California Fun - 2011

Last Spring, we went to California for two weeks.  My parents came along for the road trip too. We loaded up a minivan and set out for a journey of the unknown, well only kinda unknown. It was a great trip!  It rained most of the days, was cold many of the days, fun all of the days.  We saw tons of great things and made even more lasting memories.  There were over 5,000 pictures taken of this little vacation, so making a photo album was a little overwhelming.  What should vs. shouldn't be in it took days to figure out - trying my patience and testing my creativity along the way.  I think the finished product is a good overview of the trip.  Enjoy...

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Day 8: Photo I've taken

  

My favorite house in San Francisco

A wall on Alcatraz Island - I loved all the different textures of the vegetation.

Aurora's Castle (Sleeping Beauty for you Disney-challenged).  

I've always loved tulips and this one was just perfect.... 

How cute???

I love taking pictures of "stuff".  One of these days, I hope to get really good at it.

Day 7: Photo that makes me HaPpY

What can I say.... I LOVE my family!  Our motley crew makes me laugh, cry, hope and dream!  I can't wait to move closer to them and watch my kids grow up with Heather's 3 and my parent's.  

It's Time.... to get back on the blogging wagon!!!

It's been a really long time since I sat and blogged.  I used to do it fairly often, but then Facebook took over - damn you.  So, looking back, I need to catch up on my 30 days of Me, which shouldn't take very long and to catch up on life.

So.... what is it you want to know???

What are you most thankful for?

For me, it's this -

Day 6: Food

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..... food!  What can I say - I love to eat!  I'm all about carbs/starch.  Give me bread, pasta, potatoes... and a lot of them.

Breakfast is the BEST meal of the day.  I could eat it everyday, all day.  And not just a piece of toast and an egg... I want BIG BREAKFAST!  Eggs, bacon, ham, toast, pancakes, omelets, grits... you name it!

Lunch/Dinner - I'm impartial to.  I eat when I feel like it, but never really into it like I am with breakfast.  I love a good steak.  Fond of really good Mexican & Chinese food.  Most Italian dishes.

My list of "Dislikes" is overwhelming to say the least - for others... for me, it is what it is.  A lot of it has to do with texture vs. taste.
Onions - little ones are ok, but never chunk
Bellpeppers
Shrooms - anything that can grow in cow shit, not my thing
Nuts IN food - gross, just shouldn't be allowed
strange cheese - nope
Mint anything... makes me sneeze and frankly, don't think it's tasty.
odd looking things... not going there
things that smell like shit - typically, in my mind, will taste like it too
jellied things - gross
fruit in foods - shouldn't be done either, especially in cakes
not big on fruits or veggies - will eat most berries, most melons, carrots, green beans, lima beans, corn, broccoli, cucumbers
I make things that I don't dare eat - I love to cook for others.
Not big on fancy, over the top presentation either.  Don't see the point.
Not big on snacks either.  I like the occasional chip or pretzal.

My favorite dessert = yellow cake with chocolate icing.  Wedding cake with buttercream icing.  Gummy Bears!

I know... I'm strange, but you love me anyway!

Day 5: Quote

I don't think I don't really have any... how sad is that???

Day 4: TV Show

Now this is a good one... I'll break it down by age!

Late 70's-80's: I couldn't wait for the USA Cartoon Express on Saturday mornings. Add to that LOOOOOOONG list Jem, She-Ra, Monchichi's... the list could go on and on. I remember watching Charles in Charge, Different Strokes, Facts of Life and the one with Gary Coleman. I alway loved watching Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Dynasty with my mom. I think Falcon Crest was my fav. And who can forget the Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, 3's Company, Golden Girls, Designing Women, and Growing Pains.

90's: ER and Friends, Quantum Leap, Rosanne, China Beach and Tour of Duty, Melrose Place, 90210, Beavis and Butthead, Ally McBeal, Ab. Fab., Mad About You and Will & Grace and the West Wing! Just about anything... I spent a lot of time in front of the TV, like most people my age.

00's: I've not been too happy with the introduction of "Reality TV" because there's nothing really real about them. However, with that said, I watched/watch the Osbourne's, Jackass & Dancing with the Stars, Say Yes to the Dress, J&K+8, Cake Boss, Deadliest Catch... think that wraps up my reality show lineup. Ms. Bristow made her appearance in Alias, we said goodbye to our Friends, welcomed a new batch of interns @ Grey's Anatomy which gave birth to a Private Practice. We tried House, Heroes and got really lost with Lost. The housewives got very desperate. And Rick Castle has become my new Monday night love. Wonder what's coming up next????

Day 2: Movie

This one is actually pretty easy for me...

One word - AUDREY!

My ALL TIME FAVORITE.... My Fair Lady! Closely followed by Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina (1954 & 1995 versions) & Roman Holiday

Two words - John Hughes, the genius behind such greats as:

Mr. Mom, 16 Candles, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful, She's Having a Baby, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck and Home Alone!!!

Three Words: The American President. Rick and I really love this movie. Annette Bening's character, Sydney Ellen Wade, was one of two (other being Sydney Bristow on Alias) reasons why Sydney was named Sydney. She's a strong, independent, assertive, aggressive, loving, dynamic, driven, and outspoken woman. All traits we hoped our daughter would some how manage to find in herself. I think we are well on that path.

Movies are magical. They allow you to "go to places far away" and that is awesome! I love epic movies with amazing photography. There's nothing that fascinates me more that seeing period pieces, architecturally overloaded pieces, lots of action, over-the-top costuming and make-up, memory making soundtracks and scores. Jam packed with details, lots and lots of details - the kind you miss the 1st thru 10th time seeing the movie only to be surprised when they finally catch your eye on time 11 thru 50.

Did I mention I can't stand 3-D movies!!!! And even worse, remaking of already great movies... just shouldn't be done. Or re-releasing on the 10th, 25th, etc anniversary. I mean really, how many times are they going to release Grease.

Day 3: Book

I'm embarrassed to say this.... I don't read. I read my first book only a few years ago. I know "GASP". I realized that as an adult, I should be reading. Everybody reads, or at least should. Much like a good movie, a good book can bring your mind to all kinds of fun, fabulous places. My first book was Lance Armstrong's first book, It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. It was a good book. But then again, I had nothing to really compare it too. My next book was required reading for me. For so many reasons I NEEDED to read this book and it was worth every single terrifyingly difficult turn of the page. Reading Down Came the Rain, I think, finished my healing from PPD. I saw myself on many, many - too many- of the pages. But what made me happier, none the less, was that I didn't see myself on some! It brought a new hope into my life. I realized that I liked reading these kinds of books. I was curious if I would feel the same about other styles. I then tried Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood and Memoirs of a Geisha. Couldn't really get into either of those. Then a magical little boy came into my life. Not Ryan, but a wizard named Harry. I LOVE the Harry Potter books. They are fantastic. I know... they are kid books, but I really enjoy reading them. I'll move on to something more age appropriate in time, just not sure when.

Next up: TV Shows!

Day 1: Song

Hmmm... this is a really hard one. Honestly, I don't think there is just one out there. With all the great stuff out, who can honestly say "______ is my all time favorite song" or "_____ is the best song ever recorded"?

However, with that said, I have favorites in many genre. You know, the ones that evoke that emotion or memory every single time you hear it. Those are my favorites...

• I've, literally, been moved to tears by The Lord's Prayer and Ave Maria
• I like just about anything from the 80's (who doesn't, right)
• Pearl Jam's "Ten" CD. Evenflow is my fav.
• Journey - Greatest Hits CD is the BEST, for obvious reasons
• Sound of Music, King & I and Moulin Rouge soundtracks
• All Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff - Phantom, Cats, Evita are on the top
• Anything by John Rutter. Had the pleasure of singing Requiem & Magnificat in high school and they still put me in the best mental place possible. My choir director thought it beneath us to sing anything other than college level stuff. We even did the full Messiah a few times... talk about a long performance. She helped open my eyes to "beautiful music".
• George Strait, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Faith Hill
• I like Pink, Melissa Etheridge
• Fleetwood Mac
• Big Hair Bands from the late 80's- early 90's
• The Motown Sound - Temptations, Commodores, etc.
• Pat Benatar is a powerhouse
• Impressed with Ms. Taylor Swift
• Rick will kill me for this one, but Barbra Streisand... wow...
• I think singer/songwriters like the BeeGees, Dolly Parton, Carole King are genius
• John Williams - the man scores the BEST movies. How can you not think of Jaws without "dun num, dun num"....?
• Anything with a driving bass line or drum beat. Strong, diverse and powerful vocals

This could just go on and on... I guess I should have said what I don't like, that would have been so much easier!

• Rap... some I can handle
• What's "in" right now on the Pop stage
• Punk
• HEAVY metal

See. That was much easier. I love music - it's fantastic!

A Month of Holly

Due to a general lack of creativity at this time, I want to start a little program I saw on Nancee's SIL's blog to help give me something to post here besides absolutely NOTHING...

It's to inspire me to blog something everyday for a month. The subject: me.

This is how it goes:

Day 01 → Your favorite song

Day 02 → Your favorite movie
Day 03 → Your favorite book
Day 04 → Your favorite television show
Day 05 → Your favorite quote
Day 06 → Your favorite food
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo you took
Day 09 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 10 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 11 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 12 → Something you find interesting
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A song that represents something significant
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → A hero
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → A passion
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your month, in great detail
Day 27 → A hope
Day 28 → A dream
Day 29 → A goal
Day 30 → Something you've learned about yourself in the past month

Should be an interesting adventure for me.

Sydney's School Music Program

There was a music program at Sydney's school on March 4th for the 1st graders. She practiced so much the days up to it...

2010

A new year, a new day... what will I have to say this year????

YES... I will!

So many things have been going on here and I think it's time to start sharing it all with everyone again.

Ryan & I took a walk with Nancee and Erica this morning. The weather is so amazing right now - cloudless sky, cool breeze and bright sun all make for a really enjoyable walk. I love the sound of all the trees rustling in the wind and the occasional wind chime. It's starting to feel like fall is on its way, even with the still 90+ degree days. I'm trying to get the house all cleaned and ready for Mom's visit. Although with the weather this nice it's making me want to do a "Fall Cleaning".

Have I lost it???

Interest in updating the blog gone.... I think, maybe? Should I get back to it... I think, maybe???

May 2009 Pics

Here are the pics from last month. They are up on Snapfish.

Soon...

I promise, something will get posted soon! Just not sure what.

The Graduate!

Our Graduate!



with Mrs. Stonehouse - her Parapro (teacher's assistant)

with Mrs. DeMarco - the BEST teacher ever.


Katlyn, fellow GS. Sage will be in the same class for 1st grade next year.

They sang this song at the beginning of the ceremony. Didn't know it was going to happen, that's why I missed the first few seconds of it.

The big day is coming...

Sydney "graduates" from Kindergarten on Friday morning. I can't believe just how fast this year has flown by. She's done remarkably well this year - exceeding even our expectation and becoming one of the brightest children in her class. She's super excited about the big event and is glad she gets to wear a cap and tassel. We'll be there, like all the other proud parents, taking tons of pictures and video. So... check back on Friday!!!

Her next school year starts on July 20th.