It’s Caitlin’s turn to say good morning! This cute little short outfit brought to you by none other than the Easter bunny.

I had mentioned starting work on Mark’s second portrait. Well here are a couple of shots of what’s going on with it. First, we have the full painting, which is an accurate color representation, even tho you can’t see him. The piece is 24×36 on 1-1/2″ deep gallery wrapped canvas, and the sides are gradated to match. Then there’s the close up of his face where you can see his profile outlined. And this is the photo I’m working from here. You like? He’s a handsome fella. I will work on this one soon. Gotta finish up that Daisy, which I plan on working on today. 🙂

Back later with more! Have a great day!

xoxo
-me!

Hey! It’s a mini-me! Just wanted to say good morning, will update more later today! 😀

I’m back! Today was productive. YAY! I’m back on the treadmill, walked 1.5 mi. so far today, and I’ll get back on in a little while.

Did some grocery shopping and stopped to pick up dinner for the kidlets, now we’re home and I’m just going to hang out for a bit and wonder what on earth I’m going to do with our finances for the next couple of weeks while I wait for the mortgage company to do their thing, and then I’ve got to shop for a new car too so we can have something more reliable to tool around in this summer.

The coolest part of course is that I got to chat with Mark again this morning for a bit, it is so nice to “see” him online! I think this is really going to help make the time pass in a much more positive way. Since he is so motivating for me, I’ll be making sure I keep my blog updated every day and “stuff” (more art!) so when he stops by (hi honey!) he can see I’m not sitting around moping like I’m known to do when he’s not around. 😉

I downloaded the COOLEST CD from Walmart.com this morning! The group is Maroon 5. If you like upbeat tunes, you have got to check out their music. Jay and I bopped around the house for a while today listening to it. I usually hear just one song (that’s the one that’s got us boppin’) and go looking for the CD to see if I like anything else they’ve got – and by george the whole CD is awesome! It’s great music for summer drives with the windows down, walking, whatever. GREAT great great stuff!!

I also got a call from Aunt T. lastnight, she browsed the site for a while with my cousin and saw all of my new stuff. I love hearing from people who browse through everything! She reminded me that I’m not done with my own site yet, my figurative/portrait gallery still doesn’t have the enlargement windows. I gotta get that done!

Yay! Mark’s new laptop arrived safely along with a couple of other boxes of goodies. I had been waiting to hear from him on the phone, but when I jumped on the computer this morning there he was!

YAHOO! We chatted for over an hour. He’s got the great patriotic nude from Erika hanging up in his trailer now along with some prints that Trev sent along with Mark’s belated Christmas present. A nice, colorful and artful place to call “home” for the next year! The cool CD’s arrived, he’s experiencing some technical difficulties with them but hopefully it’s just a little too much sand in his CD player. One of the guys wants me to make up a few more CD labels with Alex on it. Such a pretty birdie!

In other news, I had to go to the doc Friday. Just when I thought I was getting better, I wasn’t. So now I *think* I really am. LOL We shall see! We did spend the day outdoors yesterday, Mark’s dad came over and took care of the lawn God bless him. They helped me burn down the leaves in our burn pile too – which was huuuuge! So now the yard is purdyful.

Thankfully I’m feeling more motivated now that the line of communication with my hubby is much more open than it was. What a relief!!!

He will be stopping by so if you want to say anything to or for him, he will be reading & replying to you some time tomorrow!

Love you!!
xoxo

Hey Lolo, when you read this can you confirm this is a Gerber? I’m pretty sure it is, but of course I’m more knowledgeable about animals than flowers.

Well, it’s not quite fuschia yet, but it will be. I spent a couple hours yesterday trying to mix it from primaries and got close, but frustrated. So now by george I think I’ve got it! This is a reeeeealy deep pink right now, not as red as it may look to you, and my next stages will be lightening it up and adding the details. The background color is very cool, it’s not black, it’s like a midnight cobalt blue. I’m thinking about painting the sides of the canvas another color, maybe green? Pale pink? Not sure yet. We shall see.

So there! I’ve been painting! Happy Happy!

Oh yes, ok, I can do a weight loss progress update too, since I’ve been sick and it’s assisted my goals for the month. (iew! but ok.) Ok just counted on the calendar (man I’m behind!)

75 days, down 25.5 lbs., 4.5 lbs to go for goal for the month of April!>Mark called Tuesday night. Once again, thank you guys for keeping him and the guys in your thoughts and prayers. They’ve successfully made their way through some of the tougher times to be had over there. He’s anxious to get the care packages that are on their way, there are a few coming to him from different directions – thank you guys for that, too! You’re the best!

The weather here has been beautiful, my stomach flu is about gone (I couldn’t take it anymore after lastnight and got some quick-stop medicine in my system finally), Lolo thanks for the bag! 😉

So there you have it, on the upswing once again, the pits are the pits are they not? I can do without them!! I hope you are all staying virus and bug-free so far this spring.

Ooh yes I will post a WIP of Mark’s second portrait that I started soon too. Now that the daisy is drying for the day/afternoon I may start working on filling him in and might have something identifiable to show you. My in-laws LOVE it so far… but I think they’re biased, you know? Maybe? A little? Eh that’s ok, doesn’t make ’em wrong, hehe! ::wink-wink::

Feels good to be sorta almost normal. Phew. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! I’ll be back!
xoxoxo

I’ve been sick. 🙁 Spent most of the last two days curled up in a ball on the couch, Cait took care of me and Jay yesterday the little sweetie. She was back to school today though, nice spring break, taking care of sick mom.

Haven’t heard from Mark on the phone, but we have gotten a couple of letters from him dated the end of March. He said he’s going to send a camel home for Caitlin. eek!

I got two pieces sketched on Sunday before I went out of commission, hopefully I’ll be feeling “normal” tomorrow and can get back to the easel. I don’t get sick like this often, I think it’s been a few years actually. Anyone else get this yuky stomach flu?! It’s MEAN!

I hope you’re all doing well and had a nice easter. I’m headed back to the couch and Mark’s blankie.

xoxoxo

Good evening everyone. 🙂

Believe it or not, this is a purple tulip growing in MY front yard! I did a little magic in PSP with it and thought it turned out very easter-y so here you go. A purple tulip to wish you all a blessed Easter with your families and loved ones. Did you know purple is my favorite color? And tulips are my favorite flower.

My husband sent me over 50 tulips for my birthday last year. They were fresh cut, and I had to split them into 5 different vases and had them all over the house. What a man.

Tomorrow we will celebrate with the standard morning egg hunt, the girls will follow purple bunny prints around the house to their baskets and treats. I tried to incorporate as much of Mark as I could. We will have dinner with his family Sunday night at Mark’s favorite restaurant.

I am working on three paintings this week. First, another portrait of my hubby in oils. Second, a very bold and beautiful fuschia gerber daisy. Third, I believe I will paint this lovely purple tulip, maybe take another close-up shot of my beautiful tulips in the front yard while they’re open.

I am also very excited to announce that my peonies are growing! I have been trying to grow them for years. FINALLY. ::taking a bow:: I look forward to dark pink, white and light pink peonies covered in ants and smelling up my yard in the most beautiful bumble-bee kind of way. 🙂

Have a wonderful, wonderful Easter everyone.

xoxoxo

Boy I tell you what though, if the next 348 days 7 hours 45 minutes and 14 seconds are anything like the last few days, I’m not sure exactly what I’ll get accomplished if anything.

Thank you all again for your prayers and continued thoughts and support for Mark and his guys. I can’t tell you how much they are truly appreciated. Please keep them coming. Been spending a lot of time thinking about things, being a little sullen, and still recovering from this cold which is kicking my butt.

I hope to get caught up with everyone tomorrow.

Love you guys.
xoxoxo

Mark called this morning. Thank God. And thank you for all of your prayers, they are indeed working. There was an incident on Saturday that I won’t go into here, I will say that he thanked us for praying that Hedge of Protection around him and that at that moment he said he felt it, and that it’s some pretty strong stuff. He asked that we keep praying for him, for his guys, to keep them safe so that if another similar situation occurs they are again able to walk away unharmed.

Every letter that Caitlin writes to him she tells him that she prays for a Head of Pertishin around him every night. Last Tuesday when we talked he said he wasn’t sure what that was, and it took him a half hour to sound it out and know what she meant. Well, be it a Head of Pertishin or a Hedge of Protection, we’re pretty certain our guy’s head and hedge alike are glowing in the desert over there. (This is the story I tell Caitlin to make her feel better about him not getting hurt.)

He’s going to try to call again tonight or tomorrow. The line was a thousand men long. Wives and families across the country jumping to answer the phone today just like I did.

Took my lemon into the shop this morning to get a leak checked, and I decided to nurse it along for a while. We also went to the post office and got his first 2 packages off in the mail to him (if you can add a little ditty to God about they’re safe and speedy arrival too, that would be great!). One of the packages has a beautiful patriotic oil painting by Erika included in it. I can’t wait for him to get that hung in his trailer. I know it’ll be the talk of the camp! 🙂

That’s all for now. I haven’t worked on anything except a few small wooden bird houses with Caitlin. We went down to Dick Blick and picked up some things (including a few new tubes of oils) when I spotted the little bird house kits. We have some beautiful Purple Finches’ around who I’m hoping take to one of these little homes. I will post pics when we get them painted.

Gotta work on a few things tonight, banner, return e-mail, etc. I am behind, and still feeling stuffy and headachey from this cold!

Thanks again everyone for your prayers!!
xoxoxo

I just went on a ebay listing spree! Alex ended, so I relisted him, and then I also put BeethovenAndy’s Dream out there! You might remember that one, I painted him last fall for the AKC/Eukanuba commemorative poster competition. Oooh the winning piece for that contest is beautiful! But I am pretty certain I made it in the finals with Andy, even though he didn’t win. 😉

I’ve been low on “juice” today, and this springtime sinus/cold junk is making my head cloudy so I haven’t done much today. A little treadmilling, a little lounging, a little bill paying, and then a listing spree. And there you have it! My whole day wrapped up into one sentence. LOL

I hope your weekend was a great one! On to Monday, and some warmer weather! (Pleaaassseeeee!)

xoxoxo!