ok...here is my first official blog picture. my new favorite toy. i got it for christmas and spent several weeks (aka many, many hours) uploading songs for our cruise. by the time we left, i was blissfully enjoying 2652 songs, with only a fraction of my memory actually used. i came home and started compiling a few new playlists and was getting ready to start searching out 100s more songs...then one night i went to sync my dear little ipod with the new enrique cd i had just burned onto itunes. somewhere in the process i was asked by mr. computer if i wanted to change the settings or something and i naively responded "yes". in the blink of an eye, i lost 2000 songs! gone! just like that! hours and hours of my life lost, never to be retrieved again. i seriously didn't know whether to laugh or throw up! i have been told by a few computer geeks that my songs are still there...somewhere...i just have to re-sync. not sure i trust them. i would hate to lose the only 600 songs i have left! one day i will try. what have i got to lose, but another week or so of my life.

ok, ok...i really am still alive. but now you know why my blog is named what it is! i was recently told by a friend that if i didn't update my blog, she would no longer be able to be my friend!

well, i don't want to lose any friends over this, as i have so few to start with, (j/k)...so...

i had oral surgery on friday the 13th (july) and am now considered an organ transplant recipient and can not donate blood for one entire year! go figure...who knew? i have actual cadaver bone powder transplanted in my gums. yum!

my father-in-law passed away on my birthday (july 15) and we made a quick trip to utah for the funeral. thanks to all who knew about this and sent their love and prayers to our family.

dad packard was 90 years old, square with god, and ready to go back home!

he has been saying for 25 years that he was ready to go whenever the good lord saw fit to take him ...said he had seen everything and done everything he had wanted to do. he was a great man and

will be missed by all who knew him, but

it is all good.

our little grandbaby, kaiti, had surgery a few weeks ago to correct her crossed eyes. we can finally see who she looks like and what a beautiful girl she truly is. it is so great to have her look right into your eyes and smile at you! melts my heart everytime!! she looks so much like her daddy, jake. you can take a peak at a few recent pictures (post-surgery, of course) at photobucket.com...for user id enter "jpsmiles2" and the password is "boop00" (that's the word "boop" followed by two zeros!).

we are so very busy at work right now, receiving tons of new product from the last industry show and gearing up for our huge september event "creative escape". this a three day event for 600+ women. guest speakers, classes, dinners, and all the fun and excitement that comes with it!

i have been on a reading binge as well...reading one book after another until i had to put myself on a reading restricted diet. no more books until i catch up on all my chores and responsibilities, i.e. my blog! so i have to get this entry done before i can start book #3 in the twilight series...eclipse. of course, my first challenge will be finding a copy! can you belive borders only received 100 copies in their first shipment, and now they can't get anymore until more are printed! what a rip! i even had a special order, but i will have to keep looking. maybe costco still has a few left. if you know where i can get a copy, let me know!

also, one book i read but did not like was the memory keeper's daughter. so unbelievable and depressing. no redemption until the final pages, and even then, not for the main character! read at your own risk.

enough rambling for now. i am going to go play around with my e-drive and see if i can figure out the whole putting photos on here thang.

have a good one...take care of you!