We are in PA for New Years, visiting Shari...2 of her friends, Tiffany and Jenni are here also...We are having such a great time. We got here really late Friday night and on Saturday her friends arrived. We went out to eat at a great restaurant and drove around downtown Philly. We were so full, we could have exploded. We also took a trip to Dick's so I could get some new shoes and they left an ink tag on the shoes...that's the 2nd time in a month that's happened to me...I have to go back tomorrow to get it taken off.
Today we slept in, had "green drinks" that I made for breakfast and got ready to watch a day of football. Shari and I ran out to a place to get cheesesteaks for lunch..you can't come to Philly without eating a cheesesteak! We hung around all day and Shari made an awesome dinner for us.
We have laughed so hard and it's funny to think that we only met Tiffany and Jenni 36 hours ago...we have made 2 more great friends on this trip. There is so much estrogen in this house this weekend, Brad talks about taking Sammy for a walk on the golf course so he could get out of it for a while!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Dr. Oz
A couple of weeks ago Dr. Oz was in Norfolk to speak at a luncheon for a local hospital where he is a board member. He is most famous for being on Oprah and answering very honest questions about health issues.
Here's some info about him -- http://health.discovery.com/fansites/dr-oz/dr-oz.html
I didn't get tickets in time, but went to Barnes and Noble where he was having a book signing. I took off early from work, went to Nordstrom and ate a great lunch, and then went to B & N and stood in line for 2 hours and then was able to get my picture with him, too. It was well worth it..
When he came in, before he signed books, he grabbed a microphone and told everyone why he was doing the books and being on Oprah. Then he answered some questions from people in store. I was at the end of the line in the store with 2 other people (after us, they made people line up outside the store) and he came in right next to us and was talking right in front of us. His table was also right next to where we were standing...So we were near the end of the line, but had a much better view then most people in line!
Here's some info about him -- http://health.discovery.com/fansites/dr-oz/dr-oz.html
I didn't get tickets in time, but went to Barnes and Noble where he was having a book signing. I took off early from work, went to Nordstrom and ate a great lunch, and then went to B & N and stood in line for 2 hours and then was able to get my picture with him, too. It was well worth it..
When he came in, before he signed books, he grabbed a microphone and told everyone why he was doing the books and being on Oprah. Then he answered some questions from people in store. I was at the end of the line in the store with 2 other people (after us, they made people line up outside the store) and he came in right next to us and was talking right in front of us. His table was also right next to where we were standing...So we were near the end of the line, but had a much better view then most people in line!
The photographer across from me here took a picture that was in our local paper -- I was in the picture, but only from my nose on down :-)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
As you probably realized by now, we did not do an end of the year letter this year. After I thought about it, this blog pretty much serves as a run down of what we have done this year. Also I love getting photocards from friends and family so I can see everyone and because I hang those pictures on the fridge and can see them all year around. So I thought I'd send one out, too.
Our Christmas Day is a little different this year, too. We traveled all over the place this year, so we are staying in Virginia this year. We have spent previous VA Christmas Days with our "VA family", but all have moved away or are out making new Christmas memories of their own. So we slept in and are having a nice relaxing day at home. A nice change of pace from the past couple of weeks of chaos. So today, Bradley's checking out his fantasy football standings (I beat him!), Sammy is laying in the sun, and I'm listening to Harry Connick's Christmas CD...very nice.
This afternoon we are going to see the movie P.S. I love you...the new Hilary Swank movie...I'm not a huge chick flick fan, but I do like her alot, so I want to see it. Then we are going to our friends Mike and Lisa's house for dinner after that. We've never spent Christmas with them, so it will be fun.
I've been thinking over the past week what things I am grateful for this season. Some are serious, some are silly, but all make my life fun or happy. In no particular order:
1. Family - Seems obvious, but I know a lot of people who dread visiting their family for the holidays. It's days like this that I do which we lived closer or that we had unlimited funds and vacation time so I could be there.
2. Friends - We have friends in Iowa that I miss, and since we moved to Virginia, we have made so many more friends. Some of them have moved away in the short time we've been here, but I am thankful there is technology that allows me to keep in touch with so many people. It's hard as the years go by to keep up, but this year I have reconnected with some people I haven't talked to year in a long time.
3. Bradley - Another one that seems obvious, but again, I know people who dread going home each day - I can't imagine being one of those people. Going home is the highlight of my day. I'm even more thankful that I get to work days again and that we get to see each other more than 2x a week. There's no one else in the world who knows me as well and loves me anyway :-)
4. Sammy - I imagine the only other thing that can provide that kind of unconditional love is a child. Each time I come home, it's like he hasn't seen me in weeks - He is so overwhelmingly excited, even if I've been gone for an hour. I think it actual pains him when I make him sit or calm down a bit before he can come over and say hi. I love it when he curls up with me when he's tired...he's so therapeutic and relaxing...most of the time.
5. Health - though some people make fun of me and my chronic ailments, they aren't anything that hinder my life too much. I may be a little high maintenance so that my eyes don't swell shut or be a little abnormal because I don't down caffeine when I'm tired so I can avoid my heart palpitating right out of my chest, but overall, they pale in comparison to some of the medical situations that some of our friends and family have been through. And Brad luckily, continues to be blessed with good health.
6. My job - Even though I have worked lots of hours and spent a year on a shift that wasn't ideal, it's a great environment where people aren't screaming at each other and I'm not being screamed at because I didn't do something exactly right. It's got good benefits, I work with people I actually enjoy being around and I could work almost anywhere in the country. It may end up taking us out of Virginia eventually, but if that happens, at least there's a chance we would end up back near family. Also, it provides us a nice life.
7. Recent motivation - I finally got sick of being tired and out of shape and having my clothes not fit. I have been to some classes at the gym and while not as many as I would like, I get to the gym at least a couple of times a week. This week, I got there 3 times and took up running on the treadmill. The last time I ran anywhere was our forced physical fitness test in PE in high school! I got bored on the cardio equipment so I thought I'd try to run and see if I could do it. In a week I went from running 4 minutes (2 minutes and then a 10 minute walking break) up to running 27 minutes in a row in my 30 minutes on the treadmill. Last night, the gym was closed so I went running in our neighborhood with Sammy which was fun. I went only 1 mile around our circle, but being that it was 40 some degrees, with my out of shape, asthmatic lungs, that was amazing...Yes, Grandma, even though I only use it 1 or 2 times a year now, I always carry my inhaler, just in case.
8. A nice house - Sure, we've got some home improvements that need to be finished, but overall it's a nice house and we've been lucky to furnish it with some nice things and be able to make some things into our own. When there's people out there with none, we are darn lucky in comparison.
9. Peace - To think that there are those in countries that spend their days trying to simply stay alive because there are bombs or gunfire going off outside their homes and workplaces every day, I stop to remember how fortunate I am to live in this country. Even though I may disagree with how things are run and some things that go on, it's a far more fortunate place to be.
10. The Cowboys - a silly one - Many funny moments and good times wouldn't be had if I couldn't banter with people about how my team is great and their team stinks.
11. Good wine and a movie - a great way to relax, refresh, and recharge....A way to escape from realty from time to time.
12. Good books - I found more time to read this year. It's something I love to do, but don't make enough time for. I will find more time this year than I did last year. I have a great stack of new books to read that I got this year.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
getting ridiculous
seriously, is Christmas coming at record speed this year? I officially have 3 gifts still to buy...so much for trying to be more thoughtful this year...it has drug on forever.................I always say I'm going to start shopping in January...In 2008 it's official. I will shop throughout the year and collect gifts as I see them. Then the official season starts the day after my birthday so that the day after thanksgiving is my "wrap up" of shopping, not the day I start. Christmas will officially be dragging on into the first week of January this year!
this week is crazy with too much to do....in random order....
finish shopping (and then wait for the online gifts to get here)
wrap all of the presents under the tree (except for the 2 I have done)
think i'm done wrapping and then the online gifts get here
wrap those
figure out what in the world to get my dad for Christmas
finish stuffing the 130+ Christmas card envelopes..Brad & I make one heck of an assembly line
do the laundry
distribute my pampered chef "stuff"
try to dwindle my to do list at work
finish my scrapbook project so we can eat at the table again...at least for a week until I drag it out again.
go see A Christmas Carol with Mike
go see the holiday lights at the beach
get a massage
order extenders for the baby gate so Sammy can't get upstairs
refill my prescriptions
exercise
cuddle with Sammy
cuddle with Brad
upload my pictures with Dr. Oz
daydream about the sisters trip Tiff and Jessica and I are going to take next summer
that's alot -- and it's almost Wednesday already...whew
this week is crazy with too much to do....in random order....
finish shopping (and then wait for the online gifts to get here)
wrap all of the presents under the tree (except for the 2 I have done)
think i'm done wrapping and then the online gifts get here
wrap those
figure out what in the world to get my dad for Christmas
finish stuffing the 130+ Christmas card envelopes..Brad & I make one heck of an assembly line
do the laundry
distribute my pampered chef "stuff"
try to dwindle my to do list at work
finish my scrapbook project so we can eat at the table again...at least for a week until I drag it out again.
go see A Christmas Carol with Mike
go see the holiday lights at the beach
get a massage
order extenders for the baby gate so Sammy can't get upstairs
refill my prescriptions
exercise
cuddle with Sammy
cuddle with Brad
upload my pictures with Dr. Oz
daydream about the sisters trip Tiff and Jessica and I are going to take next summer
that's alot -- and it's almost Wednesday already...whew
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Videos
I am a you tube virgin...and just figured out how to take videos with my camera...Over to the right side bar, I posted 3 of my favorite you tube videos...very, very funny.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Happy Birthday Sammy!
I missed Hunter's birthday - seriously..I get the most terrible aunt ever award - I have some cute pics of Hunter and Ian to post, I just need to pull them out of my email.
Here is Sammy's birthday on Sunday..nerdy, I know. You're not overly surprised, are you?
He got a "chicken cake". He loves real chicken, so Brad piled it in his bowl and put a candle in it.
Us blowing out the candle
Digging into the chicken
Exploring his new toys
Here is Sammy's birthday on Sunday..nerdy, I know. You're not overly surprised, are you?
He got a "chicken cake". He loves real chicken, so Brad piled it in his bowl and put a candle in it.
Us blowing out the candle
Digging into the chicken
Exploring his new toys
This is what it looks like when Hanah...
dirties her diaper while daddy holds her...Just Kidding...Ryan, Tana, and Hanah and we went to eat Hibachi last week and Ryan was messing around...I thought the caption would be funny :-)
Whose Line?
If you are familiar with the TV show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, you may recognize the fellas below. Brad and I went to see Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie's show a about 2 weeks ago. Their show was completely improv, based on suggestions from the audience...just like the TV show.
During one of the sketches, Brad sent Colin out of the theatre...On his way out, he stopped at our aisle and motioned me to come with him! We went outside to the lobby and he said that I was to distract him and prove to the audience that he wasn't hearing anything Brad was telling the audience.
The game was that Colin had to confess to a crime that Brad was leading him on about. Colin had to try to guess what his crime was...It was all suggestions from the audience and ended up being something like this: He microwaved lime green jello until it exploded and blew up his father's shed in Chuckatuck while at Sally's sandcastle farmers...I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but it's close.
While in the hallway, we talked about him being from Canada, how they travel each weekend, what happens when people recognize him, what it was like when he visited Iowa, his son, what there is to do in Hampton Roads, and no, I was not smart enough to get his autograph...Hindsight....
This is the game where people have to move their body parts to get them to move.
This is the game where they tell a story and when the kids honk a horn, they have to repeat what they just said, but say it in another way.
This is Colin confessing to his "crime"
This is that the end where they walk blindfolded and try to avoid mousetraps. Colin took off his blindfold and started throwing traps at Brad.
During one of the sketches, Brad sent Colin out of the theatre...On his way out, he stopped at our aisle and motioned me to come with him! We went outside to the lobby and he said that I was to distract him and prove to the audience that he wasn't hearing anything Brad was telling the audience.
The game was that Colin had to confess to a crime that Brad was leading him on about. Colin had to try to guess what his crime was...It was all suggestions from the audience and ended up being something like this: He microwaved lime green jello until it exploded and blew up his father's shed in Chuckatuck while at Sally's sandcastle farmers...I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but it's close.
While in the hallway, we talked about him being from Canada, how they travel each weekend, what happens when people recognize him, what it was like when he visited Iowa, his son, what there is to do in Hampton Roads, and no, I was not smart enough to get his autograph...Hindsight....
This is the game where people have to move their body parts to get them to move.
This is the game where they tell a story and when the kids honk a horn, they have to repeat what they just said, but say it in another way.
This is Colin confessing to his "crime"
This is that the end where they walk blindfolded and try to avoid mousetraps. Colin took off his blindfold and started throwing traps at Brad.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Sunday
Ian wrote us an email message yesterday: m //..m, ];/\ij 0ccx6hcv;l,lkokp m-].,nn n v.l;.,,mk l m. o ,lk .;j...very cute!
I changed my layout colors -- I was going for a Christmas green and red and grew tired of it quickly - So we'll go with a blue & white, chilly, cold look...It is witner and all.
Today, I slept in and then Brad sent Sammy in to wake me up. Little Samage turns 1 year old today. I took him shopping with me. He loves laying in the sun and when I came out of Target, he had climbed out of his kennel and was laying in the blanket in the sun. Then we went to PetSmart and he was a little less timid about the slick floors than normal.
He's having a "chicken cake" for dinner and then gets a couple of presents. We'll be sure to take pictures.
The Cowboys WIN with 18 seconds left.
We had the windows open for a while beacuse it was 65 degrees. (73 degrees tomorrow -- then back to 60s and 50s for the rest of the week)
Trying to catch up on bills, Christmas shopping, house cleaning, organizing, a work presentation, and laundry today
A semi-busy day...but pretty relaxing.
I changed my layout colors -- I was going for a Christmas green and red and grew tired of it quickly - So we'll go with a blue & white, chilly, cold look...It is witner and all.
Today, I slept in and then Brad sent Sammy in to wake me up. Little Samage turns 1 year old today. I took him shopping with me. He loves laying in the sun and when I came out of Target, he had climbed out of his kennel and was laying in the blanket in the sun. Then we went to PetSmart and he was a little less timid about the slick floors than normal.
He's having a "chicken cake" for dinner and then gets a couple of presents. We'll be sure to take pictures.
The Cowboys WIN with 18 seconds left.
We had the windows open for a while beacuse it was 65 degrees. (73 degrees tomorrow -- then back to 60s and 50s for the rest of the week)
Trying to catch up on bills, Christmas shopping, house cleaning, organizing, a work presentation, and laundry today
A semi-busy day...but pretty relaxing.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
More randomness
I changed my layout to look more Christmas-ish...There aren't any good green and red ones - after an hour of messing with fonts and colors - this is the best I could come up with.
I love hockey, but not the Stanley Cup.
I'd rather laugh with friends while drinking adult beverages in my living room than oogle the Stanley Cup.
My goodness I'm busy at work this week.
Thanks for shopping at Target and making this a successful time of the year for us and for contributing to my 401(k).
My new job is challenging...in a good way..but boy is it challenging.
I can't seem to call Hunter when he's awake to wish him happy birthday 3 days late and counting.
Melissa's post made me nostaglic for home and the holidays.
Yet another reason to be thankful for friends and family - my boss's dad grew very ill this week and she was going to leave tomorrow to see him....But he died today before she could get there...and he lives in Australia. I can't imagine...
The snow in Minnesota makes me wonder why I want to move there. (It's 40 degrees here-the warm kind of 40, not the "oh, it's going to get below 20 tonight" kind of 40)
I think eventually we'll end up in Minneapolis so I can work at the mecca of my mecca. Then I can use my vacation to visit all of our friends and family all over the place.
Even though this week is a little stressful and a lot of hours, it's NOTHING like the hell I have endured at previous jobs.
Even though this week is crazy, I have eaten well. I haven't made it to the gym, but there should be NO weight gain this week.
On Friday night I'm going to Yoga--it will be a nice, relaxing end to a long week...Is it REALLY only Tuesday?
On Saturday morning I'm going to abs and pilates.
I have done no more Christmas shopping than I did yesterday.
Sorry Grandpa, but the Cowboys are better than the Packers..Remember, 2nd place is the 1st Loser!
Dr. Oz is coming to Norfolk next Friday -- I think I'm going to go.
I need to dig out my Christmas music.
The tree is still not all of the way decorated.
I REALLY want a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks right now.
I love pumpkin.
From Christmas 2005 to 2006, I went all year without paying for a drink at Starbucks...Gift cards I had gotten for my birthday Christmas treated me for an entire year!
This feels good to get out -- I feel like I can go to sleep....I love therapy you don't have to pay for :-)
If this is all it takes to decompress at the end of the day..I will do it more often.
I will catch up on posting pictures in the next couple of days.
The latte that Aunt Kathy sent is SOOO yummy...I already tracked it down and bought it in liquid and powder form (decaf of course)
I love that Brad is so tolerant of my career. I think I'll take him out one of these nights.
I want to see A Christmas Carol at the theatre this year..I miss going with Tiff.
THE END- happy tuesday!
I love hockey, but not the Stanley Cup.
I'd rather laugh with friends while drinking adult beverages in my living room than oogle the Stanley Cup.
My goodness I'm busy at work this week.
Thanks for shopping at Target and making this a successful time of the year for us and for contributing to my 401(k).
My new job is challenging...in a good way..but boy is it challenging.
I can't seem to call Hunter when he's awake to wish him happy birthday 3 days late and counting.
Melissa's post made me nostaglic for home and the holidays.
Yet another reason to be thankful for friends and family - my boss's dad grew very ill this week and she was going to leave tomorrow to see him....But he died today before she could get there...and he lives in Australia. I can't imagine...
The snow in Minnesota makes me wonder why I want to move there. (It's 40 degrees here-the warm kind of 40, not the "oh, it's going to get below 20 tonight" kind of 40)
I think eventually we'll end up in Minneapolis so I can work at the mecca of my mecca. Then I can use my vacation to visit all of our friends and family all over the place.
Even though this week is a little stressful and a lot of hours, it's NOTHING like the hell I have endured at previous jobs.
Even though this week is crazy, I have eaten well. I haven't made it to the gym, but there should be NO weight gain this week.
On Friday night I'm going to Yoga--it will be a nice, relaxing end to a long week...Is it REALLY only Tuesday?
On Saturday morning I'm going to abs and pilates.
I have done no more Christmas shopping than I did yesterday.
Sorry Grandpa, but the Cowboys are better than the Packers..Remember, 2nd place is the 1st Loser!
Dr. Oz is coming to Norfolk next Friday -- I think I'm going to go.
I need to dig out my Christmas music.
The tree is still not all of the way decorated.
I REALLY want a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks right now.
I love pumpkin.
From Christmas 2005 to 2006, I went all year without paying for a drink at Starbucks...Gift cards I had gotten for my birthday Christmas treated me for an entire year!
This feels good to get out -- I feel like I can go to sleep....I love therapy you don't have to pay for :-)
If this is all it takes to decompress at the end of the day..I will do it more often.
I will catch up on posting pictures in the next couple of days.
The latte that Aunt Kathy sent is SOOO yummy...I already tracked it down and bought it in liquid and powder form (decaf of course)
I love that Brad is so tolerant of my career. I think I'll take him out one of these nights.
I want to see A Christmas Carol at the theatre this year..I miss going with Tiff.
THE END- happy tuesday!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Random Thoughts
As you probably know...it's the busiest time of the year at Target...It's my job to make sure cartons get out the door so that the guest can buy them...No pressure! It appears that this may be the busiest week our building has all year...It may take up a lot of my time, but most of you know, I thrive in chaos...we'll see if it continues
As the holidays approach I am more thankful than ever for the family and friends that I have. I am spread far apart from most of them, but it's the time I am thankful that I stay in touch with so many people.
I am thankful for our health...After a year that includes the death of a friend from cancer, a friend/co-worker who is battling cancer and a friend suffering from a near fatal blodclot, I remember that allergies and asthma aren't so bad...Sure I need to be careful, but I can easily control my exposure and environment and handle these issues
It's been a miserable body image/exercise week - I don't know how, but I seem to have gained 5 pounds since my re-engagement with the gym. I did 40 minutes of cardio yesterday and ate healthy today -- a kashi pizza for dinner...Oh, and a margarita...ok, so 2 margaritas...but they were "healthy" ones made out of natural juices and not loads of sugar. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.
The people at Macy's are stupid. I bought a bra last weekend in GA and when I got it home and it still had an ink tag on it...I went to a checkout to get it removed and they sent me to lingerie...there was noone there...so I went to children's...she sent me to dresses...she sent me to customer service...they have the right remover, but "it walked off" and she just looked at me like 'what do you want me to do about it'....She told me I could exchange it or go to another store...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Drive to another store because someone at your store is an idiot and didn't do their job? I am understanding that everyone makes mistakes, but what about some accountability here? Anyone? Anyone? So I told her I wanted to exchange it or return it so they were forced to deal with it and she sent me back to lingerie....I couldn't find the same color so I got another...I think the lady in children's gave it to me for free -- she was as annoyed as I was with customer service...By the way, I didn't have anything else to do with an hour on my Sunday...I love standing in line for 10 minutes only to be told..I can't help you, go see someone else...Oh and then there's the lady who practically tackled me at the children's counter so she could shove some underwear behind the counter so her son didn't see her buying his Christmas present...seriously, people....
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, HUNTER! I will post some pictures later this week. I missed calling Hunter Sunday and Monday -- I might be the worstest aunt ever this week.
I had an interesting interaction this weekend with Colin Mochrie from Whose Line Is It Anyway...more to come on that one.
Christmas gift shopping is harder this year than usual.
I have started WAY too late on my shopping
Our tree is up, but has no lights and only two ornaments.
Sammy can't seem to figure out that the lawn is his only potty...the upstairs carpet does not double as the outdoors.
I'm glad to have a friend who works in landscaping...I'll take a picture of his refresh of the lawn...it's freshly mowed and looks so refreshing...you wouldn't know it's winter in our lawn :-)
Dallas could go to the superbowl.
I have been a terrible Lakers fan this year...They shouldn't allow me to have the email address I do.
Monday Night Football is on WAY too late in Virignia.
Sammy loves the cow that Uncle Jarrod gifted him.
I love uploading to snapfish.
Tana inspires me as a mommy...I hope to be 1/2 as good someday.
Are we ever going to get around to that parenting thing?
Laundry should wash itself.
Kurt Warner can still win a game.
I am looking forward to my Pampered Chef party on Saturday.
I am VERY thankful it is not as icy here as in the midwest.
I complain too much.
I just want to note for the record that the Monday Night Football team said that the Ravens are the most disappointing team in the NFL this year -- sorry Ryan, your team stinks.
I am really much happier than my random thoughts appear today :-)
That might the end of most things I thought about today.
As the holidays approach I am more thankful than ever for the family and friends that I have. I am spread far apart from most of them, but it's the time I am thankful that I stay in touch with so many people.
I am thankful for our health...After a year that includes the death of a friend from cancer, a friend/co-worker who is battling cancer and a friend suffering from a near fatal blodclot, I remember that allergies and asthma aren't so bad...Sure I need to be careful, but I can easily control my exposure and environment and handle these issues
It's been a miserable body image/exercise week - I don't know how, but I seem to have gained 5 pounds since my re-engagement with the gym. I did 40 minutes of cardio yesterday and ate healthy today -- a kashi pizza for dinner...Oh, and a margarita...ok, so 2 margaritas...but they were "healthy" ones made out of natural juices and not loads of sugar. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.
The people at Macy's are stupid. I bought a bra last weekend in GA and when I got it home and it still had an ink tag on it...I went to a checkout to get it removed and they sent me to lingerie...there was noone there...so I went to children's...she sent me to dresses...she sent me to customer service...they have the right remover, but "it walked off" and she just looked at me like 'what do you want me to do about it'....She told me I could exchange it or go to another store...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Drive to another store because someone at your store is an idiot and didn't do their job? I am understanding that everyone makes mistakes, but what about some accountability here? Anyone? Anyone? So I told her I wanted to exchange it or return it so they were forced to deal with it and she sent me back to lingerie....I couldn't find the same color so I got another...I think the lady in children's gave it to me for free -- she was as annoyed as I was with customer service...By the way, I didn't have anything else to do with an hour on my Sunday...I love standing in line for 10 minutes only to be told..I can't help you, go see someone else...Oh and then there's the lady who practically tackled me at the children's counter so she could shove some underwear behind the counter so her son didn't see her buying his Christmas present...seriously, people....
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, HUNTER! I will post some pictures later this week. I missed calling Hunter Sunday and Monday -- I might be the worstest aunt ever this week.
I had an interesting interaction this weekend with Colin Mochrie from Whose Line Is It Anyway...more to come on that one.
Christmas gift shopping is harder this year than usual.
I have started WAY too late on my shopping
Our tree is up, but has no lights and only two ornaments.
Sammy can't seem to figure out that the lawn is his only potty...the upstairs carpet does not double as the outdoors.
I'm glad to have a friend who works in landscaping...I'll take a picture of his refresh of the lawn...it's freshly mowed and looks so refreshing...you wouldn't know it's winter in our lawn :-)
Dallas could go to the superbowl.
I have been a terrible Lakers fan this year...They shouldn't allow me to have the email address I do.
Monday Night Football is on WAY too late in Virignia.
Sammy loves the cow that Uncle Jarrod gifted him.
I love uploading to snapfish.
Tana inspires me as a mommy...I hope to be 1/2 as good someday.
Are we ever going to get around to that parenting thing?
Laundry should wash itself.
Kurt Warner can still win a game.
I am looking forward to my Pampered Chef party on Saturday.
I am VERY thankful it is not as icy here as in the midwest.
I complain too much.
I just want to note for the record that the Monday Night Football team said that the Ravens are the most disappointing team in the NFL this year -- sorry Ryan, your team stinks.
I am really much happier than my random thoughts appear today :-)
That might the end of most things I thought about today.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Exercise
Last week not so great...I did go for a 2 mile walk around Tiffany's neighborhood on Thanksgiving Day with Sammy, which was pretty great. Her area is really hilly so it was a great workout. I also went on a 1 mile walk on Saturday. Of course, I guess Friday could be counted, too with all of the walking I did, but maybe not.
Monday night I went to Body Design class...Only my 2nd time, but I could tell that I am able to lift the weight a little more easily and was able to control my movements and use my abs even better...Certainly a long way to go, but I can tell improvement even only going to classes a couple of times each week.
I realized today that the Y is open at 5am, so instead of going out tonight, I might go in the morning. Bradley has to work at 3am the next 2 mornings, so I wanted to spend some time with at night...so this could work great :-)
Monday night I went to Body Design class...Only my 2nd time, but I could tell that I am able to lift the weight a little more easily and was able to control my movements and use my abs even better...Certainly a long way to go, but I can tell improvement even only going to classes a couple of times each week.
I realized today that the Y is open at 5am, so instead of going out tonight, I might go in the morning. Bradley has to work at 3am the next 2 mornings, so I wanted to spend some time with at night...so this could work great :-)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Black Friday
Rise and shine for some great shopping! Of course my vote to the right would be "wouldn't miss it"!
I don't have my Christmas shopping list together, but I had to go out shopping on Friday. Tiff had to work at 545 and I got up at 515, so at 530 we both left. I went to Starbucks which didn't open for another 10 minutes. When I got there, there were 3 other people with me. The lady in front of me was with her aunt and bought my drink. She said she saw on their website about how someone bought a drink for the person behind them and then it got passed on...so it was a nice start to the day.
I went to the mall to JCP and Macys. It was hard to find a parking space and when I came out about 2 hours later, there were no parking spaces left and people were parking in the grass around the outside of the parking lot. That was a first for me. I then went to one Target, Rack Room Shoes, Best Buy, the "other place" (ONLY because they had a Nickelback dvd only available there) and then headed to the other side of town to where Tiff's Target is. Before I left, I got a 2nd Starbucks for my 2nd wave. I visited the Rack Room Shoes there and her Target. I waited a little bit for her to get off work and then we went to Kohls for even more damage and then went home.
So what do you do after that incredibly exciting day? You eat Thanksgiving leftovers, have a crazy photo session (those pictures to come) and then get in the car (in your pajamas) and go to the Fresh Market because Jarrod feels a craving to go there.
So what do you do after that? You drive around Augusta and see HUGE houses and swing downtown to visit James Brown.
Us with James Brown (note the hot looking pajamas)
Us with James Brown...with the same cheesy, full tooth smile that the statue has.
Here's me singing "I feel good!"
I really don't know what she was doing....
I don't have my Christmas shopping list together, but I had to go out shopping on Friday. Tiff had to work at 545 and I got up at 515, so at 530 we both left. I went to Starbucks which didn't open for another 10 minutes. When I got there, there were 3 other people with me. The lady in front of me was with her aunt and bought my drink. She said she saw on their website about how someone bought a drink for the person behind them and then it got passed on...so it was a nice start to the day.
I went to the mall to JCP and Macys. It was hard to find a parking space and when I came out about 2 hours later, there were no parking spaces left and people were parking in the grass around the outside of the parking lot. That was a first for me. I then went to one Target, Rack Room Shoes, Best Buy, the "other place" (ONLY because they had a Nickelback dvd only available there) and then headed to the other side of town to where Tiff's Target is. Before I left, I got a 2nd Starbucks for my 2nd wave. I visited the Rack Room Shoes there and her Target. I waited a little bit for her to get off work and then we went to Kohls for even more damage and then went home.
So what do you do after that incredibly exciting day? You eat Thanksgiving leftovers, have a crazy photo session (those pictures to come) and then get in the car (in your pajamas) and go to the Fresh Market because Jarrod feels a craving to go there.
So what do you do after that? You drive around Augusta and see HUGE houses and swing downtown to visit James Brown.
Us with James Brown (note the hot looking pajamas)
Us with James Brown...with the same cheesy, full tooth smile that the statue has.
Here's me singing "I feel good!"
I really don't know what she was doing....
Gobble, Gooble
On Wed we drove to Georgia after we got off work. It took about 6.5 hours to get here from my work. On Thursday, Jarrod made the turkey and we all pitched in for the sides:
mashed potatoes
green bean casserole
sweet potatoes
raspberry salad
bread
cranberry relish
gravy
pumpkin pie
Bradley carving the turkey
Brad and Jarrod posing with the turkey
Jarrod and Tiffany at their new table
Dad, are you sure you don't need any help?
Bradley, Emily, Leo, Michael, Brandy, Jarrod, & Tiff
mashed potatoes
green bean casserole
sweet potatoes
raspberry salad
bread
cranberry relish
gravy
pumpkin pie
Bradley carving the turkey
Brad and Jarrod posing with the turkey
Jarrod and Tiffany at their new table
Dad, are you sure you don't need any help?
Bradley, Emily, Leo, Michael, Brandy, Jarrod, & Tiff
Michael works with Jarrod and then their friends, Leo & Emily had plans that fell through so we all spent our big dinner together
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
A reason to have a party
Last night we had some friends over for my 30th birthday party...Just another reason to get people together and have a party, really... We ordered pizza, had cake and ice cream, played Apples to Apples and Boxers or Briefs (they are alot alike actually), and we hit a pinata.
Kate's Texas Sheet cake -- my favorite cake -- and 30 candles
Greta and Doug
Me and my pinata
Kate's Texas Sheet cake -- my favorite cake -- and 30 candles
Greta and Doug
Tana and Hanah
Sammy and I in our party hats (mine has a "birthday girl" ribbon that Bradley made me wear)
Hanah and Tony's daughter Jenny
Mike playing Boxers or Briefs...pondering which of these are true about him:
Mike playing Boxers or Briefs...pondering which of these are true about him:
I have holes in my underwear
I have a great body
I have a loose screw
I have skills
I have to study for a blood test
I have toilet paper on my shoe
Of course, he answered I have skills, but Jes thought it should be the one about his underwear!
Next round he pondered these...
I am the king
I am out of my freakin' mind
I am lord of the puppies
I am the Wicked Witch of the West
I am going to sing my favorite song right now
I am more than you can handle
he decided he was lord of the puppies, given his 2 furry kids at home
Me and my pinata
Dawn took the first try...Kate took the 2nd try
I took the 3rd try and broke it open (accidentally..I thought we'd get 2 rounds at least)
Roger's try -- it became "let's see if we can break the whole thing open to get all the candy" and "smash his face in"
Doug
I took the 3rd try and broke it open (accidentally..I thought we'd get 2 rounds at least)
Roger's try -- it became "let's see if we can break the whole thing open to get all the candy" and "smash his face in"
Doug
Jenny trying to get the rest of the candy
Candy out of the mulch, for the 2nd time this year
Candy out of the mulch, for the 2nd time this year
So what is the pinata? It's a referee..Brad got it in honor of my favorite NFL ref Ed Hochuli...I like watching him ref games as much as I like watching the Cowboys. Does it look like him?
Ed even has several websites about him and some great "What Would Ed Hochuli Do" gear...check this out.. I love it.
Wine Fest 2007 - The Day of the Pink Hat
In October we had another beautiful day for the wine festival. While Mike and I were wandering around, we saw some feather boas that we wanted to buy but they were $80, and we hadn't drank that much wine....But later on I found this pink hat and then everyone wanted to make a fashion statement with it. Wait till you see the birthday pictures...we busted it out again. And now I have a cheesy hat to wear the next time Poison comes to town.
Mike and Me
Jim & Mike
Roger
Kate
Roger and Kate
Jennie & Pete
Saturday, November 17, 2007
New Thanksgiving Poll & More Exercising & Travels
I can't believe I forgot pumpkin pie on the poll! I re-did it...so now it's a re-vote! I hate stuffing, but added it at the behest of an anonymous commenter (who are you?). If I forgot something else, tell me...I won't be changing again, but had to add the pie and will keep this one open until Thanksgiving.
Last night, Tana and I went to yoga class...It was a great way to end the week and stretch out stress. This morning we went to Stretch/Abs...I can do more than I could do 3 weeks ago! And then I tried a Pilates class. An instructor suggested I try it help me not use my head to do crunches. I have very weak abs and when I took her Body Design class with weights, I about killed myself because my neck and abs were trying to lift. My neck was soooo tired after 30 minutes, it was hard to keep going. So, today it was 1.5 hours of abs work and stretching.
Brad and I both got next Friday off, so we'll be off to Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with Tiff and Jarrod. We haven't been there yet, so that will be fun. We will leave Wednesday night after I get off of work.
Well, a little cleaning and shopping before we celebrate my big 3-0 tonight with a friends, pizza, and games.
Have a great weekend - And look out Redskins!
Last night, Tana and I went to yoga class...It was a great way to end the week and stretch out stress. This morning we went to Stretch/Abs...I can do more than I could do 3 weeks ago! And then I tried a Pilates class. An instructor suggested I try it help me not use my head to do crunches. I have very weak abs and when I took her Body Design class with weights, I about killed myself because my neck and abs were trying to lift. My neck was soooo tired after 30 minutes, it was hard to keep going. So, today it was 1.5 hours of abs work and stretching.
Brad and I both got next Friday off, so we'll be off to Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with Tiff and Jarrod. We haven't been there yet, so that will be fun. We will leave Wednesday night after I get off of work.
Well, a little cleaning and shopping before we celebrate my big 3-0 tonight with a friends, pizza, and games.
Have a great weekend - And look out Redskins!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
It's been a while
WOW! So sorry that we've been away for so long!
Things have been so busy and unfortunately blogging had to be the thing to go...We've done a lot of things in the past couple of weeks, so I have several pictures to post.
So what's been going on? We'll since my last post was on 10/28, we've had Halloween, which we all celebrated, including Sammy. I have some pictures of us as partners "in crime".
Oh, I also owe pictures of the wine festival a couple of weeks ago!
Then was my birthday...the big 3-0! Bradley and I spent a quiet, wonderful dinner at Luna Maya, my favorite restaurant. I had all of my favorites, and it's the time of year they even have the greatest pumpkins soup, so that was a real treat!
This past Sunday, Bradley was nice enough to drag himself with me to an Elliott Yamin concert. For those who don't know, he was on American Idol seasons ago. He is from Richmond and I just loved the way he jammed to the songs he sang and said I would go see him and buy his album when it came out. Of course, I bought the CD and always turn it up loud and sing and dance to his songs....I'm sure I'm quite a sight at the stoplights! Then this week was his concert and since I didn't have anyone to go with, he was nice enough to come with me (i love you, honey).
This last couple of weeks have been so busy at work--It's the busiest time of the year for us of course, since Christmas is around the corner...And since I'm brand new to the job, it's quite challenging, which I love, but it is really exhausting at the end of the day.
I also have been going to the gym...Be it a bit sporadic, I have been making it there. It's quite the funny adventure for sure. I have been attending that Abs/Stretch class...which is still more abs than stretch, but only after a few classes, I can feel my muscles getting stronger. I also have been trying my skills at step classes...By the way, I have not ever done this before, so it's still quite funny. However, I found an instructor who was really easy to follow and KICKS OUR BUTT! Several people, including me, had to stop a few times to break because our hart rates were getting too high. I also tried a class called Body Design...If I haven't told you about this one, it's with a light bar and weights and doing a zillion reps of lifts in a semi-aerobic setting...So we lift to music basically and this class is just murder on the muscles...I have only done it once, so they probably think I'm not coming back...But I will be there again this week sometime.
I think on Friday's I'm going to start going to Yoga after work...I nice decompress after a week of working. Saturdays and Sundays have been my best days to work out since I don't work and I am trying to fit classes in as I can during the week.
My goals? Last year, I topped out at 164 lbs and was maxing out my clothes....I lost 19 lbs. but gained 10 back after getting out of the gym and eating everything I wanted. Last week I started out at 155.5 pounds, so we'll see what kind of work I can do over the next several weeks. My goal is to lose at least 15 lbs to be trim and then just be in good heart health and stay lean. Since I've only gone a couple of times a week over the past couple of weeks, I don't expect miraculous results, but I it's at least a start!
We also hit the japanese restaurant down the street (which I love!) and had hibachi. Oh, and I got a brand new pair of matching pjs...which doesn't seem like much, but after a long day at work, I just look forward to curling up in them with Bradley and Sammy...and it's that time of year when a pair of warm jammies and a nice hot cup of tea or apple cider just makes every great.
So that's about all that's been going on (as if that's not enough, right?)
I will post some pics this week!
And congrats to sis Jessica for getting a blog going!
Hope everyone out there is having a great November....
Love,
A
Things have been so busy and unfortunately blogging had to be the thing to go...We've done a lot of things in the past couple of weeks, so I have several pictures to post.
So what's been going on? We'll since my last post was on 10/28, we've had Halloween, which we all celebrated, including Sammy. I have some pictures of us as partners "in crime".
Oh, I also owe pictures of the wine festival a couple of weeks ago!
Then was my birthday...the big 3-0! Bradley and I spent a quiet, wonderful dinner at Luna Maya, my favorite restaurant. I had all of my favorites, and it's the time of year they even have the greatest pumpkins soup, so that was a real treat!
This past Sunday, Bradley was nice enough to drag himself with me to an Elliott Yamin concert. For those who don't know, he was on American Idol seasons ago. He is from Richmond and I just loved the way he jammed to the songs he sang and said I would go see him and buy his album when it came out. Of course, I bought the CD and always turn it up loud and sing and dance to his songs....I'm sure I'm quite a sight at the stoplights! Then this week was his concert and since I didn't have anyone to go with, he was nice enough to come with me (i love you, honey).
This last couple of weeks have been so busy at work--It's the busiest time of the year for us of course, since Christmas is around the corner...And since I'm brand new to the job, it's quite challenging, which I love, but it is really exhausting at the end of the day.
I also have been going to the gym...Be it a bit sporadic, I have been making it there. It's quite the funny adventure for sure. I have been attending that Abs/Stretch class...which is still more abs than stretch, but only after a few classes, I can feel my muscles getting stronger. I also have been trying my skills at step classes...By the way, I have not ever done this before, so it's still quite funny. However, I found an instructor who was really easy to follow and KICKS OUR BUTT! Several people, including me, had to stop a few times to break because our hart rates were getting too high. I also tried a class called Body Design...If I haven't told you about this one, it's with a light bar and weights and doing a zillion reps of lifts in a semi-aerobic setting...So we lift to music basically and this class is just murder on the muscles...I have only done it once, so they probably think I'm not coming back...But I will be there again this week sometime.
I think on Friday's I'm going to start going to Yoga after work...I nice decompress after a week of working. Saturdays and Sundays have been my best days to work out since I don't work and I am trying to fit classes in as I can during the week.
My goals? Last year, I topped out at 164 lbs and was maxing out my clothes....I lost 19 lbs. but gained 10 back after getting out of the gym and eating everything I wanted. Last week I started out at 155.5 pounds, so we'll see what kind of work I can do over the next several weeks. My goal is to lose at least 15 lbs to be trim and then just be in good heart health and stay lean. Since I've only gone a couple of times a week over the past couple of weeks, I don't expect miraculous results, but I it's at least a start!
We also hit the japanese restaurant down the street (which I love!) and had hibachi. Oh, and I got a brand new pair of matching pjs...which doesn't seem like much, but after a long day at work, I just look forward to curling up in them with Bradley and Sammy...and it's that time of year when a pair of warm jammies and a nice hot cup of tea or apple cider just makes every great.
So that's about all that's been going on (as if that's not enough, right?)
I will post some pics this week!
And congrats to sis Jessica for getting a blog going!
Hope everyone out there is having a great November....
Love,
A
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday Fun (Shopping, Food & Pumpkins, oh my!)...oh, and exercising, too
Saturday was a day filled with fun (and exercising). We started the morning by going to the Y with Tana. She and I took an Abs/Stretch class (holy crap am I out of shape!) and Brad swam. The class did not take into consideration the fact that the reason I'm taking the class is because my abs are not strong. I had to take about 50 breaks because I cannot hold myself up by my abs...Boy am I motivated now.
Us on the hay ride
Hanah's first pumpkin pickin'
Action photo of Brad picking his pumpkin right from the stem
Brad pulling our pumpkins back
Then we went to Williamsburg and ate at The Blue Talon in Colonial W-burg. It was as yummy as I remember. Then we went and did some damage at the outlet mall. I wanted to stop at one store but Ryan said we needed to do the whole loop. Who am I to argue?! Turns out, had we only gone to that one store, they had the one thing I was going for, and I would have only come home with one thing...but I came home with 6 bags...oh well, all stuff I was looking for anyway!
Then off to Pumpkinville to pick pumpkins...I was the only one who hadn't done this before..(unless you count Hanah)....We strolled through oddly shaped gourds and colorful pumpkins...occasionally making snide comments about the shapes of some of them and how they resembled body parts...hehe..
Pumpkinville gave a hay ride around the property so we could see the whole pumpkin patch. Then we strolled into the patch so Brad and Ryan could each harvest a pumpkin.
On the way home, we stopped at Pierce's BBQ (world famous, by the way) and then drove home...after Hanah went to bed, it was a fierce game of Boggle until our brains finally shut down.
All in all, it was a very fun day. I wish fall could last forever.
Ryan, Tana, and Hanah on the hay ride
Us on the hay ride
Our chaufer and the pumpkin patch
Hanah's first pumpkin pickin'
Action photo of Brad picking his pumpkin right from the stem
Brad pulling our pumpkins back
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