January 25, 2008

January 14, 2008

Quotables

"Cleaning while the children are still growing
is like shoveling while it is still snowing."
(Oh, SO TRUE!!!! I saw this on a MOPS email last week and I can't remember who said it, but I've been thinking about it every day since then).


Livi's version of the ABC song:
"A-B-C-D-E-F-G, how 'bout I not sing with you."


And then the best....following is the last paragraph of a Christmas letter we received from some friends that live here, and it really touched me. Sometimes other people can put words to my thoughts so much better than I ever could. May it bless you as well:
"To end this letter we are tempted to close with the words "God Bless." We would say it with all intentions of wanting you to excel, succeed, prosper and be kept from difficulty and pain this coming year. But what we really desire for you is that you really live and prosper with the abundance of God. So, this year we will pray that no earthly luxury would cheat you of true prosperity, which is an abundant life in Christ. If ease and earthly success is given in the process, we rejoice with you, but if you experience hardships and trials this coming year we pray that you cling to Jesus, the giver of abundant life."

Amen, friends!!

January 11, 2008

I've been "tagged" for a "meme"

So I'm not completely up to par with my blogger lingo. A couple of times I've been tagged for a "meme" (can anyone tell me what a "meme" is....what does it mean?! Is it cuz it's all about me, me?). So this one is just a list of several things about me that you may not have known....some are weird or surprising, I know. :-) And it's definitely not a complete list. Feel free to do it on your blog, too, I love learning those quirky or fun or new little facts about my friends!

I love the smell of fresh play dough (the store-bought play-doh brand)


I was the drum major (field conductor) of our high school marching band.


I always take my eggs out of the carton in some sort of symmetrical way.


I'd love to go to a U2 concert some day.


I like to jump rope.


I'm always playing some sort of tune on my fingers...sort of like constantly playing piano.


It feels really weird to put my left leg in my pants first or my left sock on first, etc.


I REALLY like the Gilmore Girls and wish sometimes I could be in their world. :-)



Bet you never knew I could make that face!


Or wear my hair so fashionably!


January 10, 2008

Mom time

My mom flew out here for a visit on New Year's Day and it was SO wonderful to have her here. I miss her tons!
We knew it was going to rain, so we took advantage of the 2 days of decent weather we had before it started to get wet and we went to the beach and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was a great beach day (we still wore our pants and fleece coats, but it was pretty) and Carson had a blast in the sand and water, it just makes me so happy that we get to live here and go to the beach in January?!!! Cool. And then the rain set in on our way home from the aquarium and it rained till she left. So we had a lot of good hanging-out-at-home time.
I didn't take very many pictures, so mom you're gonna have to send me some! :-) Thanks for all your help around here, the kids had a great time with you and can't wait till the next time we get to be together.





January 7, 2008

A Touch of Color

We have a lot of white walls in our house. The trouble with painting in here is that all the walls seem to run together, so there are no good breaking points...if we paint one part of a wall we have to continue all through the house where we might not want that same color. But we did find a section recently that would work, so we we went bold and painted it a dark brown. I just love how a little color can really make a house feel like a home....it makes me want to do more of it in other areas. It's a lot of work, but so worth it. This area is downstairs in the hallway by the kids rooms and closet and garage and bathroom....so there were 5 door frames to go around in that tiny little area and then a big bare section of wall that you see when you enter the front door. We got another coat hook and bench with baskets from IKEA to go there so now we won't have piles of stuff on the floor all the time. I'm trying to get our house a little more organized and workable. I think I waste too much time looking for things as I'm on my way out the door, so I think having these baskets and coat hooks will really help...and I love the bench. The kids can sit on it to get their shoes on, or I can set things on it and for some reason a pile there looks so much better than a pile on the floor. :-) By nature, I'm a piler and Jason's a filer, and I want to be more like that because it's so nice when things are organized and put where they belong. We also got a little paper filer/pen & paper holder/counter organizer thing for the bar counter that tends to be a common resting place for papers that I'm not sure what to do with...so now I can put my piles in a file and make my pile look nice! My blog friend Rachel at Home Sanctuary is helping me with some organizing/cleaning, etc. ideas. You should check her blog out...it's so inspiring and awesome and funny and down-to-earth. Wouldn't it be fun to get to meet our blog friends some day? Anyways...here are some before and after shots...of course the pictures aren't quite like the real deal, but it'll do to give you an idea of the hard work Jason put into painting it so well! Thanks Lovey!