details to follow

Every mother's worst nightmare

2011-12-13T22:20:00.001-08:00

LM: "Mom, will you PLEASE stop buying me more stuff!"

In response to my latest purchase at Nordstrom, a pair of pants for him.

"W"

2011-10-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession with the letter "W." Putting up different letters around the house is definitely a trend right now, and I find it easy to go overboard. When my brother was here in August, he found it amusing to count all the "W's" in the house. I don't remember how many he found, but I don't think it was a lot. We have a smallish house, so I try to keep it under control, but I am consistently finding other styles of "W's" I like. So the question is, how much is too much? One per room?

He never ceases to amaze me

2011-10-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

LM: "Mom, I am like Hermione because I am so clever."

I'm in charge

2011-10-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight I unknowingly told LM he could have a piece of candy after Bill had already said no. Once we figured it out of course I said he needed to listen to his dad. At that point LM said that he should listen to mom because "she is more in charge of the house." That's right, LM.

A Real Family?

2011-10-04T08:38:00.001-07:00

Last night for FHE I chose to do yoga for the activity. LM was so excited, "Mom, it's like we are a real family!" This of course prompted Bill and I to ask him what a "real family" was. Here is LM's definition:

does yoga together
no yelling
dad and son play football together
they wear pjs on Christmas morning
watch movies together

It sounds like something out of the movies.

Alice Anne

2011-04-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

My new niece born Saturday night. She is five weeks early so hanging out in the hospital for awhile. I decided the hospital is just a very expensive babysitter.

One of my loves

2011-02-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

With New York Fashion Week just finishing up I had to take a second and give homage to another great season of fabulous designers. I think they are some of the best artists around and truly appreciate their work. I love that their work undeniably affects our lives. Even if you don't follow fashion, the mix of clothes available in the store is influenced by this people. If I had unlimited funds and no job, I would fashion week hop, go from one to the next to the next for the entire month or so that they go on. I have plans to attend at least one show eventually. It is difficult to do because they don't just sell tickets. Generally you have to be invited. However there are a variety of other ways to make that happen (usually by spending a lot of money).

Prompt #12: What is your favorite day of the week?

2011-02-17T17:41:00.000-08:00

Haven't done one of these in a long time...

I had a hard time picking (go figure), so I chose 2.

Monday:
After spending a majority of my years in school dreading Mondays because of, well, school, I have now come to love Mondays. It was something I had to consciously work on. After spending most of my life hating Mondays it became ingrained. I spent some time pondering the day and discovered that Monday is really a great day because it is a fresh start. It just feels good to get up and start the week right. Get a good breakfast, be super productive at work, exercise, hang out with the fam, get all the cleaning done...I am so productive on Mondays!

Friday:
This is totally ingrained from years loving Friday nights because it meant the weekend. Now even though I work on Saturdays, I still love Friday. I become giddy at work just because it is Friday. The whole world is good and great. I imagine that the sun is shining, even though it usually isn't. If I'm doing something with friends I actually prefer to do it Friday over Saturday just because Friday feels like the night you go out.

LM and his future

2011-02-17T17:35:00.001-08:00

Me: How many kids do you want to have LM? (after discussing how many brothers and sisters he wanted)

LM: I think 10, 10 would be easy-piesy (rhyming)

Me: What will you name your kids?

LM: Superheros, they will all have regular names, but you can call any of them Superhero. There will be Spiderman, Superman, Superwoman...

Me: Where will you live? I know you love Oregon and Ohio.

LM: Hmm...Mom, where do they have earthquakes?

Me: In California

LM: I think I will live in California.

Me: Why?

LM: Because I want to fix the roads and train tracks and stuff like Superman.

Me: You will have to be very strong to do that.

LM: I know. I have to work on my muscles.

Love

2011-02-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of chaos theory? It's a science. It tries to determine underlying patterns in chaotic systems: weather, ocean currents, blood flow, that sort of thing. Well, it turns out that there are few things more chaotic than the beat of a human heart. Speeding up, slowing down. A pretty face, a flight of stairs. It's always changing depending on what's happening to us out there. It's erratic. But underneath all of that bump-a-ta-bump mess, there is, in fact, a pattern. A truth. And it's love. The most important thing about love is that we choose to give it and we choose to receive it. Making it the least random act in the entire universe. It transcends blood, it transcends betrayal and all the dirt that makes us human.

-Chaos Theory, 2007

Who do you love?

Another teenager moment

2011-02-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

LM: Walking around holding his cell phone, "Why does this girl keep texting me?! She keeps saying 'Bring me to a football game' and I am busy."

Me: "What else is she saying?"

LM: "Stupid! She wrote stupid because I was not coming. She wrote stupid again; how many times does she have to write stupid? Sorry, I cannot come!"

Random

2011-02-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

Bill is at a funeral. His best friend died at 34. They lived together for longer than Bill and I have lived together (8 yrs). He is in Dallas-hot spot right now considering the Super Bowl is this weekend. I called him this morning, and he said there is a crazy blizzard. So crazy they couldn't get the casket to the church. So there is no viewing or burial today, just the service.

LM is sick, so I'm missing work to be at home with him. Usually Bill takes that duty because it is easier for him to make up work during weird hours. I need to be at my job during the day. LM is missing the school field trip, bowling. He is pretty mad about that. We're going to go bowling for FHE.

I have some pictures to put up here, just not the energy. I've been spending all my time organizing my photos. I have Lightroom, but I've never taken the time to seriously get things in order. It will feel good to get it done. I'm participating in our church photography class. The teacher did photography as her undergrad. She is a great teacher; it really makes a difference to have an actual assignment to get me working on my photography instead of just taking pictures. It is nice to get feedback.

I was saved from having the mammogram the other day. When I went in they said they really didn't want me to have to go through that (b/c of pain, radiation? Idk why). They decided to do an ultrasound first; it came up clean. I asked the tech if I could take the pictures home to put up on the fridge; he said no. For some reason my doc still wants me to see a breast specialist. I don't know if I'll go or not. If I do I'll wait until next insurance year (March), gotta take care of that deductible.

Valentine's day

2011-01-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

LM: Mom, what is Valentine's day?

Me: It is a day where you can show and tell people that you love them.

LM: Do you give presents to them?

Me: Sometimes

LM: Mom, don't listen; I have to talk to Dad.
(whispering to Bill) Dad, let's get mom a necklace for Valentine's day because we love her.

A few weeks later

Me: We need to get you a shoebox for your Valentine's day box.

LM: What is it for?

Me: You can give notes to people you like/love. You tell them that you love them.

LM: Mom, I really love you. But I will get you a present. And if you don't like someone then you don't get them a present. (very matter of fact)

here comes a little teen

2011-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

LM: Mom I want to get the big boxes of raisins, not the little ones.

Me: LM you don't need a big box for your lunch, you won't eat all of them.

LM: But all my friends get big boxes.

Me: That's ok, but you can just get the little ones.

LM: My friends call me a baby because I bring the little ones.

Me: Just tell them you don't like raisins that much.

LM: Mom we are having a fight.

Me: We are? About what?

LM: About raisins.

Handsome man

2010-12-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

His hair was getting in his eyes. Bill didn't like it (of course); I let him wear it everywhere. We finally cut his bangs a tad so it isn't necessary anymore, but his hair is still pretty long. I just love it.

He's official

2010-12-09T14:55:00.001-08:00

Did I go to to the general swearing in Bill had after he passed the bar--no. I was working in PDX. In fact he barely made it himself. He was so busy with work that day it was more of an inconvenience than anything else, but he wanted to at least be official. Why would we not make a big deal out of a HUGE deal? Because of this swearing in...

Chief Justice Muniz used to be a partner at GHR, so he always does a private swearing in with new attorneys there. The firm hosted a reception honoring Bill with cake and even some non-alcoholic drinks. It was awesome. And then they gave us the ok to go anywhere for dinner on them. We went to Ruth's Chris in Portland and spent a ridiculous amount on 3 people. The usual idea is that you would be going out with family, such as parents or siblings, and of course be drinking alcohol as well. We basically spent just as much money without either of those excuses. Bill was embarrassed to turn in the receipt, and I thought it was awesome!

"Does this look cute mom?"

2010-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

LM seems to think his hat will fix any outfit. We were heading out for swimming lessons and down the stairs he comes wearing it.

All Mine

2010-12-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

I remember the time Amy told a story about her son and how she knew he was truly her son. This was when I knew for LM (this is all him, I just asked him to put his shoes away):

PROM

2010-12-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

I finally got to go to Prom with the person I always wanted to go with. Bill and I attended Evening d'Elegance in Nov put on by the Salem Chamber of Commerce; and it was black tie.

The fundraiser features a silent and live auction with dinner and dancing. Luckily Bill's firm footed the bill since tickets/tux weren't in our price range this year. However, I of course got myself a new dress, jewelry, hosiery, make-up, etc.

Dinner fine, band AMAZING, dancing fun as always, live auction outrageous, but my favorite was dress watching. After I picked out my two favorite dresses I also made sure I got to know the gals because I totally respected their style. We did end up winning something in the silent auction--a little family fun pack (tickets to Enchanted Forest, AC Gilbert, etc). Perfect for us and a nice way to give back to the Chamber of Commerce, but in our price range.

One fun part of the evening--they even had pictures just like prom! Can't wait for next year.

DL

2010-11-07T19:02:00.001-08:00

MINI-VACATION TO DL

This was our first time going to DL in Oct, so of course we did the special Disneyland Halloween (no lines and lots of candy). We all got trick-or-treating bags to carry around; however I seemed to be the only one who seriously took advantage of that. It was basically the same as DL on a regular night, but everyone was dressed up, spooky music was playing, and it cost extra. LM did get to see his twin (Captain Hook) in one of the parades.

Watching the parade. (for the second time)

The best part for LM was the Jedi training class he got to be apart of. We were so nervous he wouldn't get picked because then we would have to go to the show again. The kid had his heart set on it. They started the class by teaching the kids different moves. Then Darth Vadar came to fight and each kid got to fight him individually.

At the end the Jedi instructor gave all the kids their instructions for further training and then announced them to the audience. As you can see LM could never quite figure out which direction to turn--he was so tired.

We also went to the official opening of the park at Toon Town. There was a quick show and we were made honorary citizens for the day. Woo-hoo. LM had fun.

The best show was at California Adventures, a fountain/light show. It was actually kind of spectacular. Definitely my favorite ever.

Ride we actually waited in line for twice and loved: Soarin' Over CA
Ride we actually waited in line for twice and hated: Nemo (according to Bill and I)
Most surprising no wait line: Splash Mtn and Space Mtn--walked right on during special Halloween event night
Disturbing: Counting over 100 Captain Jack Sparrows
Tears: LM before the Darth Vadar show even started when I explained to him that not every kid would get to go up
Sick: Winnie the Pooh ride (how did Bill get out of that one?)

Happiest Place on Earth: DISNEYLAND

Answer to prayers

2010-10-31T14:54:00.001-07:00

Our friend mentioned below in the "Spare a second" post was just granted a visa for her daughter. Her adoption is the first out of the 80 families to receive a visa! She leaves a week from Monday. Happy day!

Thinking Ahead

2010-10-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I was on top of everything, we got all the additional application stuff from the Ethiopia program. Apparently the first packet was from our agency in general; this one is specifically from the Ethiopia program within the agency. This application is actually our true dossier. The application for the general agency is a part of the Home Study

I feel a little overwhelmed-I cannot believe the amount of notarized/state certified documentation that is needed. Including, but not limited to:

Color copy of passports
more letters of recommendation
police clearance for each parent
medical certificate for each parent
employers' letter (including benefit and life insurance coverage)
attestation and declaration of personal condition
bank letter

All of these need to be notarized, some state certified. Several them already need to be done for the agency, but then notarized and rewritten for the dossier. It can be the same thing, but needs to be a separate copy that is notarized.

Steps to complete:

Agency application (detailed in earlier blog post), all in process right now and moving along ok. Should be done by January.
Adoption classes-hopefully going in January
File with USCIS ($800 form)
Finalize dossier to send in-hopefully by end of April

Exciting, tiring, but we're on track. I've learned adoption is not for those who lack self-initiative. Thankfully this is something I may have a little bit too much of.

By the way-when is the last time you had your fingerprints done? They don't use ink anymore! Brilliant!

Spare a second

2010-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Oh those international adoption snags. In August the US suspended new adoptions from Nepal. Thankfully our friend who is adopting from there just barely got her referral in time. But now the US has slowed the VISA approval process and is threatening to deny VISAs for those last referrals. She has already adopted her daughter and spent time with her, but cannot bring her home. Apparently it could take even a year to get the VISA. I don't think I even need to mention how precious time is with children, but I can't imagine leaving my new little one for an indefinite amount of time. So below is a petition to Congress asking the VISA process for these children be expedited. Sign if you agree.

http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3608/

Our Family

2010-10-21T10:52:00.001-07:00

This is the picture we sent in for the adoption application. Our most recent photo as a family-we aren't very good at doing those types of shots. I hope the Ethiopian government likes it.

Next step

2010-09-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

We are on to the second part of the application process. The part where they want to know every detail of our lives. I've already typed over 5 pages of information about myself and am still not done. Things that are included in this application:

We have to do:
fingerprints
doctor visits with blood work and a TB and HIV test
employment verification

Questions we BOTH have to answer separately:
why did we decide to adopt
why from Ethiopia
how our extended family feels
how we are preparing our family
how will we integrate the culture into our own family
what fears do we have
how do we feel about birth parents
how our parent's martial relationship was while growing up
how are we like our parents
how are we different from our parents
what rewarding, happy memories do we have of our family as a child
what do we feel was missing in our childhood
what leisure-time activities do we enjoy doing with self, spouse, friends
who was the most influential person in our life, what qualities to they possess
what have been the most fulfilling accomplishments in my life
things we like about our spouse
how to we resolve conflict in marriage
what roles to we play in marital relationship
a health, behavior, and personality synopsis of each child we have (including physical description)
what is our definition of a good parent
what ways would we bring up a child as we were raised
what types of discipline to we think is most effective for our child
what types of discipline did our parents use and how effect were they
how will we spend quality time with our children
what are your childcare plans
and believe it or not there are more!

Questions we answer together:
description of home including square feet, age of home, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, etc
how utilities are furnished
do we anticipate moving
describe neighborhood and community
location of nearest hospital and medical facilities
location of school
how would community receive child of another ethnic or racial background
do we have will/inheritance
listed guardians for children
health insurance companies we use
and a full financial statement
and of course some more questions

And then several friends have to do a short answer reference sheet as well.

All is good. The agency says this part of the process will take at least 7 weeks at most 4 months. After that we do the home study.

Adoption

2010-09-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

We have finally submitted the initial application for our adoption. For those of you who don’t know, we decided back in March/April to adopt internationally as the next step to growing our family.

A lot of people have asked us why we’ve chosen adoption over biological (since it is a choice for us), why we have chosen international vs domestic, and why Ethiopia. Here are some answers

Adoption vs biological

We’ve always wanted to, so why not now
Although wanting another child, not really feeling ready to be pregnant again (although I really do want to have more biological as well)
And just knowing, after prayer, it is without a doubt what we need to do right now

International vs domestic

Once again always wanted to
Loving, loving, loving to travel and learn about other cultures
Although there is a huge need here, feeling the call to help somewhere else
Not ready to deal with some of the things that can occur here with biological parents
Prayer

There are many reasons that we chose to adopt an Ethiopian child.

We fit all the criteria to adopt from Ethiopia (or so we hope). All countries have different restrictions regarding age and income that we wouldn’t meet.
The waiting time is minimal compared to other countries
The need is overwhelming—high birthrate, food shortage, and 6 million orphans
Interest in the culture, and gorgeous people
Being able to get the age and sex we are interested in
Main reason-just knowing it is the right country without a doubt. Our baby is there.

I’ll definitely keep everyone updated on what is happening, but just know the process is slow. If we had a baby 18 months from now I would be overjoyed. It is a long process that we hope results in a new addition to the family. In the meantime I found this little comparison on another blog and thought it was cute.

Belly Pregnant - talking about expanding your family to include children

Paper Pregnant - talking about expanding your family to include children

Belly Pregnant - the trying to get pregnant phase (may take months)

Paper Pregnant - waiting for a match/referral (may take months)

Belly Pregnant - using a home pregnancy test

Paper Pregnant - Referral Day!

Belly Pregnant - announcing that you are pregnant

Paper Pregnant - announcing that you are adopting

Belly Pregnant - seeing your first ultrasound of baby

Paper Pregnant - seeing the referral/match picture of your child

Belly Pregnant - the waiting for baby to grow in your tummy

Paper Pregnant - the waiting for finalization of your adoption

Belly Pregnant - seeing another ultra sound of your baby

Paper Pregnant - seeing a follow up photo of your child

Belly Pregnant - giving birth

Paper Pregnant - traveling to pick up your child and the journey to bring him/her home

Belly Pregnant - waiting for hospital clearance to say you can take your baby home

Paper Pregnant - waiting for passports and visas for your children so that you can bring them home

Belly Pregnant - holding your child for the first time and welcoming them into your family

Paper Pregnant - holding your child for the first time and welcoming them into your family

Belly Pregnant - 3 Trimesters ( Tri1 = 1-12 weeks, Tri2 = 13-26 weeks, Tri3 = 27-42 weeks)

Paper Pregnant - many "Trimesters" (Tri1 = 1-12 weeks, Tri2 = 13-26 weeks, Tri3 = 27-42 weeks, Tri4 = 43-60 weeks, Tri 5 = 61-80 weeks, and Tri6 = 81-102 weeks and so on.)

Hot off the press

2010-09-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

I got promoted; I now manage Lingerie! So if you need bras (or just to get sized) you know where to go.

Bill passed the bar. His work pointed out that really nothing changed. Regardless of whether he passed the bar or not, he still had to show up for work on Monday.

We had our first bite of sugar in over a year. Some of you know I always planned to do it for a year, but after a year I couldn't find the perfect time to stop. It just seemed weird. Well those reasons above made a perfect time. We both got sick. Big surprise. I don't know what to do now, I'm kind of eating it, kind of not.

I finally got a calling--after wanting to be in the Young Women's organization for as long as I can remember I finally am! (secretary) We love our ward by the way.

In addition to having no cable (even the basic channels), we now have no TV. It broke and we're in no hurry to fix it. Guess we'll be going to the church for conference.

Little Man Rocking Out

2010-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Bon Bon, Shake your Bon Bon

2010-09-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Oh Aunt Bonnie-I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t know anyone else on the planet that could not only put up with our family for a summer, but also be a loyal servant. Seriously, she was practically a slave, but I would say servant because we were actually paying her.

Annoying things that should have made her run, or cry

Walking out of the bathroom and being taped up-so you can’t even move

Very purposely and regularly being scared out of your mind—like having someone stomp up the stairs late at night while sharpening a knife

Listening to my incessant and very piercing (so they say) singing about everything, especially when I’m right (“I’m right, because I’m right. Don’t pick a fight, because I’m right”—this song is a march)

Dealing with our somewhat scary, but hilarious alter-egos (Jerome, Shirley, and Frankenstein; we named her Spencer, but then gave her a sex changed and named her Spencita)

Constantly being flashed by her sister. Actually not some much flashed, just plain walking around naked

Hid toilet paper and gave her wipes

And all the regular teasing stuff-hot/cold showers, joking about boys, calling her Bonnie in front of every salesperson (I’m still confused about why this bothered her)

Servant duties

Clean bathrooms

Do dishes

Sweep and mop

Take care of LM when we weren’t available

Run errands-like grocery shopping or Target

Make a quilt

Recover kitchen chairs

Change all the electrical outlet covers

Paint every room in the house

Pick up me and Bill as needed

Mow the lawn

Weed

Make breakfast

Get LM ready everyday

And everything else we could think of

The best part was she always took initiative—many things on the list she did on her own free will! She is seriously the hardest worker ever. I should seriously be a reference on her resume.

LM loved her; Bill loved her; I loved her. There was always someone around to talk to, and life was just more fun with 3 adults. So now we miss her. And she never has time to talk to me-what is it with college freshman?

I think I know the two reasons she decided to live with us...clothes and boat

To sum it up...

2010-09-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

Stylin' Max and Lisa
Cutest boy in the world

Papa and LM

Best friends
The old men (my dad and his bros being silly)

Although I need to mention, my dad's youngest bro on the right is actually a few months younger than Bill!

Feelin' young again (I'm young now, but feeling even younger!)
Best cousin buds (Afton, the gal, is actually my cousin. A little older than LM)

Aunt Hannah

2010-09-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

When there's a wedding, you can be sure there will be a family reunion

2010-09-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

I missed one, but was able to go to the Ogles one (you know, with Gramo)

My mom stole a fun series of games, entitled “A Minute to Win It”, from the other reunion to do at the Ogles reunion. The games were short, silly, no skill required games. I usually hate participating in these things; I like to chat and observe, but as always I was roped in as a grandchild. I actually enjoyed myself. The games were so fun and very quick. (which was good for everyone)

Some of the games:

put Oreo on forehead and w/o using hands get in mouth

blow bubbles through a cut out paper plate (for the little kids), with the wind it was a little challenging

pull out tissues from a box one at a time as fast as possible (my sis-in-law won at both reunions, she is amazing to watch!) Lisa is the one on the left.

use a gummy worm fishing rod to pick up pretzels from the ground and eat the pretzels, in order for it to work, you have to start by sucking on the gummy worms for a while to get them nice and sticky

fill a sponge with water on one end, run to the other end and squeeze out as much as possible, whoever has the most water at end wins

Oh yeah-we sent LM and Bonnie out early for the festivities so they could spend more time with family. For 6 days LM did not cry, complain, or say anything about wanting Bill and I. In fact, when we called he would run away crying because he didn’t want to talk to us. This kid is just like us-very independent. How satisfying. (I love ya too LM)

So August was the happy wedding month

2010-09-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

This is just a few random pictures from the event-I took loads. I haven't even started editing, mostly because I need to finally upload Lightroom (I've had it since May). Sarah-I promise I will get you soon ASAP, but in the meantime...

BF/Cuz/Roomie

2010-09-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

About Sarah-my best friend/cousin/college roommate

I always describe her like that because I want people to truly understand how special this girl is to me. She’s not just my cousin or some roommate. She isn’t just one of my good friends. All of these people are important and special enough on their own, but she is ALL three.

SARAH:

Grew up in CA, but felt like she lived next door

Love/hate relationship-not that we EVER hated each other, but unlike other college roommates we could have a fight and recover quickly, like siblings

As uptight as me in different areas-we were able to help each other relax (at least she helped me, I don’t know if I did much to help her)

Generous like a typical Ogles—even though she is technically a Sheranian (now Monson)

Which brings up the next point-Armenian heritage just like me, but from a different part of the family

Selfless-quite a tall order, but true nonetheless, it’s wonderful to have a roomie like that

Understanding and wise, very helpful freshman year of college

FUNNY-in a way where I think “Oh how I love Sarah” because it is humor that only comes from her

English schoolteacher-I think that is actually quite descriptive

Same age as me, except I’m older by 2 months! And therefore I am the oldest grandchild, which is always nice to rub in.

Oldest child like me

Smart (like me)

Really a lot of wonderful things, but the real story is...she got engaged...and then married to a pretty awesome guy, who happens to be pretty perfect for her.

*thanks to mom for her awesome cropping skills some of the photos are a little strangely shaped. Ahh scraping in the 90s

And then there was July...

2010-09-10T18:34:00.001-07:00

Anniversary and Bar

Enough said

Just out mowing the lawn, always something to do in a new house

2010-09-09T23:05:00.001-07:00

Loving life, loving the house

2010-09-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

Moving...I love my house. More than I even thought possible. I consider this house as Skipper-Barbie’s little sister-a teenager house. Considering that this is not my Barbie house, I thought I would enjoy it, but understand its limitations. This is not possible. Coming from a wonderful, but small and very old basement apartment, I’m in love. Almost everyday we look at each other and wonder how we happened to get the perfect house. A series of random events led us here as we were never even close to moving into this neighborhood or this type of house. It was almost the exact opposite of my priorities. But the first time we walked through it we knew. We called our realtor that night and said to make an offer. Needless to say she was surprised because we had barely even walked through it.

Here we are now many months later and after adding some of our own aesthetics, I’m very content. Just 3 months in I’m wondering how we could ever leave. I have a feeling it will feel small sooner than I realize.

Some of you have seen the house, some will soon, and for the others out there who are interested in a good time and a look into our lives we are hoping to do a housewarming in October. More to come on that...

Oh-and for the out-of-staters, pictures will come as soon as we have the final touches complete.

(house with the new roof put on before we moved in, you can’t see it, but the other new addition was air conditioning)

All you wanna do is dance!

2010-09-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

As apart of his summer preschool program, LM had a week of dance camp. I was so pumped! Bill couldn't protest because it was included in preschool. LM loved every second. In fact he would come home in the evening and do an entire performance for us, with dance after dance after dance after dance. We're talking full on come out "on stage", take a bow, do a dance, we have to clap, take a bow again, and leave. Then rinse and repeat as needed. Basically until we said stop.
I knew the end program would be interesting--LM ended up spending more time goofing around than dancing. I didn't care at that point because I know his interest was already piqued.
How smart-they did a Star Wars dance that all the boys loved.

Moving...

2010-09-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

We all know buying a house is annoying and time consuming, but luckily the first time round Bill and I had an easy go of it. Not so lucky this time. It's like having 2 kids, the first amazing perfect, so everything hits with the second. The house ended up closing I think 6 or 7 weeks after it was supposed to. We ended up packing, putting everything in the garage, and living with our patient friends Amy and Nathan. Imagine going from 2 people to 2 people plus a kid, and then another person! Yup, Bonnie (my sis living with us for the summer) ended up flying in before we even made it into the house. She slept in the dining room. Don't get the wrong impression though, they have a gorgeous 2400 sq foot home with more than enough room. Coming from our house it felt like a mansion or 5 star hotel.
Anyway, the point is moving/packing. I know I've mentioned before how much I love organizing and cleaning out things. Moving is the ultimate clean dream for me. This time round I finally inventoried my my movies, books, and cds (but that doesn't matter b/c the cds are all gone now). And even though all the tubs in the storage room are packed up and ready to go, I insist on going through all of them again. When that happens, there must be caution, b/c this could happen...

To my husbands dismay, LM discovered Barbies and was overwhelmed. And then he responded as any good father would--he started playing too.

did anything happen this summer?

2010-09-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ok well Bill graduated...

The photo of Bill with both diplomas was horrible--it was such a sunny day his eyes really weren't even open. However he did in fact walk in two graduations back to back
That brings up the next point-LM obviously didn't make it through both. He fell asleep during the law graduation and continued to sleep even afterward, even with the bagpipes playing! (and they were loud)
Had to say goodbye to Allie and Hyrum who left for ID right after graduation. At least they'll be back for a little bit more! (1 of our only friends who graduated at the same time as Bill, most graduated the year before)
Best part of graduation...brunch in between business and law graduations, provided by business school at a very hefty price. But oh so worth it.

By the way, in case you were wondering the four years went so very fast for me. Apparently not so fast for Bill.

Oh and congrats babe-you are now almost smarter than me

It's time to update

2010-09-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

So I took the summer off..partly intentional, partly not. I wanted a break from some of the electrical time wasters in my life (tv and internet) and I moved so everything took time to set back up anyway. I still checked my e-mail and viewed different internet sites (bank and some shopping) on my phone, but tried not to go further than that. Keeping it to the phone made it easy to not use. As far as tv goes, we don't have tv. Well we have a tv, but we don't have any type of cable/programming. So I didn't watch much-there's never much on during the summer anyway .

Well it is fall again and I'm ready to blog. However the tv is out for good--this was always the plan when we moved.

Over the next few days I'm hoping to publish a series of posts detailing some of my favorites from other the summer. Enjoy!

Annie Sale

2010-07-16T00:47:00.000-07:00

As my team sang in our skit tonight-the Annie (Aniversary) Sale starts tomorrow. We sang to "867-5309". I think it was pretty funny. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE my job? I just do. Anyway, If you need me, I'll be there :)

Other updates: Managing Women's Active (get to wear active again!); Bar in two weeks; Utah in Aug; tables getting refinished; LM starting tennis; boat :)

Coming up...

2010-06-21T11:45:00.001-07:00

Internet to come soon...I promise! So much to post, so ready to--no computer or internet!

Latest news...

2010-06-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

With my management position I really disappeared, but I'm back on temporary relief. My interim position just ended this week--it's amazing to me how fast I've fallen back into the sleep-in, relaxed mode. I love the break, but I know I won't love it for long (from past experience). The good news is I'm getting ready to go back again full-time. I'm really just waiting for the right management position to open up. So my job is up in the air for the moment...

Also up in the air is the house. We still haven't closed!! But it really should be happening next week. If it isn't next week I don't know if it will ever happen. In the meantime we are having a blast living with our good friends Amy and Nathan. Last weekend we officially moved out of the Walton House--well we moved out, but all our stuff is in the garage. We LOVE living with Amy and Nathan. I really didn't realize how nice it would be to be out of the basement. I loved it while I was there, but now I'm in heaven. Especially since Amy and Nathan have a better and newer tv, sofa, table, kitchen, bathroom, you get the point.

Despite the fact that my life is super unstable I'm in heaven. I don't usually love not knowing what is going to happen, but I am addicted to change.

I have things I want to post about, but I'm without pretty much all my stuff right now. I will shortly.

Also of note, my sister Bonnie comes next week...she'll be moving in with Bauers too!

Snippets from Gramo

2010-04-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite weekly e-mails is one I get from my Grandma O (Gramo). Growing up we called her every Sunday to stay in touch. Now we get e-mails (and still some calls). I've always been impressed with her computer ability-not that she has amazing skill-more her willingness to learn new skills that a lot of people her age are afraid of. Of course we've come along way-she used to send all her e-mails in CAPS, it really does feel like someone is yelling at you. Now she only uses CAPS when she wants us to notice something and in her subject line. She updates us on everyone in the family, gives advice, tells family history stories, shares scriptures, basically whatever she feels like we need to know. Sometimes it really cracks us up. Here is some wisdom/comments GRAMO style (the ellipses are hers, she is even more addicted than me):

I hope all who can will come to the Washburn reunion...I would like to see you face to face while I am still alive...skip my funeral....

I enjoy ...from the sidelines....how Ben and Maureen's children like to talk on the phones together....It seems that Max and Elisabeth are very often talking to Hannah or Bonnie and helping settle little or big decisions...And of course they all consult Becca...She is the queen of experience.

We all ate at Chuck a Rama...My favorite place to take family to dinner....I can watch them get refills of food so I feel very successful...just like my Mom...

I have become an expert in computer....on a 78 year old level...I understand what a firewall is for the computer....and for a big fire...

I love you....I pray for each of you individually...I want you to be happy...successful...and protected from weak and foolish choices.....So as a Queen Mosiah and a GRAMO ..please listen and think and make 2010..a year for improvement.....I love you all... (she was Queen Mosiah in the Hill Cumorah pageant as a young adult)

LEVEL ONE INVESTMENT...KNOWLEDGE OF FOOD AND BODY

First step is to get a notebook and pencil and write down every bite of food you eat each day. Part 2...Eat some protein each morning for breakfast....peanut butter...cheese...egg...yogurt...granola bar... (Part of her guaranteed investment program for a golden future)

There must be a few people in Congress who have a little sense......Please let them come forth and save us.........This is a letter from an old lady who worries about her children and grandchildren....hoping that all their money does not go to BIG GOVERNMENT.....

Also Happy Birthday to Bill…my brother J.B. was very impressed with Bill…I told him that he didn’t know the half of Bill’s great qualities….we wish all the grand daughters could find such great husbands…

Dear family…you are all so wonderful….

I love her.

Prompt #11: What are your goals for the coming month?

2010-04-28T22:29:00.001-07:00

1. Pack and while packing inventory the entire house--I get chills just thinking of the organization.
2. Not spend my entire paycheck on clothing.
3. Make dentist appointments for me, LM and Bill (many posts ago I mentioned how much I struggle with setting appointments. I've been trying to set these ones since Feb. In my defense I did leave a message at the office and they never called back!)
4. Of course I have a million work goals so I have to keep my other ones pretty simple.

Sidenote: I'm seriously getting bugged with these prompts. I just don't love them. I need to find a new prompt generator.

Drama

2010-04-28T22:25:00.001-07:00

Meaning to put this up for awhile--many of you have already seen me out and about in it. Just in case you haven't, here is one of my new favorite pieces...

Prompt #10: Do you avoid watching TV or reading fashion magazines because they make you feel unattractive? If so, why do you feel this way?

2010-04-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't have done this prompt, but the first prompt I received was to do the next prompt no matter what. Obviously I had to do it.

Um...no. I watch a lot of tv; I read a lot of fashion magazines (my favs: People StyleWatch, Vogue, and InStyle). I'm not sure why, but they have never made me feel unattractive. In magazines, I honestly don't notice the bodies-only the clothes. Which is actually the way it is supposed to be. Models are around to highlight the clothing. On tv I sometimes admire the bodies, but it still doesn't make me feel bad. I've just never been the jealous model/body type. I feel lucky. On that note-I've also felt super comfortable/confident in my own skin. All I really care about is the fashion!

something to check out

2010-04-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister-in-law lost her mother when she was a teenager. I can't imagine how difficult that would have been at such a young age. There are 9 kids in her family, so I basically think her dad is amazing. Anyway, he has just wrote a book about the experience. I haven't read it yet, but it is very clearly a tear-jerker. If you have a chance check it out.

Mom, Interrupted (A Young Family Faces Cancer)

Interesting Update

2010-04-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

Just in case you want to know more about the Ghost Whisperer saga...

Jim is still alive and well...kind of. He did die, but was of course in ghost form. Melinda (his wife/Ghost Whisperer) could see him and was trying to convince him to go into the light. He didn't want to leave her so eventually he entered another body! The man had just died and his ghost left his body and went into the light. Right after Jim entered and the man/Jim came alive. Melinda rushed up and oh no! He did not recognize her. For several episodes there was a weird Jim/other guy thing going on. Basically when he entered the body he lost all memory and thought he was the other guy. Finally he remembered everything and Melinda had her Jim back--in a different body of course. So no one else can tell it is Jim, but Melinda and close friends know. Also Jim is still being played by David Conrad even though he actually looks different to everyone. More good news...Melinda is pregnant but it is with Jim! She got pregnant right before he died so he also lives on in another form.

Isn't this show amazing?!

Oh boy

2010-04-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

I just bought tickets to this. (1-2-3...Imagine! With Elmo & Friends) I couldn't convince Bill to come. Apparently he is too busy with finals...

(by the way...can't you tell I've been working again)

tomorrow

2010-04-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I am more excited for tomorrow than I even was for Christmas morning ever? I am. I've spent the past few days getting ready to dive back in full-time, all those errands you put off forever and ever (dry cleaning). Not to mention I cleaned my house top to bottom and did ALL the wash (I'm notorious for doing a few loads, but always leaving some in the basket. So we never actually have all the clothes washed). I even started to get some work stuff done. And I'm ready. The bad part is I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak--it won't go on forever. I have to keep reminding myself it is short term and could even last for just 3 weeks! But is it better to have loved and lost, or not loved at all? I think you know my answer.

My new toy

2010-04-11T22:23:00.001-07:00

I finally got a bluetooth headset, so I can finally talk in the car again! I love it. But there is someone else who might love it more--I think he believes it's his new toy.

A new kind of friendship bracelet

2010-04-07T21:23:00.001-07:00

Amy and I bought a pack of 32 bangles and split them. Save some money-leave some space on our arms. When I split the bracelets, of course making sure we each had the same number of each style, I realized this is a 20-something friendship bracelet. We may be big kids, but we are still little girls at heart.

(I bet you're happy I called you a 20-something Amy!)

Some News

2010-04-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today I was offered and accepted a position as the interim TBD/Individualists/Dresses manager! It will be so refreshing to dive back into my favorite job. The current manager is out on a leave for an undetermined amount of time, so the job could be as short as 30 days or as long as 3 months. I can't wait to be back in the saddle again and earn some extra $$$$. It's nice knowing it is short term--it will help keep me balanced.

Between Life and Death

2010-04-05T23:24:00.001-07:00

For many weeks now I have been obsessively watching a couple of tv series that I newly discovered--Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer. I could write a whole blog about Criminal Minds, but this post is dedicated to Ghost Whisperer. I'm not watching the current seasons of either just all the past seasons to catch up.

Tonight I settled in to watch a few Ghost Whisperer episodes. All was going fine when in the first episode out of the blue, Jim, the main character's husband, dies! I went from casually watching while cleaning, to bawling my eyes out. I was so mad! I love him! I couldn't believe that was just thrown at me during a random episode.

(This is Jim)

Well obviously I am now committed to staying up late tonight to finish all the episodes I have. But I've already done a lot of research online because that is one cliff hanger I just can't handle. The good news is that love will prevail! (from what I can tell).

By the way--I've been making fun of Ghost Whisperer for at least a year now, and then one day I watched an episode. I love it now.

Preschool Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T18:04:00.001-07:00

Prompt #9: Write about your favorite brand of toothpaste

2010-04-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well this is going to be a major plug for Arm & Hammer.

I've been in love with this toothpaste since my junior year of high school. I have always loved baking soda (another very strange thing about me), so when it occurred to me that the Arm & Hammer toothpaste might be the most amazing thing ever, I was right. I started trying it right before girls camp; that year I had everyone in my ward try it as well. I was hooked.

I truly believe its whitening ability is far superior to other brands, not to mention it's refreshing taste. Since then it is the only toothpaste I buy. If you would ever like to try it when I have it around or you are at my house, just let me know. I would love to create other followers.

Most recent date with LM

2010-04-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Probably the only animated movie I have ever really enjoyed. LM couldn't stay in his seat. Highly recommend it!

Most recent date night

2010-04-04T21:30:00.001-07:00

First a lot of driving around where we found this:

Believe it or not this is an LDS church! I think it is absolutely beautiful! It is even more magnificent in person.

Then dinner at a restaurant 21 and over (Casa del Matador) because we really like to take advantage of our kidless time. Definitely my favorite Mexican restaurant EVER. I had the Enchilada Picante which had a wonderful and spicy Habanero sauce. One of the first times ever that a restaurant actually came close to satisfying my spicy needs. My only disappointment is that the hotness did not increase over time. I like it when my lips are numb when I'm done.

Last, Muse concert. Perfection. Outdid my rather low expectations by about 300%. Bill was right.

What kind of mother am I?

2010-03-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

LM and I made cupcakes today. He never eats the entire cupcake, just the frosting. Most of the time he only licks the frosting; he does not even take bites. We make 12 cupcakes, frost them with several different colors of icing, and put sprinkles on. He eats his first one, and of course, licks only the top. Here's the good part--I tell him to eat the WHOLE cupcake or he will not get another.

As soon as I said it I took it back--"Are you done LM? Here I'll take it for you."

What kind of mother am I? The cupcake kind.

(It must be some kind of sugar envy!)

Another Bowling Adventure

2010-03-30T22:12:00.001-07:00

Friday night I went up to Wilsonville with some friends for some yummy Italian food and bowling. I didn't really know what I was in for.

Cosmic hour at the bowling alley set the atmosphere just right (it also did a number on my photography skills--try blue light, neon paint, and a disco ball--a fun new challenge)

Apparently my previous bowling companions and I aren't very creative. These girls suggested doing something different every turn to make the game a little more exciting. I had never considered this before and it really threw me for a loop. I'm not a great bowler anyway, but I have fun and will progressively get better during the game. This new technique guaranteed my first place loss. Although I didn't think I would be last place, barely making double! digits.

Kristi demonstrating the first requirement--booty shaking. This was my second favorite requirement. First favorite? Runway walk
Another one--spinning around 5 times before bowling! Look at Megan's tiny little legs. By the way this one was horrible. I learned a valuable lesson that in hindsight was more valuable than I realized. My first turn I spun to the right and was crazy dizzy. I decided on my second turn to spin to the left and maybe I would unravel myself. That doesn't work. In fact it was significantly harder to do and made me feel worse. As I went back to the girls I commented how the non dominant side was always harder. This was reinforced when we had to bowl left-handed on another turn.

Kristi being the little instigator she is, suggested we use the item to the right on the photo below. It looks like something kids might use, but apparently it is actually for handicap people. We got in trouble for that.

And it wasn't the only thing that got us in trouble. On another turn someone rolled a horrible gutter ball and Kristi (see a pattern?) told her to roll another one quickly to take advantage of her turn . As she rolled the new ball, the other one actually got stuck so it appeared as though we had rolled another ball to "unstick" the first ball. Long story short--you are supposed to use the intercom if the ball gets stuck. (we obviously didn't tell them what are actual intentions were-we were already in enough trouble)

So this entire post was really leading up to the climax of the evening. On a seemingly innocent round we decided to bowl the ball under one leg. It seemed easy enough...not to hit the pins, but to complete the action. I was the very last person to go so I had plenty of time to plan my technique and watch others, none of which ever helped me. So I went once and rolled the ball under my right leg--total gutter ball. I decided to try my left leg on my next roll to get a better angle. I don't know what I was thinking (remember my "lesson learned" from above). I went into my roll and wham! Rolled the ball directly into my left ankle. It hurt-but it gets better. As my friends were exclaiming I saw my ball start to roll away into the gutter. It was obviously going slowly-but still going. I heard Kristi's voice in my head saying "take advantage of your turn! roll again!" and I knew I needed to get that ball. I went against everything I knew about bowling and took two steps into the lane and wham! (for the 2nd time) onto the ground--with the ball. And then I started crying--not from pain, from laughter and I could not stop. I think we were all crying. We couldn't even talk. Keep in mind everyone in the bowling alley already thought we were crazy; now they figured we were just plain stupid as well. As I crawled back up the lane and to my friends the gal next to us reminded me "you know they wax the lanes". I managed to reply "yup, I got that". I did eventually manage to get my other roll in, and then continued to laugh all the way to my next turn. In honor of my fall the next couple of turns went silliness free to prevent further injuries.

hmmm...

2010-03-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

I passed a homeless man on the street while driving today. Whenever I have food in the car, I always offer something (even if it is just in a baggie-I figure something is better than nothing). I prefer food to money because it guarantees they can't do something sketchy with it. Today I had just bought a box of saltine crackers for my tomato soup. I obviously couldn't give the whole box--how could I eat my tomato soup without them? I grabbed one of the sleeves and handed it to him. He seemed to appreciate it, but who knows. Right then a Toyota mini van (newer model) shows up with a pretty clean shaven, although slightly shady guy in the front. The homeless guy hops on in and drives away with him. Who knows what his back story is but I kind of doubt he is homeless. I had to laugh though--I bet he will really enjoy his sleeve of saltine crackers. Hope he has some tomato soup to go with them.

a breath of fresh air

2010-03-25T01:38:00.000-07:00

Ugh-3 posts in a row with no pictures! Huge pet peeve. Here's one to break it up. I rarely put pics up of myself-so here's a real winner from the morning after an amazing overnight (and it wasn't with Bill).

Some of these other people might have been there as well...(don't we all love candids!)
If you're wondering why so many people are eating in the above pics, it could be because of this...

Memories

2010-03-25T01:14:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows how much I love memories now, so I might as well dive back into a couple I've been thinking about lately.

It has been 1 year since I went to Cambodia, and I can honestly say it still feels like it was yesterday. I really love that country. And I really want to go back...with Bill...and LM. It's just one of those things I can't get off my mind. Every once in awhile I hear a song off my Cambodia bike riding playlist and it brings all the memories back. For a special treat I use some of the awesome body wash I used while there--the smell overwhelms me (here we go on smell again).

I just spent some time looking over my posts and pictures from the trip. I still don't feel like I adequately expressed my feelings about how amazing the trip was, in so many different ways. Since then I've been lucky to speak for a couple different groups and connect with lots of other people to keep the work going.

I do love traveling, but I think one thing that made this trip even better was the whole purpose behind it and the sacrifice that went into it. Working hard-seeing the outcome--it just makes everything worthwhile and very fulfilling. It reminded me of someone I've always been but had forgotten about for a little while.

Next memory--quitting my job and staying home with LM. I was talking with some friends the other day, and they asked how it was going. It's still really hard. I was thinking it would become more natural-definitely wrong. I have to put a lot of effort into everyday. We try to fill the days with activity after activity, but it isn't the same as having "tasks" to complete. You would think it was more fun to just do activities-but too much of anything is overkill. I've found one of the best things for me is to find a friend and then hang out for hours on end. It's kind of funny because when I'm thinking of having a "playdate" it is really for me, not LM. (although he loves them too)

I'm still glad I quit. If not for me, for LM and Bill. It was the right thing. People have questioned if I should go back. Man I would love too, but I know I would let myself get sucked right back in. I'm kind of like that. And I still love it. The other thing is I'm not ready to start doing the whole Sunday thing again--did it for long enough. Being with LM more, supporting Bill better, having Sundays off--just a few of the great things. I was also able to take a fabulous photography class in fall, spend Christmas break with family and friends (and still use a discount to buy gifts!), clean to my heart's content, develop new/better friendships, update scrapbooks, and take an photoshop class to just name a few.

Can I do this for another 20 years? If I only had 1 kid, absolutely not. But I want to have more--I think you get busier then. For now I'm still doing the on-call thing. I'm enjoying it now more than ever. I'm hoping that when LM goes to preschool even more in fall I can pick up even more shifts to fill the time. And maybe pick up a few more hobbies...I'm always looking.

Some additional notes

2010-03-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

In follow-up to some of the questions in comments...

TV--I do love watching shows, but hate that I love them. I really think tv sucks the life out of you slowly. And the more you watch, the more you need to watch (at least for me). I hate how hardly any shows are clean. But at the same time, I don't think I could give my tv up--although I will give up cable (we only have it now b/c it is free-I'm all too ready to cut that habit). I just wish tv had never been invented. And if there is something I'm dying to see, most of the time you can get it on the internet anyway. Oh and because I'm so compulsive once I start watching a series I feel an insane need to finish it--same thing with movies and books even if I don't like them. It's a curse.

Clocks--I hate my obsession with time. It is true that I hate being late and like things to be nice and orderly, but I hate it. I've had to work really hard to even handle it a little bit, so I wish it would just go away. Alas, I recognize the world could not function without it. But I still try to limit the amount I have--and hate it when people have an overwhelming amount.

Prompt #8: Name some things you are thankful for

2010-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

A rather cliche idea I would say. So I'm taking the opportunity to really get nitty gritty with some of my favorite items beyond the obvious (I truly am grateful for my family, husband, church, etc--so don't get me wrong, just trying to really get the small things.)

vanilla stevia
positive energy and excitement
pride and prejudice
laundry detergent (and not b/c it washes my clothes, but b/c it gives me this weird high when I smell it--should I be admitting this? Maybe I have a problem. My family and roomies from college know this about me and obviously think I'm very strange. I've been known to carry around a little scoop of detergent. Oh-and this has existed since around age 3, one of my earliest memories)
laughter/crying
cicadas
the smell of old used books-yum! (I might have a smelling issue)
thunderstorms and the smell of fresh wet earth
memories
travel
comfy pants
Toms/Uggs
change
sunflare

And to spice things up, things I'm not grateful for...

dogs (now everyone will hate me)
clocks
the smell of used clothing stores
tv
negative Nellys
trans fats and high fructose corn syrup

I'm curious-what are you thankful for or not thankful for?

A must watch

2010-03-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

I just bought this...
And it changed my life. Ok, not really-my life already revolves around fashion, watching this was an affirmation of what I believe in. (can I get any more dramatic?)

The best part for me is knowing I actually own the September issue of Vogue that the entire movie is about...

If you want to borrow it, just let me know!

Birthday Boy!

2010-03-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

March 12th was LM's 4th birthday! Here is how we celebrated...

Thursday was the preschool celebration. We are lucky enough to go to an amazing preschool where they don't hold back at all on birthdays. The entire circle time was focused on LM. First he received his birthday crown. Then he symbolically walked around the sun 4 times. I love how Miss Jemima takes advantage of every opportunity to teach the kids! Each time he went around we told a funny story about LM to represent that age. After reaching age 4 he got to look at the items around the sun. There were 4 different items, and 4 of each (m&m's, gummy bears, little clothespins, and pennies). The perfect things for a little 4 year old to carry around. Oh and he blew out the candle in the sun. My favorite part was when he played the Happy Birthday music box. All the kids had to be silent while LM thought about how he was turning 4. You could tell it was a really special moment for him. We brought in some birthday treats for the whole class to enjoy while Miss Jemima read his favorite book.
Friday morning we started opening gifts so LM could enjoy them little by little. The first was from Grandma and Papa Weidner--Geotrax. Once he got started we couldn't even pull him away from them, even to go to Toys R' Us and buy more. I had to bribe him to get in the car by bringing most of them with! Now we have a new toy to start collecting.
That evening was our little family birthday. He got 2 new games, Candyland and Hi Ho Cherrio. It was perfect because we were able to play the games all evening. I thought they would be the perfect games for everyone but I hated it because I lost every single time! I think everyone knows how competitive I am, which is why I hate games like that. I not only lost each game, it was bad. Karma really gets you everytime.

Saturday morning he got a Woody doll from Grandma and Papa Ogles. Then Saturday night was a small friend party at Red Robin. He got several more gifts then and was completely overwhelmed with all his new gifts. Once he started opening gifts the eating ended. We were horrible parents basically letting kids run around the area. They were having fun. When the servers came out singing Happy Birthday to LM he was very uncomfortable. I thought he was going to cry. Then he gave a very small, tentative smile that barely expressed any enjoyment. He didn't even touch the ice cream sundae they brought out because we had brought some cupcakes. After they came out we did our own birthday song with another cupcake.

We were at the store a few days ago and LM told me he wanted a toy. I said no, and he said "remember mom, it is my birthday." I guess he figured his birthday would go on forever.

Prompt #7: Write a rhyming poem about your car

2010-03-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

OK-some of these prompts are just weird, but here it goes:

your comfy and cute
but 15 years old
drive well in the rain
and also the snow

saab too expensive
jetta wouldnt do
left with 1 option
gigi we love you

Happiness

2010-03-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel lucky that my husband is in law school--how else could I justify the wonderful evening I just had. After getting LM to bed, I watched "You've Got Mail" while I deep-cleaned/started to pack the kitchen. Both timeless chick flicks and cleaning are like comfort food for me--just seems to cleanse the soul. And then I got online to savor two fabulous e-mails from very dear friends. You know those long evenings where you talk for hours with girlfriends and you never want it to end? (book club) These alone evenings are just as crucial to my life as the others are. After an evening like that I can actually trick myself into thinking I'm sane.

Oh-and just for Sarah--who wouldn't love a "bouquet of newly sharpened pencils"

BRAS

2010-03-07T20:01:00.001-08:00

Now there's a title to get people's attention. If there is one area in women's lives that we neglect, I feel it is this. I cannot name the number of times I've helped a friend or customer find a new outfit only to discover their undergarments were in shambles. Why do we neglect this? Just because most people don't see it does not justify the lack of attention. I would argue that how we feel underneath is connect to our outside appearance. I'm also shocked by the number of people who complain about shape, lack of, or sagging only to discover they buy their bras at Walmart.

I went in to my annual bra fitting yesterday--yes, annual--it's like a doctor's appointment. Bras do wear out in one year-esp if you don't have very many. I usually have around 7, but they are still completely gone after a year. Now to the average person my bras look fine, but try them on after trying on a new bra, and there is a noticable difference. Who doesn't love a fresh, new, tight, supportive bra?

I had an image to go along with this post-but Bill stopped me from putting it up (rightfully so). It was a picture from girls camp, 3 of us decided to take a picture of ourselves wearing cute boxers, bras, and whistles around our necks. It seemed so innocent at the time--in fact I have it in my scrapbook. I guess it is a little strange now that I think about it--I might need to take that out before LM gets too old. I might scar him.

***If you are looking for a fabulous bra fitting I recommend Nordstrom (who would have guessed?). I know many people love VS, but I have mixed feelings about them. I think they are really good at finding bras for people who don't have a lot of the problems I've mentioned above. For anyone with a bigger, smaller, sagging, etc chest I think they just don't get it right. My personal fit specialist at the Salem store is Sally. She has worked with the company for many years and has seen everything! She helps many members, so she is familiar with our particular undergarment issues :) The best way to get a fitting at Nordstrom is to actually set an appointment so you will get the personalized service you enjoy--just give them a call. Also (as if I haven't plugged it enough) coming up on March 19th is Nordstrom Fits America. For every bra purchased that day, Nordstrom donates $2 to a breast cancer foundation. Because it is so crazy that day, they actually take pre-sell appointments where you go in, get fit, and pick out some new bras. Then they wait to ring them up until that day. They are taking appointments now for the big day-in fact that is what mine was. In fact, I always buy on that day, and it reminds me that it is time to buy again.

Prompt #6: Which puncuation do you use the most?

2010-03-07T00:46:00.000-08:00

First it was commas, then semi-colons, now the horrible dash--at least I used the commas and semi-colons correctly. For me the dash has turned into whatever I need it to do. I'm completely and utterly addicted to it and see no reason to discontinue my use of it. I've even apologized to people who are just getting to know me through email, so they know what to expect. I do not use it formally or in business situations, but I do use it everywhere else--I'm sure you may have noticed by now. I use it a lot as a comma or semi-colon, so I guess I'm really still overusing them.

Since I'm talking about grammar-I have to mention that as I've gotten older my grammar has actually gotten worse instead of better. And this is purposeful. In middle school, high school, and college writing is crammed into your head. I really got into it--me, love rules? who would have guessed? (extreme sarcasm)--I was actually a writing tutor in college and took many advanced writing courses. I loved it-and to do it "write" (haha) you have to know the rules. I used to be a little dictator as far as it went to grammar--esp when it came to emails. I hate inefficient communication. Well, as I've gotten older I've learned to tolerate bending the rules because I want the language to work for me, instead of me working for the language. My writing wasn't exactly how I wanted it-so I started to twist and shape it's form to fit me. Sometimes I am a little too casual, although appropriately. But even in business type e-mails I don't follow all the rules if it needs to be reshaped a little. What I love about this idea of writing is that it is only possible if you truly know the rules first. Then you have a basis off of which to shape your writing from that point forward. Anyway...there's my writing philosophy.

Prompt #5: 10 things I'd like to learn

2010-03-04T19:10:00.001-08:00

As if there were only 10!

second language--I'm thinking Spanish
anything medical--I'll start small with a CPR class, maybe eventually some EMT classes, in my dreams...med school.
how to build a house--This fascinates me. I know there is math involved; I love math. And I want to learn how to really work with my hands and create something, not really in an artistic way, but in a very specific, planned way.
photography--Anything and everything to add to what I already know.
yoga--This is going to require more strength and flexibility. I feel like I already know as much as I can learn with my current strength/flexibility. To improve I need to start with those things.
ski--At least I finally went!
slalom waterskiing--Can't wait for this summer
drive a boat for skiers--So I can pull Bill
unload and load a boat--Most nervous about backing up the car to the water.
trust others--This is something I want to improve on. I'm such a skeptic!

What do you want to learn?

Finally someone who understands my point of view

2010-03-02T22:08:00.001-08:00

Read this the other day and wanted to share. If you have a chance take a look (I know it's a pain, but this one is worth it). This article almost sums up my opinion completely. So happy to see it.

"Learning From the Sin of Sodom" by Nicholas D. Kristof, Op-Ed Columnist for New York Times

3 things I think I should mention

2010-03-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

1-The booty pop post was a joke; apparently there is some confusion. Like I need that! (but I guess Allie does! :)

2-I sent my Christmas cards today! And I didn't excuse my lateness at all. I had already sealed the envelopes so I couldn't put anything inside, and I was too lazy to write on the outside (remember I'm the girl who is sending Christmas cards in March).

3-I'm NOT pregnant. Rumors are flying-but I'm not.

Newness

2010-03-02T16:06:00.001-08:00

For anyone who needs some amazing basics, I just picked up these two pieces.

#1: Double-knit black leggings (that don't fade!)
The perfect winter basic for wear-to-work or at home (dress up, dress down, etc). And these are the best of the best because they are thicker than your basic knit legging and a beautiful black that will stay beautiful for a long time. Want to find them?
www.nordstrom.com found in TBD, Trouve double-knit leggings

#2: Thermal henley
So awesome because it is comfy and just long enough to wear with leggings. Now you have something to layer under all those shorter sweatershirts/tees that aren't quite long enough with leggings. You really need more than one these-perhaps every color? Want to find them?
www.americanapparel.net, unisex baby thermal long sleeve henley

Prompt #4: I look up to ____________ because...

2010-03-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

I thought about this for a long time and came to the realization that I look up to so many people for so many different things. Not to say that these are the only people who have affected my life, but these people have truly taught me something specific about life. Everyone on this list also has many wonderful traits which have definitely influenced other people besides me. But in my life these are the ones that affected me the most.

The list (in no particular order):

I look up to _________ because...

my dad, of his ability to listen and understand others' feelings (and then help them)
my mom, she never cares what others think and is always practical
Amy U., she knows how to travel efficiently and cost effectively (and then does it)
Sarah S., of her ability and willingness to serve others
Natalie P., of her sense of humor and laid back approach to life
Bill W. (my father-in-law), of his wisdom
Julianna L., of her ability to appreciate, love, and see everyone
Mark and Pepper E., of their originality
Lisa and Keith M., of their ability to budget, esp in emotional situations
Mike M., of his ability to talk to others and be genuine (and then Lisa for dealing with that!)
Max O., of his ambition
Amy B., because of her thoughtfulness and ability to be a true friend
Arin L., she knows herself and is confident
Kelli B., because she is loyal
Ruth D., of her faith
Nicole S., she says things that make me think and her values
Tiff S., she always gets things done in the end (even if there might be some procrastination along the way!)
Allie Z., of her commitment
Rach G., she stands up for herself and her choices (and always turns out to be right)
Kendell P., of her honesty
Bill W. (the husband), of his ability to prioritize and work hard

And finally, this list wouldn't be complete without mentioning myself. I honestly think we should all respect, love, and look up to ourselves, and yes, I do respect, love, and look up to myself. I think we can surprise ourselves.

Myself, of my ability to endure, be strong, and not be afraid of taking on the challenges of life

Prompt #3: Did you have a favorite blanket or toy?

2010-02-28T17:58:00.001-08:00

I love Barbies. I never had enough as a kid, and I actually still own many of my Barbies. When I say many I mean about 15. And all their clothes, misc. furniture, accessories, etc. I played regularly with my brother as a younger child. Drove my mom crazy because my little fingers weren't very good at changing the clothes, so I was always asking her to change them. As I got older I created Barbie cities with my next door neighbor. Our Barbie neighborhoods were like an episode of Desperate Housewives--drama, drama, drama. And then even as a teen (high school!) on snow days I would drive my Barbies over to her house (b/c I had to much to carry over in the snow), and we would once again set up our whole cities. Haven't taken them out recently, but I've been tempted as my friends' kids start getting into them.

What should I do? Please give me advice!

2010-02-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

What are these you may ask? My Christmas cards, made, addressed, and ready to go! Why didn't I send them? I have absolutely no idea. So now I ask...should I send them anyway? It still accomplishes the main idea which is to connect with friends and update them on our life. And I don't have to put any effort into really sending them. But on the other hand, for those who don't read my blog, they will be really puzzled at a Christmas card in March!

Follow-Up of "Some Funny Stories" Post

2010-02-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is the sweater vest outfit:

Some other cute sayings:

LM was asking me if I wanted to wear one of my watches, he said "Mom, do you want to wear a watch, be honest with me".

Whenever he can't make a decision on something (what to do for his b-day, what he wants, what treat to eat) he says "Let's think about it, ok mom". Which usually means he will never decide, and I have to just pick something.

"Mom, I love Ellen. And she is on American Idol, she has her very own show, and she was on Oprah!"

He loves to use the words "truly" and "surely". For example, "Mom I truly need to make a waffle." and "I surely do need it mom."

He has a fabulous imagination. Today he was pulling with the remotes to the tv/dvd player. Using the remotes to talk to each other, "Why do you have buttons all over you?" "I'm a remote".

I love when I'm frantically looking all over the house for his special blanket (nicknamed "ticklish blankie" by him because he likes to rub it on his face) and I finally remember of course it is in the freezer. He loves to cool his blanket down by putting it in there.

Bucket List AKA List of Things To Do Before You Die

2010-02-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned this list before on my blog. Mine is already pretty long, very ambitious, and it grows everyday. It is something I've been working on since I was in high school. I recently reread my list to Bill and he actually had the nerve to laugh. I don't like it when people don't take my goals seriously. Of course this just challenges me even more to make sure and complete every item on the list. The list is not something I have in my head, I actually write it out. I have a copy on the computer, but then I also keep one on my i-phone. This allows me to add whenever I get inspiration and remind myself daily of my goals. My list includes things like attending certain Broadway shows or concerts, countries I want to visit, things I want to learn, etc. So I'm just wondering if other people have a list as well, and if so what's on your list? Hmm...sounds like a good book club discussion

Prompt #2: Can you live without electricity for a month?

2010-02-26T01:12:00.000-08:00

I think I could, and it even sounds fun. You guys know that I'm always up for a challenge. I love trying new things and pushing myself to the limit. To really examine the possibility I'm going to list some of the ways this would affect my life:

no cooking microwave/oven/stove/refrigerator (I don't have a gas stove, but I guess I could find one!) This would be annoying after a whole month, but totally doable. Get used to eating things cold and eating as a vegetarian. You would only prepare what you could eat that day because there wouldn't be a great way to store it after. Lots of canned veggies/fruit/protein shakes, hopefully the store would still have electricity so I could get some fresh. Otherwise I'm left to living off the land (garden). I imagine we would cook some meals over a fire as well.
no warm water! Also annoying, but I would take really fast showers! This would bother me a little with cleaning/sanitation, but once again there is always the fire! (or gas stove)
no tv, computer No problem at all for me. I watch a ton of tv right now, but I know I could switch to books in a heartbeat and not even notice. Computer would be harder, but not impossible-actually a little refreshing.
no lighting I would just live the hours of the day, and use a little bit of candle light. Not a big deal
no blow dryer/flat iron Easy one-just do it curly everyday.

I may be overlooking something huge, but right now that seems to cover my life. I'm not saying it would be easy, but after looking at this list I'm sure I could do it. Now living without running water for a month-that would be a little harder!

Tricky-I could keep my cell phone, just charge it in the car!

Celine-Movie night with Amy

2010-02-26T01:08:00.001-08:00

After going to the concert in 2008, I obviously had to see this movie. Always been slightly obsessed, but since the concert, Oprah interviews, and now the movie my obsession has become full fledged. I loved reliving the concert. It is only in the theater for another week, so it's now or never. By the way-she's back in Vegas next year for 3 years. Yup, already planned a visit. Oh and Amy loved it too.

Headin' to the Coast

2010-02-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to leave for the book club overnight tomorrow! One of the best parts of the year. When I describe it to other people they don't usually get it. We don't really leave the house. We eat dinner, talk to 3 or 4 in the morning, wake up, and drive home. But I think we all love it. I told LM I was going to the coast-he told me to watch out for the sharks.

Change of Passwords

2010-02-25T03:22:00.001-08:00

I'm probably the most dangerous person I know--in the sense that I haven't changed any of my online passwords ever. In fact every single one is the same (bank, email, all online store, blog, facebook) ...until now. I finally heard enough warnings and made the change (thanks to Sara!). I hate having to keep track of a billion different passwords and regularly changing them, but it's time to accept that this is the world we live in. I also went to all my favorite online stores and deleted my card info. Probably unnecessary, but just a precaution. This will be a huge pain-I can't even remember my debit card pin most of the time.

Prompt #1: What I love to wear

2010-02-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

My friend inspired me to use some blog prompts to keep up with some of the daily things in my life. In a time where journal writing is difficult, having a blog really helps me to record my life. So I'm literally taking her blog prompts and using them!

Tops: I love sweaters/sweater cardigans. So despite my love of warmer temps, I prefer winter to summer fashion wise. My favorites are a chunky knitted wool and usually come from Anthropologie. And to wear with these sweaters a thermal top in some type of fabulous pattern. Can't get enough!

Bottoms: Leggings, leggings, leggings Seriously the most comfortable bottoms ever. I also love my boyfriend jeans (an oversized, more straight cut denim that is supposed to resemble wearing men's denim, shocker). Because they are oversized not only are they crazy comfortable, you also feel super skinny!

Shoes: Boots in all varieties. Short, mid-calf, knee height, over-the-knee. Rain, uggs, leather, riding, suede, cowboy, vintage. Basically everything. I have an addiction to quality shoes and my boots are no exception. I buy to last a lifetime and so far they have proven that. I love my boots because they last so much longer than my other shoes. I'm not afraid to drop the cash for something that I'll wear forever! Oh and by the way-my boots are my most comfortable shoes of all no matter what height heel.

Jewelry/Accessories: I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but I wear earrings pretty much everyday. I'm not sure why. I don't really have a favorite earring, but I feel empty without them. Coming from an accessory background I feel naked without some type of add on whether it's jewelry, scarves, hats, etc. I feel like the accessory is what takes an outfit from just nice to truly trendy and fashionable. Right now I love scarves, but generally I would say hats are my favorite. I have quite a collection of both, and I would say my recent downtrend of hats relates directly to my desire to keep my hair looking good. Everyone knows if you wear a hat all day it gives you horrible hat hair.

Dresses/Skirts: I own a lot more skirts, but actually prefer dresses. Modest dresses are just so impossible to find! I've been looking for a great Easter dress for a couple months and every single one I've ordered so far is just too short. I'm going crazy. So I buy a lot of skirts. I like to find unique ones beyond your basic black or other solid colors. I have a lot more good summer skirts than winter because they also seem to be easier to find--at least in the cute patterns. Of course a great summer favorite is the maxi dress which I could basically wear everyday. And don't forget to finish it off with a pair of fabulous gladiator sandals.

Favorite stores: Not hard to guess-Nordstrom and Anthropologie. One out of convenience and one because of true love. These haven't always been my fav, and I've really enjoyed watching my fashion progressing over the last 10 years. Sometimes I try to shop at other stores more regularly because you can always find something great, but I just get annoyed. At my favorite stores I don't have to put in much effort-I love everything. It makes it easy to shop. I love the look of truly vintage clothing but I just cannot do second-hand stores. I have some friends who do a fabulous job of finding the best things, but I seriously get sick at the thought. The last time I stepped into a second-hand store I thought I was going to die. I literally have a panic attack--heart racing, hyperventilating, sweating, etc. I can't touch anything, and I wash my hands excessively afterwards, but this is a whole other topic! (and know you all know I'm a little OCD)

If anyone actually reads all of this you must have a lot of time on your hands--you are probably the type to spend a little too much time on facebook as well.

Everyone needs one of these

2010-02-23T23:43:00.000-08:00

Ok-I know this may be a little risque for my blog, but I couldn't resist. These fabulous underwear give your butt a little lift and padding to create a great shape, similar to a push-up bra. "Go from flat to fab in a pop!" If you want one (and I know you all do) check this site out. And if you aren't sold yet, read this warning that is on the website:

Just in case you were wondering...

2010-02-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

I thought I would put up a few pics of the potential new house. Once again, I'm kind of superstitious about getting too serious before the closing date, esp since it is 3 months away, so I'm going against one of my personal rules by putting up pictures already!

The house is a tri-level with 3 beds, 2 baths.

This is the entryway from the perspective of the formal living room. If you were to go straight from the entryway as opposed to turning into the living room, you would end up in the kitchen. (by the way-that wall paper will be one of the first things to go, thankfully they only put wallpaper in two areas and it is very very minimal)

This is the kitchen table we get with the house--I just have a hard time imagining any other table matching just as well. You can see the formal dining room off the kitchen, and the doorway on the left leads to the upper deck area.

You look into the family room from the kitchen--I love the huge sliding doors leading out to the deck. One thing this house isn't lacking is big beautiful windows. When you come in from the garage you enter the laundry room which leads into the family room. (left hand side of room)

Backyard-the upper deck area is accessible from the kitchen, the lower part from the family room, and then they are connected. It is a great size.
Another perspective of the backyard. One of the nice aspects is it is all fenced in with full grown shrubbery the gives privacy.

The upstairs isn't too exciting. Two smaller rooms on the front of the house with a bathroom. On the back of the house the master bed and bath. Thankfully there is a walk-in closet, but it really isn't as big as I want.

Some funny stories

2010-02-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Last night for dinner LM had 1 frozen waffle, 1 hotdog, 1/2 a can of kidney beans, and 1 whole tomato.

I bought pads the other day, and LM was devastated that I bought "diapers" for myself. "Mom-you pee your pants?! You need to hold it!"

Who would have thought a bra put on backwards and crossed straps in the front could be a rocket pack?

He changed his shirt yesterday because his shirt was wet (if his shirt or pants get even a little bit wet or dirty he MUST change them). He came out wearing a sweater vest-just a sweater vest, so it was like a little sweater tank. It looked hilarious.

His favorite shirt to wear is actually one of mine-it's bright pink and looks like a dress on him. And I do let him wear it out much to Bill's dismay. The reason he likes it is because it has the wild things on the front from the book, so at least it is a good reason.

Finally!

2010-02-20T10:29:00.001-08:00

Good news-we made an offer on a house and the offer was accepted! It has been a long journey, and we have pretty much look at everything from building to buying land to buying a house and every combination in between. As most of you know last June we fell in love with a development over in West Salem that I was completely sold on. When we made in offer back in January they didn't even budge on prices, so we decided to look at some other options before we officially decided (because up until that point we hadn't really looked at anything else!). As we looked nothing felt right. There were plenty of nice places that would work, but nothing I loved as much as the original plan. On Wednesday we went out for the last time--I was completely done with the searching, and we decided to go back to the development if we didn't see anything we liked. At first nothing was catching my eye, but on the last house we walked in and immediately loved it. For the first time since all of our searching I found a house we could truly live in. Bill felt exactly the same. We made an offer Friday morning, and Friday night they accepted with all our conditions, including putting in air conditioning and giving us the kitchen table. Although I'm a little disappointed that I won't get to build what I thought was a beautiful home, the benefits of this house make up for it (more yard, normal two car garage, flat neighborhood). Our closing date is not until the end of May, so we have plenty of time to pack and plan out the decorating--and obviously nothing is official until you close, but we are now under contract!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention the obvious from the weekend! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone-I hope you all did something fun to celebrate. Bill and I take turns planning, and this year was my turn. I decided to do a family date because Bill has been gone so much recently. It just didn't feel right to leave LM with a babysitter when we both miss Bill. We did all our celebrating on Sat-we went to A.C. Gilbert and the carousel. Then we headed up to Portland for dinner at Oba. We all exchanged gifts/Valentines. Bill has a tradition of getting me as many roses as Valentine's Days we've spent together. This year was 7. He also writes me a poem--which used to be too much for me, too cheesy. Now I really appreciate it and think it is pretty sweet.

Olympics!

2010-02-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

How I love the winter Olympics--sadly I really don't enjoy the summer Olympics, but I always eagerly anticipate the winter. I would have loved to attend this year, but budget and schedule did not permit. However it is on my bucket list, so I know I will someday. I hope everyone enjoys the next couple of weeks-I'll be camped out in front of my tv.

HGTV/Accents

2010-02-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

I think it is almost a requirement that when you are planning a move/renovation you start watching HGTV obsessively. At least that's how it has been for me. With all my watching I've noticed something--a ton of the shows are filmed in Canada. Everyone seems to have a Canadian accent. Not a big deal, but for me this is a problem. See I have this weird habit to pick up accents I hear frequently. I'm sure a lot of people are affected by what they hear, but I'm extremely susceptible. And honestly it is so embarrassing. Believe me this is not an impressive trait to have. So now I'm driving Bill crazy because I cannot say "house" as an American anymore. I mean it's HGTV--how often do you think they say house?! He told me he can handle it, but he's drawing the line at pasta. If I ever say "pass-ta" he'll go crazy.

How old am I?

2010-02-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned to a few friends that starting about a year ago I cannot keep my age straight; I always think I'm older than I am. Well, apparently I'm not the only one. Bill relayed a conversation to me that he had with a friend at work. They somehow got on the topic of my age, and Bill mentioned I was 26. His friend was hugely surprised and said he thought I was Bill's age. I'm not sure what is worse-the fact that Bill actually got my age wrong! (I'm 25) or the fact that his friend apparently thinks I'm 34! I of course responded to Bill with "What? I'm not 26, I'm 25 and what the heck? Do I look like I'm 34?" Bill said he assumed his friend didn't actually remember his age, so was more or less guessing. But let me tell you there is no way Bill could pass for under 30, so no matter what his friend was thinking 30 or over. It would be one thing if he thought I was 27 or 28, but 9 years over my age?

By the way-I'm not bothered at all with getting older, but at the same time I'm not willing to lose any years of my life!

overwhelmed

2010-01-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought buying a house could be so draining? Well, I'm guessing lots of people. But I never thought it would happen to me. I have to admit that it has become so time consuming and annoying that I'm forgetting the good parts and not enjoying it at all. I'm sure there are many who can relate. I'm such a speedy person, so waiting on other people's schedules is annoying! When I find a house I like, I'm ready to go look at it immediately-but I have to wait. And then it isn't even what I want anyway. Or you put in an offer and not only do they completely ignore the deadline, but they take an extra WEEK to get back. I thought this was a buyer's market. And don't even get me started on the whole short sell/foreclosure thing. Amazing deals-but huge hassles. Thankfully we have some amazing people on our team helping us to find the right place. And I am excited to find the perfect thing-just wish I had more control.

What happens when mom gets bored?

2010-01-18T23:47:00.000-08:00

I decided I had enough of LM destroying the house, furniture, toys, my things, his things, etc. I wanted to make my own mess...
Don't worry it's washable markers.

Remedy for vasoline in hair...

2010-01-18T23:44:00.001-08:00

Cornstarch

"But mom, I wanted to spike it"

P.S. This happened two days in a row!

the only reason I will tolerate snow

2010-01-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a quick weekend trip to Sunriver-which at this time of year equals skiing! Of course it isn't a fun trip without some good friends to enjoy it with. We went with the Bauer's, which pretty much guarantees a fun trip.

Although Nathan and Bill attacked the slopes, the trip was mostly first timers (me, LM, and Amy). We all decided the best way to keep our marriages intact was to get some lessons for Amy and I. We were lucky to have an amazing teacher and a small class (3 people, but the other girl ditched early, so really just me and Amy!). After a good 2 hours, we actually had enough of the basics down to enjoy ourselves. All I have to say is if I can learn to ski-anyone can!

LM also had lessons in between his fun at the daycare. I can't believe how quickly he picked it up! After just 2 days he was skiing down the little hill by himself--almost stopping/slowing everytime. Sometimes he would just fall-but he loved every second. Bill and I even spent some time skiing with him after his lesson. LM was lucky enough to have a personal ski lift aka Bill. (Bill admitted the was the biggest workout of the day for him.)

On our second day Amy and I hit some blue runs--although somewhat unknowingly--with the help of our coaches (Bill and Nathan). I've decided that as much as I love Mt. Bachelor, it isn't really the best for first time skiers. There aren't very many green runs, and almost all of them require some blues to get there. It was a challenge, and we both took our fair share of spills. But we survived and enjoyed ourselves! Of course we also enjoyed our little breaks at the lodge (where I pestered Amy into getting her picture taken repeatedly--she only relented after I let her take mine)

Of course every day ended with a trip to Goody's (ice cream/candy shop) and a yummy meal. The boys really spoiled us on this trip doing a lot of the cooking--(one of our friends, Jeff, makes the craziest most amazing pancake ever--it seriously has about 30 ingredients)

I think Nathan and Bill considered the trip successful since they created 3 new skiing monsters. I think the trip was successful because I truly found a reason to love snow, and it solidifies my commitment to the West coast (sorry grandparents). I can't imagine living somewhere where I would have to fly to ski.

I don't know how I forgot...

2010-01-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT
Bill has a job. Assuming he graduates, and then passes the bar he will be working for GHR. (also known as Garrett, Hemann, Robertson, formally known as Garrett, Hemann, Robertson, Jennings, Comstock, Trethewy--thank goodness they shortened that!) The official job offer was made in November, but we had to keep it on the dl until it was officially announced to the firm in the end of December (which is why I even forgot to post about it until now). We feel incredibly blessed to be a part of such an amazing firm. They are not only the most friendly and accepting people, but also happen to have some absolutely amazing attorneys. And congrats to Bill--the hard work is starting to pay off. He definitely had to earn this job. So we are now true blue Oregonians, stickin' around for awhile. (the best part about all of this? I get to stay in book club!)