Our own Christmas Story 2009

Christmas Morning 2009

We have a rule at our house that the merriment cannot begin before 6 am.

Nolan was up at 5:10 waiting patiently in bed for what seemed like an eternity until he popped up next to my side of the bed at exactly 5:59 ready for Christmas "to start".

It's impossible to not give a groggy smile when you can feel the excitement kids seem to give off on Christmas morning. I remember feeling the exact same way when I was a kid. So much fun and anticipation awaiting you just down a flight of stairs!

Santa delivered a brand new red, and no doubt, powerful baseball bat for Nolan to put to good use later this Spring.


This was one of my favorite Christmas surprises this year... Notice the amount of wrapping paper, boxes, and gift bags that Nicholas used to carefully package Connor's gift from him.
(When Nick asked Connor what he wanted for Christmas, Connor responded by saying "Peace on Earth". Nick looked a little deflated and said that is nearly impossible Dad...)
But look what he came up with!


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Isn't that hilarious? That is a pea pod and some extra peas laying around on top of our lovely Mother Earth.

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After much lazing about our house for most of the morning, we then ventured to Connor's cousins home. Christina did a lovely job of hosting a ginormous Christmas get together. It was so much fun.



Madison and her unbelievably soft new puppy, Emma.

In the cousin gift exchange, Nita drew Nick's name and she made him his very own snack box. Filled to the brim with trial mix, crackers, and even his own can of cheez whiz! He was stoked to know he could stock his room with this mini pantry. Every teenage boy's dream!

Lucky Nolan was the happy recipient of a Snuggie! His 4 year old cousin, Savannah, knew he'd been secretly desiring one of these blankets with sleeves for weeks. Hooray for Savannah!

I loved seeing all of the cousins together this year. Caleb is my youngest nephew at the ripe old age of 16 months. He couldn't get enough of the stereo buttons even after his mother Gerry rigged a coffee table barricade to keep him from pushing buttons. Soooo funny and cute!

Here is a collection of cousins...

Bottom row= Jesse, Nita, Madison, and Reece

Middle row= Nicholas and Ben

Top row= Colten, Nolan, and Jay

It was a fun-filled day where family came together to make memories, share a delicious feast, and remember that life is indeed a wonderful thing.

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The following day it was my turn to host a gathering. My side of the family arrived with bags full of gifts and stomachs empty with the promise of a brunch to be eaten.

It was a casual affair that brought my two cousins and their families to my doorstep. As well as a nice visit with my aunt Linda and uncle Al who are always a joy to have in the house. Even my brother Todd was able to come!! I sure do miss that busy guy.

Here's proof that Todd was in the house. He might as well have worn a red suit that day because he came bearing TONS of toys for ALL of the kids in the house. It was unbelievable and the kids were ecstatic! Thanks Todd!

Here's Adam's oldest girl, Audrey sitting next to Doug's wife, Vivian. Don't they look pretty?

We were all exchanging our gifts when it was my turn to open what Al had gotten for me. I opened a little tiny box to find a tiny little wooden chair. You see, in the Summer of 2008 Al took most of our old fence boards home to recreate a bench he had seen at an artsy boutique somewhere. I thought he had made me an ornament of a mini version of his bench. Then he told me to go out to his car to get the doll that fits on the little chair. When I went outside I saw a GIANT chair/bench in the back of his truck. I was blown away! It is an amazing bench that is made to look like a giant stuffed chair but is completely made from wood. It must have taken him forever to create this work of art. I was astounded and thrilled that he made me one of these artistic creations to put in my garden or yard.

I should really take a picture of it all by it's lonesome so you can see the detail. I love it! It's so pretty that Connor is even considering leaving it in the house! :)

It was another lovely day that made Christmas last just a little bit longer.

I love how each Christmas always has a different feel. Different memories are assigned to each and every one. This one was delightful in every way!

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

I do love me some Christmas decorations.

I had fun rediscovering old favorites as I pulled them out of their plastic tote homes.

Some are old and sentimental. Some are new and sparkly. I love them ALL.

I love these glass cylinders... I can put ANYTHING in them all year round.

Look, that is sunshine bouncing off my wall! It's a rare sight in December!


I absolutely love these two little wooden snowmen. Nick and Nolan each made one of them when they were in Preschool. I adore their crooked eyes and off kilter smiles.

My Uncle Al gave me these cute elves made from branches he had laying around the yard. I LOVE THEM SO. I tell ya, my Uncle Al is one of the most creative people I know. I love all of his quirky and inventive creations!

Our staircase is flanked by this garland each and every year and I'm always so disappointed when I have to take it down. It such a cheerful greeting when you first walk through the front door.

I found these little snowflake ornaments at Ikea and I think I place them some where different each and every year.

Gigantic poinsettia that I know will not survive to see 2010. For some reason, I was not meant to keep poinsettias alive... I love them but no matter how careful I think I'm being with them, they drop their leaves and kick the bucket as soon as I bring them home.

I'm big on beaded garland, I put it EVERYWHERE. Like on these platters filled with balls and angels. It was a haphazard idea, but I think they turned out pretty cute.

Surprise...more beaded garland! This time in a giant glass cylinder holding up Nick and Nolan's Santa picture from a couple years ago. Their last Santa picture. sniff.

The only thing missing is our Christmas tree. It does exist and it is in my living room right this minute. But it's naked and I think I'll wait to take it's photo AFTER it's been decorated.

I hope you are all enjoying your merry and bright Christmas houses.

Only one week to go!

The Big Kitchen Reveal

It gives me goosebumps to walk into my kitchen these days.

Because I LURVE it so.

Connor and I have been planning on renovating our kitchen for the last couple of years. It wasn't in horrible shape or anything...just not exactly to our taste.

So we rolled up our sleeves and got busy fixing away to make it just how we like it.

Here is the only picture of the "Before" kitchen.

Why I only took one is beyond me.

Now don't get me wrong, it was a very functional kitchen. Lots of cabinets, large pantry, nice and efficient. All it was lacking was a little warmth. It always felt kind of cold and sterile to me. Gray laminate counter tops, blah white back splash, and a white linoleum floor that shows EVERY speck of dirt my boys and dog drag into the house.

Drum Roll please...................

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Ta Da!

Here is the final product. Well, except for the flooring... we still have plans to rip out the nasty linoleum. But that may take a couple of months and I just cannot wait that long to show off my lurvley kitchen before then folks! So until then, imagine some nice tiles in its place. Thanks.

This is the back splash Connor and I found at the local hardware store. Hello? Don't you just love the little crackled glass tiles hidden in the middle of all the stone tiles? Um, I do. Hence, the reason we purchased enough to go around the room! Connor and I worked our magic and installed the back splash over the course of two days. We are now pros at tiling, grouting, and sealing... or so we think!

Here's a close up shot of the counter top. We decided to go with a Quartz counter made by Silestone. The color is called Coffee Brown and I love how sparkly and warm it makes my kitchen feel. It looks a lot darker than this photo appears. In fact, I spilled some diet coke on it the other day and couldn't see it... So really, they should have called it cola brown.

The counter top installers threw in a brand spanking new under mount sink as part of the deal. Oh, how I love this sink. It's deep. Deep enough to hide the morning dishes! Shhhhh...Don't tell.

This is a view of one of my favorite things about this new counter. Can you see that the eating bar is now slightly curved? We agonized over the decision to change the shape of the eating bar. We were afraid to mess with the original shape for fear it would look ridiculous. But I'm so glad we decided to risk it... I think it looks fab and a little more modern.

With the money we saved by installing our own back splash, we purchased a new kitchen table and chairs. I've been searching high and low for a round table that has the perfect pedestal to adorn our kitchen. It appears that I am VERY picky when it comes to furniture design. I finally stumbled upon this black and brown table on-line. It's pedestal was not to skinny. Nor was it too fancy. It was perfection. So with one click of the mouse it was en route to our home. I was very nervous that it would show up on my doorstep looking NOTHING like I'd hoped, but we lucked out and it is fantastic! The chairs came from a separate on-line purchase and I think they compliment each other well. Phew...another sight unseen purchase that went as planned. :)

This angle shows a better view of the pedestal that called to me. It's pretty chunky which I think looks fun and casual.


It's fun to walk into a whole new space that we designed ourselves. I love the coziness of our new kitchen and I think Connor loves the fact that I seem to keep it so much cleaner now. :)
Have I mentioned how much I love the Grand Canyon sink?

Thank you Connor for agreeing to update our home and helping with the tiling job. I love working with you, I think we make a darn good team if I do say so myself!

Picasso Does Not Live Here....

My Brother Scott's family sent Nicholas a very fun and fitting Birthday present for him.

We opened the package to find the gift surrounded by fabulously hand drawn greeting cards from his fave far off cousins. That was gift enough!

Then he opened the wrapped gift to find a collection of artist tools.

There were graphite pencils, erasers, water color pencils and this helpful dude... Nick ripped open the box the mannequin came in right away...

Then he invited me to sit down next to him to draw a still life of said dude.

This is Nick's rendition of the dude.

Awesome if I do say so myself.

This kid has got some mad sketching skills.
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Now for my rendition...

I'm a little embarrassed to demonstrate my total lack of skills...

But it made me laugh so stinkin' hard that I have to share....

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Are you ready?

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You might be asking yourself, why? Why on earth does that so called lady bend like she does? Or... Why is her left leg so much smaller than her right? Or... why is it that her arms could possibly wrap around her tiny little head fourteen times? Or why is Jay Leno's chin on this lady's face? The questions are endless really.

I ask myself this... Why would the local elementary school put me in charge of teaching art to school aged children every month for the past three years?

If they saw this, I think they may revoke my volunteer art docent status.

I will say this... WE NEVER DRAW PEOPLE in any art lessons. It's just not a good idea.

Nuff said.

Your kid could so NOT kick my student's butt.

Dearest Nick,

Let me start off by saying I think you are a rock star. I know these last couple of months have been trying. Not only have you started attending a new school surrounded by unfamiliar faces, you had to get up an hour earlier. Ick. The amount of homework you've had to face each night is massive compared to last year's homework. Not to mention the level of difficulty has increased by leaps and bounds... But have you seen your report card lately? You amaze me kiddo!

The cherry on top of this scholastic cupcake is when I opened an envelope from the school saying you had been chosen as one of the students of the quarter by not one, but TWO of your teachers.
It's nice to know that your parents aren't the only people who recognize all of your outstanding efforts. You should be proud of yourself. Your hard work is paying off. It can be hard to see the benefit sometimes when you're buried under homework, projects, and getting up at the crack of dawn to do it all again. You are a prime example of a fantastic student, classmate, brother, friend, and son. Keep up the great work, we love you!

Love from your biggest fan,
Mom

When life gives you lemons...

I finally got over the loss of a sunny vacation to sunny Arizona. It was not an easy thing to kiss goodbye. Especially after packing up all my cute summer outfits...dreaming about warm sunshine... and wanting desperately to see far off relatives that just make me smile.

So... Nolan was feeling better after a couple of days on the AMAZING Tamiflu medication. It seriously erased any symptoms he had within a matter of 48 hours! We would have totally rebooked out airline tickets for later that week if the price hadn't of sky rocked to almost quadruple what we paid. An extra $1300 on top of what we already shelled out was not a viable option. :(

With a mostly healthy family in the house, we decided to put a little fun back into our week of misfortune. On Tuesday afternoon, we hopped in the car and headed one hour South to a resort that has been beckoning my children to come visit since it's opening day two years ago. We visited the Great Wolf Lodge! A ginormous rustic lodge that comes equipped with a tweens dream arcade room, gift shops galore, cafes, and the coolest indoor water park that is always a balmy 84 degrees. Hallelujah! We found warmth!

Connor and I were equally excited as the boys to be shooting down slick water slides. It. Was. So. Much. Fun! There were a couple slides that were big enough for all four of us to go at the same time. Those were the best, we'd laugh, hoot, and holler the whole way down. Good times.
Nick and Nolan's favorite part was the wave pool that could slosh you around like you were a grimy garment in the heavy-duty wash cycle of a washing machine. Insanely wild but fun.

We loved our time at the lodge. It was impeccably clean and every employee we met was helpful and unbelievably friendly. (It was a far cry from the last water park we attended...) It was just what this deflated family needed to raise our spirits.

It was a perfect opportunity to look for the bright side. We were feeling better! We still had time off from work! We were having fun together! And now we still have a vacation ahead of us to Arizona to look forward to...

Birthday Boy

HAPPY THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY NICK!

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MAY YOUR DAY BE JAM PACKED WITH FUN AND YOUR YEAR BE FILLED WITH HAPPY TIMES, FULFILLED DREAMS, AND ENDLESS SMILES.

What a difference a day makes...

Super excited about seeing far off family in Sunny Arizona. Check.

Arranged pet care for hairy dog, two calico kitties, and one lonely but fearsome beta fish. Check.

Called upon close friends to kindly take our family to and from airport. Check.

Notified the schools of upcoming vacation. Check.

Bought adorable new top and jeans to wear on said vacation. Check.

Arranged for a rental car upon landing in destination. Check.

Let the milk man know he can go ahead and skip our house next week. Check.

Thought about my dad's famous margaritas & how soon I'd get to chug one. Check.

Went to bed last night super stoked about our trip to sunny skies and family the following morning. Check.

Woke up this morning to Nolan climbing into my bed with flu-like symptoms. Check.

Had numerous conversations with hubby trying to figure out the right thing to do. Check.

Agreed that staying home was the responsible thing to do as to not spread swine flu. Check.

Cried on the phone to mom and dad. Check.

Give my sick son extra love and attention and to let him know it's not his fault our trip has been cancelled. Check.

Wipe away his tears. Check.

Try and make the best of a crummy situation. Still working on this one... but I know I'll be able to check this one off soon....

Copper Top that Never Stops

As of late, I have noticed that my blog has been a little one-sided. There have been many a mention of Nolan and less so of Nick. This just isn't right. I have two boys equally capable of providing me with blog worthy posts!

Nolan's antics have just put him near the top of the silliness meter...which in turn makes me want to record his craziness on this here blog. But that does not mean that Nick isn't silly or crazy. 'Cause he is. But he does his crazies in a much less audible form. When he was a toddler he cornered the market on crazy. He was a non-stop ball of energetic boy that bounced from one side of the house to the other in .2 seconds flat. That is where the title to this post comes from... We frequently called Nick "The copper top that never stops"! Thankfully, he has toned down quite a bit.

In the last few days, I've been thinking alot about how Nick is nearing a turning point in his life. He is only a mere week and a half from entering teenage-dom. YIKES! He has always been such a love-bug. Never embarrassed to be with his parents or younger brother. He gives me hugs everyday after school right in front of his buddies. He's always depended on us for everything and slowly that dependence will wane until he's on his own. The process of becoming less dependent can be a tough tug-of-war between teen and parent. I'm hoping the coming years will go smoothly. If it's anything like his life up until now, I think we can count on smooth sailing. I have no doubt the transition between kid and teenager will come complete with lots of great stories to share. I'm settling in for this new phase with anticipation and a happy heart! Nick has been nothing but a complete joy in my life and I'm a better person because of him. Can't wait to see what's around the corner! I love you Nick.

Sometimes I wish I were ten again...

The other day, we took the boys to a really fun toy shop in a neighboring town.

It was packed to the rafters with the most amazing games, gadgets, and well...toys.

They had things you just don't see everyday. One of those things caught Nolan's eye. And he was completely stuck. He wanted this item more than any other fantastic toy in the fantastic store. He was desperately trying to remember how much money he had in his piggy bank at home so he could finagle a way to purchase this delightful gizmo. He knew he was three dollars short and would have to bargain with "Madre" to see if I would swing a purchase.

We agreed that washing the dog would bring him up to what he needed to complete the deal at the register.

So....

He grabbed the box off the shelf looking just about as gleeful as a kid in a toy store could. Seriously.

This is what he could not leave without...

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The Supreme Moo Mixer

Chocolate Milk Mixer

It even touts a trigger button that creates a whirling vortex of power!

How could he NOT want this thing?

He will never have to stir another pesky glass of chocolate milk with a spoon.

Oh the JOY!

When I mentioned to him that the box states "Requires a large appetite for fun!"

He responded by saying "That'd be me!"

Now if this isn't funny enough... I have to tell you what happened not 10 minutes later.

We stopped off at the fish hatchery to check out the salmon ladder. When Nolan got out of the car I laid his "Moo Mixer" on the front seat... He said "shouldn't we hide it away, so no one will break in to steal it?"

Oh, how I love that boy.

Spooktacular

Here's just a little taste of what Halloween was like at our house this year...

We were a little slow to decorate...but everything made it out of the rafters by 2 pm October, 31st.
Here's my son the hobo. We went online to get ideas from Yahoo images. When we searched for hobo we got all kinds of good ideas...When we searched for bum, well...we got some interesting images! (We laughed so hard when we realized bum has more than one definition.)

Looks like he's ready to high tail it to the train tracks...Yup, those are his toes sticking up out of his shoes.

(He did not ride his skateboard, he just happened to be playing when I called him over for pictures....)

Pumpkin #1- Nolan's crazy mustached gourd.

Pumpkin #2-My big toothed pumpkin.

Pumpkin #3- Nick's Medusa haired pumpkin.

(Connor doesn't do pumpkins...)


Nicholas spent the evening with his best pal, Nick. They spent part of the night half-heartedly trick-or-treating and the other part of the night scaring kids that came to our doorstep to get candy. Their favorite victims were pre-teen girls...they screamed the best.

It was a lovely evening for all the cute trick-or-treaters.... Clear skies and almost a full moon.

Hope you all had a fun Halloween too!

How Nolan likes to stay warm

Before school started last month I bought Nolan a new coat. Little did I know he was going to love it so. He almost always makes a comment each and everytime he puts it on in the morning before school... "I sure do like this coat, mom" or "It could rain on me all day and this coat would keep me dry, mom". This makes me happy because my other child who shall remain nameless... absolutely hates to wear a coat of any kind. You'd think I'd asked him to put on a pink, fluffy, glitter covered garment by the looks he gives me anytime I tell him to put his coat on. I just don't get it.

Well, yesterday before heading out the door, Nolan had noticed that his fave coat had a label that touted it could withstand temperatures as low as 15 degrees. His love for his new coat had grown even more. Next thing I know he's standing outside the back sliding door, just standing there in his coat and basketball shorts. He came in from the almost balmy 40 degree weather with a grin stating "It's true mom, I didn't feel any cold penetrate this coat. Except my legs are FREEZING!" I said "Perhaps you should wear pants in the Fall and Winter instead of shorts, silly." He replied by saying "Nah...All I really need is a snuggie."

A snuggie? Ya... I'm sure that would go over well in the 5th grade. Who knows, maybe it'll be the next trend. In any case, I sure love Nolan and his happy goin' coat lovin' ways.

Brandi Spectacular...

For the past 12 plus years, Connor's sister, Shannon, has been a huge help to us with our boys anytime we needed her. She's always willing to lend a helping hand around every corner and for her we are so thankful!

We decided to treat her and her husband to an evening of fun. So when we heard Brandi Carlile was coming to town we thought it would be fun to bring Shannon and Claude along with us to witness one of our all time favorite performers in action.

We saw her in concert 2 years ago and were pretty much hooked. She has an amazing and powerful voice. We splurged on some tickets just 6 rows back from the stage and smack dab in the center. It was AMAZING!! We had a perfect view of her unbelievable show.

What made it so much fun was not only the fantastic music, but the fact that she was playing in her home town on the final night of her tour. She was just as ecstatic to be there playing for us as we were to see her. Our seats were so good that we soon realized we were surrounded by many of her family members and close friends. It was fun to hear them chat amongst themselves about Brandi. Very fun!

Most people I've met have no clue who Brandi Carlile is... it's still early in her career. But let me just say this... She. Will. Be. Big. Her music has been featured on Grey's Anatomy, a few commercials, and she sold out her concert tour around the country. She really has an amazing gift and I have now doubt she'll be widely known before too long.

Connor and I thoroughly enjoyed her concert and I think Shannon and Claude were blown away by her as well. Her live performance far and away surpasses her recorded music, which I happen to love!

Thank you Connor for treating us all to a memorable night. I will never forget it!

Check out her newest video release....right here!

Happy 90th Granny!

This lovely lady is turning 90 years young.

She is Connor's Grandmother and is about as sweet as can be.

She has six children...

She has twelve Grandchildren...

She has 13 Great Grandchildren... Whom all think she's GREAT!

We are celebrating her birthday tomorrow with tons of family who have come from near and far to help Marie ring in her 90th year.
We were told not to bring gifts, but come on...you only turn 90 once if you are lucky!
So what do you get your delightful grandmother for such an occasion, you ask?

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A beautiful jar filled to the brim with candied orange slices (her absolute favorie candy) and a few rootbeer barrels (her absolute LEAST favorite candy...she can offer these to friends who stop by, so she wont have to share her slices).

Connor has been teasing his Grandma about her rootbeer aversion ever since he could talk, so it just seemed fitting to throw some of those in the mix. :)

We love you Grandma Marie and can't wait to spend the day with you tomorrow!

Today I will...

not feel sorry for my poor virus-stricken self...

make a great attempt at feeling more like a human being and less like a plagued troll...

go through an entire box of kleenex...

sneak some candy corn from the witch dish as I walk past...

drop off a fun package addressed to a fun person at the post office...

look outside my windows at the glowing orange and yellow trees lining our lovely neighborhood...

Welcome Nick and Nolan at the front door with a big ol' hug...

smooch Connor on the cheek as he walks through the door (I've got a cold folks!)...

make my family one of their all time favorite meals for dinner...Colorado Pie...

hear a play by play of my family's day and hope for great details...

be thankful for this life I'm living...

The best way to spend 24 hours...

We were the lucky guests of the J household in P-town this weekend and just like our past visits we were treated like royalty....

First up....

Play, cuddle, play, smooch on, and love this little guy! He loved Connor right back! Austin is a mans man, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me...aka weird lady who was constantly making googley eyes and silly noises.

We spent the day visiting with Brad and Karen, talking about things of importance... such as how much we dislike Huey Lewis...How cilantro makes everything better...How grotesque her oven mitts are... you know, important stuff like that!


Our hosts fed us an amazing lunch and then it was off to Viera's bakery for some much anticipated doughnuts. Let me just say YUM.

We were feeling a tad guilty for the calories we'd chomped down so why not head outside...
We bundled up and walked around their neighborhood all the while scouting out the newly built homes, watching the boys toss the football back and forth, and just simply enjoying the afternoon.

Back inside the boys goofed around and gave the "Wit" an exciting ride on a sleeping bag.

Karen was back in the kitchen whipping up a meal worthy of praise and requested recipes. Seriously... she is a master in the kitchen. We feasted on marinated chicken burritos smothered in cilantro tomatillo sauce, rice, cheese, and the world's best salsa. (I have to admit I have already made a batch of her salsa and we had it for dinner tonight!!)

We chased down that fab meal with a chocolate cake infused with caramel and topped with cream cheese frosting and toffee bits. That is not a typo folks...it was really that amazing.

Into the evening, we broke out "Settler's of Catan". A game that was introduced to us in Cabo and that Karen just loves with all of her heart. Um...ok...that's a lie. I keep telling her that it is a game based fully on luck, which I truly believe... Your luck was just not in the sheep farmin' cards this time around my friend.

We pretty much laughed the entire evening.

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Then it was off to bed...

Their guest room is like a hotel.

Unlike ours.. that is more like a poor college student's excuse for a bedroom. You know... a bed whose box spring is 6 inches too small for the mattress making sleeping on the edge a tad bit challenging. Um..sorry about that Karen, I promise to fix that before your next visit.

Then it was up and at'em to spend a few more hours visiting, playing, and consuming even more delicious calories before our trek back over the mountains.

Here's Connor taunting Sienna and Hannah. They kept trying to steal bacon between his attempts at pinching their fingers with the tongs. They LOVED it!

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Thanks again for always making us feel so welcome. I envy your ability to make everyone who enters your home feel like part of the family. The food was to die for, the accomadations were lovely, and the company couldn't be beat. We hold our friendship with you close to our hearts. You are dear friends and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with you this weekend!

Thanks again!!!

My ears are happy

I'm as giddy as a chubby kid in a chocolate shop....

One of my all time favorite musicians, Brandi Carlile, released her latest CD today and it is pure ear candy...

LOVE IT!

Rockin riffs, heartfelt stories, sad songs, happy compilations... it's got 'em all! She's got the most amazing voice to go along with her thought provoking lyrics. She's a musical genius. Yes, I'm a fan.

I can hardly wait to plug in my ipod on my way to work tomorrow and listen to the entire thing. Can you think of a better way to start your work day... I think not.

But what I've even more excited about is the fact that my rump will be seated only six rows back from her microphone in a mere 3 weeks when I get to see her LIVE in concert!

It's going to be unbelievable! Thanks Connor!!

If you've never heard her songs, I suggest you give her a listen... you won't be disappointed.

Wonderfully Wicked

Today was a glorious day...

I had the opportunity to share this lovely brisk Autumn day with some fabulous gals. We travelled to the Emerald City to watch an amazing show about the Emerald City!

I saw "Wicked" with my dear friend Karen, her adorable daughter Hannah, and her lovely mother Ann.
Knowing I was going to get to spend the day with this lady made me beside-myself-happy.

Isn't Hannah just the cutest? And look at the green scarf adorning her neck. Karen fashioned that little number just yesterday to give Hannah some green bling to wear to "Wicked". She seriously reigns supreme in the mother world!

This shot would have been beyond cute, if my camera had been cooperating. I think it is protesting Fall, and refusing to take any indoor pictures.

We couldn't wait to get inside to find our seats and start the show!

It really was one of the most amazing productions I've seen on stage.

It was so easy to get wrapped up in the story line and be transformed to another place. It was a clever story with amazing performers who could sing the chandeliers right off the ceiling. Unbelievable!

We followed up our fun afternoon at the theater with a delicious meal where we could sit together, share our thoughts, and laugh the evening away.

It was a perfect day.

Thanks ladies!