Char Tunes

WORK SHENANIGANS

2011-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

For awhile, I was trying to keep coworkers from knowing that I was on Facebook. I wasn't sure I wanted them to read my oh-so-deep thoughts (usually, they're silly, but sometimes...) or see pictures of me or my family. Not that we would be doing anything inappropriate - but I just wasn't sure I wanted those worlds to collide (any Seinfeld fans out there remember that episode?).

Well, now I have FIVE coworkers who are also my Facebook friends. Yes, I caved. I figured, eh. I'm not a "works-for-the-CIA-and-if-I-told-you-what-I-did-for-a-living-I'd-have-to-kill-you- super-spy-girl" so what could be the harm?

Now I KNOW - I can't tell work stories on FB anymore! Grrrr! That works out great for those of you who read my blog and don't Facebook. You'll get to hear these gems (ha) whereas my FB buddies will be left out in the cold.

Ok. So here's one. We have 3 stalls in the ladies' room at work. For some reason, everyone loves the first one. Not sure why. We just do. So I got done using the first one and walked out to the sink area. Right then, a coworker came in and opened the door to the first stall. See? Everyone's fave. She goes, "Uh oh. We're out of toilet seat protectors. I hope you don't have any BUTT BUGS." Oh. My. Gosh. Have we crossed a line here?? She is a good-natured person and a fellow sales associate (we people in sales ARE a different breed), but still. I was so caught off guard, I kind of stammered a response and then high-tailed it (no pun intended) outta there!

So another one. Why must the Most Annoying Coworker in the World - "MACW" insist on talking to me at 8 in the morning? About stupid things. I have asked her not to talk to me before 9:30 but she just laughs. This morning, she told me all about how she loves plants and she's such a plant person and "I feel so much better now that I got 2 plants last night one was a [such and such-can't remember] palm and one was a [blahbity blah don't know what she said] and I'm just so glad because in my last apartment, I never got any sunlight but now they can just drink it in and oh did i tell you - i talk to my plants and it makes a difference people say it doesn't but i know it does people think i have a green thumb but i just tell them no i don't - i just talk to my plants they love it and they thrive because of it if you don't talk to your plants they........................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ARGH!

Seriously.

Then, I'm not very nice, so when she was done with her soliloquy, I go, "I hate plants" which is true, but still. I probably could have withheld that statement. It probably would have been more polite. But I didn't care. I had already listened to her drone on about angels and how to tell if one is real. Yes, you read that right. See, REAL angels won't touch you. So. If you're approached by an angel, you simply say, "Angel, shake my hand." If the angel extends its hand, you run. That's not a real angel.

Sounds like a Deep Thought to me.

Thank you for letting me vent. Safely. (deep breath in)

I LOVE/HATE YOU, FACEBOOK!

2011-02-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm soooo glad you can delete what you post on other people's walls on Facebook!

When I was in middle and high school, there were 3 main guys. The most popular guys. And they weren't just popular in our grade - EVERYBODY loved them. Josh, Ryan, and Rob. They were friends. And they were hot. (Looking back, they were NOT hot, but we had very few choices in Ronan. And, I might add, I'm almost POSITIVE that Josh SURELY regrets his decision to get his senior picture taken with denim shortalls, no shirt, and one strap undone. But that's another story.)

Anyway, I am Facebook friends with these three guys and even though high school was 20 years ago, I still feel a little nervous when I think about Facebooking any of them. So I usually don't.

But today is Rob's birthday. He "friended" me a few months ago. He's said some nice things about my family photos. I figured, ok, no need to be nervous here. It's just Rob. Rob. It's fine. He's bald, has been married 2 times, and has 6 kids. It's no big deal. I'll wish him a happy birthday on his wall. No. Big. Deal.

So I hurriedly typed a message.

I tried to be quippy and different from the boring happy-birthday-and-that's-it messages. I liked what I came up with. I just said, "Happy Birthday, Rob. Hope it's a good one. 39 FOREVER!" There. Done. Ahhh. I've evolved. I sent the message with no nerves. Lassiez fare. IIIII'M BREEZY!

Over the next 2 hours, I received email notifications that others had written birthday greetings to Rob. I measured them against mine.
"Happy Birthday, dude." Uh. Yeah. Tooooo 1995.
"God bless you on your birthday." Only on your birthday? Too judgy.
"happy birthday" Really? Not even in caps?? Booooor-ring.

Contented sigh.

Then it hit me. We are not 40. We are not 39. Rob is turning THIRTY SEVEN today!!!

Oh, brother. I deleted the post and I will NOT replace it. I haven't evolved enough.

DON'T KNOW HOW TO TITLE THIS ONE

2011-02-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Not. Muslim. Okay?

I Love Bloggin

He's a Christian.

These were all titles I considered for this blog entry. The first one seemed a little too negative. The second one seemed a little too "I'm-a-truck-driver-usin-a-CB". The third one doesn't encapsulate it well enough. So here. Just read on.

By Perry Bacon Jr. and Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, February 3, 2011; 12:37 PM
President Obama called his Christian faith "a sustaining force" in his life in an unusual speech Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where he acknowledged persistent questions about his religion and offered perhaps his most detailed comments about his spiritual beliefs and practices.
Obama, who has faced a persistent number of Americans who mistakenly believe that he is a Muslim as well as questions about why he only occasionally attends church, described how he "came to know Jesus Christ for myself and embrace him as my Lord and savior."
He acknowledged questions about his faith.
"My Christian faith, then, has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time," he said to a crowd of about 4,000 at the Washington Hilton hotel. "We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us, but whether we're being true to our conscience and true to our God. 'Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, as well.' "

WAR. What is it good for?

2010-12-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting a whole lot, as you may have noticed, because I've been using Facebook so much. However, this blog is the perfect medium for this topic. I don't want EVERYONE to see my honest opinions - only the chosen few whom I know and trust!

I'm from a small town. The population is MAYBE 3,000. Recently, a 21-year-old soldier from Ronan was severly wounded when he came upon an IED. His left leg was amputated at the hip, his right leg was amputated at the knee. He also lost all of the fingers on his left hand. His family has started a Facebook page for him and the pictures of him in the hospital are pretty shocking. And they didn't even show the main injuries, thankfully.

I don't know this soldier personally, but I know his family. I graduated with his cousin. I talked with her and she is deeply saddened by all of this, naturally. So even though I don't know him, I joined the Facebook group page. The family is very excited that there are almost 1300 group members. They feel loved and encouraged, which is exactly the point.

I am feeling so conflicted about the whole thing. So many of the sentiments are hero-focused: You are my hero. I don't know you, but I look up to you. You are the town hero. You are a true hero. My cousin/brother/friend/dad is in Afghanistan too and you're all my heroes. It's because of you I have freedom.

You get the picture.

And I don't disagree with these sentiments. I really don't. He IS a hero.

He was awarded a purple heart yesterday. The head guy in the marines (can you tell I DON'T have a military background??) came to the hospital and personally presented it to him. There were several pictures on the FB page. All the comments were very supportive: You're amazing! Way to go! Congratulations!

Here's the problem I'm having. Why are we celebrating such a tragedy. Here's this young man who was a wrestler in high school and had a penchant for coaching it even. I guess he was on a tenuous path in high school until about his junior year and he turned himself around. He has pictures on FB from just this May where he was at an amusement park, living life to its fullest.

Then he got sent to Afghanistan. Apparently, U.S. soldiers do a lot of foot patrol there. The Afghani soldiers know this so there are thousands of IEDs, so much so that CBS recently did a story about the large numbers of wounded soldiers, specifcally amputees, coming out of Afghanistan.

Why? Can someone tell me? Why are we there??

I mean the specific reasons. I've already heard that our soldiers are fighting for our freedom, but I don't see that in this case. How is getting blown up in Afghanistan protecting me from another 9/11 IF that is even a valid reason for starting this war.

I'm no war strategist - not by any stretch of the imagination - but couldn't we operate on the DEFENSE rather than the offense? I mean, if a group or country from Afghanistan moves onto our soil in a defensive way, then we'll fight back. I understand that a LITTLE more than this. We are invading this country, scaring their citizens, killing and maming our soldiers, and at the very least, changing the destiny of the young men and women fighting.

From the sounds of it, the soldier from my home town is a fighter. He's tough. He's resillient. He's not one to get stuck in the mire. He is the life of the party and doesn't let much get him down. I'm sure his outlook on life will help him through the journey and what people are saying is true: God DOES have a plan for his life. But a "bigger" plan? That's what so many of them are saying. Is losing limbs a bigger plan?

There is an element here of "we're experiencing this tragedy, we have to make some kind of sense of it or we'll go crazy so we'll say it's better, we'll reward it, we'll box it in a container marked 'meant to be.'" Maybe then it won't hurt so much. I get that. I totally get that. We all DO that.

I just can't bring myself to celebrate something that I find so senseless.

HAPPY HOWLOWEEN

2010-10-31T22:23:00.000-07:00

Pictures are coming, but until then....

We waited and waited for a new friend to bring some costumes to us for Bella. First, she forgot them on Wednesday. Then she said she'd bring them Friday. But wait. She decided to go out of the country for a few days. Then she said Saturday for sure. Huh uh. She got back late from her trip. I finally gave up and bought 2 costumes off people from Craigs List: a dog and a mouse. Then, lo and behold, the new friend showed up this afternoon. The costumes she brought were all soooooo darling: 2 giraffes, a leopard, a fairy princess, a hunny pot from Winnie the Pooh, a pea pod (Abby's size and she wore it), and one other one that I can't remember right now. At first, Bella wanted NOTHING to do with ANY of the costumes. Then she finally put the leopard one on. It was the only one that was styled like a coat and not a full body suit. But then tonight, she chose the mouse costume. She was soooo cute. She went to maybe 3 houses. The rest of the time, she was perfectly content to be pushed in her stroller while playing with her flashlight from Gwamma Hezzy.

Abby was the cutest little pea pod! She did really well. She generally does not like her car seat so the fact that she was ok being pushed in it for an hour was great! The weather was very mild, thankfully.

Greg was able to join us this year! Yay! Being that Halloween was on a Sunday night, he didn't have to work! :-)

On a totally separate note, I can't WAIT for the elections to be OVER. I'm soooo tired of the ads and phone calls.

Okay, I DON'T want to end with that mini-rant! Halloween was lots of fun. Oh yeah - Bella ate her first Tootsie Roll. Now THAT'S entertainment!

HELLLLLLOOOOOO, Blog World!

2010-10-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

Yikes. I've been VERY tardy with posting about the arrival of our sweet baby Abigail. She was born on Aug 31 at 1:10 p.m. She weighed 9 pounds and was 20 inches long. Now, almost 7 weeks (yikes!) later, she weights 12 POUNDS! We're so happy that she's healthy and strong. She's already smiling (and SMIZING, you ANTM fans!). She's also trying to hold up her head.

Bella is AMAZING with Abby. She loves to pat her on the head and help us burp her. Bella gets so excited, we often have to remind her to be gentle. "Gentle touches, Bella, GENTLE." Sometimes, her eyes will get kinda crazy and her whole body shakes and we just ever-so-subtly move her AWAY from the baby..... But mostly, she's very helpful and protective. She's always reminding us not to forget Abby!

I'm off work for another month and a half so I'm very excited to be home with the girls and Greg. Though there have been days where I've WISHED I could go back to work! Having 2 girls under 18 months of age is TOUGH. Jojo recently reminded me it's the toughest job on Earth. He's right. But, oh, the blessings! Showers of blessings. That's what my girls are to me.

I'll try to get some pics up and get back to blogging again. Thanks for being patient! :-) Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

ANOTHER GOOD ONE!

2010-08-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

It was another great weekend! VERY different from last weekend, but highly enjoyable. I took Friday off from work and went garage saling with TJ and Kell. I got some onesies for the new baby - yay! They are soooo little. Also got Bella a new pair of shoes. That girl LOVES shoes (and all accessories). She may LOOK like her father's twin, but she's got my love of accessories. :) Came home and took a nap, which I don't often do, but I guess being this pregnant will make you wanna do that sometimes. Then, TJ and I went out for dinner. I had been craving my favorite Chinese place, Hong Kong 97 (weird name, huh?) so we went there. Bella and I took Greg to work, but he arranged for a co worker to take him home when he got off at 2 in the morning! YESSSSS. Thank you! That was the last Friday we have to think about that. Come Monday morning, he's "back in the Volvo saddle again."

Saturday was really a family day. We need to have more of those. We hung out together all day. It's so good for all of us to be together. I find I have more patience with Bella the more time I spend with her. She's so sweet. And mischievous. She gets these looks that let us know she is about to do something pesky. And she loves it! It's usually harmless, but we're working on her NOT pinching me.....ahem. Anyhoo, another afternoon nap was had by the pregnant lady and at night, we went to our friend's house. They are out of town. They have AC. We have a key. It was 100 degrees. 'Nuf said!

Today, we went to church. It's been awhile since we went as a family. It was, well, rough. We finally came to the conclusion that it's just not the church for us. So the search goes on....... but we got another idea for the new baby's name....... WE'RE NOT SAYING IT YET! It's just that everyone has their opinions and criticisms and with my hormones raging, I just can't take it! But you'll know when we choose. We will share it with the world! :-) After church, I read, relaxed, and napped. Again, not something I'm used to doing, but I just physically HAVE to right now. This evening, we've been playing, cleaning, catching up on things we've put off. Greg and Bella went for a long walk. I couldn't bring myself to join them in this 97 degree heat!

All in all, a very good weekend. I hope yours was good too!

A MOST EXCELLENT WEEKEND!

2010-08-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the birthday celebration continued! :-)

Friday night, we took Bella up to Alanna and Del's. They had her for TWO nights! They even took her to the beach. That little sweetie (Bella). THOSE little sweeties (Alanna & Del). So Friday night, I stayed up late and then picked Greg up from work. It's nice not to have to wake Bella up at 1:30 in the morning to do that! :-)

Saturday was a HUGE day! Christine and Kelly had arranged for Tae-J and I to have a birthday DAY, and I do mean an entire DAY! We started at the salon. I got a color weave and cut. I love it. The stylist put blond streaks in my reddish brown hair and then she cut it all spikey and cool. At one point, we both commented on how it felt like she was Edward Scissorhands - - - and I loved it! :-) So dramatic. Meanwhile, my friends got their massages and it sounds like they were wonderful! After we got done at the salon, we went to lunch. Mexican. Mmmmm... It was so good. Then, as if the day wasn't decadent already, we went to the movies AND they bought us treats. My word. We were so spoiled. We saw The Other Guys and we all really liked it. But our moods may have been altered at that point due to the sheer delight of the day! I think I got home around 7:00 so I was pampered for 10 hours. Soooo luxurious. Thank you, Christine and Kell!

That night, Greg and I got movies and a pizza and stayed up late and slept in the next morning. We missed our Bella to pieces, but it was a nice break.

Sunday, we picked up Bella. She had a wonderful time and travelled very well. Her new favorite toy? A small calculator. She likes when I press the buttons and tell her what numbers they are. She's so cute! Anyway, I dropped her and Greg off at home and I immediately went to get Nicole. She and I had fun. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of weeks. We went to Shari's for lunch and then browsed at Michael's for about a 1/2 hour. We always have fun, no matter what we're doing.

So, yeah. A wonderful weekend was had by all. I feel so blessed as I reflect on my 35th year and look forward to the blessings and experiences in my 36th year.

FUN TIMES WITH GRAMPA!

2010-08-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Dad's visit was really fun. We went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, Tillamook Air Museum, and Cannon Beach. What a fabulous day!

NICOLE'S MOM GETS MARRIED

2010-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding on July 3. Nicole's mom got married! Sadly, none of the pictures of Nicole or her family turned out. These are the pictures that DID turn out.

SLIGHT change of plans

2010-07-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Shortly after I posted my last blog, dad called to let me know that his ride to Portland got his dates wrong and they are actually going to be here TODAY! So yeah, still excited. Just not as prepared......

LIFE IS FUNNY, HUH?

2010-07-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

So I had all these big plans for this weekend - I was going to take my Little Sister to the Audobon Society for a tour, lunch, and interaction with some big birds. Then I was going to go to an annual slumber party that I had to miss LAST year and was looking forward to attending THIS year. Then Greg was going to have some much-needed, much-deserved alone time at the house on Sunday for about a 4-hr time frame.

One phone call changed it all.

Not in a bad way so don't get all worried! My dad called and said he would be here Thursday - Sunday and could he stay with us? Well, sure! Of course! I mean, he is my DAD! In fact, when I said, "Let me look at my calendar just to see what's going on" he goes, "Whatever you've got planned, cross it out and just put 'Yo Daddy.'" We both laughed. Well, I laughed. He just kind of goes HMPH when he laughs, unless it's a full on belly laugh and then he gets silent, his eyes light up, and his face gets red from not breathing! But that's a different subject.

Anyhoo, so we've changed the plans and got everything set for his arrival. I emailed my aunt, his sister, and got my grandma's chocolate cake recipe from her. I'm gonna surprise dad with it. I also took my lunch hour and an hour after work to go grocery shopping and got some of his favorites. (I promise you - that's the ONLY reason we have 1000 Island dressing in our fridge) I also got a beef roast. I cook THAT so regularly, that I had to actually get a recipe for it on allrecipes.com! I'm not really what you'd call a "cook."

So we're all ready! Come on down, Dad! :-) Bella's waiting for your peck on the cheek!

BACK TO THE FUTURE???

2010-07-21T14:53:00.001-07:00

If you're a keen blog reader, you'll notice that the Baby Countdown seems to have skipped ahead by a few days......hmmmmm.......curiouser and curiouser.....

We have scheduled the c-section for August 31. Yessssss! I'm getting to that point where I'm tired, walking to my car is a chore, and I have to PLAN my bathroom trips in accordance with trips up the stairs for other things. I pile stuff up at the bottom of the stairs and then take it up the next time I have to pee! Hey, if it's not urgent, and really, what IS, then I see no problem with my methodology!

So we're excited to meet this new little one! Still no name, but I'm sure we'll decide when the time is right. Great Scott! I just realized we've shaved a week off of our deciding time...... Okay, time to hit the book Greg's mom got us: "25,000+ Baby Names"..........

AN UPDATE

2010-07-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I've been inspired by reading my mom's blog and jojo's blog. They are such excellent writers/story tellers! They both fill their blogs with basic, everyday things from their lives. I always feel like I have to wait until something momentous happens before I can blog. That's why there are days (sometimes weeks) with no post on my blog! But hey, here's what's going on in my world!

We officially moved into our new apartment on June 26. I feel blessed because we have 2 bedrooms, a nicer kitchen, and NO TRAIN. I think I've blogged about this before! :-) So why am I not LOVING our new space? I finally figured it out this weekend. There are certain cosmetic things that I don't love. For instance, the carpet is kind of a brown/mauve industrial carpet & it's all over the house, except for in the kitchen and bathroom. I'm a barefoot girl and I just HATE the feel of it. I'm also not LOVING parking RIGHT next to the garbage containers that serve the entire complex, which only has about 15 units, but still.......it STANKS! And there are other little things like the floor creaks and the refrigerator whirrrs loudly. But as I reflected on those things, I thought, well all of that is just little annoyances. So again, why don't I love our new space? I guess the answer is that it's not my "ideal space" yet. I don't "want" to be there. I want to be in a 3 bdrm, 2 bath home with modern amenities, lots of parking, and a garage for Greg. I wanted to be in the Ore City duplex, but everything before and after that has been out of necessity. And I know there's a time for everything and we are in what Dave Ramsey calls our "patience time" where we are preparing ourselves financially for a more desirable home in the future. But right now, I'm just struggling with "settling." Have you been there before?

Our 12th anniversary was this last weekend. We had a really good time. We each got an hour-long massage (heavenly) and, thanks to Jeff & Kell, we stayed the night at a local hotel suite. It was a nice getaway. Of course, we missed our Bella, but she did fine with J & K. In fact, she had a blast! When we arrived to pick her up, she was chomping on a full size peach - too cute! And Kell got some fantastic pics of her playing in the wading pool. I'll try and post them when I get them from Kell.

Greg is doing so well with his CPAP machine! It's made such a difference in everything from his energy level to his wit! I used to tease him that he would tell a lot of jokes that were "in the valley" (stink bombs) before he would finally tell one that was "on the peak" (a good one!). Well, now he's just zinging me left and right! And I love it! Mostly, I love that he is feeling better.

I guess that's enough of an update for now. Thanks for reading!

OKAY OKAY

2010-07-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hez is all hot and bothered because everytime she's checked my blog lately, she's greeted with the headline "Holey Cream" and she's SICK of it! So for her sanity, and your enjoyment, here's a picture of Bella and Greg from Father's Day. Are you happy now, Hez??!!

HOLEY CREAM!

2010-06-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a Rosie fan. I don't have Sirius radio so I can't listen to her show, but I enjoy the recaps on www.rosieradio.blogspot.com. Today, they talked about a donut shop in NYC called Holey Cream. Read about it (from rosieradio.blogspot.com)

"HOLEY CREAMPete made a stop at the Holey Cream donut shop yesterday to pick up a menu and to try to get them to give them free items (which didn't work). He said they don't have a menu so he wrote down everything they offer. They make their own donuts and then they fill it with their own homemade ice cream. There are 36 flavors of ice cream (Pete wrote them ALL down and read them off!) to choose from. You pick your donut and then you choose an icing to dip it in, either vanilla, chocolate or caramel. Then you pick a topping (oreos, heathbar, sprinkles, etc.) Rosie picked a donut iced with vanilla with chocolate chip ice cream with mini chocolate chips on top. Jeannie picked a donut iced with caramel topped with heathbar crunch ice cream with heathbar cruch pieces on top. Pete chose a donut iced with chocolate stuffed with midnight mud pie ice cream and oreo pieces on top."

A FUNNY STORY

2010-06-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I was in a video store renting Child's Play and All About Eve. Strange choices, I know. But this is not your run of the mill video store so it was a great, local place for me to find these particular movies. It was a Friday night, very busy, and there were a few cashiers working the counter. My cashier was a nice, young man who was very patient in trying to figure out my account, which I hadn't used in something like 8 years! The cashier next to him was a young woman who was very hip looking and was kind of bantering with her customer.

I couldn't keep my eyes off this cashier! Why? Was it because she was so beautiful? Or was it her quippy conversational skills? Maybe her cute outfit?

None of the above.

I couldn't stop staring at her because she had a moustache on her upper lip. It was dark, pencil thin, and looked as if it had been drawn in. So as I stole sideways glances in her direction, I heard her customer finally say to her, "Your moustache has me intrigued."

She replied, "UNH! I keep GETTING that! What's the big deal? It's just a moustache!"

Gotta love Portland!

GOINGS ON

2010-06-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

My dear sweet friend/brother asked me to do a new post so here we are!

Let's see - what's going on?

Ever feel like there's nothing going on, but there's EVERTHING going on?? Nicole and I are having a garage sale this Saturday. I told her we would do it last year, and we never did so this is our year! Man, I can't believe how much crap we have - especially since our apartment is only 800 sf!

Speaking of apartments, we are moving next weekend! Yikes! It's coming up so quickly! We found a 2 bdrm townhouse (2 story) apartment not far from our current place. With the new baby coming, we desperately need the 2nd bedroom. I hope Bella transitions well. She's so used to her crib being in our room, that it MAY freak her out to wake up in the morning and not see us right there. But we're excited about the move. I'm going to have my piano in MY space! (thank you, Griggs, for storing it these last few months)

Things on my mind:

"The" oil spill

Our country's sensitivity to the way things are worded

The devastating effects on the shoreline life

The devastating effects, known and unknown, on the people who live there

The government's new policy, as of March '11, to only issue electronic payments - no more checks. That makes it so difficult for those members of our society who do not have checking accounts and do not want government-issued debit cards.
New baby - names???? We only have a few ideas and we're not in love with any of them!
My niece, Peyton, who is going to be a big Kindergartener in the fall. Love you!
Bella's cough. Sounds awful!
Packing, packing, packing
Nappy D with Nicole on Friday night!

Okay, so there's my totally random post! Hope you enjoyed it!

MY NEW HAIR

2010-06-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I changed my hair. . . again. I was wearing it up everyday, trying to find the right claw clip for the length it was at, etc. I couldn't get it all up in a pony tail at night so sleeping was uncomfortable. It wasn't as stylish as I like it to be. So I got it chopped. I like it! If you're in the Portland area, you NEED to go to Beverly Payment (yes, Payment). I'll give you her number if you are interested.

(I threw in a bonus pic of Bella - couldn't help myself!)

Note: I guess I STILL haven't figured out the order in which to post pics from my camera to the blog. Sorry for starting the post with the BACK of my head! Sheesh!

SMUCKERS STARS ON ICE. . . with my Lil Sis

2010-06-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

TODD ELDREDGE
Our view was great! Thank you, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, for the ground floor seating!

Gotta love the zamboni!

Nicole, getting ready to ride the MAX train for the first time!

We had a blast!

FUN WITH MY LITTLE SIS!

2010-05-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

A little over 3 years ago, I started the process of being matched with a Little Sister through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Nicole and I were matched up in March of '07. Since then, we've had many adventures - we love to shop, bake, and play games. Last Wednesday, we attempted to bake. We ended up dumping the cake pan, batter and all, all over the oven door! We laughed, took pictures, cleaned up the mess, and decided to play Monopoly. What fun! What a treasure I have in her! :)

SHE WALKS!

2010-05-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, INDEED

2010-05-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

A LETTER FROM THE PROUD PAPA

2010-04-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Greg sent this email out the other day, and I thought it was so sweet, I HAD to post it:

Hello all,
As most of you know we are expecting another little " eatin'&poopin' " machine. :-) The email on this pregnancy has been a little slow to come out. However, get ready to be informed. We have an appt for May 5th, at which time we should be able to determine the sex of the baby. This should help ease all of your concerns and you will finally know if you are going to be an aunt or uncle!

wait for it, wait for it...

See what I did there? I made a funny. Anyway, expect more details and info as we progress in our pregnancy. So far, this prenancy has been going very well. Char hasn't really been sick much. She is definately starting to get more tired. She has done a great job adjusting. Baby II is growing stronger everyday. All the appointments thus far have been very positive and we expecting and praying for a smooth 4 months to go.

Take care and we love you all,

Greg, Char, Chrissy, Bella, and the littlest one of all

p.s. feel free to suggest boys names, we are a little stumped at this point.

IT'S BAAAACK!

2010-04-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, the baby countdown widget is back! I was a bit disheartened when it showed up saying 133 days or whatever, but hey - that's almost 1/2 way there, right? (I'm pregnant - don't make me do the math)
In other baby news, Bella is getting sooo big. She goes from a sitting position to standing with no help from people or things. She is very excited to have learned this. She is babbling more and more and discovering her voice. She takes 2-3 steps here and there. She LOVES to be chased. She loves to wear necklaces. She holds and lovingly pats her baby doll and her panda bear as she smiles and laughs. She is a true joy.

TOTALLY RANDOM THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

2010-04-26T14:52:00.001-07:00

How in the WORLD did Pandora get from my FIRST choice song, Speechless by Lady Gaga, to The BEACH BOYS????? Sometimes, I question the "intuitiveness" of modern technology.

Rest in Peace

2010-04-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Bernie can rest now. He died on Monday morning at 2:00 a.m. with family by his side. He gave his wife a "kiss on the cheek" as he took his last breath. So thoughtful till the end. We will miss you.

"My Sweet Dad"

2010-04-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Greg's father is dieing. It's difficult to see those words in black and white. But it's reality. He went into the hospital in late December to have surgery to remove cancer. In the process, he suffered a stroke. But he still had his speech and other functions so we were cautiously optimistic about his chances of survival. Throughout the next couple of months, there was rehab, physical therapy, moving to a nursing home, going back to the ER various times, going BACK in the hospital and then a few days later going BACK to the nursing home. It's been a roller coaster, to say the least. A couple of weeks ago, or maybe it was just last week - I've lost track - we were told that the cancer was not gone and had, in fact, spread to the liver. Not only had it spread to the liver, but the counts were so high, the machine could not calculate the massive amount of cancer. With his fragile health, there is no way his body can handle cancer treatments of any kind.

As of yesterday, he is in a hospice facility. It's really "nice" if you can describe such things that way. We saw him today. They say it might be the last time we see him. But he seemed so good! It's hard to believe that his body is failing when his mind is so much in tact.

He is such a sweet man. I got to tell him that today, through tears. I told him that MY dad has a lot of really good qualities, but that Bernie is my sweet dad. He's always thinking of others. For instance, today the hospice chaplain came in and introduced himself. He asked Bernie if he needed anything. Clear as day, Bernie replied, "No, but what can we do for YOU?" And he meant it. Sincerely. The chaplain was taken aback. I don't think he's used to people asking HIM that. But that's how Bernie is. And that's his legacy. I love you, Bernie.

PLEASE INDULGE ME

2010-03-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

My wonderful sis-in-law got some great snaps at Bella's party so I HAVE to share them with you. :-)

PICS FROM THE BIG DAY

2010-03-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

Gwamma and Bella having a great time at Red Robin!

Bella had a coaster up to her ear like a phone. Plus, her hair was all matted from the earlier cake and frosting!

Wow. Intense much??

"Well, I'm sorry but where's my food?"

"Okay, I have a balloon. All better now."

It was a beautiful day for a swing.

Pretty in green.

She was KIND of into her cake, but not really. It was a very dainty affair.

Big Girl!

In her party dress. With her phone??

The night before the party, we had a game night with Chrissy and Sanchez. Just like the good ol' days! I beat them at Yahtzee. Just like the good ol' days!

The cute couple celebrated 5 years today!

Scalpal!

We had a great time at Cannon Beach! We picked up Hez from the airport on Wednesday, and went directly to the beach. We were only going to stay 1 night, but we had such a great time, we decided 2 nights would be PERFECT.

BELLA'S ONE!!

2010-03-06T07:43:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday, Isabella! You are a blessing to so many! We love you.

BELLA & DADDY GO TO MULTNOMAH FALLS

2010-02-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, this first one was taken when she was at home. She loves to play with my necklaces!

All this crawling & no grass stains. Good job, Bella!

I love this picture! She just looks like she's having so much fun.

Well, I guess there were SOME grass stains-on her face!

Yes, she's barefoot. She's ALWAYS barefoot!

Nice form, Bella!

Mmmmmm, who needs lunch when you have a field of grass??

Dat's Good!

Bright sun. (and note, she DID have socks on)

Full parking lot at the falls.

TWINS!

Time for a cracker break!

What a fun adventure!

Beautiful view from Crown Vista

Greg loves his Volvo!

IT'S BEEN AWHILE....

2010-02-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I posted pics, so here are some from this weekend. Greg and I went to Cannon Beach to scope out some places to stay when my mom visits in 2 weeks.

ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-02-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

It's official.....

WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!

I went to the doctor Friday and it was determined that I am about 10.5 wks along so the baby is due in September. Wow. That means 17 months between the siblings. Hmmmm.......oh well! Should be an adventure!

We are extremely excited and wanted to share our joy with you!

DID YOU WATCH?

2010-02-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Did you watch Ellen's debut on American Idol? I saw the first 1/2 hour. I like Ellen, but I was prepared to NOT like her on AI. It's not that I particularly LOVED Paula, but I just thought that having a new person would throw everything off.

In spite of my initial misgivings, I actually did like Ellen last night. I heard on the radio this morning that people are criticizing Ellen for being mean to contestant, Skiiboski. Yes, Skiiboski. All she said was that Skiiboski (okay, I'll stop typing that) was scary and that she felt like he was stalking them. She advised him to not frighten his audience. She wasn't being tongue in cheek. She wasn't saying it to get a laugh. I got the feeling that was how she truly felt. I felt the same way she did. He was skeevy, smarmy, and weird! But the criticism of Ellen today is that she is trying to be too much like Simon, aka she's being mean. HUH?? Everything I heard her say was delivered gently, but it was honest. I guess people miss Paula more than they thought they would.

I DO still miss Paula. Even when she was over-medicated (putting it mildly), she brought an energy to the show. She may have looked ridiculous standing up, dancing, clapping (or trying to), but she DID give the show energy.

I don't know. I'm kind of over AI. I'll stick with it for this season because, let's face it - I love TV and I have nothing else going on. But next year's a different story.....

LINES

2010-02-02T07:54:00.001-08:00

line in the sand
don't cross this line
line up
go to the back of the line
don't cut in line
toe the line
we got our lines crossed
straight lines
crooked lines
double lines

IT'S HARD WORK BEIN' A BABY!

2010-01-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

BELLA'S LATEST TRICKS

2010-01-19T10:37:00.001-08:00

As our Bella approaches 11 months old, she's getting rather smart in her old age!

She "gives five!" I have to give credit to her Uncle Del for this one.
She makes a bwa bwa sound by hitting her open mouth with her open hand.
She has shouting matches with us. Don't worry - it's a good thing. She's definitely finding her vocal chords!
She helps me with the dishes! Whatever silverware I put IN the dishwasher, she takes OUT. Granted, she puts it on the floor, but I love it!
One of her all-time favorite things to do is take EVERYTHING out of her diaper bag, and I do mean everything. She flings the items behind her in a very determined, intense manner.
She loves to take things out of "her" cupboard. She knows which cupboard is hers and we've put some safe things in there. She goes to it and flings that stuff out too!
She stood on her own for about a second and a half yesterday! We could tell by the look on her face that she was surprised.
Her tongue is out more often than not and she loves to lick our legs! Hey! As long as she's not biting, I'm okay with it.
She loves to play with our shoes.
We THINK she can say "up."
She CAN hold her own bottle, but she still prefers to put both hands on the back of her head while WE feed her.

What a joy!

THEY REALLY ARE TWINS

2010-01-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

This is what I woke up to this morning. I can't believe they even SLEEP the same! Too sweet for words.

YOU MUST ALLOW YOUR HEART TO BREAK

2010-01-15T14:31:00.001-08:00

Haiti. There was a time when I heard "Haiti" and no images were conjured up. Literally. If I heard that word, I would think, oh I think that's somewhere down by Florida.

Since the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti, I have avoided news reports, stories on the web, basically all information about it. I mean, why do I need to see that? I know it's awful. Give me the Conan vs. Jay scandal over Haiti ANY day. Keep it light. Don't allow your heart to break. It's depressing. It's sad. You don't need that.

Today, I made a conscious choice to click on the slide show on Rosie O'Donnell's web site www.rosie.com. It was only a few minutes long. I'm sure she set music to it, but I don't have speakers so I thought it MAY be okay to just watch it. I knew it was a risk. I might cry. I might FEEL something. As I watched the images, some quite disturbing, some hopeful, I DID cry and I DID feel. As the tears streamed down my face and I fought to control my breathing while sitting at my desk in my very public office, I realized something. I needed to FEEL this. I needed to open my heart. As I saw the pictures of the dead, including babies (harsh, but true), I realized what if that were MY baby? My precious, precious 10-month-old baby who brings so much joy to so many. What if this had happened to us? What if I could not hold her in my arms even one more time? I would have no choice but for my heart to break.

So, for today, I choose to let my heart break for Haiti.

MY NEW HAIR & A COUPLE RANDOM SHOTS

2010-01-13T17:31:00.001-08:00

FEEDING ESCAPADES

2010-01-06T17:49:00.001-08:00

We are trying to "let" Bella feed herself more often. Daddy is better at this than I am. I know I'm a messy person, but it really bothers me to see food around her mouth, let alone EVERYWHERE!! But I know it's good for her skills building and for her to grow in her independence. Yikes! (I took these "pictures" using the snap feature on our Flip video camera - not too shabby. And yes, I will post the video - I just don't know when.)

OH YES, THIS IS!

2010-01-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

Aaron's spastic and sweet reaction to getting a Wii from Santa.

CHRISTMAS VIDEO COURTESY OF PHIL

2010-01-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

SCENES FROM CHRISTMAS 2009

2009-12-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

This picture of Aaron was taken by Noah!

Kelly resting in the wrapping paper bliss!

sweet girl

Yummy ribbon!!

Noah basking in the greatness that is Wii.

Claaaassic Bella!

Pretty girl

Bella & Auntie Christine hung out all morning!

Thanks for the noisy toy, Auntie Kelly!

I love it!

Yes, I do!!

Yeah, I'm wearin' a Santa headband - jealous??

WORK ANTICS

2009-12-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

(can you tell I was finally able to download some videos from my Flip??)
The first video was birthed out of a dare. A coworker and friend, Sherry, made fun of an outfit I was wearing one day. I had beaded fringe on the hem of my pants and a very sparkly shirt. She said, "What's it gonna be tomorrow, CharB - FEATHERS??!!" So guess what?

The second video is at a TERRIBLE angle, but I've had requests (believe it or not) from coworkers for me to put this video up on my blog. It was taken last Thursday at our office Christmas party. Please excuse the camera work at the beginning (and the angle all the way through). Maybe just close your eyes and listen. Okay.....here's the video.

VIDEO EXTRAVAGANZA!

2009-12-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

From 11/25/09

From 11/22/09

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

2009-12-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Yule Tones (Bella stole the show!)

Sonny & Cher---reunited!

"River" - what can I say? It's a sad Christmas song.

Mike on guitar and Kevin on keyboard (not pictured) were awesome accompanists!

We had a great office Christmas party last Thursday. I know - you usually don't hear the words "great" and "office party" together, but it truely was! A group of us sang carols, I sang a solo, and a band from the middle school across the street came over and played a ton of festive music! Even though times are times, or maybe BECAUSE times are tough, I am thankful that I work at a fun place. I have to say, with the new addition of the "Steevie Awards", it felt an awful lot like an episode of The Office. I couldn't get the "Dundees" out of my head!

MILESTONES

2009-12-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

Our Bella is so sweet (even though she won't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time - grrr)! She is doing so much and growing so much!

Here are just a few of the new developments:

She knows her name when we call her.
She pulls herself up on ANY and EVERY thing: laundry basket, storage totes, bookshelves, rocking chair, ottoman, couch, paper shredder (!), etc.
She loves to be with us EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME.
She claps.
She does "all done" in sign language.
She waves (backwards, but it still counts!).
She eats "Level 3" solid baby food.
She wears 9 mos clothing.
She eats paper (not a positive development, but funny)!
She plays peek-a-boo by holding up a blanket or something over her eyes and waiting for us to say "peek-a-boo."
She CRAWLS!!! The old Army scoot is a thing of the past. And she's FAST!
She holds her own bottle. This has just happened in the last couple of days, and we are thrilled about it! No more "I'm-gonna-put-my-hands-behind-my-head-while-you-feed-me" pose.
When she wants to stand up, she looks for our hands because she knows we'll stick out a finger that she can grasp. When she's grasped one finger, she looks to our other hand for the other finger and then hoists herself up.

It's a really fun time in our lives, and she is such a blessing.

CUTE STOCKING STUFFER IDEA

2009-12-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

These are so funny! And who wouldn't like a real dollar from Burger King? Okay, well maybe not my vegan friends, but hey! The cards are still a hoot!
https://secure2.bk.com/en/us/campaigns/bk-dollar-holidays.html

TIS THE SEASON!

2009-12-02T19:51:00.001-08:00

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/r5Hi2EeQFtxH820j

THANKFUL - A PHOTO JOURNAL

2009-11-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

Jen and AnnMarie were gracious hosts - and even better chefs! Ever had chantilly with raspberry compote? Well, ya should!
Joelf, Jen wanted you to see what she's done with the place. Oh, and show you that she's using the stuff you left behind (napkins, etc)! :-)

Bella and I at Jen & AnnMarie's.

A feast for kings and queens!

Fun times!

GOOFY FACES!

Thankful faces.

Del is SUCH a poser! (if you knew him, you'd know he's so NOT a poser, but he is a good sport and I'm so thankful he's my brother-in-law)

Del's parents and Greg's mom listen intently.

Part of the beautiful centerpiece that was entirely made up of lilies in various shades of orange. Joelf, you would have loved it!

Bella had fun army scooting through the house.

Bella (Miss Fish Face) and her cousin, Beatrix. Soooo fun to have babies around!

Nadine, the hostess with the mostest!

Awwwww, I love these ladies! They're going out for Black Friday. Pray for them.

Gramma Eileen and Bella

Greg and his parents. Has the tryptophin (sp) kicked in?

Bella and Bea

Bella brings so much joy to everyone around her.

And finally, a bonus picture - Bella's new hiding spot.

UNDER HER CRIB! Deet, maybe we shouldn't have gotten rid of all those clothes that were stored under there.

I have so many blessings in my life.

A pre-Thanksgiving Rant (not so thankful)

2009-11-25T13:28:00.001-08:00

I'm not so thankful for:
1.) People who answer their phone and then shuffle around and rustle around and then go, "Can you call me back in 5 minutes?" It's like, um WHY did you ANSWER the phone in the first place??

2.) Restaurant coupons that make you think you're getting a deal (for instance: Buy a large pizza and get a kids' meal free) and then come to find out, the large pizza is $23 and the kids' meal was $3.40. That's NOT a deal! I can get 4 pizzas at Dominoe's for $20 and feed my family AND the neighborhood kids!

3.) Women's groups who only support women whose ideals and "platforms" match their own. Can't we just support one another, or at least not cut each other down??

4.) People who have no boundaries. Of course, they don't understand it when YOU establish boundaries. You become the meanie for "laying down the law."

5.) A sense of entitlement. Failure to plan on YOUR part does not constitute an emergency on mine. Here's some advice: if you don't have the money for it, don't buy it. If it breaks, you might have to fix it yourself. If you want something, you might have to work for it. It might take you longer, but you might have to actually do it yourself.

6.) Negative, ranting, ungrateful lists the day before Thanksgiving. I sure hope this blog author redeems herself with something positive tomorrow.

JUST A LITTLE CUTENESS FOR YOUR MONDAY!

2009-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU, VETERANS

2009-11-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

My friend, Kell, pointed me to this web site. It's such an easy, quick way to say "thank you" to our service men and women, especially on this day.
www.letssaythanks.com

MY NEW HAIR

2009-11-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

WILD CHILD

2009-10-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

PUMPKIN PATCH

2009-10-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

The gang's all here!

"I'm holdin' on real tight, Daddy!"

Noah has fun feeding the goats.

"The pumpkins are pretty, but the GRASS tastes really good!"

Yeah, we're stylin' at the Pumpkin Patch. Ohhh yeah.

Damian shares his feed with Aaron.

A little snack before we get on the train.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades. Or, in Bella's case, just squint!

PRESENTING.....QUEEN BELLA

2009-10-23T07:47:00.001-07:00

Me, Nicole, and Twilight

2009-10-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Nicole and I had our first sleepover this weekend and we had a great time! Friday night, we watched Twilight (NOT for the first time) and Saturday, we went around to all the local places where it was filmed. Truth be told, I'm not a huge Twilight fan, but I AM a Nicole fan! She rocks! She so fun and funny. She's also a real fashionista. I just love hanging out with her. (plug for Big Brothers/Big Sisters: check it out!)

7 MONTH SWEETNESS!

2009-10-16T10:03:00.001-07:00

FRIENDS - THEY'RE THE BEST!

2009-10-12T22:23:00.001-07:00

What a weekend! These pics are in reverse chronilogical order. Let's put it this way - in 3 days, we hit 3 outlet malls, cheated death twice (once with a near miss with a semi going the wrong way on a one way street and once with a bomb scare at the Rose Garden Arena), stayed at an awesome hotel with a swanky bar and 24-hour pool, and laughed soooo much! I love these women! And I'm so thankful for all 3 of our husbands who stayed home with the children so that we could be revived, rejuvenated, and refreshed.

Above: Kell and TJ show off the loot we scored at the North Bend outlet mall! We also hit Troutdale and Chehalis outlet malls!
Above: Nadeen, Kelly's mom-in-law, was gracious enough to let us stay at her house in Olympia. Here we are at Applebee's. Is that a martini glass in front of me? Nahhhh.....

Ok. So I admit. I missed my baby. On our way up north, I called Alanna (Greg's sister, who Bella was with on Saturday) and she was so sweet. She and her daughter, Savannah, drove and met us, literally, on the side of the road so that I could have a few minutes of snuggle time.

TJ and Kell enjoy the suite at the Rose Garden Arena where we participated in the Women of Faith conference. It was truly amazing, inspiring. It felt like a hug from God. This is the awesome hotel we stayed at Friday night. HIGHLY recommend it!

SUCCESS!

2009-10-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

The Lasik went very well today! I'm simply amazed at the technology available. I'm equally amazed with the staff at EyeHealth NW. The doctor's assistants were incredible. They even gave me a teddy bear to hold (more like "put a death grip on") during the surgery. The laser part only lasted, literally, 10 seconds. Amazing. I came home and slept. Well, I went to TCBY first. Gotta have recovery food! :-) Anyway, I came home and slept for a few hours. Kell brought me cookies and "The Notebook" to watch, or NOT watch since I had to keep my eyes closed for 5 hours. But those 5 hours have now passed and I'm feeling good. Thanks for your encouragement! Oh yeah - did I mention I have to wear goggles until tomorrow morning?? Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!

BACK UNDER THE KNIFE

2009-10-08T10:15:00.001-07:00

Well, not REALLY. But I AM going back under the laser. Last March, I had laser eye surgery. It IS as good as everyone told me it would be. I don't even hardly remember my life with glasses. And I wore them for 27 years!

After the Lasik, my vision was great. As time went by, I noticed that my right eye wasn't quite up to snuff. If I close my left eye, I can certainly SEE out of the right eye, but it's not as crisp as I want it. The doctor agrees that it could be better so come Monday, I'm going back under for an enhancement on the right eye. The hardest part is not the lasering or the smell of the laser as it tic tic tics away at my exposed eyeball. It's AFTER the surgery when I have to keep my eyes closed for 5 hours. Aw man! Oh well, it'll be worth it!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

2009-10-05T07:50:00.001-07:00

Greg and I just started a Bible study entitled "One Month to Live." The basic premise is to think about what we would do with our lives, what decisions we would make if we had one month to live. What would YOU do? How would your daily life change? Is the thought of having only one month to live freeing to you or scary or sad or......

I FORGOT I HAD THESE! FLIP FIESTA!

2009-09-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

VIDEO POST

2009-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Joelfre asked me for a pic of my hair today because I (gasp) actually styled it today (2nd gasp)! So I took a quick video at lunch. Via con Dios, Jojo! We love you!

2009-09-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

I never get quotes right - or jokes. Seriously. I'll say, "Oh I just love that quote by that one person who said that one thing. I can't remember it, but it was awesome." Or I'll say, "Oh I have a joke. Okay, there was this (pause) woman. I think. Yeah, yeah. It was a woman. And she (pause). Wait - WAS it a woman? I can't remember." And so on and so on until I kill the joke (and not in a good way). All of that to say I really DID hear a good quote yesterday, and I'm going to try to impart it to you.

I was watching PBS (okay, flipping through channels at a mile a minute), and there was a program on about a naturist who worked tirelessly to conserve parts of what is now Yosemite Park. I've never been to Yosemite, but I grew up going to Glacier Park, and we just spent our family reunion in Yellowstone Park. But hello. I am NOT a nature girl. I do not ENJOY camping, tent or otherwise. I do not ENJOY sitting outside in the dark or waking up covered in dew. I do not ENJOY hiking to the top of a mountain. Or hill. Or walking over land as flat as a fritter. I just don't. However........

.....when we went to Yellowstone, something in me was awakened. Or maybe I should say "re-awakened." See, I used to swim in the irrigation ditches and LOOK FOR snakes in the hills outside our house. I used to catch turtles in the pond, and spend hours on the tire swing. I used to collect rocks (of the outdoor variety). I used to sleep outside with nothing but some blankets and a pillow. And I wasn't even being punished! I actually WANTED to stay out there. Wow. But somewhere along the way, I lost my verve for all things outdoors. Enter Yellowstone. Its pristine mineral beds, forest regrowth after the fire, sky that goes on FOREVER, animals just roaming - - it was all mind blowing, really. We even got a personal tour from my aunt who works there. Amazing, amazing creation. I felt close to God there. And not in a cheesy, emotional way. Just in a very true, comfortable way. It was like something that had long been dormant was awakened, which leads me to the quote. Don't worry - I looked it up just to be SURE I didn't butcher it!
"
-John Muir

Okay - the above is NOT a type-O.

After MINUTES of looking, I cannot find that blankity blank quote ANYWHERE! The gist was something about how nature makes our souls complete.

Or something like that. Crap.

INSPIRATION?

2009-09-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I'm not feeling very inspired lately. Is it because fall is approaching? Anyone who knows me knows that fall is not my favorite time of year. Although it's been so dang HOT here this summer, that the fall temps might be a welcome change. I don't know. I'm just kind of going to work, taking care of Bella, paying bills, doing errands - nothing really going on. Well, I guess I AM going to teach at a worship seminar this weekend, which will be fun. I guess I better talk to the coordinator to see exactly what he wants me teach!

What inspires YOU?

A PIC OF THE WHOLE REUNION GANG

2009-09-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

UPDATE #2: I think this will work now..... click on it to enlarge it.

UPDATE: This is a thumbnail - not an actual picture - so you can't enlarge it (thanks for cluing me in, Tracy!). I'll work on this so you can actually see us!

Click on the picture to enlarge it and see all our beautiful mugs! :-)

FUN TIMES IN MT (and Idaho)

2009-09-12T20:43:00.001-07:00

Oh. My. Gosh. We had a great time in Ronan, Yellowstone Park, and Hope, Idaho. What a vacation! Here are some of the highlights.

PROOF OF SAID FANGS

2009-08-21T11:09:00.001-07:00

Ok, you can't see her teeth in this one, but I had to show her her tie-dyed cuteness!
There they are!

This one just cracks me up! Look at those CHEEKS!

All the better to eat solid food with, my dear! (not yet, but soon!)

AN UNWANTED FIRST

2009-08-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

Little dolly girl fell off the bed. Ugh. What a sickening feeling - for her AND us! She's ok. In fact, she is totally fine. We called the doctor and all that. Immediately after it happened, we did all the right things, and WILL do all the right things in the future like not letting her nap in our bed anymore, only having her sleep in her crib, etc.

She doesn't even have a knot on her head. Or an irratic, new twitch. Or crossed eyes. Or any other number of hideous scenarios floating around in my head. She truely is fine. Then why do I still feel sooooo heartbroken?

I waited 4 hours after it happened to call my mom. I needed to know that *I* had fallen off a bed at 5 months old and lived to tell about it because if it happened to ME, surely MY little girl will be ok. Logical? No. Comforting? DEFINITELY. Well, comforting if my mom answered the right way.....

She did! Yay! I fell off a bed when I was 5 months old too! (that explains a lot about me, doesn't it?)

My mom told me about my "incident" in great detail and even now, 35 years later, I could hear the emotion in her voice. Just knowing that she empathized with me was a real comfort. She also shared about a fall my sister took down some stairs when she was about 1 and a half. (Don't worry - she was ok. They were getting ready to take her to the hospital to get her checked out. She was screaming her head off and all of a sudden, she stopped screaming. My mom looked at her to see what was going on. Out of my sister's little mouth came the words: "That's MY hot dog! Want hot dog!" Apparently, one of the bystanders had a tubular treat that my sister wanted to get her mits on! Right then and there, my mom knew my sister would be ok.)

Before I got pregnant, and really DURING the pregnancy too, I told my nearest and dearest friends (you know, the ones who understand my narcissistic, sardonic ways) - "I do NOT want ANY advice about pregnancy, babies, the care of babies. Nothing. I want to experience this ON MY OWN. I want all the firsts."

After today, I realize the importance of not only getting, but more importantly, LISTENING to the advice and stories of those who have gone before.

Well, I'm taking a deep breath, counting my blessings, and looking forward to FUN firsts.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2009-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga's album, The Fame. Crass, strange, creative, addicting. Thanks, TJ & Joelf!
Fit Flops. Extremely comfy AND they give you a calf workout. Ok, they're mostly just comfy. Thanks, Kell!

photos courtesy Jen Steele

Peanut Butter Torte from Evil Cake Lady (oh. my. gosh. delish.) Thank you, Jen.

1st DAY AT THE BEACH!

2009-08-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Joelf, Greg, and I had the privelege of taking Bella to the beach for the first time yesterday. Here are some photos.

FANGS!

2009-08-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

Ok, people. My not-quite-5-month-old has her first tooth!
Her first tooth!
I often let her chomp on my knuckle and last night, while she was chomping, I decided to feel around and see if there were any new developments. Sure enough - on the bottom center-ish, there's one little fang poking through. We're so excited! Yes, bring on the constant use of bibs and the crying and the medicine. That's all fine and good. We're just excited to go through these different phases with our sweet Bella!
Other cool things:

she holds her pacifier and can put it in her mouth by herself (most of the time!).
she grabs at our face and nose and loves to just study us as we talk.
she rolls over like a banshi (sp??).
she LOVES physical play.
when she gets frustrated, she talks with a LOT of vowels and consonants. It's hard to comfort her right away because she sounds so darn cute!
her exzema is diminishing.
she still sleeps about 9 hours a night!

We just love our little girl and wanted to share some milestones with you!

SWEET BELLA

2009-07-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you (especially gramma & grampa Kammer) who need a Bella fix, here ya go! I took these this morning.

FRUN times (fun plus free)

2009-07-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

I went to the mall today and spent $1.98 and got all of this (thanks, Kelly at www.wilsonwrites.com):
Coach pencils in a neat carrying case. They also gave me one of their cool shopping bags that I can reuse as a gift bag. Totally free with the online coupon. (By the way, I am LOVING the new Sabrina line at Coach. The one I want is a MERE $358!)
Victoria’s Secret 99 cent nail file. Had to buy something to get the….FREE lip gloss!
Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar travel size $1 hand sanitizer. Had to buy something to get the…..FREE travel size Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion!
THREE pieces of See’s Candies - my husband thanks you for the samples, See’s lady!

Joelf's B-day

2009-07-12T19:35:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Joelf's 36th, we went to a place called Voicebox. It. Was. AWESOME. You rent a private karaoke room. There's food and libations. And tons of music. The staff was excellent - attentive but not overbearing. I highly recommend it!

A TENDER MOMENT

2009-07-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

NO DAY BUT TODAY

2009-06-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

One of my brothers graciously treated me to see the Broadway show "Rent" last night. I went with Jen, Joelf, Alli, and AnnMarie. We sat 4th row, center! There is NO better way to see a play! Some might find the subject matter of "Rent" a little controversial, but I enjoy the message of love, hope, and getting the most out of life.

WOMEN OF FAITH IN PORTLAND

2009-06-09T14:23:00.001-07:00

Hi all,
This is a call out to you local Portlanders who might have connections to discounted tickets for this Fall's Women of Faith conference. The most obvious discount I can see on their web site is for group ticket sales. All that's required is a group of 10. Is your church planning on this? Ours is not (they do WOF every other year) so it would be great if me and 2 of my friends could get our tickets through your group so we could take advantage of the discount.....

LEARNING ABOUT THE FLIP CAMERA

2009-06-06T00:23:00.000-07:00

and loving it!

A NEW "GRANDPUPPY"!

2009-06-06T00:21:00.001-07:00

This is Ava! Look at those paws. And that adorable face!

SHE'S LAUGHING!

2009-06-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

Cutest. Girl. Ever.

3rd ANNUAL PARADE OF PUPPETY ODDBALLS

2009-06-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

We do a fundraiser at my work every year and the proceeds go to a need family at Christmas time. How do we make the money? We charge a $1 per item entry fee. People bring weird stuff from their desk. Some people even make floats! It's all very creative and everybody seems to love it. Here's the YouTube link to the video from today's parade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrHpKxWMkNU

NEW VIDEO & STATS!

2009-06-01T22:31:00.001-07:00

Weight: 11.6 lbs
Height: 24 inches
Cuteness factor: off the charts

WATCH AM NORTHWEST FRIDAY @ 9 a.m.

2009-05-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Kell did an AMAZING job. Here's the link to her segment
http://www.katu.com/amnw/segments/46472457.html

My sister friend, Kelly, recently published her fist book entitled "Live Cheap and Free." It's a great book about making your dollar stretch. It can be purchased at Amazon, Borders, and Book Locker. This whole process has been very exciting! Well tomorrow could be the most dramatic part of this experience to date: Kelly is going to be a guest on Portland's "AM Northwest", a daily talk show on KATU Channel 2. It starts at 9:00 a.m. so if you're in the Portland area, be sure to watch! Check out Kelly's blog for more information and great tips on saving money. Way to go, Kell! http://www.wilsonwrites.com/

TIME FOR A RANT.....

2009-05-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I had an issue with the corporate office at Dayrunner. At this point, I can't even tell you what the issue was but I remember they made it right by giving me the product that I needed at no charge. Great. Satisfied me. Perfect.

Now they've ticked me off again. Back in January, I did quite a bit of research to find the perfect refillable, zippered planner. I couldn't use my previous refillable planner because Dayrunner had stopped manufacturing that size. My research brought me to Office Depot where I purchased a red (yes!) zippered, refillable planner. It was $30, but I figured well, I can use it every year so it's worth it. Plus, I had a $10 coupon so $20 was fine by me.

The weekly pages in the planner are undated, which I actually like because you can just write in your own dates. Cuts down on waste. More affordable. Perfect. Well, recently, I was filling out the dates and realized, huh - there are only enough pages to get me through July 29, 2009. Let's see. July 29th is nowhere NEAR December so I knew there HAD to be a mistake.

I waited until after I had my baby to call the company. I figured it would be best, especially given my history with them, if I waited until my raging hormones were at a dull roar instead of the full-fledged roar there were at when I was with child. So I called today.

Guess what I was told???

"Yeah, we make it like that on purpose."

I said, "Can I ask why? Is it just so you can make more money off of your customers by not giving them the whole years' worth and force them to buy a refill??"

"Yeah, pretty much."

EXCUSE ME???

So I took a breath. After all, it's not this guy's fault. He's just the poor shlub answering the phone. I'm thinking, "I'm sooooo glad I waited until after I had the baby to make this call!"

Ok. Shake it off.

So I said, "Ok, how much are the pre-printed refills?

"$9.99"

I'm thinking, "Sheesh, I only paid $20 for the whole dang book!"

Then he goes, "Oh, but we're sold out of the 2009 pre-prints in that size."

SOLD OUT???!!!! In May????!!!! I don't get it.

I asked him if I had any options and he said, "No, not really. You're between a rock and a hard place."

I asked him to tell the uppity ups that this is a bad business practice and he said he will, but who knows. After all, I've been the poor shlub on that end of the phone and sometimes you just hang up and say, "I need a drink." Actually, I don't need a drink - I NEED SOME REFILL CALENDAR PAGES FOR A CALENDAR I BOUGHT IN JANUARY. IS IT SO UNREASONABLE TO THINK THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH PAGES FOR THE YEAR???

Take a breath. Hormones, assemble.

GOTTA LOVE THE 80s!

2009-05-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, Greg and I went to an 80s themed prom at Kennedy School, a fun restaurant/theater/hotel/bar that used to be a school. We had a great time with Moelf, W, Jen, Cookie, Germ, Noah, and Julie. It was, like, totally rad!

Bella is 2 months old!

2009-05-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Bella and I took on our first ROAD TRIP this last weekend! :-) We went to Montana from Friday to Sunday. Greg had to work so we were sad that he couldn't come with us. We actually tagged along with Joelf since he was going to Montana for the weekend anyway. Bella got to meet all the Grants, including Dawn, Romie, and Caroline. It was such a special time. And she did GREAT in the car, which was a shock because she has NOT liked the car seat in the past. Here are a couple of pics from our adventure. Hope you had a great Easter!

CUTEST. FEET. EVER.

2009-03-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

THE SWEETEST STOWAWAY

2009-03-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

SQUIRMY BABY

2009-03-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

SLEEPING BABY

2009-03-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

Video of our Bella....

2009-03-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome ISABELLA KATHRYN KAMMER!

2009-03-10T16:16:00.001-07:00

She's here! She was born via C-section on 3/6/9 (easy to remember, eh?) at 9:39 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 19.5 inches long. She is THEE sweetest. She had a case of jaundice, but it seems to be dissipating. We are in the throes of learning how to best feed her. My mom is here until the 19th and Greg could not be more supportive or more in love. My dad was also here for 5 days. Such a blessing to have grammas and grampas around! Thanks to all who have showered us with love and support. Here's a link to the pics they took in the hospital. (the 2 pictures here on my blog were just taken with our digital)

http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=41a99e4c-3aee-43cb-932e-5e07bf0c086d

Visitor Password: 55851260579139

BEDREST - it ain't just a capital in Hungary!

2009-02-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I was reaching with the headline (a play on Budapest - get it??). But I've got to keep my sense of humor! Everything's fine with me and the baby. On Tuesday when I went in for my normal appointment, my blood pressure was a little on the high side. They did a bunch of blood work and monitoring and found that I'm doing great & so is the baby. However, they want me to take it easy until she's born so that my blood pressure doesn't spike. I've been on bed rest since then. Our next appointment is Monday afternoon. There's been talk of inducing, but I told the doctor that as long as I'm not in danger and the baby's not in danger, I'd rather wait. He agrees. So now it's just a waiting game........