Happy girls are the prettiest

productive

2012-01-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

my lil sweetness has been sick home today with strep...always a sad day!...especially when, you know you are gonna get it next and there is no one to take care of you the way i coddle and take care of miss lou!
so we layed low at the house or at least she did. i had soo many things to take care of here and let me tell you how good it felt to get to that laundry list of things "you should do" but always get pushed to the back burner. plus i got some quality time with my girl! why are they just a little bit sweeter and kissable when they dont feel good? probably why they look so cute when they sleep...to remind you not to beat them when they make you crazy at other times:) happy tuesday folks!

montana, texas or somewhere inbetween

2012-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

A dream is a wish your heart makes....Isn't that what disney says? My dream is a happily ever that looks like this.

wild hearts and horses

2012-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

There is something magical about a 1200 pound animal who can run as fast as the wind. There is a freeing feeling from being on the back of what I consider one of GODs most amazing creatures. I miss that feeling, the wind in your hair, your eyes squinting from the sunset and the flying dust and debris. The dirt caked to my denium clad legs. There is something spectacular about a wild horse, with spirit, and charm and a whole lot of spitfire. They are mis understood, I think, and I believe their hearts are more tender than the sweet, calm horses you see at a petting zoo. They have been hurt, misunderstood and taken for granted. They have been abused, left out in the cold and thrown away. But i believe with my whole heart if you really took the time to see these beautiful creatures for what they really are you would see they are the most amazing of all the horses. The same could be said for those with wild hearts....

the up up up sometimes has a little down

2012-01-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you one of my biggest pet peeves? I have serious issues with people not being real! I mean seriously folks, if you have had THE WORST DAY EVER.....I do not want you to tell me that it was super D duper! I am not, nor do I think I have ever been, accused of being fake. Some days you just worry and you are sad or overwhelmed. Somedays it is ok to not be posative about E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.....And while today was a perfectly lovely day spent with my lulu girl...somedays I do just want to run away from this perfectly unperfect life that I live. And I am A-ok at saying that. The end

new year new me

2012-01-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

Someday everything will all make perfect sense. So for right now laugh through the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
This has been my motto for the last 8 months or so. But... it's a new year and there's "silver lining to every cloud" Bri is back, and 2012 is going to hold my happy place. This is my year...

and happy girls are the prettiest:)

free picture giveaway

2011-04-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

there is a great giveaway from my dear friend Lindsey Bennett, she is the one who does all my fabulous pictures…you should check her out and this amazing giveaway!

lindsey bennett photography giveaway

its worth it i promise!

our Saturdays lately, and every-other-play-day!

2011-04-10T16:52:00.001-07:00

we have been having such fun lately on Saturdays, and on every-other-moment –we- can-fit-in! going to the gym, learning to ride bikes, roller-skating, swimming, going to the library, renting red boxes, seeing Disney on ice, having friends over for happy hour, going to happy hour, spring training games, parties, trying on sassy shoes, learning to shoot and more laying out by the pool! we love spring!

lil miss has a current obsession with trying on every pair of amazing stilettos in site! hmmm…does she get this from me? ;)

T and I at salty senorita for nachos and wings…and a lil margarita for chops and me

on our friends pontoon boat on the private lake he lives on

his amazing backyard which this pic does not do justice! there were about 50 firefighters including wives,families ect…partying before we all rode bikes to the stadium for a spring training game! can. you. say. FUN?

teaching londy to shoot….she had such fun learning about gun safety and firing several guns with chop and uncle Jason!

sassy herself in her new suit…yes she even got in and swam

at uncle Jason's, playing with fake animals in the grass, followed by riding horses, playing in the fort, jumping on trampolines and riding in the golf cart

the older gals still loving being kiddos

her first ride on her bike…she did great without the training wheels even though she was super nervous!

laying out with mom even if its chilly and we are in the shade!

dress up with friends is always great

we love the redbox!

my little artist

T and I with her $15 yes $15 icee at Disney on ice

nonni and lou….we had such fun, thanks nonni for taking us!

the castle that kept changing…it was so cool

and she finally busted out her skates from Santa and we strolled around the block…turns out she is a natural just like her mom! lmao….hope she doesn't get major scars like the ones I still have on my knees from roller derby with meg when we were kids!

Technorati Tags: spring,saturdays

the kiddos museum on a holiday

2011-02-21T18:53:00.001-08:00

let me first start by telling you I have been dying to go here since my cute friend Julie told me how fabulous it was…and boy was she right!

mama apes or April as she's really named invited me along with 5 of her kids, her sister Amy jo and two nephews for a day at the children's museum. considering that I was just stopping by her house for a quick visit for our girls to play and drop off a darling present (if I do say so myself) that was handmade by moi….who could resist?

so off we went rushing as usual when you have that many kids in-tow…to the children's museum. Amy jo had gotten free tickets and boy was that a savings for us all…

boy would I love a year membership here!

we played and played and didn't even make it all the way through but here is our day in pics

this little piece of heaven was strapped to my chest today and oh can i just say…delicious?

mama apes and i

i swear she gets prettier by the day!

oh darn i have to carry the 5week old baby brystal?!!!

best buddies!

Technorati Tags: childrens museum,holiday

gold rush days

2011-02-21T18:21:00.001-08:00

I love a parade, the marching bands and neat old cars! the smiles and cheering from little girls on shoulders. I love the excitement and the horses, the clubs and schools who have been chosen…the silly things you see that you never thought you would see.

AND THIS PARADE DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

we took a drive last Saturday and ended up in Wickenburg on a gorgeous spring morning…where we got second row seats and waited for candy to be thrown at us as we people watched and cheered, giggled and grinned at the fun show unfolding before us! then we ate at Anita's …yummo! and walked around the big carnival eating chocolate covered strawberries on a stick and shopping and watching everyone go by.

wonder what londy liked best?

Technorati Tags: parade,wickenburg

empty house

2011-02-21T18:08:00.001-08:00

bitter sweet was the sale of my fabulous house! it was a must because of the divorce and a really good thing for me and londy to move to a great new area, where new adventures will be taking place. a new school, close to shopping, restaurants and family. but wow was it tough to close up that house and walk away.

here are a few….before the packing began and a few EMPTY afters!

those last few moments were hard…I cried all the way home…we built that house, designed it, added pavers and flagstone, crown molding, venetian bronze everything and a backyard…we did it all ourselves and I loved it.

londy actually kissed and hugged the walls goodbye,,,thought I was gonna lose it then as I told her there would be new rooms to be made into home too!

inside the pantry door….the old faithful measuring system…wow how time flies!

Technorati Tags: house,moving

future books

2011-02-06T09:45:00.001-08:00

when i was younger my best friend (kat) and i would spend hours upon hours making “future books”. We would pour through magazines and JcPenny catalogs looking for our dream life. i would pay good money to find one of these books! we would cut and paste these pics into spiral notebooks. we would name our kids, dogs and our husbands. the jobs they would have, places we would shop, vacations we would take…it was our dreams on paper…

the “beyaz” commercial that is on tv right now reminded me of this…shopping for your spouse, your diploma, kids, house and more. if only life were that easy or fulfilling. i would be married to ken with 4 wonderful kids who did everything right and have dogs who didnt have gas…(ewww bella, she is laying on the couch and lets just say something is not agreeing with her belly, ewww yuck!) but…. really thats not the world i would wish for. and although we all wish we could have things easier or better sometimes i love “my ken” and my kiddos, and my life. some of these pictures are things i wanted then and some now…you decide which is which:)

red brick ranch style house with green lush yard

a big lifted red truck

brown eyed, beautiful children with sweet spirits and talents

vacations to tropical places where i can sip yummy drinks on the beach

a golden retriever, the perfect family dog

saunter

2011-01-25T14:26:00.001-08:00

why does it make me absolutely batty when I’m in a hurry and someone is sauntering across the street in front of my car? no need to hurry folks, there are not people waiting behind me either! oh this just makes me loony! I hate to profile but these people typically fall into two categories for me…

1. the well to do (or they think they are well to do) folks in their true religions, Louis Vuitton bags and Ugg boots, texting or talking on the phone or playing with their iPods, Ipads or whatever. They typically don't even notice that you are there which irks me even a little more! come on peeps, look alive, look alert, heaven forbid I wasn't paying attention and run over your undersized, over-privileged ass! jus sayin…

the other category….my personal fav

2. a mom or dad, a teenager and at least two other kids, moseying instead of motering in front of you, oozing out of their $7.00 special at goodwill, two sizes too small jeans, feet slippin and sliding out of flip flops as they drag their feet across pavement, while slurping on a big gulp. hair hasn't been colored in months, black trashy roots with orange ends. children whose hair has not been combed if not bathed in two plus days. These…oh these are the people who look at you like they have the right to stop in the middle of the road if they so please because you owe them something more than the welfare check you are already providing them! (note here…i have trashy roots a lot and have lots of good friends on welfare, as well as the louis vuitton bag carrying types, but you get my point:)

why does this make me so nuts? I could leave five minutes earlier so I am not rushed or I can just be a bigger person and blow it off but it gets under my skin like chiggers do and I cant help but be annoyed. most of all I wonder…were they not taught common courtesy? to put a little pep in your step when others are waiting? I suppose not….

Technorati Tags: annoyed,venting

dying, dying I tell you…

2011-01-21T15:59:00.001-08:00

to do this…

I mean I need to learn, seeing as I have never done a quilt nor do I have the faintest clue on how one would start! but I bought a pattern I'm dying to try (probably too advanced for my first but oh so darling) and I have a rotary wheel and a mat…now all I need is a fabulous teacher with some serious patience and then some fun girls to quilt with every so often! problem is all my darling, ever so fabulous girls who do this live in mesa and Nat…I think you are just a bit too far:(

but I definitely have the bug to get started and quick! it feels so good to be settled in my new place and feeling like its my own, once I get the pictures hung and the place gussied up I can have a party and then start playing with my sewing machine!

watch out fabric I'm eying you!

Technorati Tags: crafts,sewing

things i shouldn't tell you on my blog

2011-01-13T20:29:00.001-08:00

but am going to anyway….

this is my journal and i want to write what i want to write, but, i fear that no one really reads this anyway but my sister meg (hi sis)

yet i cant say that I'm having a cocktail and feel like someone beat me up and this is how i feel most everyday that i work and it scares me because i fear my disease is getting worse. but am happy to announce i don't drink a cocktail every night i feel like this or i would be an alcoholic!

i don't like that I'm crazy in love and living in a world where i worry about not living up to expectations, seeing as though, apparently, i have failed at this sort of thing once before.

seeeee, not supposed to tell you this!

i think i need a blog that no one can see, one i can be myself, say what's in my heart without worrying about a pity party or what will be read by who knows who.

i want a blog where it really doesn't matter that at 31 years old that i cant spell, or punctuate, although id really like to do better at that.

i think a new blog is in order, i think that is 2011

does anyone else ever feel like this?

i mean i actually had a good day and am deliriously happy in life, but ya know, sometimes ya just have a moment

Santa, temple lights and more

2011-01-10T10:32:00.001-08:00

this year Christmas was a complete blur! I think with news that I was moving 2 days after Christmas made the month a little more hectic to say the least especially since Christmas eve and Christmas morning are both held at my house with family staying over and my sister here for the week. I did my best to pack the house while leaving the “family room area” that was decorated for Christmas alone. it was challenging because I HATE clutter with a passion but else was there to do? boxes in one room stacked as high as I could get them and normalcy in the next… but we did manage to do some great things! londy, nonni and I went to see tangled, the whole family minus Ronnie (choppers son) made it to the temple lights and to Rosas…yum (although the service was terrible and I swear there were two guys working the whole place, from the kitchen to the waiter to cleaning the toilets in the back!) we wrote letters to Santa, watched lots of Christmas movies, made gingerbread houses, went to a couple parties, made reindeer food, laughed a lot, played with Meggie, ate and drank our fair share, opened presents and managed to relax. it was a good Christmas! and we are so blessed for having each other!

flaky

2011-01-10T09:37:00.001-08:00

and I'm not talking the yummy buttery biscuit kind! I do not know what my problem is lately…perhaps too much on my plate with moving and all but yesterday I missed my sister in laws baby shower! I mean come on Bri! I had the invite on the fridge for weeks, had sewn her presents, was all excited about baby girl Bryce and ready to go NEXT Sunday to the shower. and while we were out of town yesterday playing in the snow (more on that later) and I could not have gone anyway, I still can not believe that I missed it! I am sooo sorry misty, what a great sister I am huh? oh and that isn't all folks…I have been doing this sort of thing repeatedly for weeks if not months. I am hoping now that I'm a little more settled that I can get on the ball and be better…lets put that at the top of goals for 2011…that and MANY MANY other things:)

happy Monday all

trick or treaty happy Halloweeny

2010-11-16T18:54:00.001-08:00

this year I got little miss on Halloween night. it was a Sunday and most of her good friends we would normally go play with are LDS and are not allowed to run about on Sunday night…however her mother is a heathen and sooooo

tricky treatsing we went. it was quiet in the neighborhood which is rare and I couldn't tell if it was because it was on Sunday or because the economy sucks or because people are doing more house parties, trunk or treatings and indoor “mall” type “safe” places. we did not seem to mind a bit as we wandered house to house then back to our house to pass out candy. good ol pandora radio kept us rockin with some spooky Halloween symphony music and londy passed passed passed out candy while giggling at chopper and I trading hats back and forth. oh how I love the Halloween night:)

the little hot mama was wicked witch of the east…minus the green face and striped tights. she insisted on the red sparkle shoes because “thats what the witch wears on the weekends, they are her going out shoes” i bout died laughing at that one!

mary mary

2010-11-16T18:42:00.001-08:00

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

little miss and i decided a few weeks back that we had had it with summer and we were ready for fall….so to home depot we did go and bought some of my favorite gerber daisys to plant here and there. along with some annuals. why does it just fill my soul with joy to see pretty flowers? i dont know but it sure does. the weather was amazing this day! so scootter riding and toes a polishing were done after planting:) a day just me and my girl is such a wonderful thing!

goofin with the camera….cause hey! its what we do!

giveaway

2010-11-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

my darling friend amy is doing a giveaway on her fabulous holiday cards. enter to win custom christmas cards by going here
http://inkddesigns.blogspot.com/2010/11/out-with-halloween-in-with-christmas.html

trust me its worth the look:)

so long farewell

2010-11-01T15:11:00.001-07:00

see ya later alligator

after awhile crocodile

bye bye butterfly

out the door dinosaur

so long king kong

give a hug ladybug

be sweet parakeet

blow a kiss goldfish

londy has been coming home everyday telling me a different goodbye…i think they are soo stinkin cute! that’s my girl!

a first in a long time

2010-10-24T14:13:00.001-07:00

could not tell you the last time I got decked out for a Halloween party! so when we got the invite to one I was all about it! sister sue was great enough to mail me her costume from last year so I didn't have to kill myself trying to find( and pay) for one! so a sassy cute Alice in wonderland I was going to be. chopper was going to be KKK and then dress up as me but once he saw me in Alice…. he was on a hunt for a mad hatter getup! first came the hat and then he pulled the rest together from good will and good friends! way to go babe…he got best costume at our party and we had a blast! thanks Steve and Lindsey, cant wait to do it again next year…MUAH!

a perfect afternoon

2010-10-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

a perfect afternoon consists of…..

a pony ride, chasing dogs, playing volleyball, a great barbequed hamburger, jumping on the trampoline, watching the cardinals kick some BOOTY, snacking some more, getting dirty running in the yard, a drive in the desert in the golfcart, cool weather, a sweatshirt, playing on the hay bails, roasting marshmallows and playing chubby bunny around the fire with my most favorite people!

i literally forgot

2010-10-12T14:56:00.001-07:00

If you pray for love, be loving. If you pray for wealth, be generous. If you pray for health, practice health yourself. Your choices are what make you who you are in this world. Make something of it and figure out what you want to be remembered for!

I read this on my niece’s Facebook status and literally had one of those “ah ha light bulb going on” kind of moments! i have been pondering life quite a bit the last year, more-so the last few months. Understandably so…considering i went through a divorce. I have had several amazing conversations with my love Chopper, as well as some wonderful girlfriends who are so great at putting things in perspective…even if it is over happy hour:)

it was very fitting reading this quote and then reading megs blog today and seeing her write about this herself…sometimes i swear we should have been twins because we dress alike and have a lot of the same thoughts without ever discussing them. but anywho…..

i try to be a good person in life, i try to be honest and kind, not judgmental, loving and generous. I try to let people know when i am thinking about them, to be a good friend, a good daughter, mother and girlfriend/wife. But as i read and re-read this quote (not sure where it really came from other than my niece) i wonder how much of this i am really doing. I fall, i fall on a regular basis, short of who my father in heaven made. who he wants me to be. i make mistakes, i take steps back after much progress, but i always try to learn from those mistakes and not make them again.

i am very blessed in my life. i have a man who treasures me and i treasure him. for lack of better words…i have had a failed relationship and do not wish to fall down that awful cliff again so i love with my whole heart. i want to give everything i have to build and mend and create better relationships than what i have. to be that mother to play at the park late, play make-believe ten times longer than i had planned and actually enjoy every minute of it! i have a wonderful, tenderhearted, sweetheart of a baby girl London who i will love with my whole heart. i treasure family and frankly have fallen way short over the years with creating a relationship with them the way i want to in my heart. but i can feel that getting better and sooooo as i try to love more…i FEEL more LOVE as well! what a thought huh?

on the subject of wealth…i don't yearn to have gobs of money (although don't get me wrong it could be real nice right about now). but wealth can mean so many things. i wish to have what i need, to provide for my family…to live more of the good life…having friends and family over for barbeques. be able to fly my sister home for thanksgiving. to donate more to back to school programs and so much more. but as i watched my sweet friend kimi have an awful week and sooo wished i could help…i felt helpless until my dear friend Celina informed kimis husband that she was having dinner delivered so they wouldn't have to think of that one small aspect of that day. that to me is being generous, thoughtful and kind. my friend Celina is always generous…oh how i will be more like that from now on.

my knees have been bloody from all the prayers on health. health for me, health for family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. but do i take care of my body? to i exercise to my full ability? do i eat right…i mean really eat right? on a daily basis? do i take the vitamins and advice from doctors on food or drinks to stay away from? how can i constantly pray for health if i do not do all i can do to be totally healthy? do i take care of my mind healthily? do i nourish my soul with prayer, good books, uplifting people, movies and spiritual things? do i laugh as much as possible? stay away from stress and stress inducing people? so much of keeping healthy is full body, mind and soul…( which yes sounds totally cheesy but i believe it to be totally true!!)

i literally forgot all these things…i knew them at one point or another in my life. have practiced them time and time again. but every once in a while i need to be reminded…slapped upside the head, been told again…that hey

i choose who i am everyday, it is my gift from my savior, that when i fall short i can try again

its funny that as i have paid attention to this this week how different i have felt about people and what has been given to me and how i know i can give so much more….

Barbie holiday weekends

2010-09-24T20:44:00.001-07:00

when meg and I were little we loved Barbie's! I mean L_O_V_E_D! them!! we were always so excited to have a three day weekend when my dad would allow us to make a Barbie mansion in the hallway and leave it up for the weekend. we had a pretty good sized area outside our bedrooms and it was wood floors so it was the perfect spot to build houses out of building blocks. we were so creative, using our big crayon piggybanks as street lights, using my moms doll furniture from when she was a kid. no one stood a chance over us when it came to the best doll houses (or so we thought)…the neighbor girls had the real Barbie dream mansions but we never wanted them…we liked our make believe much better!

so several months back I pulled out my Barbie's (the few that I kept) along with my sisters Barbie carrying case and brought them home for London. oh I'm not sure who was more excited…me or her? she has played and played with them…well today my dear client ami brought me a bunch of her daughters old Barbie's and their paraphernalia! London was to say the least, beside herself with excitement. I have never seen so many ken dolls! and these ken dolls are all so different from the ones I had I couldn't stop giggling at the hair and the muscles! just so brought me back to those days, when life was simple! I loved the “heart family”dolls. I had the mom the dad, the kids. we would play with our strawberry shortcake dolls and star-something dolls with them too! funny how you get rid of things thinking your kids wont want them or there will be something better by the time you have kids but really the reason to keep toys for your kids is so that YOU receive joy when watching them play with something you treasured so much! just digging through that box right now the memories came back. I had forgotten how much I loved the little cabbage patch dolls and the miniature strawberry shortcake figurines…who remembers all this stuff?

the mess

megs old Barbie case

the new ken dolls…guess which one I like? londy says he looks like chopper cause of the muscles..lol

baseball player and the cheerleader (londy loves her)

the oldies! the one on the left I think was supposed to be from Switzerland? and the one on the right was my neighbor

Katie Stipe (I was in love with this dress) I had it when she moved, so yep…I pretty much stole it! only time I can remember stealing anything in my life!

strawberry shortcakes…I cant find any clothes for them…why are dolls always NAKED?

don't remember what these were called by they were some of my all time favorite toys

cabbage patches…they are soooo cute!

my moms favorite toys we ever owned..she has some at her house she wont give me back..lol

the ken who started it all today…I couldn't stop giggling at the hair while at work…I LOVE it!

smut, make believe or just a distraction

2010-09-21T13:09:00.001-07:00

life's guilty pleasures for me include but are not limited to

1. gossip girl, 90210, Grey's Anatomy and private practice. oh how i get sooo excited when the fall season of my shows start. during the summer i get hooked on reality drama of bachelor pad, so you think you can dance and what not but the really good stuff starts in September. for 50min or so i get to escape to the world of Blair Waldorf, Christian Louboutin, upper east side new York and men like chuck bass. i dream of dressing the way Serena can dress. i love to watch Meredith stick her hands inside of a body and save a life with her delicate hands. or how about how Addison Montgomery Sheppard lives on the beach and is a powerful world renowned surgeon. why do i love the smut so much?

2. spinach dip,nachos, anything dip-able-deliciousness! fresh baked brownies, cookies, basically anything you would find in a bakery, crumble top muffins-lick-my lip-yummo. there's also nothing like happy hour with good friends or your sweetheart. cheese, crackers, cocktail onions, a yummy beverage….add the above smut to this…even better

3. DIET COKE DIET COKE DIET COKE

4. movies with happy endings, beautiful girl meets handsome sexy man, add a little drama, some guns, a little mystery, a little love and there better be a damn good happy ending:) cant stand a movie where there is not a happy ending. put me in a movie theater with popcorn and chocolate, a sexy man of my own and turn the lights out and voila…..another very happy girl from yet another…very guilty pleasure!

so i ask…what are your guilty pleasures? what is ridiculous but makes you soo happy?

i need more time

2010-09-12T11:23:00.001-07:00

i need more time…with these beautiful people and several more not shown…i love you, you are part of me! no more holidays, weekends or adventures missed because I’m spending time with another family. YOU are my family, you are my heart!

mom I’m gonna score some goals for you!

2010-09-12T11:01:00.001-07:00

little miss started soccer this week! something i always wanted to do as a kid but never asked, along with many other things i felt guilty having my parents spend money on me!

and londy has been asking the past year or two when she could play….

its so cute to watch her out there running with all her buddies from school and church. the green team did a great job and i had such fun watching her play! it was a perfect day, starting a little early, getting to the game by 7:45. But she played great, doing her goalie dance, trying to decide which way to run and laughing as she did crunches on the bench so she could “keep warm and get some muscles mom” lol. they didn’t win but they did great.

it was the perfect kind of day, up early to the game, then to breakfast at nicks…mmmmmm. a little yard work, which i must say i quite enjoy on a day like yesterday, warm but not scorching, add some ipod tunes and a very helpful man who really does most the work :)…onto shopping with the kiddos, some pizza, wings and finish up the night next to my sweetheart on the front porch swing.

can’t wait for more happy days like those and to watch london master soccer…she is like her mama and plays to win, she will work hard and hopefully dance more in her heart than in that goalie box…teehee!

I feel change in the air

2010-08-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

a lot has happened this very 2010 year and to be frank I'm super excited for what the fall and holiday months are about to bring but more importantly for what 2011 will bring. I am not someone who normally loves change, but change has come and more is coming. I like order and everything in its place, I like exciting little changes like new pillows for the couch, lowlights in my hair and different fun new recipes…however, I do not crave new homes, new jobs or such things. except for maybe new cars…oh how I love new cars!! but back to the subject! my office has for some time needed a little organizing and cleanliness. my office becomes the pit. but today with the help of some great tunes and my shredder…I was able to sort, file, organize (my favorite part) and shred all that old paperwork I was buried under! I love how the floor loves all vacuumed and clutter free. a desktop, shiny and without dust . and it feels like a new room. my mind feels like that lately, full of clutter, dust and debris. but I'm cleaning shop as they say and the new season that's ahead of us will have change for the good and I will embrace it. in the meantime…its time to tidy up!

lake havasu

2010-08-22T10:18:00.001-07:00

i love the water! i love the bathtub, a hot tub, swimming pools, fountains (especially wading in them but that’s a different post) oceans and the lake!! nothing thrills me like water does. so away i went to try out lake havasu with chopper, his family and me and londylou! it’s choppers favorite week of the year. 3 boats, rv's, and lots of food and drinks. so here we go…everyone warned how hot it would be and boy were they right. it took a full day to cook down the rvs and for me to get used to the roughin- it life of an rv but then ya know what? i had a GREAT time. no time constraints, no limits to how late you can play. the water felt good and i loved going to the sandbar and channel to people watch and see in real life what all the fuss had been about all these years. it was neat, we had fun! but i loved the river the best. floating in the boat with music playing..the kids swimming boat to boat. stopping to eat at the roadrunner, playing pool at fox…cant wait to go back next time…i’m just not going back in july. Bri was made for the marriott and 90 degree or lower temps! :) so here’s our trip in pics! best part of the trip was the amazing people! what a lucky girl i am.

londy was alll about skiing and tubing and even cliff jumping! my scardy cat who was always afraid to do anything in the water on papas boat.

easier shown in a slide…enjoy:)

first things first

2010-08-11T10:09:00.001-07:00

little miss started first grade this week and was oh soo excited! she was all smiles and hugs and see ya mom! brandon met us at the school so her daddy could experiance the joy of the first day of school too. i keep telling london she still has a family that will always live happily ever after.

londy with her best buddy from kinder…he was a little nervous!

and of coarse a little first day after school treat! who doesnt like sprinkles?

pattern me happy

2010-08-07T17:37:00.001-07:00

for years i have loved fun patterned fabric. its like scrapbook paper…i just cant get enough! and really all i can think about lately is fabric, fabric fabric. so here is my latest with fun fabric…slowly im learning with the help of google and lots of questions at every quilt shop i pass!

sooo proud!

2010-08-02T17:20:00.001-07:00

ok soooo as I looked around trying to figure what I would sew first I came across my grandmothers handmade gift bags for Christmas. my sister and I absolutely loved to receive presents in these bags! and I had all these scrap fabrics and Christmas pieces from when she made these, I believe when I was a small child or maybe even before I was born. the great grandini ( what we called grandma) always had Christmas with us and it just made each Christmas better!!….now this first project is not perfect by a long shot! the seams aren't all even:) but I am most excited that it looks pretty decent, I didn't have a true pattern and I taught myself! and I know londy will love to find pjs in it or something else exciting!

grandmas is on the left, mine is on the right…there are ribbons tied on the back to close them

sewing 101

2010-07-27T10:08:00.001-07:00

ok gals…im ready to start this whole sewing adventure! ive been looking at oh sew adorable fabric and tryin to find patterns of things i just must make! i have to admit though….i dont know where to start? an easy project? im thinkin makeup bags? amy how do i make those fabulous bags you and linds always had? i think you made them with your grandma? or how bout a easy pillow? come on ladies help a girl out….if you have any great patterns or suggestions i am alllll ears!

please and thanks!

sometimes

2010-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

sometimes i want to be someone else when i grow up...natalie with her great quilting skills, amy with her clever wit, great outlook on life and amazing family. or sometimes its oofa with her sassy ways and cool weather, southern livin kind of days. somedays you just want to be someone else. someone with talent, beauty, charm, family or just someone who has it all together! cause im here to tell ya folks...somedays ya just dont feel like you got anything together!

drum roll please…..

2010-07-15T23:23:00.001-07:00

this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was my birthday present from my dad!

and thissssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is what i am so excited about! ok folks, been wanting one for years and here she is! i haven’t named her yet but i did take a lil class on her this last week and let me tell ya..im in luv! can’t wait to get my hands on her and see what i can do! expect big things…BIG THINGS from me with this! ok maybe not for a while but yes…im gonna learn and i can not WAIT!!

lake powell…oh how i’ve missed you!

2010-07-15T23:15:00.001-07:00

its been over 7 years since i was at lake powell last and although that was a fun trip…nothing compares to this trip! when asked to go with friends on their houseboat for a lovely weekend away from the heat i jumped at the chance! it was warm in the day and sunny, yet cool enough for sweats and a fire at night. jet skiing, watching the boys conquer the air-chair, riding on the top deck, the water slide off the back and some of the best company and friends a girl could ask for and one very great guy. the bats at night around the fire had us girls freaked out and yet giggling at the same time! we ate so much it was ridiculous but these friends are no longer friends…they are family! exploring the caves and little channels was my favorite part, although dancing at sunset to acoustic guitar was pretty spectacular too! thanks for an amazing time!! at times there were 15 of us but the heart of us were there the whole time:)

kimi’s 70s birthday

2010-07-15T22:57:00.001-07:00

a wonderful rockin’ kind of night! what’s better than a 40th birthday party? why a dress up 70s birthday! oh how i love love love my boss kimi and her adorable husband cory (who is also known as my partner in crime at work chacie) so it was a very firm YES when invited to the big bash…i will simply let the pic’s speek for themselves! a most memorable night! i felt like i was krissy from threes company:)

sassy had a birthday

2010-06-26T22:18:00.001-07:00

The little lady had a very BIG 6year old birthday! holy moley can’t believe how fast time has gone! London is the most amazing daughter a mama could ask for! I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have of raising her and teaching her. In the weeks approaching her birthday she kept talking about how she needed to have a Tea Party so I asked if that was what she wanted for her birthday and it was an excited YES! On her actual birthday we got to play with Auntie Meggie and we met Noni and Daddy for dinner at Pei Wei. But the real excitement came on party day…No boys allowed just us fancy girls in our dress ups!

The Tea party was a small crew…so many families on vacation for the summer! I remember this from me being a June baby too! But it was a perfect number once we had the girls there. We did heart cheese on Ritz, butterfly sandwiches, cookies, fruit with dip, cheetos and strawberry lemonaide “tea” with um chocolate cake for dessert…YUMMMO!

We also played pin the lips on the frog…it was hilarious! doesn’t every princess need a prince? Meggie made the game for me….I am so lucky to have such a talented sis! thanks Meg!! xo

Happy birthday lou-la-roo you sure are loved a whole lot!

love, momma

her mama’s girl

2010-06-26T21:57:00.001-07:00

To say she is her mama’s girl is an understatement! From the time she grew in my belly Londy has always loved music! She would squirm and kick every time I'd play a good song, Can’t buy me love from the Dixie chicks was her favorite in utero! So this year when I asked her if she wanted to take a dance class the answer was a definite YES! Its been fun watching her leap across the floor like she was in the Russian ballet! Her darling teacher Rachel was so cute with her and as the weeks approached for her to do her recital she would ask me every day, “mom is today my recital?” So the week finally came, 2 dress rehearsals and one BIG recital. We got to both experience putting stage make-up on that cute little face. We both did pretty good with that, not much yelling and only a couple tears! (Londy did just fine…lol)

so here is our gal with all her sassiness….where does she get it?

Her first time wearing rollers (perm rods really are the best for getting good curl)

Blue steele

Londy mom is so proud of you! you rocked that recital!

The house that built me

2010-06-22T16:59:00.001-07:00

This is the home that built my incredible mother. It was two bedrooms, a tiny bath, a family room and kitchen. I loved this house! The yard felt huge as a child and oh how I loved the grapefruit, pear and tangelo trees that seemed to drip with fruit each year! I loved to sleep under the “sleepy time blanket” that was my aunt Jerri’s when she was a child. The tree limb that looked like motorcycle handle was perfect for running thru the backyard with and playing policeman. Grandmas old green car always sat in the carport and I adored the “going to grandmas” bag that had my name written in white felt letters! Grandma made chocolate Pepsi floats in “fancy” crystal glasses after dinner. There was toast every morning with those little packages of every different flavor of jam. There was always wheat chex and bananas too! I thought the old fashioned radio that stood in the kitchen was incredible and the refrigerator that had the freezer on the bottom. I miss this home and the memories that I hold dear from it. Just as I miss the house I grew up in, across the street from kat. The big lap pool in the back, the wood shutters on the living room windows and the big Olive tree in the front that we would climb and hide in. I loved that we had a third car garage that we played “office” or “house” in. I can still smell the monsoon storms rolling in and can feel the happiness in my heart when Meg would crawl into bed with me and we would watch the lightening from my bed in the corner of my little bedroom. Oh how I wish I could just see the inside of these two old houses and have just a moment of the memories that feel so far away. Every time I hear this song I smile thinking about the houses that built me and my family! Thanks Miranda!!

I know they say you cant go home again.
I just had to come back one last time.
Ma"’am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these handprints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like i'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear i'll leave.
Won?t take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From ?Better Homes and Garden? magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama?s dream.
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like i'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in I swear i'll leave.
Won?t take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like i'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could walk around I swear i'll leave.
Won?t take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Change

2010-06-22T16:31:00.001-07:00

Oh how my life has changed since Christmas. Of these things i don't feel comfortable just yet airing them on the internet but i am certain you can connect the dots. So i asked my darling friend Lindsey to take some new pictures of just me and my sassy little Lou. While it was a crazy windy day and we were not looking our best we did manage to capture the way i feel about londy and the beautiful little soul that she is!
What a lucky mom i am to raise this sassy gal and oh how my heart melts watching her.

christmas 2009

2009-12-29T19:17:00.001-08:00

wow i slacked on pics this year of christmas day itself but here is the day and eve in photos. the traditional cheese was made, pj’s were opened, elf was watched, carmel break apart for breakfast, nonni’s amazing-big-as your body stockings were filled, faces were excited with presents wed been so hoping for, time was spent with the extended family on b’s side with yummy brunch, a wild present opening frenzy, pizza freats (sp?) made at my dads (they are amazing like fry bread and mmmm i want more!)…a first christmas in a long time with my brothers…(insert big smile here) and the evening wrapped up at a suns game with londy getting a barbie on the big screen from one of the suns dancers! it was a great day!

the advent calendar

2009-12-29T19:02:00.001-08:00

since I was little one of my most favorite things about Christmas was our advent calendar my mom made back in 1970-something! it is a priceless item for me and one I have tried to purchase, beg, borrow or steal for years…since to my dismay I still don't have a sewing machine (I'm just gonna buy myself one since my family doesn't think I'm serious) and I still don't know how to sew! I digress…

so every year I look high and low for one for my little family and this year I found this to which I had to find something to put in the pockets and decided that everyday londy would pull a card from that days slot and that would be something Christmas-y we would do that night. which lead to one very excited fun filled month for londy and one very packed exhausted month for me and B

to which I had to find something to put in the pockets and decided that everyday londy would pull a card from that days slot and that would be something Christmas-y we would do that night. which lead to one very excited fun filled month for londy and one very packed exhausted month for me and B. We did everything from adopting an elf on a shelf named Charlie, seeing Christmas carol, stringing popcorn for the birds, watching xmas movies, drinking hot chocolate, looking at lights, shopping for a Christmas tree angel, making treats and reindeer food for our friends, making those great old fashioned reindeer ornaments, buying a sled in hopes of a day of snow up north (hasn’t happened yet) going to Christmas parties, spending the night at nonni’s and even a holiday pic here and there. silly little things like making a jib jab video of ourselves were also squeezed in where we could! so although the advent calendar was not handmade by my mom, each ornament hand beaded, meg and I fighting each year over who got to put up which favorite ornament on which day….we made it work and it was fun and I'm already planning for next year. but don't think for one second that I'm gonna stop bugging nonni to make me one of those damn calendars for me…lol!

Christmas Wish

2009-12-06T17:00:00.001-08:00

Every morning i wake up to johnjay and rich on 104.7! they have a great banter and it wakes me up a little bit happier. but during the month of December every year i wake up with tears and chills and a sense of warming in my heart. every year these guys do an amazing thing called Christmas wish: where people can write letters about someone they know who is in need. and then these guys pick a letter, have that person read it over the air while whomever they are reading about listens…normally sobbing!

the letters normally go something like this one i love so much…

i am writing you about my friend Tim. Tim is a single dad with three kids living in a two bedroom apartment. he recently lost his job and has been working three jobs to make up for his one old job, his wife died just last year and 2 months ago he was diagnosed with some sort of awful disease. his heat has been turned off and he has been boiling water for the kids to take baths. the three kids sleep in his bed and he sleeps on the floor! please help him at this time of year where he wont have a Christmas. (yes all stories are like this) then johnjay and rich say we are going to grant this Christmas wish. buying them beds for the kids to sleep in hundreds of dollars in groceries, a Christmas tree with all the trimmings. coats and clothes for everyone, toys and gifts too. payment of passed electric bills and even mortgage payments. and the list goes on and on. I've heard them give hd TVs, strollers, play stations, days at the salon ect. by now everyone is bawling! the friend who wrote the letter, the recipient and me the listener. then the radio guys say is it ok if we deliver that right now cause we are on your front doorstep?! and then the Christmas songs start playing…like “have yourself a merry little Christmas” and it is now officially time for me to get up cause now I'm late for work!

how blessed we are and how grateful i am for the warm house i have to live in and the job i have. the family whom i love so much and the friends i get to share this season with as well as all year long! really if you get a chance…you should listen…it will change your mood for everyday! :)

Halloween

2009-11-01T08:22:00.001-08:00

the night in pictures! Lindsey had us over for yummy mexican food, a race of ghost poop and some trick or treatin! it was a blast:) londy was sleeping beauty or aurora…i never got why she has two names? and carter boy ended up as prince phillip…how cute is that?!! we had 13 kiddos and 10 adults go out hunting for candy…thanks for a great night friends!

love love love me some fall

2009-10-04T20:19:00.001-07:00

after going to see sis i officially have fall fever! the first night there it was in the high 30s. which meant a fire and blankies on the couch:) two of my favorites! i have been really seriously considering moving out of state. i want weather! and i want cool weather, and snow, and seasons, and changing leaves! i never went away to college and moved away from home as a newly wed. az girl raised thru and thru. but i digress…

fall is….. football games

and Halloween decorations

windows open, sitting outside on the patio, reading in a bubble bath with candles. its the crisp feeling in the air, picture taking time, and disneyland>> wooohoo!

but most of all its opening season for baking, baking, baking. which also means workouts workouts and yes more workouts! bring it on babay!

so keeping with tradition…we went to the asu game yesterday, cleaned, decorated the house and then today after conference…i spent the afternoon in my comfy clothes baking THE worlds best cookie! pumpkin chocolate chip with kari’s cream cheese frosting. can you spell heaven? hmmm and what will i be baking next you ask? kizzys peanut butter cup cookie cups. and then for sure big fat sugar cookies for halloween. throw in some banana bread and hmmm what else?

masters degree weekend

2009-10-04T18:06:00.001-07:00

this hot little thing just got her masters degree! im so proud of her! her present you ask for such a great accomplishment?

this other little hot thing going to visit her:)

i do love this girl and you know we will do anything to be together:)

so here is the weekend in pics

voodoo doctor 101

2009-10-04T17:57:00.001-07:00

this….is my friend shelly! (and her cute hubby chad) oh and I'm fairly certain she hates this pic because dear friend was quite prego but I think she is beautiful and glowing!

shel has been telling me for ages about her dear friend kathleen who had basically cured herself of cancer 20 years ago and is pretty much this amazing soul who has dedicated her life to helping others learn about healthy living, allergies, and herbs, vitamins and energy in your body. sound crazy???! well I am a believer! after hearing story after story of this amazing person I decided it was time to go see her! (well actually shel called and said we are going…pack your bag!) and sassy little me actually agreed!

so off to Cali we go in a smokin red minivan loaded up with her adorable baby Paige! Paige is the happiest child and we were thinking we were going to be smooth sailing. however, Paige wasn't the most agreeable this particular weekend. just a little fussy and really not happy with being in the car…come to find out…she had an ear infection the whole time and now looking back..I'm sure shel would agree with me..Paige was a GEM considering poor girl was in total pain! I mean really… how is one supposed to know a kid has an ear infection?no fever..no ear rubbing… I mean come on? londy has had this happen one too many times herself! but we could have a good time in a shoe box soooo…

we enjoyed each others company, ate, ate some more and saw…the VOODOO daddy doc.

kathleen does muscle testing which also is known as kinesiology. she has studied this for 20 years and as weird as it all sounds I'm a believer! and hey…what have I got to lose? sit here do nothing and waste away or see if we cant kick this diseases a**

so after 2 hours and lots of talking and lots of ah ha moments… I walk out of her store with a big hug and this…

inside this nifty little box when its filled accordingly is just one week of pills for miss bri. each day containing a whopping 25 vitamins. some as simple as vitamin D. others qual com 10? which puts O2 in my blood stream. hmmm oxygen in my blood for a person with lung disease…sounds pretty simple and easy to understand right? so here I go down this road of natural medicine. I'm sure many of you think I'm nuts! but truly I don't care:)

I'm gonna take care of this body for its the only one I've got!

on a funny note…after leaving kathleen I was highly optimistic and yet scared to death of all the things she told me my body was struggling with and boy was she dead on!! shels dear friend told us to head to the most amazing resort to take a walk on the beach…the montage in Laguna.

so we drive into this driveway and I'm telling shelly we are not going in! keep driving. people are waiting outside in sequins and 6inch stilettos!!

and valet is your only choice and the entrance is full of Bentleys, Mercedes and maseratis! we are sporting this van

full to the top with baby, takeout boxes and traveling paraphernalia! I seriously was dying..I could not stop laughing. truly a slinky, sexy, stylin place. and here we are..flip flops, capris and a stroller! did I mention greasy from all day? thought I was gonna wet my pants. shel just acted like she totally belonged as I giggled myself silly. so out to this view we went…

which was way more spectacular at night by the way and I am dying for the chance to stay there!

thanks shel for taking me and making me face a fear that really is gonna help save my life! thanks for letting us stay with your adorable sister and her 18month old sassy twins. thanks for forcing me outside my comfort zone at a beautiful place and for making me debate…did I just pee a little? as I giggled to the valet! xoxo

grateful

2009-08-28T11:09:00.001-07:00

you know how you start thinking about someone who maybe you haven't seen in a while? or perhaps its one of your very best friends you see everyday. maybe a family in your ward or a passing acquaintance?.. and the more you think about them… sometimes over the period of a day or sometimes a week, month or more…the more you feel the need to call and check on them? I'm here to tell you i’m terrible at actually calling to check on you on these occasions…really it’s something i strive to be better at!

but I'm also here to tell you that I'm grateful to all of you who still listen to that small voice prodding you. I'm grateful for the random text message, email, facebook or drop in. there is a reason we think about people like that, a reason why they pop into your head everyday until you do something about it. and I'm here to tell you…you are always dead on. the call was needed, a moment…just a moment was all it took to make my day, to feel a little less lonely, a little more loved and a LOT more grateful to have you in my life! i really do think there are angels that walk among us who hold us up when we can’t do it ourselves, i believe thats how we all make it through the bad days…and i believe those angels are you.

thank you for listening to that voice… that small gesture always does more than you will ever know:)

it finally got me

2009-08-20T20:55:00.001-07:00

i have been so proud of myself! i didn’t cry the first day of school dropping londy off! i didn’t lose it when she told me she was so excited to go back. but today dropping her off at the kindergarten playground i got a lump in my throat! there she went running…pigtails bouncing with the little white striped ribbons on each one.puffed sleeve white tee, cute little pink skirt swooshing as she skipped away in her brown blinged out flip flops. a huge pink backpack strapped to that teeny tiny little back…waving and shouting bye mom, bye mom, have a great day! even as i write this i get a little teary as it suddenly hits me…she is getting old, i’m going to blink my eyes and she is not going to want me around. she won’t want those silly pigtails or the babyish bows. i melted today to realize this is my chance…the here and now..to soak up each moment for soon they will be gone. she will be too old, too cool to kiss her mom goodbye in front of her friends and i am saddened that i only get to do this once and elated that i have been given the gift of this beautiful, special amazing gift of a daughter i call london!

sweet kamila

2009-08-16T11:06:00.001-07:00

i have a beautiful new niece kamila. and she happens to be the daughter of my adorable sister krissi. krissi and chip wanted to bless her with as much family around as possible so we got lucky and they picked az. as usual it was a whirlwind weekend but always fun to see the fam. there was EL Encanto one night with my favorite pollo fundidos. then there was bowling on the wii. the next day was the blessing and brunch. so glad krissi’s fam could make it! oh i do love that family!

firsts

2009-08-16T10:41:00.001-07:00

there have been a lot of firsts in our house lately. most of which are for london. two weeks ago londy started dance lessons, a combo class of tap and ballet. wow was she excited when i came home and told her of this marvelous new adventure! immediately she wanted to know what she was going to wear and when could we go shopping for a ballet dress. so off we went to dees dancewear. i grew up dancing and shopping there so i was every bit as excited. the cute girl working there showed us what we needed and londy put on a show for me. now obviously we couldn’t get a plain black leotard…it had to be something with sparkles…something fancy. just like my sweet girl!

so it’s the first day of dance and her teacher is adorable! don’t get me started on her perfect dancers body that made me want to not eat for a decade! i digress…

it was so cute to watch my girl with a smile about as big as i have ever seen her make on that beautiful little face. at the end of class her teacher makes them, one by one, show the class what they learned that day. every little girl kind of shyly twirls a little, maybe does a plie but not my london. you would think this girl is in the russian ballet! running, leaping, jumping in the air and landing in the splits! i mean really folks? she is such a hamm! and is totally convinced that she just did it with such grace. HILARIOUS!

the next set of firsts has been making me nervous for years! londy started kindergarten! wow she is getting old! we went to meet the teacher night and she again was sooo exicted! we did all the picking out of lunchboxes, some new school clothes, purple for her folders and binder too!

the big day finally arrived and i think i was more nervous for her than she was. what if they aren’t nice to her, what if what if what if? you want them to do so well and enjoy that first day and first year cause gosh they have a long road ahead of themselves!

daddy went into work late so he could go with us to your first morning. you were all smiles, so cute in your red shirt and your hair flipped. london is still not sure what is wrong with mom and why mom thinks this new flipped do is cute. sigh…just the start of many years of me telling her how life is gonna be!

when i went to pick her up almost 7 hours later…it was hot, and she was sweaty and tired and we had to hurry to make it to dance class. im thinking she is going to tell me she hated it and she doesn’t want to go to dance but she surprised me. she looked up at me and said “mom i played outside today and got all sweaty on my back and my neck and its hot and i get to do it again tomorrow” you know this was all said with excitement and those big eyes made even bigger while tellin me. i explained we had to go to dance and she jumped up and shouted “yipeeee”. wow they never fail to impress me! i was tired just hearing about her day!

notice how she is posing? yep all by herself, she is even looking at the camera…guess she is really growing up!

happy week of first londy lou! we are so excited for you!

xoxoxo

infomercials

2009-08-08T15:36:00.001-07:00

sometime last week I woke up to find London on the couch watching TV. this is not an unusual event… however seeing your 5 year old glued to an infomercial for a vacuum is. she immediately began by telling me…

mom look, we gotta get one of these vacuums there is dog hair everywhere and then its gone. it can pick up screws and nails and even fruit loops. this is sooo cool! mom can u even believe it? she was so excited and all of this was said without even a breath or break in between words. gotta love these kiddos…from the mouths of babes!

if she would vacuum like this and be excited about it I would even buy her a dyson! because mommy hate to vacuum!

worlds worst

2009-08-02T00:49:00.001-07:00

school starts in a week and i find myself super excited for londy girl! to start something new and to be with other kids:)

oh how i hurt for her sometimes! for being an only child and for having a mom who simply is not the mommy she should be! i am not a play on the ground for hours kind of mom. im not a make believe, watch cartoons for hours kind of mom either! as i read some of your blogs…(lisa especially) i see how moms are supposed to be. like tonight how lisa is talking about how she is reading with her kids in their favorite play spot on the stairs and how she will leave the kids toys where they put them to keep them happy. i admire this because A……i dont make the time to play with lou like she wants me to. and second because i am a freak!!!! about having things put away. i mean we have 4bedrooms and one little girl with so many toys that they are overflowing into every room in the house and i keep insisting they be kept in HER room. grandmas and grandpas just dont seem to understand that we are bursting at the seams and to stop buying her things! i digress….

somedays… ok most days, i just feel as though im falling short in the mommy category (along with a few others we wont get into) so i am so excited for her to go to school and hopefully love it, make friends, learn lots, forgive easily, reach out to others, not be the bully, not be the teachers pet, not be made fun of, laugh til her sides ache. and enjoy the new road she is on that will be her life for the next 18 to 20 years.

and as for me…i hope that while she is gone i will find a way to be that better mom and to make time for playing on the stairs, reading books and just snuggling on the couch!

cali-forn-i-a

2009-07-19T18:04:00.001-07:00

what would a summer be without the occasional road trip? well as far as an arizona raised girl…you head to San Diego for some sand and sun and lots of traffic! we managed to get away for only a few days this time instead of the week we normally go. there are 18 of us total and although the week is early, it is going good so far. the place mom and dad rented is amazing. all newly remodeled and so eclectic. the best part is it opens on to the beach and when i say opens…i mean opens…the whole back of the house to be exact!

so before it gets gross from all of us….i took some pics:)

after getting settled we walked down the jetty and looked for crabs before dinner. we ran into some people doing slack lining? the nice college boy asked me if i wanted to try…..so here it goes…it’s like walking a tight rope only thicker with al ot more give. it only took me two tries to be able to stand on it….walking on it will take some work but man i could see me being addicted until i walk the entire length and do pirouettes:)

my beautiful sis krissi just had this love bug…kamila! she is only 12 days old and here she is at the beach! wow…so impressed with her! can’t stop taking pics and loving on her!

we decided we were starving and were going to go to luigis pizza for dinner. this place is famous for pizzas bigger than your body! for real! after waiting patiently we sat down to some yummy grub that was over due! met some fellow Phoenicians and yucked it up while we ate!

londy has been beside herself with her cousins! brooklyn is just one year older and they are the best of friends!

there are three new infants here! 5months, 3months and 12 days! its gonna be interesting!

get me outta here stat!

2009-06-21T21:23:00.001-07:00

I've had it! I've had it! enough of the niceties and the smiles, enough of sleeping over the cab of a truck and using a closet as a toilet. i don’t want everything to smell like charcoal and campfire. I'm done with the arguing, no privacy and eating on the road. i want my own cozy bed, a couch, my flat screen. i want TiVo back and londy in her own room. the trip was great, we had all done remarkably well getting along and behaving ourselves. there were very few fights or arguments. the driving was done by trade off and up until now there had been no damage to any of the RVs. thank heavens! but notice how i said until now? we were filling up the gas tank, topping off the propane and just as Brandon was pulling out…..BAM we hit the side of the RV against the concrete posts that were blocking us hitting the propane. things could have been worse right? no CABLAMO, no dead bodies. we still have another 1/2 day left until we get on the plane and boy oh boy that can’t come soon enough! the fam leaves tonight and we don’t leave until morning…sigh

prior to that though…we did have a nice drive back…playing along the way:)

smoke break and scenery view to the right

the last morning..the whole crew…our favorite campsite “snoopy at millers landing”

go fish anyone?

londy was fortune telling for the boys…”i see for jarrod a future of laughter”…it was hilarious! we were in this old fancy hotel. just checking stuff out and waiting for their flight

yes there is a face behind the camera:) there i am

Justin was snoozing on this itty bitty couch while driving back

fishing

2009-06-21T21:16:00.001-07:00

so from start to finish…everyone but me was dying to go fishing! every stream, lake, pond, bay and ocean we passed was an opportunity to fish. they had a plan….rent fishing poles from the military base along with chairs, go to river and fish…..hmmmm…good plan! however…. the rods were crappy and way overpriced to rent, same thing with the chairs. you could get a good price on a fishing license for the week and so there were 9 of those purchased. dad and I decided we would watch. so off we went to the military px (which is kind of like Wal-Mart) to buy poles and chairs, bait and whatever other crap they needed. Joey bought waders too. out we went….just to find out that fishing was closed to everyone until the 11th because it was spawning season and they wanted the little buggers to be able to get upstream a little first. everyone was very irritated by this but we still found places to fish….don’t know how they did it but…..here are a few of the spots

these four did a fishing charter and came back with the max allowed of 20 fish! it was freezing and rainy and they still had smiling faces!

after everyone saw how Joey could fish with the waders…everyone else bought some too! and with those there were 11 more fish caught! salmon to be exact and boy were these kids proud! fishing the real way…gutting and fillet yourself! so cool!

half way through

2009-06-10T18:31:00.001-07:00

there is a great wildlife rescue in seward that we went to yesterday. there were really neat fish and otters, seals and whatnot the weather was fantastic and there was a beautiful view…we were hoping to see some killer whales but we were not far enough out.

after lunch we worked our way down to a glacier in kenai. at first i didnt think it was much at first…just looked like snow on a mountain. i was thinking it was going to be this amazing out in the water floating thing. but as we got closer and found out we could hike to it…i changed my mind! wow it was amazing! unbelievable. the park ranger says that it shrinks back 360 feet a year because of global warming. londy got her junior ranger badge and thought it was so neat! we spent way too much time trying to find a decent camp ground but did find our first mcdonalds and made londy so happy that we had to stop for dinner. not anyone elses choice but how can you deny that cute little girl! we camped on a huge, fast flowing river and everyone went down to fish once we got londy in bed. meggie and i stayed with her and hung out by the campfire. we acted like goobers and took several pictures using the tripod and timer…lol

birthday girl

2009-06-10T18:22:00.001-07:00

my baby girl had her birthday yesterday, turning 5! where have all the years gone? wow how i ever love this girl! hardest thing i have ever done being a mom but certainly the most rewarding too! she is beautiful, fun, sweet, sassy, saucy, full of energy, playful, bright, funny, dance around, love life kind of girl! she is a leader, constantly worried about other people, making the other kids at school are feeling included and comfortable. she adores her dog kira and is a daddy’s girl through and through. she loves books and animals above any other thing. she still has a diet consisting mainly of chicken nuggets and peanut butter jelly and jam. she is working up to tacos, mac and cheese and pizza. she is my world! the one thing i feel i did right. ADORE THIS GIRL! xoxox baby girl…half way to double digits:)

four to score

2009-06-10T18:18:00.001-07:00

wakin up to a cold crisp day….spending the afternoon reading by the campfire, playing down by the water watching a huge lab/bull mastiff swim after a giant stick his owner was throwing.

watching as a sea lion swam right up to it!!!! really? seriously?! looked like there was 2dogs in the water…couldn’t that sea lion eat that dog? it was crazy! we hiked around, londy and daddy fished.

we went back to camp and made smores, decorated the rv to surprise londy, had yummy dinner, sang to the baby and opened presents. more campfire and stories.

there was a huge group from Europe who was crowding us and our spot, the boys did not like this at all and started cracking all kinds of obnoxious comments we were laughing and dancing with hip hop blaring from the rv while we grilled up chicken nachos. londy entertained us as she boogied. good times!

meggie and i crawled into bed and watched man on fire. finally we rolled into bed around 2:00.

day two

2009-06-08T18:11:00.001-07:00

woke up…got the tour of the rv. including how to dump your own sewer….good times! reminds me of the movie “Chevy chase Christmas vacation” ….merry Christmas shitters full! HILARIOUS!

we went to gwennies for breakfast…party of eleven. pretty good.

but the best part of the day hands down was going to chuganah state park and seeing a great waterfall. absolutely beautiful! now we are talking…this is Alaska! loved it! there are waterfalls everywhere…some big some small, just tucked away in the crevice of the mountain.

then heading to a great rv park…didn't even know there was such a thing as a great rv park…but we stayed up til about 1:30 goofing around barbequing and there was still daylight! that is the craziest part…sunlight constantly! last night same thing…more sunlight! what is it about camping and having your barbeque taste so good? it’s the same food but wow…tastes different:)

we stopped and watched the tide come thru yesterday on our way through to Seward and stopped to camp at miller landing. right on the water with a mile of beach, the most beautiful old trees, sea lions, seals, otters and even bald eagles! the weather is chilly today with a breeze. definitely enough breeze to blow around your hair and make your eyes water, and cold enough to make you second think your walking down the beach…but with view like this you suck it up and deal:)

its londys birthday and we spent the morning picking flowers, playing Uno with grandpa roody, daddy made pancakes and they fished some. londy has been dying for a fishing pole for about 7 months and was soooo excited to get a pink one! she caught only seaweed but was thrilled none the less. the boys climbed up thru the eroding tree roots off the beach and we got some great pics of them. there has been a campfire going non-stop and you can see, feel and hear the ocean right outside my rv window.

tonight it’s chicken nachos, birthday cake and a little poker. we will decorate the rv and even have a couple presents:) i can spend the day reading, blogging, napping and hangin with the family….life is good!

once upon an alaskan vacation

2009-06-08T17:12:00.001-07:00

Its Thursday night, I have spent 10hours working and am dead tired. I picked up macayos yummy mini chimis with baja sauce for dinner and skedadled on home. Sitting at the kitchen table im dreading the packing and laundry I need to do before we get to leave for anchorage tomorrow. I peel myself from said table, start the laundry, mostly pack and settle down on the couch to find out who made it to the top 20 on so you think you can dance.

Talking with meg on the phone she tells me how I should print my boarding passess online and at midnight I try to do so….

Try being the operative word here. I login, Brandon is gone playing basketball and I have been enjoying the peace and quiet. Until now…when I am swearing and fuming as the website to us air says my plane tickets have been cancelled effective feb. 6^th! What the hell? How did that happen? Now mind you there are 11 of us going and only b, londy and I do not have tickets. I leave dad a message and go to bed.

8am next day the travel agent tells me everything is fine. Lady the airline says we are a no go on the plane so…call me Einstein but im thinking we are not fine! this of coarse leads to a 3 hour ordeal of …are we going or not? Do we have seats? Whos error was it in canceling the tickets to begin with?... and how much more is it gonna cost to buy these tickets the day of? grrrr…

finally hours later all is in order and away we go to Alaska….

bri does not fly well! so all these issues with the plane tickets made me more paranoid than normal! it was londys first flight and she was a trooper! singing weeee when we took off and then curling up in a ball to go to sleep after a short hour. i was soo proud!

wow 30! seriously?

2009-06-02T11:47:00.001-07:00

so turning 30…hmmm…. not such a big deal i guess. i think it is more that you are closer to 40 and that is what sounds scary! i always thought growing up that people should grow old gracefully, you know don’t sweat the small stuff. and as i get older i seem to worry more and more bout the small stuff and I'm thinkin that growin old is for the birds:)

but let me tell you if we have to get older than there is no better way to do it than celebrating life with the people you love! old friends, new friends and family. this weekend was cram packed! breakfast with the family for june birthday celebrations. londy, me, darcy and darlene. we had yummy waffles, fresh peaches, razzles and strawberries. quite possibly the thickest yummiest bacon one ever laid eyes on and all on china with crystal! grammie would have been proud! there was dinner at the white chocolate grill, which i had forgotten how much i loved! i got to spend time with two of my oldest and dearest friends hailey and lindsey, along with their cute hubbys and with the standard foursome of apes and dustin and us. we laughed and ate and took a bunch of pictures. every time we are together we pick right back up where we left off and truly to me that is what a good friend is. someone you can not see in months or even years and still jump right back in! oh how we need to do that more! if only we lived a little closer:(

apes, me, linds, baby tanner and hailey girl

we’ve been friends through a lot!

we had such a fun time at the fashion party at a rockin boutique in scottsdale with the amazing girls i work with and sushi catered in by kona grill. i got hooked up with some hot dresses and you can’t beat good company and great food!

leave it to me to crawl up on the hood of a strangers rental car! we laughed our holy guts out. jame told me it was her car. had me ready to crawl on it when the rightful owners walked up and said it was a rental and to climb aboard. there were lots of pictures taken and laughing! it takes so little to make bri have a good time. and im pretty sure us crazy ladies made these strangers night!

i spent some quality time in the sunshine layin by the pool. ate yet another yummy dinner with mom and us, followed by a not so yummy moment of londy throwing up spaghetti in the back seat…all over her carseat…down the floor…grrrr! thank goodness noni lives close and we could go bathe her and thank goodness we had bought new jammies that were in the bag in the car! the weekend was packed full of fun and all with the people i love! how can one be sad about a birthday that starts with vegas and ends with yummy dinner.

i forgot to mention how great the girls at work were to me (oh and cory too…everyones work husband) when i got to work friday my station was decortated top to bottom with glitter, streamers, balloons and bouquets of flowers. i should have gotten pictures of this!

this is me and hadar! is she not the most stunning girl?

thanks for all the memories everyone! it was one heck of a birthday week:)

the beginning of birthday week

2009-05-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

so for my birthday apes decided we needed to go to Vegas. and who am i to turn down a cute girlfriend who wants to celebrate the BIG 30 with me in style right?

so away we go… just us…to the city that never sleeps! and boy is that such a true statement! only place you will find thousands of people out and about from clubs to McDonalds to wherever at 4am! we wandered the strip of coarse, lounged by the pool, slept in, stayed out wayyy too late. boogied, ate and ate!

the mall that is there in Vegas is my new fav…so of coarse we had to go shop and after 4hours we still hadn’t gotten thru half of it. we got some cute things, took pics in every spot we could.

I'm known for trying to get fun pics. i was pulling down props from displays at the mall, standing in every nook and cranny possible. laughing our guts out as i made April try on gold lame’ and i wore the worlds worst black one peice jumpsuit. it was wildy expensive so i guess this is the latest fashion? but i thought i was going to wet my pants at the absurdity of it!

we kept running across these cute chairs and lamps…good picture spot? i think so…

shopping together is always fun since we have the same taste in just about everything and wear the same size…but we are definitely not fighters over who wants what…thank goodness!

isn’t she fab? soo adorable! a beauty on the inside and out! oh how i love this girl!!

but i think for both of us the best part besides being together was the people watching! holy crapoly! we seriously sat in the venetian at like 2am watching all the drunks come and go. we were crazily underdressed and had way too many clothes on compared to all the other chicks in their itty bitty barely covered…. well…lets just say they didn’t cover much and 90% of these girls should NOT have been wearing them. i saw things jiggle and wiggle like i never wanted to see nor do i care to see again. guys shamelessly hitting on them. we did get alot of comments of “hey we like your style and wow hot sisters?” we stood out cause with jeans and tee shirts on we were COVERED UP and stood out! lol

we got several high fives by groups going by knowing exactly what we were doing. and we were not trying to hide that we were watching closely everyone that went past! oh good times! i always say that i am a cheap date…buy me a diet coke and people watch with me and i am deliriously happy. true story:)

so until i get more pics from apes…this is our recap of a great weekend and the begging of birthday week. 30 here i come! eyes closed and ready for whats next…..

preschool grad

2009-05-26T14:31:00.001-07:00

its official I'm goin to have a full time kindergartner starting in just a few short weeks. londy made it through two years of preschool! she has learned the alphabet backwards and forwards, knows her numbers, some math, a little reading, great artist skills…a little Picasso in the making. she can sing the tiny fin song as well as jump on one foot, play follow the leader and are you ready for this?….she can do the hokey pokey! so if that's what its all about..this girl is SET!

proud of this cutie pie. Ms. Luna says she is a born leader, always wanting to help out with the kids, and make sure they don’t feel left out. i specifically asked if she is bossy…since i am her mother there is a real possibility that could be a problem. but i guess she’s good there..so far at least.

Ms. Luna had a really cute party for graduation and londy said the pledge of allegiance and did a ballet number which was hilarious since she has never taken dance class. but boy was she proud to get up there and spin and leap like the russian ballet. they made cute picture frames, ate treats and played the limbo. i was so proud that i brought the camcorder but don’t know how to upload to the computer since its and older model…hmmm gonna have to look into that!

one ply?

2009-05-25T23:18:00.001-07:00

someone please explain one-ply toilet paper to me? i mean really people! do the stores think they are going to save a bundle by putting one-ply in? you have to use 3 times as much and lets be honest…its never pretty! ever tried to wipe a two year old hiney with it? you know the story…potty training, didn’t quite make it-smooshed flat to the bum like playdough?! being in a walmart bathroom or equally lovely location tryin to scrub free that cute little butt. toddler crying that it hurts and honestly you are sweating by this point, wanting to cry yourself…and when you do get it as clean as its gonna get…you get out to the sink and there is no soap anywhere to be seen! ahhh and so your day gets better..lol!

so to all you business’, restaurants, hotels and WHEREVER…suck it up and buy two-ply!

the original london

2009-05-17T22:14:00.001-07:00

this is london! the original london:)

she was my roommate about 10years ago. i lived with jordan and london in a two bedroom apartment in a very busy tempe complex. oh how i loved and still love those girls. london was just one of those gals who always made ya smile, was super fun to be around and would make me laugh. jordan and london together were quite the pair! jordan was always sayin somethin crazy and london was very much a big sis to me. both girls had a heart of gold and were every bit as sassy as they were sweet! i saw both of them marry their sweethearts and move away.

when i got pregnant i was just certain i was having a boy. which for me was easy. i already had pictured what he was going to look like and had a name picked out for a good 10years at least. he would be jackson!…brandon thought his middle name was gonna be tousley but i was not convinced. soooo when we went to the ultrasound and the doc asked what i thought we were having i gave the boy response and he laughed at me! literally laughed and said moms esp is normally pretty good but i was way off. we went home and went back and forth over girl names for months. finally about 3 weeks before the little miss was born i told brandon we were not leaving the house til we had a good name! a permanent name! something strong, original (so she wouldnt be the 10th amy, stephanie or lisa in her class) somethin a little tomboyish, a name you could have a nickname with. and a name that did not remind you of someone you hated from high school or an ex-girlfriend holding name from B. it had to be pretty too! the name london kept coming around. brandon finally put his foot down telling me i had loved the original london so much it was time for a second addition. and boy am i glad i did. it fits her and she is everybit the girl that my original london was.

i miss you london. i hope your family is doin well! after living together for that year or so this is the only pic i have of you. i dont have even one of jordan and i together either …how that is possible, i will never know!

mom

2009-05-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

i read an email recently about moms…

The Images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom .

and i have decided that although i never went through that whole…my mom is stupid, can’t walk next to her in the mall phase nor the well she might know a little bit phase. that this is probably pretty accurate for most people. mom has always been a wealth of knowledge and i ALWAYS want her opinion. (well mostly..lol)

she is silly, fun, talented, crafty, a great decorator, smart, beautiful, an amazing grandmother, a great mom and most importantly…she’s my friend!

but as i stood in line at target to read cards for her…i knew i had to have this one. it basically said moms know a drawing is a work or art, dandelions are beautiful, hugs can fix anything and when you opened it…judy garland somewhere over the rainbow played. i bawled my eyes out and i guess that meant i was spending $8.00 on a card..cause it said it all for me!

krissi

2009-05-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

this is my darling sister krissi. technically she is my sis in law since she is married to brandons brother chip. but i consider her a sister from another mother! she is adorable, sweet, sassy, feisty, sincere, smart, funny, calm, loving, gives you a fair shot kind of gal. and oh how i love you kris! happy birthday to one of my favorite people ever! xoxox

summer days

2009-04-26T11:54:00.001-07:00

summer time in Arizona has definitely hit! with days in the high 90s and dare I say even in the 100s! we have already busted into the pool. londy is braver than I am. and kira will swim in the dead of winter! add a few friends, some yummy snacks and great music and I am content for the summer!

and for those of you who don’t know…I have the coolest dog in the whole world! not only is she my first born but she is soo great with londy! very protective and sweet with her! but the coolest thing she can do is fetch something from the bottom of the 6 foot pool! I mean what dog do you know that can hold her breath and get a diving ring?

waiting patiently to be told to

“go get it kira”…londy loves this and will play with her for hours! who needs a sibling when you have a dog right? we are always up for swim parties! if you want to come play let me know…the pool is officially open!

Easter

2009-04-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

with mom being in the hospital and the week being full of that kind of activity…the procrastinator that I am did not have time to run around and do cute Easter activities. my mother was always amazing (and still is..even to us as we are adults!) at finding exactly the perfect little gifts for our baskets. first off not only were the baskets huge to begin with but were always overflowing with the neatest goodies. everything handpicked exactly for what each child would love most. adorable stuffed bunnies with ribbons in their ears and wearing beautiful dresses. every knickknack embroidered or sewn in the right color or size for us. mom always was a great seamstress and made our Easter dresses as well. I am not near as talented as my mother! everything is store bought…a lot of times at the last minute. and I digress….

so Easter was a little different and a little sad this year but we still managed to celebrate both for the meaning of Easter and for the bunny meaning for londy.

aunt Gina's yummy cupcakes

the best craison salad… (I made this:)….mmmmm

Easter dinner from a kiddos perspective

with their loot after the hunt in Gina's beautiful backyard

mamacieta

2009-04-15T13:55:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: medical,mom

always a photo op..waiting in trauma for tests

well if it’s not one thing its another right? mom had another weird brain episode this past Thursday. it had been 6 1/2years since her last symptoms to which she immediately received brain surgery. this time the symptoms were 10 times worse and all in one day! so away we went to the ER and after 7hrs and several million tests we are told the cyst, the size of my fist… is back and bigger than before. seriouslY? she had no vision on her left side, couldn’t speak right and kept running into stuff, throwing up, terrible headache…ya know, a good time?! so they admitted her and we waited two days for dr. spetzler (world renound brain surgeon) to fit her in his schedule.

londy taking up iv pole dancing

aunt jerri and I waited for the surgery to be done and after a few short hours were able to see a very lucid mom! we were not expecting that nor to expect how great she felt and the very next day they wanted to send her home! what? a two day stay after BRAIN SURGEREY? and wait…she is not on pain meds? huh? she must of been a pioneer kind-a-woman. cause this I have never seen. what a trooper. new technology made the surgery much quicker this time and less invasive than the last. lets just hope this surgery takes. you never want surgery but of your brain is the last spot you would want it! mentally I'm exhausted and certainly my poor writing skills are not going to make you see how scary this all could have been. she will recoup at home with someone by her side for a couple of weeks or more. thanks for all your prayers, calls and support. I'm ready for a healthy family! oh but did I mention once I brought her home last night I got the stomach flu? good times! sigh….

little londy lou

2009-04-15T13:24:00.001-07:00

lately i have been feeling so blessed to have my little london!

she is such an amazing girl, sweet, sassy, fun, smart and wow…what a looker:)…i love how she uses her imagination so much. remindes me of when meg and i were younger. we would make up games for hours. londy is just the same. a few night ago she was getting out of the shower. brandon had her wrapped in a towel and he told her to wait for him to help her. she…being an impatient 4yr old. did not wait but stepped immediately out, tripping over the ledge and being wrapped llike a mummy in her towel. FELL FLAT ON HER FACE. let the screaming begin. i rush from the other room to see blood EVERYWHERE! panic sets in, brandon is rinsing her mouth, i’ve got a cold rag and ice. 2hrs later the blood stopped and she has 4loose bottom teeth. grrr. good thing papa is a dentist and thinks she will be fine! still a possibility she will loose those teeth though! uhhhh moms not so happy bout that! but she was such a trooper. goose egg on leg from where she banged it on the shower ledge and a huge burn/bruise on her chin. she is tough just like me. that also means she is ornery and is gonna be a pain in my a** when she gets older:)

do you think this girl is all EYES AND EARS?

but for now…im loving every minute of her!…well except for the whinny- needy- won’t- stop- jibjabbin- in- the -car moments!

wedding, cancer and a sister

2009-04-06T20:25:00.001-07:00

as a little girl you think your dad is the toughest, strongest guy around. for me that feeling has never gone away. my dad has always ran marathons, worked crazy overtime hours, put in years upon years of serving in the army reserves and definitely has the personality that fits his day job of being a cop. all in all he is one tough sun of a gun. I would not want to run into him in a dark alley, and for a 60something guy he is freakishly strong.

my dad has issues with cancer..simply said, cancer likes him and he…is not so much a fan back. so when he called a few months ago saying he had his third type of cancer I was not surprised. he kicked the first two with surgeries but this cancer (throat) was gonna be a killer if he did not do chemo and radiation along with the surgery. it is a very difficult thing to watch your strong, independent, ornery old dad go through that. this week I was especially proud! his step-son-Justin was getting married and dad…of coarse was expected to be at all the festivities. man was he a trooper! third degree burns in his throat, not able to eat a thing in two months. the pain is incredible when lying down, let alone mingling and talking and trying to be sociable!

meg and little step-bro Chris

my beloved sister meg came for the crazy week and we played as much as we could around her grad school papers, my working and all the wedding garb. we mostly visited with dad at the dinners and tried to keep his mind off the cancer!

me me and a dad who was strugglin

tthe Beautiful bride misty and her daddy

the wedding was beautiful. misty and Justin looked amazing. the wedding was at the castle at Ashley manor…wow that place is gorgeous! Londy loved twirling with all the little girls and getting dressed up.

spinning endlessly with daddy

the bride and groom making their entrance

the rest of the week was a blur that I will show in photos.

sisters in black..how shocking

we did find time to go out with my nephew dusty who was in town for his vacation (different side of da family).

more black at rehearsal cowboy dinner

we ate at our favorite hot spots, saw a cute movie, meg finally met my cute girls from the salon and we managed to lay out a few times too! there was shopping at fashion square and giggling in a Marshalls dressing room. we almost wet our pants at the horrible dresses we tried on while trying to find something to wear to the wedding. just about everything was slutwear. cut way down to there and barely covering the other end. why we are so easily entertained at such things I can not say but it is a mighty good time for us butler girls:)

bro Jarrod trying to look taller next to us tall girls

Sunday I took her to the airport and immediately wished she could come back. I can not wait for the day to have her living close to me.

great view from rustlers roost. they even have a slide Londy went down again and again right in the middle of the restaurant

and did I mention what a trooper Brandon was through all of this? lots of family time is always overkill for the person who is not blood related to these peeps. but man he holds his own! entertaining Londy and being there when he needs to be. but always giving meg and I time to do whatever our hearts desire. thanks for that babe;) UR THE BEST!

birthday wishes

2009-03-28T09:41:00.001-07:00

the big 3-0 is approaching and the plan is to go to the Caribbean with some friends for a spectacular cruise:) I'm not holding my breath on this one though…we are having a heck of a time trying to coordinate. but I am not giving up hope!!

however what I really am pining for is a….

sewing machine! I know I know what an exciting present huh? as I have mentioned before I am just convinced this sewing business can not be that difficult for pillows and drapes, an occasional dress up outfit for little miss. perhaps a baby burp cloth for a girlfriend? so I need your help…if you are a pro or even have an inkling of knowledge in this area…comment below and tell me where to start looking. is one brand way better than the next? where do I go to buy? how much do i spend? i just want a nice one that will pretty well run itself, threading and all. i dont need high end $1000 machine. just enough to get me hooked and up for the tasks at hand…my bare windows.

now this is not the end of my wish list.. hehe, but the bigger of the ticket items..unless you want to include spare bedroom furniture, an office, wheels for the truck, a trip to hawaii, new york or sanfran with the seeeeister. could i ask for a toddler who does not whine while im at it, and a husband who reads minds? i mean while im wishin i might as well dream big right?

sick sick triple sick

2009-03-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

it's been calling to me for weeks...come eat me..im yummy and oh so desireable. get me and a side of chips with guac. nothing like my chips around. how about a diet coke to go with me too? and so i caved...and got CHipolte...ate tons of that yummy goodness and now i have a food baby and i feel sick!
grrrr...why do i do that? i have not been this full in years...im not kidding...

blog stalking

2009-03-08T19:45:00.001-07:00

ok so don’t pretend that you’ve never done it! don’t sit there and think that i’m crazy with way too much time on my hands…when you know you have done it too!

it’s sunday and we are one sick household! days like today make me crazzzzy. bri does not do well with the whole lay down, read a book relax and snuggle up thing. gosh actually that does sound nice but only when you want to do it not when you are forced to because you feel like garbage-ola…sigh…i digress!

so after doing all i could today to be still and rest and try to make this crud not turn into pneumonia…i find myself at the computer blog jumping. first through all of my darling friends and then i admit through their cute friends. sometimes reading other peoples blogs makes me wonder what it’s like to live their life. i do this alot…people watching at the mall, wondering where people are going on airplanes and when we are out on dates….what are they doing when they leave this restaurant anyways? there are just such neat people to be found through your friends. i guess technically it’s not like you are stalking them. i mean if they are a friend of a friend you all might hang out sometime or even be close friends one day right? lol.

some blogs i read because the people are really talented at writing, the crafts they post are beautiful, the way they tell stories cracks me up, or they take amazing pictures, lets be real….some of these people are just gorgeous to look at and seem to have really interesting lives. for example…this family just went lobster fishing, another cute couple leave each other love notes in their coffee cups, another cute gal leaves detailed instructions to her hubby about what to do with the kiddos while she is gone… down to where to dig for the matching navy socks and if he can’t find them that the tan socks will do in a pinch!

i love to see the friends who you’ve met a few times and thought were really fun and how they live these crazy exciting lives and have lists upon lists of blogs they read which leads you to believe they must be that fun and that all those blog links are to their other extremely fun friends lives.

and i laugh at myself because here i sit writing away about how lame it is that i love to read about other peoples lives and how secretly i get upset when you put your blog on private and i really dont know you and can’t complain about how you should invite me to read your private blog…lol

bri you are one funny gal. i have always said that i am easily entertained and that i am a cheap date because it does not take much to make me happy:) so will anyone fess up that they blog stalk too? :)

viva las vegas

2009-03-03T16:20:00.001-08:00

brandon teases me that i have the attention span of a goldfish…this is true. im distracted easily, especially if i dont have a major task at hand. sparkly bright lights also distract quite easily. probably a reason why i love christmas lights, diamonds and most anything shiny..lol

it had been 10years since i had been to vegas, hard to believe since i wasnt even legal then and that i only live 4 hours from the dazzling city. so away we go for brandons birthday to sin city! so much to do and so little time! who needs to sleep right? well my poor hubby since he was sick:( but he made it thru with some nyquil and an excited wife. the drive was quick and painless, full of great tunes thanks to both of our ipods. seriously what did we do before ipods? there was wandering of the strip…my how it had grown and changed in ten years! one of the best brunch buffets i’ve ever had thanks to the bellagio! a great view…

this was from our room…wow!

shopping at a huge mall that gave scottsdale fashion square a run for it’s money. a roller coaster for b not on your life would you get me on that!

but besides all the people watching which was crazy enough…nascar was there and if you’ve seen one nascar fan, you’ve seen them all..ha.. a bit stereotypical but sooo true!

my favorite part was deffinately

cirque-du-soleil…amazing, so much to watch and yet not knowing where to look for fear you will miss something. how did it take us sooo long to see this? and when i can i see a different cirque-du-soleil?

so to all my faithful readers…(insert sarcasm here) who know what a freak i am about great bodies….where do i start? seriously? the strength of these performers and their perfectly chiseled bodies. is there a workout video for this? can i hire one of them as my personal trainer? holey moley batman! what would i give for legs like those? lol

self portraits by timer at the end of the night! were were really bad at taking pictures of ourselves! funny since we got cute vegas style…did you notice the sequins? .lol

and no we didn’t win big bucks in vegas:( not really into the gambling and i firmly believe you have to play big to win and i’m a scardy cat..lol and the only sad thing to admit is that we didn’t go dancing:( B was so sick first night and we were worn out second night. man we are getting old!!!

i could have spent all day by that pool with the waterfalls and beautiful sunny weather… an hour was not nearly enough and just a tease! im a sun bunny through and through. next time its a girls trip with dancing and pool time!

in a missing kind of mood

2009-02-26T21:37:00.001-08:00

lately there is just not enough time to do all that i want to do…i know… i get it…im a grown up and a mom so this is just life but…here is a list of what im missing most…

long “healthy hair” not common for a hair dresser….lol

Little londy…5months old was the BEST

THE lake the lake the lake…one of my most favorite spots to be

these girls, this place, this trip…hawaii im comming back i promise!

being a kid…cute, no makeup, carefree, and no stress

these two beautiful cousins and their sweet mom sherry:(

the beach…no matter where it is:)

ward split

2009-02-22T15:26:00.001-08:00

so for those who have not figured it out by now…i am Mormon…well mostly..lol.

we go to church based on where we live and are assigned to a specific building at a specific time…so the group you go to church with is considered a ward or ward family. for two years we got the ugly time of 8am…which you might say is not that bad! but for a girl like myself who never gets up til 8am..it can be a bit early to get cranky toddlers ready and a tired hubby out of bed after your date night out where you stayed up way too late!

fast forward…this year has been 12noon church which is better but not great for it is in the middle of the day and not much time to do anything before or after and i have never been a fan of relaxing unless I'm on vacation. i feel lazy and guilty if there is something that needs to be done and i am just chilling. I'm not a “good Mormon girl” in that capacity…ugghhh.

so today i pull up to church 4 minutes late which i promise is actually considered early for me since I'm ALWAYS at least 10 to 20 min late! there was no where to park, not in the parking lot, nor in surrounding area streets. so i park in the back forty and hoof it into church in stilettos. (since us Mormons dress up for church) I'm irritated, my body is hurting and i have a whiny little girl who is hungry and wants to dance through the parking lot in her “pretty shiny shoes”…finally we get into the building and wait patiently in the hall while they pass the sacrament (the bread and water) which takes 30 min because there are sooo many more people here than usual…doors open…time to find a seat. we find one which means Brandon can sit with me on his lap and londy on mine making us look like a glorified version of the clown car. we find one more chair and block the exit to sit together….big sigh…were sitting…with only londy only Brandon's lap (can you imagine all the looks naughty bri would get if she sat on Brandon's lap during church? i think most of the congregation would pass out!) lets get this rolling already…… then i hear the dreaded yet blissful words….brothers and sisters we are splitting your ward! gasps and talking goes thru the rooms that are packed to capacity like sardines. they give us our new boundaries. tell us which of our friends we will not see again at church and tell us that we will now start church at 2pm!!!

seriously? seriously! this is a big deal people, Mormon church is 3hrs. who wants to get home from church at 5:30? more gasps and whispers as everyone processes this. now i know, i know that we are fortunate to go to church just minutes from our house and that people travel much longer distances just to go to church. but let me tell you what…those people are much more diligent and lovely than i will ever be! Grumble grumble whine whine! so now i can sleep in but it will kill bri not to get distracted and end up at church at 2pm. surely i will end up at the gym or organizing my office, paying bills or heaven forbid…cleaning my house!

most “good” Mormons would never air their misdeeds like cleaning on the Sabbath on their blog…but come on peeps!…if you haven't figured out I'm not the norm yet..uhhhh well then we have much bigger fish to fry!

heaven help me…at least i go right? my mom-in-law is gonna die! it kills her that church was getting out at 3. we do Sunday dinner with family who lives and hour away and 7pm dinner is gonna be NO BUENO for her…here we go!!!

my sister my friend

2009-02-18T21:02:00.001-08:00

most days if you ask who my best friend is I would answer with Brandon, kat while growing up, taralynn while in college years, thayne through high school, and many more people who have been such a major part of my life! but in reality my sweet sister has been my best friend since birth. now don’t get me wrong…we have fought like cats and dogs. there has been biting and hitting..(I'm guilty of both…geez bri!) there has been competition with swimming and sports. but mostly…always the best of friends! when we get together it is pure craziness! we have sooo much fun together. there is always lots of giggling, terrible behavior, naughty food, lots of dancing, people watching, shopping, more food and laughs. last weekend was no different!

it had been 7 long years since I had gone to see my sis at her house without being accompanied by another family member. so being that it had been a couple months since I saw her and we were both having withdrawals…we found a cheap flight and away I flew. I hate to fly but for love of my sister I boarded the plane, taxied out, waited for 20min, taxied back in, deboarded, waited 2 1/2 hrs and got on another plane to try again! FInally 3 hrs late i made it to snowy, freezing colorado and our weekend of fun began with yummy dinner with friends.

we did all of our favorite things listed above, while also singing karaoke (if you could call it that!) played the wii and a little old school super Mario brothers, added in a cute movie and some time with my darling brother-in-law who was bundled up from the snow:) we hung with their fun friends who treated me like one of their own. we are really lucky to both have friends who make us feel right at home when we are Hanging out!

The bushes and trees were covered with ice or whatever and it was so beautiful!

there was just enough snow to make it feel like winter and yet a couple of warm days to make me wish I lived there! we drove through Garden Of The Gods-a state park? which was beautiful and makes me yearn to hike through it in the warmer months

Oh how I would love to live there close to meg…so until next time this will have to get me through!

Falling over while attempting yoga:)

I love you meg…can i come back now?

you say it’s your birthday?

2009-02-11T20:58:00.001-08:00

THis boy right here…had a birthday yesterday…a whole 32 years old! now he was much younger in this picture but i still get asked if my husband is 16 years old. he has a very young face, or at least i hope that he looks young and its not me looking old! ha

and these are things i love about him…

he is patient, especially with me and you all know there should be a reward for that.

he is very kind,the ultimate nice guy…sometimes so nice you want to smack him

has a testimony of the church but would never cram it down your throat!

he is handsome- back of ladies..lol

the worlds best daddy. hands down…does bath duty every night and wakes up with londy every morning. what guy does that?

he sends me on girls trips, shopping to target, or out and about for a break for me even when he really needs one himself.

he puts up with my nonsense?

an increadibly hard worker

can make anything with his hands. build a car or a house from the ground up.

plays a great game of ball.

is a pilot and can fly the big airplanes.

he loves any sport, most any movie, will listen to my hip hop or londy’s annie soundtrack for hours without complaining.

he is my best friend

happy birthday B! you are the best!

this

good time girl

2009-01-30T18:54:00.001-08:00

everyone knows i’m a good time girl! i love any excuse to have a party, go out and socialize and if i get to dance…wow hold on!

this past weekend we hung with our great friends and friends of theirs who were so fun!

shocking fact- brandon danced all night:) and even had a good time at it! don’t tell anyone though.. we don’t want word to get out that he might enjoy that or i might drag him to the dance floor more often than he thinks!

games til all hours of the night, yummy yard house, and a great band were also included…can we do it again tonight?

The girls (good grief my head looks big, plus i’m waaaay taller)

da boys

all of us

spring is a commin

2009-01-20T21:40:00.001-08:00

today I found the bottoms of all bathroom drawers and even the pit we call London's bow drawer. how do these small spaces take over our lives? in my bathroom drawer you could have lost a small child! I mean this from the girl who keeps her closet color coordinated.

there was enough hair to make a wig or at least a wiglet. seriously about 20 tubes of never been used lip gloss, every shade, texture and sheen imaginable. you want sparkle, how bout lip plumper, Vaseline cherry flavored? or perhaps you would like to try the kind that tastes like smores or at very least it smells like it. I've got lip smackers blue raspberry, chocolate, mint mint and more mint. every kind of dental floss in case I ever chose to use it more than once a month--sorry dad! 4 new packs of unused goodie, ouch- less hair bands. oodles of hair clips. snippets of plastic tags from ripping them off new clothing and several toys London smuggled in.there are even samples from every beauty product I have ever received. I mean really folks, I don’t keep anything normally--what's the problem here? the best part? the floss is from my hygienist at my dads dental office so its free. the lip-gloss--all of it--…gifts from my mom, sisters and cute friends and so again-- free.

don't get me started on Londy’s hair bows in a different drawer. baggie upon baggie of color organized bows. full to the tip top of the drawer and I still have bags upon bags of ribbon I have bought and never cut to use in her hair! I mean I am a girly mom and londy almost never leaves the house without a bow. I tell Brandon it is most certainly forbidden.

don't you remember the helicopter looking bows that were bigger than her head when she was 6 weeks old.

the pantry is next...i will post a picture of that before hand...in case i get lost under the cereal boxes

dark and cloudy

2009-01-20T21:06:00.001-08:00

I am an avid greys anatomy viewer. I love the show even though it leaves me depressed from time to time. anyways… on a recent episode Meredith is trying to impress mcdreamys mom when meeting her for the first time. she is trying so hard to be bubbly and sunny. she even has this obnoxious pink 80’s scrunchie in her hair. it brings me back to like the third grade and a hot pink tank top I wore that matched it. I digress….

at the end of the show she tells the mom that she is really dark and cloudy, not sunny and cheerful at all!

lately…I'm thinking that has become me or I have become it…whichever. lately I’m wondering when I slipped from sunny and a silver lining to every cloud, to very drizzly and depressing.

hey isn't knowing it half the battle?

had an old friend find me on facebook…shocking I know! and he told me I talk too much about death. I think he is right.

bring in the sunny and cheerful lets see if we can irritate the gloomy right out of me :)

north mountain

2009-01-11T20:23:00.001-08:00

we used to live minutes from north mountain and my sis and I developed a love for the mountain. for those of you who have not done it you are missing out! 20min or so to the top and less than 10 down. do it a couple of times and you have yourself a pretty good workout. well… I have missed this mountain and told Brandon we needed to start doing it again! I was more than a little nervous with these old wind bags for lungs but we gave it a whirl. and do you know what? I can still kick some crack! maybe not like the old days but not much is like that now! we took londy and she says she needs more practice to be strong but she said she loved it! don't be counting me in for a iron man anytime soon, but hey…it makes a girl happy to workout anyway she can.

eggs and turkey

2009-01-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

lately i have been craving eggs! weird i know! even weirder...they are egg whites! between that and turkey sandwiches, i would say i have a bird problem!

i did it

2009-01-05T16:10:00.001-08:00

i did my first cycle class today and i must admit…

i loved it! sooo thanks to all of you who kept telling me to try it and promising that if i went at my own pace, my lungs could keep up:) yey for the little things that make me happy and as a bonus…check one thing off my 2009 goal list. i am such a list girl and i admit to sometimes adding things to my to do list that i have already done for the day knowing that i can cross them off right away! does that make me weird? it’s just that at the end of the day i like to look at what i did and feel productive. check, double check.

Goals for 2009

2009-01-02T15:03:00.001-08:00

in general i tend to be very open…too much so. but then there are things i am pretty personal about. Goals are one of those things. but this blog is for me and for memories sake…soooo here are some very big goals for the year!

* eat more vegetables and fruit. buying it, having it rot and then throwing it away is not the same as eating it.

*a flat stomach, a reasonable request but my love of carbs and fat(flavor) will make this close to impossible!

*take a class on photography/photoshop…yep taking pics for a living and have taught myself so far…probably should find out how it all is supposed to work, i might save myself some time.

*a trip to somewhere tropical with Brandon. Aps and dustin, you still game?

*a trip with just my sis and me. Were should we go?

*try snow skiing or boarding if my lungs will permit.

*learn some new hair cuts/techniques- a girl can always learn!

*spin class- trying my first one on Monday:)

*Pilates once a week…good for the core and less ouchie for the back!

*more dates, more dates, more dates…never enough time with fun friends.

*try out new recipes and new meat. ground beef and chicken are getting boring!

* play more with londy! i mean really play, on the floor, pretending, going to the park!

*more time with my family in mesa. i love all those stapley’s and i miss you all!

* research on LAM, and teach those i love about it!

*if my lungs will cooperate- a 3 mile run or so with my loved ones and anyone who wants to help. money raised for LAM . with A tee shirt that says-“ lung disease and still runnin…what's your excuse?” too sassy?

how about “can you say…

Lymphangioleimyomatosis?”

this is a big one for me!

*a blog book

*really research adoption or surrogacy. keep feeling the nudge for this…is there a baby waiting for me somewhere. any info anyone has…send it my way PLEASE!

*pay down some bills, prepare for an emergency, a living will, what would really happen to londy should b and i die on that great trip to the Caribbean? and morbid as it sounds.. make a list of things i would want at my funeral, , JUST

PLANNING PEEPS, JUST PLANNING. this may seem very crazy to you all but i am a planner and not having thoughts on these written down seems silly. my sweet cousin sherry had it all planned out and that is how i want it too.

*Tara has to play the violin, and

his hands and Childs prayer sang.

and for the love people… don’t let some idiot give me flat hair:)

*get some office furniture, right now this place looks like the DI and that is being nice!

*i am dying to learn how to sew! i want a machine and i am just convinced that i could learn how to do it! my mother made so much for our house and for us kids growing up. i am sure i could fake it at least!

*freshen up on my grammar and spelling. blogging and texting is making me lazy and i have completely forgotten how to write a coherent sentence….sigh

*make a choice everyday to be happy and remember the good things! the last few years have been a hell of a ride and i am ready for some peace for me and for all of you.

I have a plan….

Happy new year, make goals and keep them, cherish every moment, take as many pictures as you can. make as many memories as time will permit. document it all for your children and loved ones. let your heart sing even when your lungs won’t allow you to do it through your mouth.

I am grateful for the people in my life who love me through all of my quirks, outrageous behavior and stubborn views!

SO share your goals next…if you dare….(evil laugh here)

add….get a passport

learn how to shoot a gun

great grandini

2008-12-27T19:55:00.001-08:00

my moms mom…aka the great grandini was the coolest! my favorite part of christmas itself was always grandma! she would come and spend the night at our house on christmas eve every year. we would go pick her up in the afternoon and come home to goof off, eat a yummy dinner of something totally untraditional like chili, or nachos, and almost always chili con queso. she would sleep on the couch in the sewing room and my sis and i would sit with her on that old yellow and gold floral couch watching the sound of music, the wizzard of oz or whatever else would be playing on regular tv. we only had one room in the house with cable and that tv was reserved for my dad and whatever ballgame was on that night. us girls were always banished to the sewing room with the tv with an antena and turn style knobs:)

my poor mom would retreat to her bedroom- i guess to wrap the rest of the presents, my dad would watch the game and we would stay up as late as we could! Christmas morning was always an event…we had a time limit of how early we were allowed to wake the folks…maybe 5 or 6 am? prior to that time meggie and i would sit and talk about how excited we were and if santa brought us what we wanted. finally the time would come when it was time to wake up mom and dad. wait for dad to go start a fire, use the bathroom, brush his teeth and whatever else took him SOOO LONG… and then turn on the tree. mom and grandini would join dad, camera in hand to see the expression of excitement and surprise as we turned the corner to see our gifts.

grandini was always what i remember seeing first. she always looked more excited than we were, just to be there with us! she did’nt need presents or special attention. she was happy to sleep on that old ratty (but very comfy) couch. and entertain us all night! it was hard for years after she was gone not to have her there.

and now it is my moms turn…to be grandini…nonni style. sleep in our spare room, eat chili con queso, play games, join in our silliness the way her mom always did. so as long as i am around and we are able…my mom will always be with us on christmas eve and christmas morning…because i just know it means as much to londy as it does to me:)

for memories sake

2008-12-27T19:31:00.001-08:00

i copied these from my sweet sisters blog…because…well i feel the same way about these things, she is a better writer and i hope one day to publish this blog into a book of memories…so here is megs perfect explanations of what made christmas so great for us as kids

My first Christmas

"Ms. Hannigan...you know I'd go absolutely weak in the knees over a man like you!"
Calling all Annie fans!
Memory #7 links up to the memory where Bri and I would lie under the Christmas tree to marvel at the lights. Oftentimes, instead of Andy Williams, we put on our Annie record. I'd be Mr. Warbucks, and she would be Ms. Hannigan (or another character from the show), and we would spend hours dancing around the tree re-enacting scenes from the movie, "Annie." We always had scenes where we would be bad, and have to sneak away from the ophanage though the closet celiling, and then of course, we'd be caught! Our punishment was being forced to eat porridge (chocolate ice cream we stirred until it melted)and we would look at each other like it was a death wish while we slurped up our delicious punishment.
We played this particular game many Christmases in a row. My mom never cared, and probably thought it was funny her two girls were full of such imagination. The only year it was a big deal was the year our tree was put in the living room instead of the family room. My mom hated footprints on her newly vaccumed carpet, and the thought of us trapesing around her floor drove her to put the tree back where it "belonged" in the family room.
"You'll stay up, 'till this dump shines like the top of the Chrystler Building!"

that snoopy doll was MY FAVORITE!

and memory number two….

Andy Williams's Christmas album will forever be the hub of my childhood Christmases.
Bri and I used to beg and beg my dad to go and get the Christmas tree. Once it was home, my mom would put on the Andy Williams record (a REAL record...not a tape or CD), and Dad would retract to whereever it was Dad went when it was tree decorating time. Mom would spend hours upon hours meticulously wrapping each branch of the tree from tip to trunk in wonderfully bright, twinkiling white lights. Bri and I, as children, really felt like it was the Most Wonderful Time of the Year as Williams crooned, as we danced around the tree and Mom. We would always pretend to hang the "peppermint stick for old Saint Nick" on the Christmas tree, and never forgot to "hang up our sock...cause just exactly at 12 o'clock...he'd be coming down the chimney down!" I am quite sure that my mom was a little annoyed that the two of us danced and carried on, while she labored on the tree...but truly, those memories are some of the best from my childhood.
We had certain ornaments hand stitched by my mom, that had to be hung in a particular order. Each time we'd pull out something new from the Christmas trunk, we'd exclaim, "I LOVE this one" and fight who got to put the ornament on the tree. Decorating the tree took all afternoon, and about 12 rounds of the record playing our beloved Andy Williams. After the tree was finished, and mom was kaput, Bri and I would turn out all of the light except for the tree, and lie underneath the tree and dream of the holiday to come. With hands on our chins, and our hearts and hopes high...we would welcome the Christmas season into our home.
Every year, as tradition states in our new and growing homes, Bri and I play the Andy Williams CD (we Butler girls are moving on up now!), and still dance the same antics we once did as little girls. Even though we won't be spending Christmas together this year, I will play the songs and be transported right back to the place where things were perfect, special, and almost magical. Merry 12 Days of Christmas!

my regular shennanigans

Merry Christmas To all

2008-12-24T10:47:00.001-08:00

Hope Santa Brings all

Your FavoriTe

ThinGs!

twilight

2008-12-19T22:33:00.001-08:00

I finally did it! Brandon took me to see twilight and I have to say I was a little nervous! I had heard such mixed reviews. some had said there was no chemistry, bad cinematography, and what not. plus the books are ALWAYS better than the movies. but with this…..

I was pleasantly surprised! I thought they had great chemistry, I thought it followed most of the book and I still want to be a vampire, have an Edward of my very own and never grow old!

plus….now I am going to be like every other stupid junky fan who is dying to see the next movie:)

I told b he had better read the books because he is going with me to see the rest and I am not giving him any hints of what will happen next!

oh….and….Emmett…….HOT HOT HOT

hottie

2008-12-17T17:41:00.001-08:00

ok so i know i work out all the time and i know it really is for good health and for good lungs (breathing is good for bri:)

but seriously? while i am at it…..what would i give to have a figure like this girl!!!! she always looks great….sigh…

i mean i know people don’t pay me millions to look like that and that it is part of her job…but in my next life…i want to be her:)

party 101

2008-12-14T20:41:00.001-08:00

I love a good party! especially when it is with really fun people.

I am lucky enough to work with some really neat girls and one fun boy…who, lets face it… working with all these women is truly one of the girls himself! (sorry Tommy but it is true) but you tell me one guy who would hate to work with 20some hot girls all day?…I digress….

so this weekend was the dreaded work party or so most would think…standing around not knowing many of the coworkers and their loved ones….but that is not the kind of parties We

have!!!

lets just say it was a lot of fun and I found myself sad to leave because I was having a GREAT TIME! My boss kimi has a beautiful home, so warm and cozy, a yard like better homes and gardens and the food was catered by “AMOUSE BOUSCHE” (sp?) here in surprise (side note…if you have not eaten there before you are missing out!) hair dressers have a wild reputation and last night was no exception. the laughter was contagious. and I think Brandon had almost as much fun as I did!

Look at the height difference

Trying out a different look:)

so thanks kimi for everything, thanks Brandon for being my date. to mom for driving home late from where we live to the other end of the planet:) and to Slater for my darling Christmas goodies. How do people just know what to get you even when you have never voiced wanting that item before?

These girls are scrappy

fun pics including the strong girls trying to arm wrestle, tequila shots (no I was not doing those rich don't have a hard attack) and more fun!

open open open

2008-12-10T19:02:00.001-08:00

anyone remember the old Mervyns commercial? open open open

that is how I feel everyday when I come home and check the mailbox. excited, dying to see what's inside, hoping there is some sort of “fun mail” inside. it’s the season people for cards and cards mean pictures of cute friends you never get to see! but most everyday….its just bills bills bills and junk:(

so what I am saying is………

any day

now people!