Happy Birthday to Me!

Before you start wishing me well wishes, IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY YET!

But we finally got a new camera! Yay! And we are calling it my birthday present.

So my pictures will be better here, thank goodness!

Have a great weekend!

6 days until our two weeks in St. Thomas, pray for 0 hurricanes!

Happy NieNie Day!!!!

Today is NieNie Day! All across blogland auctions are going on to raise money for her, her hubby and her kiddos. Go here for details and here for a great auction.

Let's go Giants! Let's go!

One of my favorite things about living in the Bay Area is going to San Francisco!

AT&T Park is so beautiful and Saturday a group of us went for a great game!

Here was our view from our seats. Final score- Giants 4, Padres 3 Woohoo!

Since hubby had to work, E got to bring a friend. They had a blast!

~E & C coming out of the GIANT Coke Bottle slide~

~D made his own entertainment with his GIANT jaw breaker~

Our GIANT group! My parents, sisters, brother, nieces, kids and friends!

A tradition in our family is to go to a great ice cream parlor in Oakland called Fentons Creamery. We all resisted the temptation at the ballpark and saved room for ice cream!

Is anyone out there getting tired of all of my food posts!

Ups and Downs

Do you ever have weeks where you are so up and down that it throws you off balance? Well, that is how my week has been! Hence the reason there have been 0 posts and 0 workouts~see sidebar. Yikes!

So here are some reasons why I have been all over the place this past week.

~UP~

This is my new "ride". Everyone in our family had a bike and now I do too! I, honestly, had not been on a bike in years and there is not anything like the wind rushing through your hair. I felt 12 again!

~Down ~

When my great friend introduced me to blogging about a year ago, there was one blog that I have checked almost everyday since. She has been on my blog roll (NieNie Dialogues) since day one and has always inspired me with her Spirit, creativity, joy for life and her lovely family. Her posts are so intimate (especially her love letters to her husband) that I really feel like I know her.

Monday night that same great friend (that introduced me to blogging) also told me that our dear NieNie was in a plane crash with her husband. I think of them every single day. It really reminds us that every second is special. If you would like to read more about her progress, see here, here and here. I, in no way, want to trivialize the incident above. None of the "ups" have overshadowed the sadness I feel for that sweet family. But I know that Heavenly Father loves them, and us. I know our Savior, Jesus Christ, is comforting them and their family and that He has a plan for them.

~Up~

Hubby and I went out for an anniversary dinner. Two words...chocolate fondue. :)

~Down~

Unfortunately, that is the last time I have really seen hubby. He has been getting home very, very late (even staying near work one night). We have plans to go to the Giants game this Saturday and he informed me he will be working and will try to make it.

~Up~

A good friend came into town this week. She and her two kids stayed with us. It was nice to have some slumber parties. Great friends are...well, great! She and I both really, really enjoy chocolate.

I found these little treasures and they are really good. (are you beginning to see a pattern that my ups often have to do with food?) And only 150 calories! That is if you only eat one of the two AND do not add ice cream to it.

~Down~

I have a pile of unfolded laundry sitting in my bathroom that is equivalent to a small mountain. I have been sidetracked and procrastinated. My dirty little secret is haunting me! (maybe I should get off the computer and fold it!)

~Up~

I finished painting my very large bonus room aqua! Here is a little sneak peak of the color. I don't really want to post an after picture until the paneling is up...BUT who knows when that will be ? (see "down" #2 above)

I know we all have weeks like these. Sometimes we can roll with them, other times not so much! Thanks for listening and I hope your roller coaster is a lot less "loopy" than mine!

Spiritual Enlightenment

This is what Sundays are all about for me!

Humbled-Just an update

Here I posted about choosing the perfect paint color. Well...I am humbled to say... love the color, but on such a vast area it is a little WOW! So please forgive me if I came across as a know-it-all in that particular post (or whenever for that matter).

So, now, with my wallowing done...onto the project update! My vision has crystalized and I am about 1/3 done with the aqua paint. This really has been a busy week to take on a project. Then, I have experimented and come up with a whitwash technique that acheives exactly what I was after in the beginning~ looking like the sun has faded it~ On the large wall behind the couch and the corner with the windows, I will put wide plank paneling (2/3 up the wall) which will look weathered and whitewashed also.

Hubby is not completely sold on the whole vision so I told him I would DO IT ALL, with just a little help with the cutting of planks. Wish me luck! And this weekend is busy, busy too so I will be working well into next week. :)

Have a Fabulous Weekend!

The Lucky ♥13♥

Thirteen years ago today I was married.

In many ways I still feel like the girl in these pictures (just with extra pounds and two little ones).

I was living in Southern California while finishing up college. I was recently baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was having a great time dating! I was also looking ahead to my upcoming graduation and moving to Northern California to begin my teaching credential. I WAS NOT looking to get married! I had heard many of our friends speak of him, as he was soon coming home from serving his mission in Japan. I was interested in who this guy was. When he came back, he immediately began dating another girl. That was okay, I was totally interested in someone else (who later became a groomsman in our wedding).

My first impression of him was that he was a slacker. I was in charge of social events for our church group and he never came to any of the meetings he was supposed to be at. I remember giving him a hard time...and so the nagging began. From that point on we became quick friends. I even remember ditching a class because we were so involved in a conversation. He would discuss his "girlfriend" and I would give him advice (mostly to break up with her). We spent a lot of time together and my feelings became more than just friends. There were a couple of other girls after him too. On Halloween, while he still had a girlfriend, he helped me plan and throw a party. I remember imagining that we were married (so corny). We also went on a retreat in the mountains, he STILL had the girlfriend, and we talked and danced and I really started to become smitten. Soon, we were playing in a softball tournament together and I rode alone with him in his car. While sweaty -with a baseball hat on -I said, "We should try dating sometime. I think you're cute. I think you think I'm cute and we get along really well. I would treat you wayyyy better than she does." Wow, that was mean to the other girl! And guess what he said??? "No, I really think it is going to work out with her."

Ugh! "Oh well" I thought, "I'm moving away in just a couple of months anyway." A few days later I wanted to talk to him about the situation to make sure things were not weird between us...Well, they were! He still wanted to continue things on with her, but it was awkward. Then, a couple nights later he called and said, "How about Saturday night we go out and see what happens?" We went to Newport Beach and sat on the beach and talked. It was there that we both knew we would spend the rest of our lives together. When my family found out I was engaged they said, "You're not even dating anyone!"
Our courtship was unconventional. We went from friends to engaged in just three months. I did move home and we spent our engagement apart. When we finally got married, on August 12, 1995 we knew we would have an eternity of love and adventure ahead of us. And for the last thirteen years that is exactly what it has been!

The top thirteen reasons I am in love with him ~

• I am still attracted to him, especially now when he is tan and his hair is really blonde!
• He works really hard to provide for our needs.
• He has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• He teaches our children important life lessons.
• He allows me the freedom to be myself.
• He supports me in my interests.
• He just plain puts up with my shenanigans.
• He is the "expert" in many areas. :)
• He is loyal to us.
• He plans for our future.
• He is funny and outgoing.
• Everyone loves him!
• HE LOVES ME!

I look forward to the next thirteen years, and the next, and the next...

California Dreamin'

Please forgive my pictures, I am down a camera so all these pictures are from my phone. I am asking for a new camera for my birthday so I can take pictures like her and her.

This past weekend was what dreams are made of! After watching the Olympic opening ceremony, the kids camped in the backyard and actually stayed there all night long.
On Saturday, hubby had a work function in Santa Cruz and we got to tag along! Ahhh, summer fun!

After the fun barbecue on the beach, we hopped in the car and headed to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
The drive was spectacular and I was drooling over the houses along the coast. More dreaming!

This place is just plain interesting. Really, the only amusement parks we go to are Disneyland so it was very neat to a) not pay an admission and b) see people go from beach to rides! The kids loved it!

No day is complete without a little treat. These are deep fried Oreo's. Sound gross, well think again! YUM!

choosing paint

I LOVE PAINT! and I love to choose paint colors! It is cheap and the most instant gratification you can get. So as I embark on choosing a color for our only white walled room in the house, I thought I would show you my process for being happy in the end.

• I NEVER match a paint color to something in the room. I tried it once and it came out too matchy-matchy for me. I ended up repainting the room within a few years.
• I use my gut, then my head. Like in this room...it has always had a sort of beachy feel to it. When I saw aqua walls in Mamma Mia, I knew that it was what I needed to take my room to a new level.
• When I go to a paint store I grab 3-4 of the same color swatches. So I may have 7 different cards, but 3 of each of them.
• I tape up the color cards on all different walls of the room. Hence the reason I need 3-4 of the same card.
  Seeing the colors in the room, at all different lighting, on all different walls is important! Something that looked aqua in the store may look baby blue in the room.
  When the color swatches are up I immediately use scissors to cut down ones I know are not right. But I only cut the color off, another color on the same card may be perfect. Taking down the "no-goes" helps alleviate confusion.

With all of these choices one card, on all three walls, has stood out to me. I am weird, paint colors (and fabric for that matter) gives me butterflies in my tummy. That is how I know it is the right color! Please excuse my green clock, it will not go with any of these colors!

So which one did I choose? You will have to wait and find out. But I can tell you...it is not the bluest ones!

Welcome Home

Hubby came home from Japan yesterday with treats!

We all love Pocky, but these are the GIANT ones.

When we visited Tokyo together I really fell in love with the Choco Cro store. Sweet hubby took two trains, out of his way, to buy me a dozen. He even waited until right before the airport so that they would be fresh!

He really is my "real life Edward".

Perfection

~This is how it began on Friday night at midnight. ~

~This is where I read most of the 754 pages~

~This is why I am so darn OBSESSED~

"Jen, they are not REAL!"

♥♥♥♥♥

Let's go to Greece!

So, I FINALLY was able to go see the movie Mamma Mia today! Woohoo! I had been trying for two weeks but it just never worked out. I was expecting it to be fun, it sure was! I have fond memories of dancing in the aisles in London, seeing the musical. This was no different.

Movie Review Disclaimer:I go to movies purely for entertainment. I NEVER go to be philosophically moved and I hate violence or tragedy. Many years ago I made a rule of thumb that I do not see movies where more than two people get killed. Two characters dying could be romantic (think Romeo & Juliet) but more than that is disturbing to me. I also do not see rated R films.

My favorite movies are visually pleasing. I look at everything very closely - wardrobe, decor, set design- think of The Holiday and Miracle On 34th Street.

Below are some reasons I liked Mamma Mia~enough to overshadow some questionable singers and some risque innuendos~

The above picture is the main reason I adored this movie. Almost in every scene the trio of aqua, pink and white showed up. I also loved Sophie's wedding dress and flower tiara.

In this scene I really didn't hear a word the actors said. I was too busy studying that couch and the wall treatment. I am now wanting to paint my bonus room aqua!

Each and every time they showed the sparkling sea I practically gasped! I would LOVE to spend a week at "Villa Donna".

I adored Amanda Seyfried as Sophie. She was innocent, adorable and sparkly! Perfect!

It did not hurt that Dominic Cooper had one great set of abs! I am always a sucker for a leading man with a nice body and English accent.

So, if you are in the mood to sing (E actually got upset that I was bebopping in my seat and hooting aloud )and to look at a visually pretty display, go check it out!