelessly checking on & off, click to follow & you should get an email when I actually DO post something. Really hoping to change that, even if my OCD knows I've missed things I wanted to post before, just so I can get something out there, even ramblings kinda like this:)

The Boys Room

So I started my organization and reorganization process last week. I have completed the kids rooms so far. I still have to get a picture of Emma's but I at least have the boys to share. I went through and removed at least half of their toys. Everything left, went into a storage container and onto the shelf. No more toy box.

Then last weekend, the kids got to have a little four wheeling fun.

I'll be sure to get some pictures of Emma's room soon and get those posted. School for me begins next week. I'm just hoping the new room set ups will help the kids to help me more. Of course if all goes well, in just over a month the boys room will be changing again, as we are planning to get them a set of bunkbeds. Ta ta for now!

Happy New Year

Wow, can you belive it, a post from...me! Well it's a new year and like everyone else, I have New Year resolutions.

1. Continue my schooling

2. Reduce the amount of crap we have

3. Blog more (I'm sure you are thinking, I will belive it when I see it)

4. I will lose 1/4 the wt I want to lose in total

5. I will scrapbook more

6. Print more photos

7. Continue to leare about my OCD

8. Put my needs before my friends

9. Refresh my memory of the second language I once learned

10. Organize more - in a normal and not so OCD sence, I hope

Well, that is what I have for now. What you all probably would like to see, some pictures.

The Pahman & Hand Family

Emma, Christopher and Matthew. And yes, we have a dog, her name is Sophie! The kids are growing by leaps and bounds. Even our furry and scaled family has grown. Sophie being one of them. She is very protective over the kids and I. A great delight, a wonderful companion.

Happy Easter!

Ok, so that is a very delayed statement.  But since the picture I'm sharing is of the kids on Easter morning I figured I just had to titled that way.

Just a little update on some of what is going on here.  Jesse, is finally, cross your fingers, having his appt with Ortho on Monday.  Please pray we will get some good news.  Whether it be he can have a permanent profile and still be able to stay in the army, or that he can have surgery.  If it is the surgery option, that the surgeon will actually have the wisdom to preform it correctly.  

Emma is still having a bit of trouble with reading.  Both her teacher and I work closely with her helping her along and hopefully, I know she has it in her, she will be able to pass on to second grade, without going to summer school.

Christopher continues to do well in school and is 100% boy.  Matthew of course just had his 4th birthday and is back on the band wagon with potty training.  Crossing fingers, he seems to want to do it, every day.  This past week the only time he has worn his pull ups were at night in case.  After all, if you ask him, he is a big boy now.  And as for me, I am officially enrolled in the community college here.  Working on studying little bits here and there to get ready to take my placement test so I can work towards getting accepted into their RN program.

That's all for now.  I know I don't update as often as I like so I'll try to do it more often, even if it is just little tiny posts with updates and or pictures.

My Baby is 4!

I just can't believe how time has flown.  It has already been 4 years since our precious Matthew was born.  Can you believe it, my baby is four?!

We had a nice little party for Matthew today.  Rented a jumper for all the kids to play in, had food and of course cake.

I made a spongbob cake for his birthday.  Matthew throughly enjoyed opening all of his gifts as well.  Happy 4th Birthday Matty!!

Father Daughter Dance

Ok I give, I don't think I will ever get the past posts done I wanted to. Between life and computer probs I just don't see it happening anymore. Please forgive me.

This past Thursday Emma and her Daddy attended the Father Daughter dance at her school. She had so much fun. I'm pretty sure Jesse enjoyed taking her as well:-)

Emma and her friends Hailey and Alexis before the dance.


Daddy pinning the corsage on Emma.


Father and Daughter!


Happy Valentine's Day!!

A Blog to the Extreme

You know sometimes something comes up that you just know that it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know there are many times I have just sat by and watched life just pass my by. Well today, I was not going to let that happen.


Above (door knock - day 1) and below (demolition day - day 3) photos taken from the website.


Have you ever seen (or even heard of) the show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?" I'm sure most of you have. Well a family here in El Paso was chosen to receive one of their awesome homes. By the time I had heard it on the news (and I don't watch it very often at all), mulled it over for a bit and finally decided, yes, I will find a way to work it out so I can be on the team, production had already started. Ok so that didn't work but I wasn't going to hold me back from at least visiting the location.


Above demolition day (taken from the web site - day 3). Below, construction day 1 (taken from the web site -day 4).


Construction day 2 (taken from the web site - day 5).


Sunday afternoon Jesse, the kids, along with a friend of mine and her kids, drove out to see what we could of the production. Of course we didn't really know where to park and most of the area was blocked off so I only have a couple shots of the back of the house nearly done.


I took the above picture on day 7.

Today, was when I really decided, I am not going to let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass me by. I went back, all by myself. Found where we parked and got out. As soon as I got up to the shuttle stop, I learned they had run the last one. We were allowed to walk but not guaranteed to get in to see (about a mile or so walk). I went for it. As soon as I got to the barricades, I was told they weren't letting anyone else in, they had already 'moved the bus'.

I started to get in the line to get on a shuttle to go back, and there was quite a line. Once I got to the back, I noticed one of the designers out taking pictures, shaking hands and all that. So I snapped a few shots (thank you honey for the wonderful camera with a telephoto lens:)). The line was so long so I just waited, figured why be in a hurry and good thing to, they decided to let more people in, so away I went down to the home.


Eduardo Xol


I stayed as long as I could getting shots of the new home. I also bought a shirt to commemorate the event. The police let us stay so long then decided to start moving everyone out. On the way out, I ran into another designer, of course got pics of him, but this time, I got well his initials on my new shirt as well as a picture with him.


Rib Hillis


I left feeling pretty good. They told us that Ty and the family would be inside filming for hours yet. Again, thinking how once in a lifetime this opportunity is, I proceeded to get my oil change and head back, just to see. This time I parked on a street a bit closer and got out to walk. They weren't letting anyone down to the house anymore and just when I thought all was lost, I heard his name shouted out. Yes, there he was, Ty Pennington himself. You could tell he didn't have a lot of time and I'm not a pushy person (as so many there were), I didn't end up with his autograph, however, I did get some pretty good pictures though.


Ty Pennington


Boy am I glad I grabbed this chance by the horns:-)

El Paso, TX to Springfield, MO

I'm a bit behind on posting all this but like I said, I'm going to get it done:) Here is a pic of Mitzi trying to come along in my suitcase (no not really, she just likes laying on our clothes).

The first day we decided to drive as much as possible. We knew we would be heading into bad weather the farther north we got and were losing 2 hr of time as we went along as well (from mountain time to eastern).

Jesse and I took turns driving. He still did the majority of it but at least I started out and drove (with stops) for approximately 8 hrs of the day. It is supposed to be a 26hr trip and we did the first 15+ in one day.

Nothing really to say, nothing really to see. We made pretty good time and the kids did pretty well. Note how they all fell asleep.

We arrived at the Best Western in Springfield, MO quite late and got tucked right in. No spare time tonight, we just had to sleep and get back on the road. Here is a picture of the kids all tucked in for the night.

Matty was the last up in the morning.

Jesse having a breakfast sandwich, compliments of the hotel, heated up by me using our room microwave:)

Me, looking cranky....I must be checking out the weather reports here and dreading, I mean getting all set to hit the road again.

Just an outside pic of the room we stayed in.

And of course, a picture of the lobby/check in building.

Stay tuned, as I will have more postings of the rest of our trip to follow.