The Last Minute Holiday Shopper...

Every year during the holidays I make it a point to finish my Christmas shopping a week before Christmas. This year, not so much. My dad always waits until almost the last minute to do his shopping which would drive me nuts, but it's totally a "tradition" for him. This year even he's finished with his shopping before me. :-)

I have actually attempted three times to go out and finish my shopping. The first time I planned on going, but then I decided I was too tired and it was too rainy. I would have had to bundle myself and Addie up and get in and out of the car at multiple stores and that just takes too much effort. The second time was on Saturday. I was going to go in the afternoon, but them our Realtor called and was going to show us some houses, but that turned into a few hours of waiting for him to get back to us. Needless to say, we did not look at any houses and I did not get any shopping done. The third attempt was this afternoon. I picked up Mike at work to go to lunch together. We had a lovely lunch at Farmer Boys and then I dropped him off at the Honda dealership to pick up our other car. As I was driving towards our lovely mall I relaized I did not have the stroller because it is in back of the car I usually drive... the Honda... in the shop... not ready for me to drive yet. So sad.

My next attempt is tonight when Mike can watch Addie andI can get the shopping done a little bit quicker. If not, Mike may not be receiving and gifts until after Christmas.

Merry Christmas from our Family...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Laundry...

Yesterday it was definitely time for me to do some laundry. I dread folding it, so this is what it looked like at the end of the day.

Before

After

Such a great face...

A Thanksgiving Post...

I have been super busy the last few weeks and forgot to post some pictures from Thanksgiving. I only have two pics form that day for some reason. The first one is Addie and me and Mike's cousin Kate and her daughter Alexis. Alexis was born exactly one week before Addison. The second picture is Addie helping me look at coupons for Black Friday! Enjoy!

Addie Speaks...

Well, maybe not words, but she sure has something to say. You can check it out here.

Going Green...

A few days ago Mike and I were talking about how we need to do a better job of "going green". For the past year I have been doing a few things to go green. I have switched over to environmentally safe cleaning products. We have reusable bags for Trader Joe's. I have been buying organic milk and I try to get other organic groceries. Our local Ralph's is a Fresh Faire Ralph's which means they have a lot of organic fruits and veggies and they buy some things locally. We also use energy saving bulbs in our house. We also recycle most of our stuff. I know we can do better and we are getting there. I am slowly switching to organic make-up, but since I don't wear it that often it is a slow process. Bare Minerals is a good brand. Anything that is a mineral powder is good. I am also heavily thinking about changing to g-diapers for Addison. I just have to figure out with the amount of diapers she goes through if we can do it financially.

I think it is important that we take care of the environment that God has put us to live in. HE wants us to take care of the environment. No matter if you think there is global warming or not we need to take care of this planet so that our kids (and us) don't have to live in a mess now and in the future.

Live from New York...

It's Saturday Night! If you know me you know that I love Saturday Night Live. Sometimes it a little too gross for me, but I have loved it when Justin Timberlake has hosted. I was just talking with someone about it on Sunday (I had not watched this last weeks episode yet) and told them one of my favorite sketches was "Bring it on down to Omletville." I also thouroghly enjoy "The Barry Gibb Talk Show." After having this conversation I watched Saturday's episode and this was the best I've seen on Weekend Update in a long time. For your own viewing pleasure:

My Favorite Reality Show...

The Amazing Race. I LOVE it! It is possibly my favorite show of all time. Although it's a race (no pun intended) between that and The Office. To move on and the reason for writing this post is that I have a goal to be on this show. I have never had a desire to be on any other reality show. It combines two things I love... travel and competitiveness and possibly a third... running. Now you may be wondering who I would run this race with. I'm sure you're thinking that Mike and I would be absolutely wonderful running this race together. Not a chance. I would probably get so frustrated with him it would not be pretty. Don't get me wrong I love my husband a ton and I think he is the most amazing guy, I just don't think we would work well on the race together. Next, if you know me, you might think I would take my mom. Nope. Again, love her a lot but I think we would just stress each other out.

My choice is my dad. My dad and I are a lot alike and he is super fit and athletic for being a man over 50. (If you read this dad, I love you!) Now, I like to think I am athletic, so I think that would be a bonus for our team. We would definitely be able to beat someone in a foot race. I have traveled internationally so I sort of know what that looks like. My dad has not. My dad will pretty much do anything unless he feels that it is going to harm him or his family. He's not afraid of heights and I am. He doesn't really like to eat weird things but I do. So, overall I think we would balance each other out. I've even asked my dad about it and he said he would do it with me. The only problem we have now is having an angle to actually get on the race. We could pull the whole, "My dad was gone working a lot when I was little and I never got to spend time with him and this is a chance for us to get to know each other." The only problem with that is my dad did work a lot when I was little, but I think we know each other pretty well. So who knows I guess we can just apply and see what happens. I guess I better go and start working out. :-)

This is the most recent picture of my dad and I and it's over a year old. So sad. My hair is cute though. :-)

What a Cutie...

Addie has grown so much in the last two months. The top picture is Addie when she was a month old and the bottom one is her at three months. You can check out more cute pics here.

Today...

did you?

Decision '08...

I just finished reading up on all the propositions and I think I have finally decided on my votes for all those. My final decision for president has not been made yet. I know where I am leaning towards, but I feel as though I need to look up some other issues and views this person has in order to make my final decision. I'm not someone who likes to share their political views, but I just thought I would let you know where I'm at. I may let you in on who I vote for if I feel like I can make a good enough argument to defend my choice. :-)

Pumpkin Patch...

We went to the pumpkin patch on Friday with my mom. The pumpkin patch at Live Oak Canyon next to the 10 Freeway is super awesome. They have u-pick pumpkin fields, pumpkins that are already picked that you can choose, horse rides/petting zoo, a corn maze, bounce houses (not my favorite), ATV rides, hay rides, and a hay castle. It just feels like fall when you go there. I bought Addie a tiny pumpkin and I got another small pumpkin for our house. Next year will be lot's of fun and Addie will be able to pick out her own pumpkin. Enjoy the pictures!

If you want an update on Addie you can click here.

Burning Ring of Fire...

Yesterday marked my first call to 911 and hopefully my last call. At about 4:45 yesterday afternoon I turned on my oven to preheat it for our dinner. When I saw that the oven was ready for the food I walked over to it and saw flames inside. I opened it up and looked to see that some oil that had spilled (from a previous dinner) was on fire. The flames weren't horribly big so I thought that maybe I could blow on them (I know I'm dumb... I was fanning the flame). This obviously made them bigger and I closed the oven. The flames went down a bit because of the lack of oxygen, but I thought I better call 911 to have the fire department come out and check on it. The 911 operator was very nice and stayed on the phone with me until the fire trucks arrived. He was very nice and we carried on some polite conversation. The fire trucks arrived a few minutes later. First a smaller "pickup" size truck came down, then the big fire truck and then on the main street next to mine was another one. They told the third one to leave when the saw my entire house was not burning down. My first initial thought when they arrived was that my house was messy and I looked like a mess. :-) They went in and I guess put it out. I didn't see since I was in the front room with Addie. They brought out a fan and some fire deodorizing spray and were gone within 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to the Riverside Fire Department. They were very nice and super cool about everything. Needless to say, I going out today and buying a small fire extinguisher. Oh yeah... and I'm scrubbing out my oven. :-)

Today is my Birthday...

28 years ago today my mom gave birth to me. Thank you mom for going through labor. I now have a better understanding of what hard work that is. :-) Last year around this time I made a list of 27 things to do before I turned 27. Here is that list and what I did and did not accomplish:

1. Read 27 Books (Fiction & Non Fiction)
I'm pretty sure I met this goal. I forgot to count. But I did finally finish Blue Like Jazz. I really liked it a lot and now I am making a goal to read a book I got at Christmas last year by Donald Miller called Through Painted Deserts.
2. Be a better leader
I'm working on this everyday, I hope that I have been able to lead students in a better way
3. Visit at least one new state
This one was shot down when I got pregnant
4. Run a half marathon
Same as above.
5. Write an article for a youth journal or something similar
I have many thoughts but nothing yet on paper
6. Write at least 10 scripts for youth ministry
I think I wrote one and I have this other idea that keeps floating around in my head and it's actually a musical of sorts.
7. Take at least 4 more graphic design classes
I have taken 1 and a half (I had to go on modified bed rest during my spring class). I will begin taking classes again this Spring
8. Work out three times a week
I was until I went on modified bed rest during my pregnancy
9. Play the keyboard/piano more
I don't think I played once this year.
10. Finish my wedding and college scrapbooks
Nope, but I did start on my London scrapbook.
11. Be an awesome wife
I strive to do this one everyday. Some days are good, some days are not so good. :-)
12. Buy my first house
Possibly starting this process soon.
13. Take a cooking class
Nope
14. Start a discipleship group with teenage girls
Nope
15. Buy a Mac computer
Nope
16. Be an awesome aunt
Trying.. I don't get to see my nephew that often though... so sad. 17. See a TV show taping in L.A.
Nope
18. Go back to London
Nope, not this year, maybe next year.
19. Go camping
Nope
20. Go on a week long vacation with my husband
Went on vacation to San Diego, not a week long but it was still nice.
21. Start designing stuff for people & churches
Nope
22. Eat healthier
Pregnancy helped this. Having my daughter did not. I'd say I did good about 3/4 of the year
23. Volunteer somewhere other than at church
Nope, but I would like to do this when Addie gets a little older and I can leave her for a little longer
24. Connect better with friends
Somewhat... I'm not the best friend. I'm super forgetful and a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to calling and emailing people back
25. Work on being less stressed
I think I did the best with this... I still get stressed about things, but I think I am doing better everyday
26. Ride Space Mountain at Disneyland
Pregnancy kind of shot this one down too.
27. Be more faithful in my quiet times with God
I did well with this until I had a baby... now I need to make more of an effort to find time to spend with God.

Overall, I didn't meet many of my goals from last year so I am not making a list for this next year. I am going to try to accomplish some goals without writing them down. I did have a baby thoguh and that was a long term goal so I think that can take over and count for like half of the goals I made last year. :-)

Brilliant Bows...

I have tried to put bows and headbands in Addie's hair from day one. At first all I had were some headbands from Target, but then I was introduced to Brilliant Bows. A girl I went to college with started this business and I love that she did. Thanks to someone giving us a gift certificate to the website we now have a whole lot more bows. If you have a daughter or know someone who does and they like to wear bows in their hair check out this website. They have all different types of bows and they are specially designed to fit either an infant or toddler. They are also great for infant girls who don't have much hair. She made sure of that. Check it out!

Addie loves wearing her bows:

My daughter likes shoes like her mom...

Some Addie Pics...

There is an update and some pics on Addie's website. Non-Addie post coming soon.

Addie...

To get an update on Addison you can go here.

If I had been born just a little earlier...

There is this website circulating around the internet right now called Yearbook Yourself. You should go check it out. This is what I would have looked like if I had graduated in 1974, which is when my parents did. I am putting a picture of me and then my mom in 1974 up and you can see the eerie resemblance. Well at least the hair. :-)

Sorry mom to post your picture. I think you look pretty though.