New Year

Only an hour to go. It will officially be 2010. The news shows were all about what happened in the first decade of the 2000's. It's amazing how much has happened in 10 years. I know that in my own life lots of changes happened in the years 2000 thru 2010. Moved twice, watched my children grow and change, job changes, loss of friends and changes for myself. I feel like 2009 was difficult in many ways and really rough for lots of people. Hoping that '10 brings comfort and blessings to those that really need it, deserve it. I am not a believer in resolutions. Don't get me wrong, I want to believe in resolutions and believe that they work. I just have lived long enough and been around enough to know that they just don't hold up for long. It's a refreshing idea, new year, new goals... It's just that they don't seem to stick for most people. I am filled with a renewed sense of being and it really just is coincidental with the new year. I am gonna have a new job and that will help me have some new things to do in my daily life. Sure lots happened in the last 10 years and many of those things were good, perhaps even great. It's all about finding that glass half full. Some times the champagne flute seems half empty but it usually gets refilled again by someone with a big bottle of the bubbly who is happy to top off my glass.
We are warm and safe in our home, cozy and sleepy, some of us had no intention of staying awake til midnight, some of us were not too sure, some of us are really trying and some of us will sail right thru to midnight and probably beyond with no ill effects til tomorrow morning. I will report back and let you all know who made it and who did not. Happy New Year, Happy Decade done and Decade begun.

Christmas Time is Family Time

It has been a holiday filled with family. We haven't had as much time with my sister's family or my parents as we used to. In California we were only five hours away so we were able to make it work being together more often. We have really enjoyed being with everyone. I know it will be hard to go home, especially for the girls. I am always torn, being with family and wanting to be in my own home. It's hard also, being away from my husband. We miss him so much. He has done well, working and holding down the fort while we are gone. He has been putting in lots of long weird hours. He told me today that he has some picking up around the house to do and that for the most part has kept the house clean- I know I can rely on him to do that.


So, Christmas is over, we are having a lazy day today. There are a few things that we have to get done but for the most part, we will just have some more fun. When I get back to Washington it will be nose to the grindstone. I will officially working! I am really really really looking forward to it. I just hope that my new employer will be glad that they took me on. I always like the holidays, whether it be Christmas or any other but I always like getting back into a routine as well.

What Christmas is All About

I have heard it said that Christmas is for children. Having my own children did make me appreciate the holiday season so much more but I couldn't put my whole 100% into it because I was a working mom with two small children. Seeing everything through their eyes did bring back some of that hard to find Christmas spirit.
Now I am the mother of teenagers and the Christmas feeling has scampered off to find others with small children. Lucky for me, I have been in the company of some young children lately and have seen the fun of it all. It started with my cousins children. They had their trees up, had gingerbread house decorating parties,etc.


The cousins are all young and still so innocent and sweet when it comes to all things Baby Jesus and Santa. Now I am lucky enough to be in the company of my five year old niece for the holiday season. She is decorating cookies, helping her dad put up Christmas lights, singing carols at school, telling us about Santa coming to her house and bringing her a telescope. It's refreshing to get to be a part of that again.





We adults have to try to find the mood, get into the spirit. It isn't our fault. It's hard to get excited about spending more money than you have, cooking more than usual, adding parties, school programs, extra errands to your already hectic schedule and having 20 extra people sleeping in your house and eating your food. We have to be responsible, still go to work and then feel bad because we aren't getting into the spirit. We all need to have some children in our lives to remind us of the wonder and awe.

Stay Tuned

I have been like a maniac shutter bug. I have taken dozens upon dozens of photos. I will post them as soon as I finish with baking today. We are heading over to the store to get the rest of our ingredients. I will take some photos of the beautiful creations that we attempt to produce. Today is my sister and brother in law's 23rd anniversary. We are going to celebrate with some rib eyes, baked potatoes and lettuce wedges, can you say YUM????? Today also happens to be my grandpa's 88th birthday. We did call but haven't spoken to him yet, he was already in the car and off to church. Will call him later and let him chat with his great grand daughters.
88 years old. It's hard to imagine. I have known him since he was in
his early 40's or something like that. I wonder how he feels having a grand daughter who will be turning 50 in a few short years.
My sister and Sidney are ready to head out to Super Target and I don't want to incur their wrath. Shout out to my dad who made us some delicious ribs last night. Fun card games, great food, tears and laughter talking about things past.

Trippin'

No, not a drug induced kind of trippin'. Just you know... taking a trip. Airplane rides were non eventful, packed full of uneducated travelers. I really do believe after some airport/plane observation, that there are people that never travel by plane. There are those that have odd airport behavior, don't know how to line up to board the plane and then once on the plane-lordy lordy... My girls make me proud, they are seasoned pros. They go right to the expert traveler's lane for security, shoes, laptops and jackets into the bins, thru the screener, pack up the stuff, shoes on, and off to the gate. They have been traveling across the country by plane since they were babies. It has gotten to the point that they are telling me to turn off my phone and ipod, buckle my seat belt, etc... You trade parents for a husband, then get kids who tell you what to do.
So we are in sunny, warm Arizona. It has been in the 70's so it feels like a Seattle summer. We even requested the air conditioner be turned on in Papa's car on the ride home from the airport. Today is a windy desert kind of day, sunny to be sure. We have been busy already. My niece had her Christmas program at school yesterday. Nothing like a bunch of five year olds singing Rudolph to get you into the holiday spirit. Sister and I have had some time to hang out, chat and of course laugh. Daughters have split up their living arrangements as well. One at grandparents and one aunt's house. There is one very happy five year old hanging around Riley- can't let her out of her sight.
I will be going to unpack and make my new home for the next two weeks.

It's a Wonderful Life

The evening is drawing to a close. We three girls are packed. Our suitcases are stuffed to the limit, our laptop/carry on bags are in the same shape. I tried to filter my laptop bag down, do I need three pairs of glasses? I have them to match my outfits for god sakes! I have our boarding passes printed, food made for Bob in the fridge, girl's rooms picked up and everything else that I can think of. We sat down as a family and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" tonight. We had intended to watch it last weekend but stuff just got in the way. Bob had his nice, roaring, warm fire in the fireplace and we ate on leftover enchiladas that I had made. It was a lovely last evening for us to spend together. It will be a hard two weeks in that we will all miss dad/husband. He assures me that he will be fine and is looking forward to the peace and quiet. He gets up early and goes to bed early so he wont miss the little interaction he gets with us during the busy holiday season. We will miss him tho. Some tears were shed during the movie, I am not sure if the tears were for George Bailey or for us missing Bob. The girls had never seen the movie before, they weren't sure if they liked it or it's message. They understood it but thought it was just sad. Of course we parents discussed the whole thing with them and they were polite to listen to us.
We are excited to say the very least. We are excited to go to the airport, we are excited to get on the plane, sit on the plane, lay over in Reno, get to Phoenix and see everyone. We have our laptops, ipods, movies, magazines and books. I think that about does it for entertainment.
I will be reporting from Arizona I am sure, so stayed tuned! Bon Voyage!

Book Club

I had lots of clients that were in book clubs. I always felt a bit jealous that they had a book they had to read and then got to share their thoughts about that book with others. I have officially joined a book club. I was invited by a client and most of the women live close by. The book for this meeting was the Poisonwood Bible. The group tries to choose a book that is not on the current best seller's list because it can be hard to get at the library or on the cheap. I got my copy from the library. I had tried to read Poisonwood a few years ago but just couldn't do it. Most of the group said the same thing. If it weren't required I don't think I would have read it. I am glad I stuck it out. I learned a lot about Africa and the Congo. I do know that I could never live there for any length of time. So next month is Jack Kerouac's On the Road. Definitely books I would not have chosen on my own, that is good thing.

Holiday Images

I have loads of Christmas memories material. I could go on for hours, dating back to when I was three. I hope that my girls have good Christmas memories to recall when they are old like me. The girls and I went to my cousin Jill's house today for a gingerbread house decorating party. The houses were darling and there was sooo much good stuff to decorate with! Yesterday, they hung the outside lights with their dad. It was cold but sunny, perfect for hanging lights. The other photo is of a blue spruce we have in the back yard, it is so perfectly shaped and cute that I had to decorate it. Riley helped me last weekend. We put plastic ornaments all over it and it is so adorable. I love looking out my windows and seeing it there.

Bone Chilling Cold

Well, darn close to bone chilling. It hasn't been over 35 degrees in a whole lotta days. It has been sunny and I must say that has been nice, but dang. The cloud cover will create a blanket of warmth over us and raise the temp to somewhere in the low to mid 40's...C'mon cloud cover... The weather forecast is using the "S" word for this weekend, ick, I could live with out snow for a whole lotta months.
Bob was home early, he has been working on some special projects at work and has been going in early- he likes it, feels like he gets more of the day to come home and do what he needs to get done. Dry walling a portion of the basement, firewood, yard work.
Girls have busy-ness this weekend. Sid is still working on the final touches of her video TLC's "What Not To Wear" in espanol. Riley has a slumber party and is going to a cool place where all of the floors, walls, etc. are trampolines. She has been under the weather and is feeling better and ready to party.
I am still working on getting my stuff together for our trip.

Eeeek Gads!

I am getting all worked up! I am realizing how soon our trip to Arizona is coming up. I am trying to get things together, really... I am. It's all still in the mental stages of getting it all together but it's still a plan.

Devotional

I have (I know others in the family do too) a daily devotional that I read. I don't think that I have ever posted anything about it but today's touched me. It's a sad day, the memorial for the four slain police officers is beginning in a bit. The news is on in the background and it's all just sad... This was a bright spot for me to read today. The great thing about these devotionals is that they always seem to be just what I needed to hear on that particular day. They are written by Rick Warren from "A Purpose Driven Life"...

"Once we're secure inside God's unconditional love, we'll start cutting people a lot of slack. We won't be as angry as we've been. We'll be more patient. We'll be more forgiving. We'll be more merciful. We'll give others grace.

But you cannot give to others what you have not received yourself, and so my hope is that, as you learn how much God loves you, you'll also let him heal your heart so that his love can flow freely through you. It's impossible to love others until you really feel loved yourself. "

It is another sunny but VERY cold day today. We have had no precipitation, lots of sun and super cold temps. If we were to get rain it would be snow for sure and that can just not happen. I am (as are lots of Washingtonians) still not over last year's deluge. I just want to fly out of here on the 17th to sunny Arizona and not care about the "S-word".

I would like you to meet someone...

His name is Jake Olson. The girls and I met him last night on the ABC news. Tho, not in person, we did see him and his story on the television...

"When Jake was a year old, he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a condition in which cancerous tumors develop in the retina, in both eyes. Doctors removed his left eye, but with chemotherapy and radiation, they were able to save his right.

That right eye has shown him his world -- the faces of his parents, his twin sister, Emma, the surf near his home in Huntington Beach, Calif., and the fairways and greens of nearby golf courses, where he and his father play as often as they can.

The cancer has returned eight times, and each time, Jake beat it. However, this past September, he learned it had come back again, and this time treatment didn't work. Doctors told him they would have to take his right eye, too.

With more than a month before his surgery, Jake told his parents that what he wanted to see most one last time was another USC Trojans game. His wish reached Trojan head coach, Pete Carroll.

"The first thing was let's make sure that he gets inside and gets to see everything that he wants to see," Carroll said. "God bless him, he deserves every bit of it."

The Trojans invited Jake to practice Oct. 14, where he was introduced to his favorite player, center Kris O'Dowd. It wasn't long before a bond was born between the fellow centers."







So he has surgery and USC players go to the hospital to be with the family and Jake and then after he recovers he gets to go back for a game and says that the game was EVEN BETTER without his sight because it made it so exciting in his head.

What the hell is wrong with me? I have my sight, my children are ultra healthy. I am pitiful in whining about my stupid life. I have many many blessings and will concentrate on those. I am making my New Year's resolution early. I will put it as eloquently as possible... Shut the hell up and be thankful and quit with the pity parties that you occasionally invite yourself to.

Friends

I finally forced myself to load my pictures from my Girls Gone Wild weekend, back in November. It seems like my friends were just here and it seems like years ago. The best part was being with them like no time had past at all... I guess I was a bit too sad to post them any earlier PLUS, I would love for them to send me the photos they took! Such a good time, good food, good wine, good chick flicks... What more could you ask for?



This is pretty much the weather pattern the whole time they were here! They got a good taste of Seattle weather!
I thought I had more but realized some were on my Blackberry and were not publish-blog-quality...



VERY important part of the visit... the pedicures! We felt ready to tackle anything once our toes were beeeeautifulllll!


One day of sunshine did make us so very happy!

Little Jobs

I am a little bit sad tonight. My four day job is over. I had the pleasure of taking care of my cousins two little girls. They are ages three and one. I felt so calm and peaceful when the three year old and I would sit and color. We would chat away, laugh and critique each other's coloring technique and choices. The one year old was another story all together. So funny, so active and so freakin' cute. The peaceful moments with her were when she slept for a long stretch while laying on me. She can be such a cuddle bug. It makes a mom of teenagers appreciate how challenging in other ways it is to be the mom of little ones.


While chilly, it was a sunny day. On my way home this afternoon, the moon was already in full view. Big, white and round. It was full as full could be and just got brighter and whiter as the sky grew darker. Picked Sid and her friend up from bowling, they had a match today and won as well.

Lots going on this week, can't believe it is December. The girls and I will be on a plane headed down to Arizona before we know it.