Enjoying the moment

As I went for a walk today enjoying the fresh air and the first signs of spring, Mallory in the stroller and Emma riding her big wheel, a middle aged woman passed us by in her car. She smiled at us and I smiled back. I can't say for sure what she was thinking but the look on her face told me that the sight of us perhaps reminded her of days past. She looked like she knew what it was like to have kids. It was a look of both melancholy and joy. I imagine that she too had small children that she once took for walks. This look on her face made me appreciate so much what I have right now. Time goes by way too fast and before I know it, Emma will be grown and out of the house. My days of getting to have my niece Mallory with us are limited as well. How precious it is and has been to watch these two, sweet little cousins playing, learning and growing together. What a gift! Thanks to the middle aged woman that with one knowing look, gave me lots to think about and be grateful for. I am so glad I get to be a mom and aunt!

(Photo taken from a walk we took in the fall. Didn't bring my camera today, but you get the idea!)

Merry Christmas 2009

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and an even happier New Year!

(PS- To see the above card super sized, don't forget to click on the image!)

Happy Halloween 2009

Have a great time everybody!!

Pizza chef extraordinaire

Ever since visiting my relatives that are in the Pizza business, my husband has been perfecting his own homemade pizza. All through the summer we got to sample his delicious pizza creations. He is a man that loves to cook and Emma and I have been reaping the benefits of having such a talented cook in the house! And he's just so darn cute, I really got a kick out of watching his new found excitement over homemade pizza : ) That last line will probably embarrass him. Oh well.

Keane

I had a date night with my husband this week. We had such a great time! It was a date that is definitely up there on my list of favorite dates! You may be wondering what made this date so wonderful? If you know me at all then you know how much I LOVE music. A couple months ago we purchased concert tickets for one of my favorite bands, KEANE. They are not a very well known band here in the U.S. Like a lot of my favorite bands, they happen to be British. You would probably recognize the song Somewhere Only We Know. That is one of their big hits. It is also song #3 on my playlist if you want to click on it and check it out. The concert was held at the Roseland theater in downtown Portland. It is a GREAT place to see a concert due to it's small size and intimacy. Mike and I were about 3 rows back, center stage. You can imagine how exciting it was for me to see one of my favorite bands this up-close and personal! It was FANTASTIC!! They were only a few feet away from where I stood. Unlike huge stadiums where you often times are simply an observer somewhere in the nosebleed section looking at the band on stage through binoculars, at the Roseland you get to experience the band fully, if you so desire!! There is a small upper balcony for those that like to watch from slightly afar. Even those seats are great though! Anyway, the concert was amazing! The opening band, Lights, was very impressive and a pleasant surprise! Opening bands are usually groups I've never heard of and are just another thing to endure until the main event starts. Well, this band lead by a young girl with a great voice was very entertaining. I really enjoyed her music. Soon after that, KEANE took the stage opening with my favorite song, The Lovers Are Losing, from their new album (it's #1 on my playlist right now). It was a perfect song to open up a show with! The crowd went wild, everyone sang, everyone danced- it was a full out KEANE party! I enjoyed every minute of it! It had been a really long time since we had been to a concert. I had forgotten just how fun they are! We hope to attend more in the upcoming year!! I am so glad Mike took me to this concert even though he is not as passionate about this band as I am. He did enjoy the experience however, and it was a great break for us both. We felt like kids again! Young, in love, fancy free, and cool. Sometimes you just need to take a break from the seriousness of life! If ever you get a chance to see a band play at the Roseland, I'm sure you will agree that it is a very fun, unique experience! My playlist, for however long I feel like it, is devoted to KEANE songs. Enjoy!!

Go Ducks!

WE'VE GOT SPIRIT! YES WE DO! WE'VE GOT SPIRIT, HOW BOUT YOU?!

Yesterday my family kicked off Duck Football season with a party at my parent's house. We had all sorts of yummy football watching foods including custom homemade sugar cookies. Man, those sugar cookies were good and boy were they beautiful, if I do say so myself (Mom and Chelsea were co-designers/decorators)! Everyone had a good time eating and watching the game. I enjoyed the social aspect of getting to hang out with my family and visit with them. A Duck football game is an excuse as good as any to get together for some fun! In fact, I think I had more fun preparing for the game and visiting with family during the game than I did watching the actual game! In the end, things did not turn out well for the Ducks. Oh well. We'll get 'em next time! Happy Duck Football season everyone!!

Even Bigger Big Girl Bed

Hello all. I have been stuck in a rut! A rut of not updating my blog, that is. I love reading all your blogs but I just kind of lost the desire to blog about myself. I even thought about deleting my blog but then my husband and number one fan of this here blog told me that the blog must go on! I didn't realize he liked it so much! How sweet! So here goes! I thought it only natural to continue where I left off from my last post. This summer I got a hold of my old twin bed frame from when I was a young gal and decided to paint it and put it in Emma's room. The darn thing took about 50 million cans of spray paint! Not really, it only took about 10 but that is A LOT of spray paint! I'm not really sure why it took so much and honestly, I felt like it needed a coat or more at least but I just got so darn tired of spraying and my poor fingers got so sore! I was going for the Shabby Chic look anyway, so its good enough! So without further ado, here it is folks:

I realize these aren't the best photos to display my handy work but you get the idea! Emma likes it and its a step up from having the mattresses just on the floor without a frame! Her room is a work in progress and its been fun to decorate! The white furniture would totally pop out if there was a nice colorful shade of paint on the wall. I wonder if my landlord would allow that?! Hmm. Emma is getting so big! She turned 3 this summer, if you can believe it. I will slowly but surely be adding some more posts to this blog so that you can see what we've been up to this summer! I must admit, it feels good to be back sharing with you in this crazy blogging world that we call Blogger : ) Hasta luego.

Big Girl Bed

My baby's growing up! We finally got around to getting a big girl bed for Emma. She was very excited to try it out! I about cried, both tears of pride for my big girl and tears of sadness for how fast she is growing up! This is a milestone in her life. She only fell out once during her first night. I helped her get back in and she went back to sleep. Night 2 went smoothly, as far as I know! Pretty soon (with fingers crossed) she will be potty trained!

TV Season Finales

I have been REALLY BUSY lately. It's Grading time and I have been busy everyday trying to grade as much as I can during Emma's naps and when I have my husband's help! I'm sure I have better things to share than this post about TV but I just can't think right now. Besides, this is a good way for me to relax and think about something other than grading Spanish tests and trying to keep up with everything else! I have actually cut my TV viewing time drastically in the last couple years but there are still a few shows I love! **Warning- Spoiler alert for Lost, The Office, Grey's and Survivor** I realize this is not a super exciting post, but I really do enjoy talking about my shows with people! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these Season Finales!

Lost: Can you believe Lost is only going to have one more season?! Well, actually I can. I love the show but it can't go on forever! All good things must come to an end. I have really enjoyed this series and can't wait to see what happens come Fall! I am curious to learn more about Jacob and find out what the deal is with Locke and his body! What do you think? And what about Juliet? Do you think she is really gone?!

The Office: Ok, Michael Scott has got to pursue Holly, the love of his life. It was fun seeing her again in the season finale! If there is anyone out there for Michael, it is her. I think something is going to happen with Dwight and Angela this next season. Hooray for Pam and Jim! They've got to be pregnant! Guess we'll have to wait to find out for sure!

Grey's: I only started watching this again the last couple shows. The previews sucked me in! Are George and Izzy really gone?! That was a sad way to end a season! ugh!

Survivor: Yay for JT! He deserved it! I thought he and Steven made a good team. I really did not care for Tyson. He is not the type of person I want representing my religion! He was so mean to Sierra and really seemed to think too highly of himself! What a punk! And Coach, what a character! He did tell some good stories! I've got to wonder if everything is ok mentally with this guy, though! But he was entertaining and maybe it was just an act for tv! I love watching all the different personality types interacting with each other. There have been 18 seasons of this show and I'm still a fan.

What shows do you like?!

Got a Will?

Here is a shameless plug for my husband who has been busy lately preparing Wills and Trusts for friends and family. If you are interested, he can prepare a Will or Trust for you at a discounted price. I just thought I'd let you know! It's a good thing to have in case anything should happen to you or your spouse.