Britta!

Today is Britta's Birthday. Her husband Shay sent a quick email yesterday to get us together for a Surprise Party.

Although I was late and missed the actual "surprise" it worked, Britta fell over when she walked into her apartment and saw all of these people in her living room. She thought they were being robbed.

It was fun to see and chat with everyone. Unfortunately the thought of a picture came after a few people had already left. We are a good lookin group!

Happy Birthday Britta! 

My Father...

I am a lucky girl to have a Dad like mine. He is a wonderful Father even though sometimes he gets a bit overwhelmed with his girls and just shakes his head at our silliness. He is loving and kind. He will brag about his kids to anyone willing to listen. 

I wish I was there to celebrate with him and I am sure he wishes I were closer. Don't tell my sibling's but I am by far his favorite...wink wink.

Happy Fathers Day!

My Arms Ache to Hold Her...

I found this in my email the other day, thanks to my Sister for sending it. I just want to hold her and let her know that I am her favorite Aunt.

I can't believe she is growing up so fast. I am counting down the days until I get to see her again.

Considering my Brother in Law would prefer not having his daughter wear pink, she certainly is covered in it.

How to Relax in Vegas

I am not a lover of Las Vegas. I am not a huge fan of the strip or the crowds it generates. I am not tempted by the "sin" in sin city. What does draw me to Las Vegas are great friends. I am lucky enough to have a few that now live in the area.

My main purpose however was to visit the Ricks family. They have been asking and I have been promising for almost 3 years to visit them. It was time. 

It was so much fun to see them and catch up. All I wanted to do is is relax with them granted they are parents of 2 very young children and probably don't know what relaxing is. 

It was fun to watch Curious George, play at the park and go swimming (although the water was freezing) with little P. and rock Baby T to sleep. They are both extremely beautiful kids, then again of course they are because Brandi and Tim are not shabby looking.

We did visit the strip. Tim has connections at Mandalay Bay Aquarium. Nothing like getting in for free. 

Little P. sits in the stroller as if it were her throne. She wanted to continue to run around. We were ready to go eat.

See I really did go to the Strip. Even for a Monday night it was crowded of course.

My camera is not the best at night shots. A not so good picture of the fountains at the Bellagio.

The garden in the Bellagio. Made out of Flowers.

Thanks go out to the Ricks for being such amazing hosts. It was exactly what I wanted and needed.

I also was able to see my friends the Syme's. They moved to Henderson 6 months ago and Oakland has not been the same with out them. Shane has an incredible job there and Jentri is going stir crazy trying to find one and a house to buy. It was fun to see them and eat at Cafe Rio which I haven't done in ages.  

All in all other than the slot machines everywhere, visiting Las Vegas was a nice surprise and I am going to have to make a trip again soon.

Pixarpalooza

I am lucky enough to have an amazing friend who works at Pixar. Masha invited me to come over to Pixarpalooza. Pixar has several employees who are in bands so they let them all play and provide great food. 

It was supposed to be out on the lawn but the threat of rain moved it inside. It was quite loud. Other than hanging out with friends my favorite part was seeing an usually mild and laid back acquaintance perform Rage Against the Machine and Stone Temple Pilot covers. I think my mouth was wide open. She can really belt it and I now have a new appreciation for her.

I always enjoy visiting the Pixar campus especially to see the artwork from and for the latest project. Some of the pieces for UP are amazing.

Thanks Masha for thinking of me, it was a fun night!

Memorial Day with Friends

A few of us gathered at Lake Temescal for a barbecue. We really wanted to welcome Summer however the weather didn't feel like it. It felt more like late October in the Wasatch Mountains.

It was fun to eat, talk and play with the kids. I unfortunately forgot to bring out my camera until the end, I think it was because my fingers were freezing and were shoved into my pockets when I wasn't stuffing my mouth with delicious food. 

A Few Friends:

Seriously one of my favorite babies. His laugh is so hilarious and contagious.

Isabel racing to the playground, oh how I miss having her around.

Have you heard...

While I am on a musical bent, Have you heard of Gregory Alan Isakov? If you like Indie Folk Rock then check him out. His voice is all warmth and comfort; his songs are intelligent and rich evoking day dreams from the listener.

His new album This Empty Northern Hemisphere has been on heavy rotation since I finally had some spare cash for it. I think I have listened a total of 20 times in the past 4 days and each time it gets better.

This album he has paired up with Brandi Carlile and her strong, perfect voice blends so well with his. Songs like the The Moon Song, Evelyn, and This Empty Northern Hemisphere are quickly climbing to the top of my lists.

When I listen I want to lay on my hammock on a lazy summer day, feeling the breeze pass over as I am transported to another place.

Please also check out his other albums, That Sea The Gambler is also a favorite and usually finds time to be listened to, especially on those days I want to dream. 

Psst....

Rhett Miller's new album drops next Tuesday. I can't wait and thanks to Paste Magazine's website I can listen to the entire album. I have rather enjoyed listening all day and I will be logging onto iTunes next Tuesday to spend just a bit of cash for it. I like the album that much. Thanks to Rhett for creating and putting out such great music!

Since we are on the topic Paste Magazine has to be one of my all time favorite's. If you need a place to find great music, this is one of the ones to read. If you see it in the store pick it up. 

Separation can be good

The couch, red chair and I have become quite close these last few months. So much so it is hard to part ways when it is time for bed. They cuddle me close in pillowy softness make it easy to watch endless amounts of TV, play on my laptop and read a book. The TV is winning. It is time we separated just for a bit each day, I am not cutting them off completely but I need to reacquaint myself with long lost friends fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.

In my family we have, as my sister prescribed, chicken lung syndrome, it gives us a decent excuse (ok to us) for not really extending our selves when working out. I go in spurts when I am really good and get out there and then couch and red chair beckon my body to sit and enjoy. I am determined to learn how to properly run and get over my breathing issue so yesterday I started this program. I am writing this only to hold my self accountable.

Last night the couch beckoned again, I sat for a while, ate dinner and then the couch convinced me to stay just a little longer. But I broke free, said goodbye and went for my first training exercise. I am glad I did and I will keep it up. There are a lot of hills in my neighborhood very few flat stretches of road which make it more difficult and exhilarating when done.

Maybe in the end I will run a 5K and work up to a half-marathon. Something to look forward to. I have admired my little sister who has gotten over the chicken lung syndrome by practicing this and completed a few, so now it is my turn. Maybe we will run one together.

For now I separate myself from couch and red chair, I will miss them but sometimes it is for the best.

Chris & Masha are Geniuses

Seriously they are! 

A few weeks back during another heat wave The Green was so unbearable to be in.  I was spending a late night at Chris and Masha's after they baited me with homemade tortilla chips. They know me so well. I asked how they were surviving. 

They told me the best thing they found was the old fashioned box fan. I was sceptical but the next day mentioned it to my co-worker while at Target. She said she had one lying around at home and she would bring it in for me to try. 

For 3 weeks it has been sitting in my trunk. Then yesterday another heat wave came. The Green turns into a furnace. Most of the windows face west, with an asphalt driveway right out side them, it can get up to 95 degrees and at one time was around 120 indoors. And it simply refuses to cool down when the temperature outside does so.

I decided to pull out the fan yesterday afternoon. Now you must understand we have several fans running in the house. Some are expensive, but none have done what this simple box fan has. My room immediately cooled down by about 15 degrees. It was unreal. The rest of the Green was baking. I made A-Gril walk into my room and try it out.

At 8 pm we were off to Target to buy a couple more.  With a slight detour and seeing something that we probably didn't want to on Martin Luther King Blvd, the house cooled down and to a reasonable temperature for sleeping well.

What I can't believe is that I have spent 3 miserable summers in The Green and the solution was only $17.

As I type this sitting in my very cool room I am thinking of and thanking Chris and Masha for an amazing suggestion. They really are awesome neighbors and friends!

Amused

I realized today when I placed my Primary bag on the passenger seat of my car that it is the weight of a child... The seat belt light continued to flash as if I needed to buckle it in.

No wonder why my arms hurt when I get home from Church. And I thought today was a light day.

Ridiculous

I have been looking for a full slip for over a year now. They are hard to find these days. I have a couple of dresses that need that extra layer so that I don't show the world the parts of my body that I don't want to show.  After searching long and hard I finally found one on Nordstrom.com. In the stores all I could find were the garments that squeeze this part and enhance another. Not that there is anything wrong with those types of "slips", but I do prefer to breathe.

When the slip arrived I had forgotten that I ordered it. So I wondered what I was receiving in a box so large.

In this day and age when "Green" is the buzz word you would have thought that a smaller box would be eco-conscience and cheaper to ship (that is the part I am more concerned about). 

It was quite comical when I opened the box and it was pretty much empty. The slip itself was packaged in a way that it would have fit just fine in a Fed Ex or UPS envelope.

Regardless A-Gril and I enjoyed our chuckle about the shipping of a slip.

Forty-Two Today

It snowed on May 11, 1967 and the Bride's breakfast did not stay down, two signs that usually don't bode well for a wedding. 2 years of on and off courtship and they finally committed to one another. He coming from a large brood and she an only child. Two different perspectives on life yet they merged and made a great pair. The Bride and Groom were dashing.

They love each other more and more everyday. Their marriage is what I want. Something real and strong. Maybe that is why I am holding out. They showed us by example that marriage and family were important, two things not to take lightly or throw away when times get tough. They loved each other and made sure that we knew.

They filled our many homes with laughter, a sense of order, unconditional and adoring love. They were places that not only we wanted to be but friends also.

I love to watch my Dad look at my Mom and when he tells me that he can't believe how much he adores and loves her grinning from ear to ear.

Thank you both for sticking it out for 42 years and making a solid foundation for our family.

Happy Anniversary!

My Mother

I am so grateful she is mine! I wouldn't be who I am with out her.

Fabulous Find

I love costume jewelry! I believe the love affair started at a very young age. My Grandmother Catherine had a lot of very beautiful pieces and after she passed on my mother let my sister Stephanie and I have at it. Unfortunately we were quite young at the time and not one of the pieces survived. We did however look fantastic in our dress-up clothes as we imagined in the basement. Sometimes I regret that we destroyed it all but at the same time I am fond of the memories. It was a link to a Grandmother that was taken from us a little to early.

I now prefer costume jewelry over anything expensive. I will not spend more than $40.00 for a piece and even then I flinch.  So when I saw this piece at Target, yes I said Target I drooled. I put off getting it for a couple of weeks, I don't know why, so when I decided to add it to my collection it was gone. Sometimes I wonder why I wait. Fortunately while in SLC visiting family I saw it at the local Target and happily snatched it up.

I love wearing it and am so glad I was offered a second chance to own it. I hope one day I have a granddaughter who to will love it as much as I do and I can pass it down. 

Changing subject a bit, but because of above mentioned  necklace I am wearing a pair of blue shoes more and more. I bought these shoes for my sister Emily's wedding when her colors were brown and blue (eventually changed to green). I love these shoes. They are not the comfortable sort by any means but they make my legs look great and I am so tall in them, bonus. Besides they are a very pretty shade of blue and I get many a compliment on them.

GOAL!!!

Salt Lake went a got a professional Soccer team after I moved away. I was a bit disappointed and jealous, it is one of the sports that I will actively support. They have always had the Jazz and that is about it, well unless you count the Grizzlies or the Buzz um er Stingerzz... must add the ridiculous zz's, oh they are the Bees now sans zz's.  I stopped liking pro-basketball the day they decided they needed more money and I have not ever been a big fan of baseball.

My Sis has season tickets for the Real SL , 3rd row right behind the goal. I was lucky enough to be able to go. It was a cold rainy afternoon and so not many showed up. But fun was had none the less. The game was against DC United  and Real SL played phenomenally.

Highlights included almost getting hit in head with a ball (how are those fingers Missy), not so hot chocolate, watching the clouds get darker and darker, sitting behind some of the cutest kids ever, seeing some pretty cute soccer players and spending time with my sis.

This pic is for my sister, it has her favorite.

Just after enjoying our not so hot chocolate and getting rained on. I miss hanging out with Melissa!

I think it is time to support my local team, ok not so local, the San Jose Earthquakes. I look forward to spending summer evenings with a sport I really enjoy.

The Sweetest

I was lucky enough to extend my recent trip to Utah so that I could meet the newest member of the family. My youngest sister had a baby girl a couple of weeks ago. I adore this baby! She is so sweet, calm and content. She is also beautiful which could be construed as favoritism, however I don't say that about to many newborns. I only wish that I lived closer so that she will know I am her favorite Aunt. Congrats to Emily and Jake, and welcome to baby I.

3 Year Old Twister

My niece wanted to play Twister recently. Since she is 3, her version is a bit different. I pick the colors and she does what ever she wants. Pretty entertaining though. I just like that in all of these photos that my other niece took her hair is always flying forward. 

And you can see that I indulged her in playing along. If you look close enough General Conference is on in the background. I think by the last session, entertaining the little ones became a priority.

Wet Dog Tail

Summer has come early to the Bay Area. It is hot and my apartment does not have air conditioning. As I sit here typing I am rethinking this whole post, this lap top is not cooling me down!

Yesterday afternoon I decided I couldn't sit in the house any longer. I was determined to get outside and read. Off to my favorite beach. Little did I know everyone else had the same idea. I spent over an hour in traffic just to get to a beach that is normally not that crowded. I didn't realize that San Francisco was also very warm. Usually it is not, so I was still in my jeans...mistake. There were a lot of people at the beach frolicking in the water, dogs running around and surfers.

I found spot laid out my blanket, rolled up my jeans, cracked open my book and hoped most people would be leaving soon since it was dinner time. 

There was a guy nearby with two dogs, they older dog would wander over and sit next to me, I didn't mind he was gentle and really wasn't bothering me. The younger dog was chasing a ball into the ocean, back and forth. An hour after I arrived, laying on my back and engrossed in my book the little dog decided that I was in his way and ran across my head. Yes MY HEAD and had the nerve to smack me in the face with its tail! Wet and sandy dog fur, blech. Needless to say my blanket was now covered in sand, I had sand in my hair, on my face, down my shirt and in my mouth.

He apologized profusely and I told him it was fine (I am too nice) and cleaned my self up. Then went back to reading and enjoying the cool ocean breeze that started to blow.

In relating this story to my co-workers they all has one question... So the Guy? Yeah they wanted to know if it was a "love match". No this is not some silly Chick Flick where a girl gets embarrassed and she meets a guy at the same time. This was at a beach outside of San Francisco, you do the math, he wasn't interested in me.

Anyway, other than the attention from the dog, spending my Sunday afternoon at my favorite beach with a good book is a fabulous way to wait out the heat wave. I think I may make it a regular occurrence.

Coming soon to the Green

I have been away and have a few items to post. So get ready to read about a new baby, hanging out with the sisters, Children's museums are not just for kids, playing twister, the lack of green thumbs, Soccer, Webkinz, Costco and the ever amusing are you man enough.
Sounds exciting doesn't it? OK I will try to make each post worthwhile.