Monday, December 29, 2008

we all sing the same song

i have no idea who this woman is, but she must have been at my house today, or yesterday or maybe the day before...
(click up there, mom)

Sunday, December 28, 2008

finally, megs...

okay, i'm not sure about this... way back in the beginning of october, my "pal" tagged me (what kind of friend would put you on the spot like this?!). but because it isn't my turn on the Wii yet, and no one wants to watch Mamma Mia with me--i have the time (maybe not the courage) to respond to the challenge.

as i sit here click-clacking away, i have this major anxiety growing in the pit of my overly-full Christmas tummy with the facts that (1) i'm not sure that i can come up with 7 interesting things about myself, and (2) that i don't really have 7 blog friends... that's a lot of pressure, megs!

oh, speaking of meghan, she is this amazingly wonderful friend with whom i have been blessed. my husband and hers grew up together in idaho, and have remained friends over the years--thus meghan and i have become friends. now here is the one (two) best things about being friends with meghan... sweet pea and beans. she is the incredible mom of these funny, crazy and sweet little boys. i have great admiration for her, because not only is she a great mom, she is a great working mom. she has taught me to be okay with the fact that some moms work, and that those moms are still really good moms... anyway, if you want some giggles, you should check out her blog at sweetpeaandbeans... and keep your eyes peeled for her new creative outlet/business venture, Sweet Pea & Beans custom stationary.


let's get focused... here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog, and giving them the lowdown...

unknown? maybe. interesting? perhaps. all i could come up with? definitely!

  1. i refused to marry dave. he had to ask me a couple of times before i relented.
  2. dave and i lived in maine... for about two weeks--just part of the adventure!
  3. i love books that are set in England prior, during and right after World War II--any recommendations?
  4. i insist on being involved (if not in charge) of my kids' school valentine's day parties--because i'm an expert, you know
  5. i love tea parties--going to the Brown Palace, having them at my home... whatever, i love 'em!
  6. during a summer in college, i was a nanny. i was 21 and got to spend the summer in NYC, the Cape and just cultivating my love for the whole of the east coast, especially for the very cute boys with their very cute accents... thus the move to maine with dave, of course, without the cuties...
  7. i surprised dave with an early Christmas present! we're going to florida to see the Cornhusker's play in the Gator Bowl--we leave the snow for the sun tomorrow!

now here is the rougher part, i've got to find 7 people to tag... well, these are the lovely ladies who i follow: um... yeah... so i could really only come up with these four gals who i felt slightly comfortable tagging. but this is the challenge to you reading my blog. either:
  1. leave me a comment with something interesting you know about ME, or
  2. leave me a comment with something interesting you want me to know about YOU!

don't be a blurker, leave me a comment!

Friday, December 26, 2008

i love my friends' kids

we have always known that mike is quite a cinematographer, but we had no idea he'd be putting warren miller on alert!
and i'm so glad i don't have teenagers, yet...

Thursday, December 11, 2008

the ghosts of Christmases past

the other day, the boys and i put up our Christmas tree...

i'm not sure if i've always been too preoccupied with making sure the bubble-wrap gets put back in the right Hallmark box, or whatever it is that i seem to stress over. because i don't think i've ever noticed that the boys were remembering the ornaments like they did this weekend.

some times i wish i was one of those gals who has it all together (as if!). you know, the ones who have inspiring halloween/fall/thanksgiving front porches, and whom probably have festively decorated their whole home with glamorously themed items... including their Christmas tree(s). there is something so beautiful about those trees, they seem so grown-up and elegant. and i want one!

but on the other hand, there are the decorated trees with reindeer made from fun-foam and traced little fingers. or the Christmas trees, interestingly, also made from tiny hands traced
on fun-foam. there are ornaments from school, that remind us of favorite teachers. we have ornaments from places we've been (like our new disneyland ornament) and trips we've taken, ornaments from when i was little, boxes and boxes of goodies from my mom and dad when they liquidated, and the ornaments we've started buying to build the boys' collection for when they have their very own trees. when the rubbermaid tubs were opened this year, it's a treasure trove of memories... and not just for me anymore.

it made me smile to listen to the boys talk about when they made the sparkly snowman in 1st grade, or that mrs. taylor gave them the snowflake last year. and they both commented on the hot wheel flaming hot rod ornaments they both got from their nana and papa when we lived in colorado--that was a long time ago!

and, this was also the year, when the boys took a good look at the ornament my mom gave dave and me for our first Christmas... as i am unpacking the boxes, i heard:

ryan: oh, look, here's santa and mrs. claus... and they are in the... uh, {giggle} jacks look at this...
jacks: {snort}
ryan: {giggle}
jacks: {furtive glance, snort}
ryan: mom...
me: yeah...
ryan: {giggle} did you know--
jacks: they are NAKED!
me: yeah, i know... nana gave it to me
both of them: {wide-eyed and belly laughs} NANA!


especially good memories this year!


miss ya, babe!

Monday, December 8, 2008

tj 4 cf

whenever a new restaurant opens in the big city,
people flock like lemmings over a cliff.

two years ago when the olive garden opened, you'd think something really great was happening! you couldn't get near the place for months! i mean, months and months! it opened in december, and still in march for jackson's birthday we had to wait for an hour (and them some!) because that's where he wanted to go...
for a pizza?!


however, when it's something i like, i.e., taco john's right by my house, i was just another blur of fur over the cliff for my potato oles... and here comes the beauty:
when we were paying and the cashier asked us if we wanted to donate a dollar for cystic fibrosis research... so, of course, i start crying because that's what i do when my crusty, grumpy heart is pierced.

so if you're in the mood for something fast and "west-mex", give taco john's a visit, and donate to the CF foundation... thanks!