The Heidi Kronicles

Britt's Last Night of Freedom!

2012-03-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend we headed to San Francisco to Celebrate Brittany's Bachelorette Party.

We arrived at the Westin St. Francis on Saturday Afternoon.

The rooms were perfect.

We started our weekend off right with some drinks at the Cheesecake Factory on the 8th floor of Macy's in Union Square.

Some of the girls met up with us later in the evening.

We enjoyed some leisurely shopping while we waited for them to arrive.

When we got back to the room, Brittany's Sisters had arrived and Decorated.

Very Nice.

Decked out in Brittany's favorite colors we headed to Asia SF.

If you have never been, Asia SF is a Drag Queen Show and SO MUCH FUN. Only the best for Britt, the Limo dropped us off and there was a Red Carpet to welcome us.

Inside we had a private VIP section

The food was delicious. And there was SO MUCH.

Brittany was provided with a Scavenger hunt....

(most of which was not completed)

After dinner Brittany was brought up on Stage.

Where she was greeted by an Asia SF Performer

And it was Awesome.

So, So Awesome.

Brittany was such a good sport.

Especially

When the second Performer came out and gave her a SECOND spotlight show.

And

That was DOUBLE Awesome.

Britt wasn't the only Bride to be there celebrating.....

After the show we all climbed back in the Limo and headed out on the town.

We hit a couple of other places, but ended up where we knew a good time was guaranteed.

Johnny Foleys.

So. Much. Fun.

Nothing beats a Piano bar.

Brittany said it was the perfect night.

I can't believe the Wedding is in 13 days.

Holy Cow!!

Let the countdown continue!

Happy Birthday Jus!

2012-02-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to Uncle Justin and Aunt Casey's house to celebrate Uncle Justin's Birthday

Nothing say's Happy Birthday like Pizza!

And Cupcake mini's from Sinful Bliss!!

Yum!

There was wrestling....

And Wish making...

And time with family...

Happy Birthday Jus!!

I can't believe when I met you, you were only 16!!!!

How time flies!

We LOVE you Uncle Jus!!!

Weekend in Pictures

2012-02-26T21:04:00.002-08:00

Busy, busy Weekend!

Aunt Casey invited us to go Cosmic Bowling!

Maddie was a natural. And Jack was very patient with his Sister.

Maddie and Tenly ditched the balls for some time with their babies.

At one point in the afternoon my phone rang, it was Kim...She immediately said..Where are you? Above is a perfect snap of the chaos she heard....

It was pretty crazy in there....

I think Maddie may have met her Match in Tenley...

They are quite the pair.

Saturday night was our first official evening as Parents of a student.

Jack's school auction.
Parents only.

So. Much. Fun.

The theme was Viva Fiesta!

Mexican food AND shopping...

Yes! Please!

The silent Auction portion was my favorite.

I did not want to leave the building without that pig picture. I don't know why....I had to have it....

I hovered over the table..and WON! Now I just have to find the perfect spot. I LOVE it!

After dinner they did a live auction for dessert.

Our table won the 12 cupcakes from Sinful Bliss.

Hooray for Sinful Bliss for donating to our school

and double hooray for us for winning!

MMMMmmmm Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes....

Today was spent tie-ing up last minute Wedding details...

including Brit's final fitting.....

After everything wedding we needed to get ready to say good bye to Award Season...

Time for our finest evening attire.....

And The Oscar's!!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

Showering Brit!

2012-02-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

Today was Brittany's Shower.

It was a Success!!

(If I do say so myself...)

I have been planning this Bridal Shower since the day Ben proposed. I knew I wanted to do a "Love Theme", with the Wedding so close to Valentine's day, and with the party planned the weekend after Valentines day, I knew it would be even easier to execute.

It needs to be said that without my entourage, this event would not have been possible. Mom, Casey and Lindsey were worked to the bone. Every detail of this shower was addressed by each of them, and they helped TREMENDOUSLY in making this day PERFECT!
Shannon and Rob took the Kids AND Henry the day of the party to make it easier on me for set up and a kid-free, pet free party. So nice! Mary took Madeline on Friday night to make prep easier. Tegan loaned me her Valentine's Box for extra decor (is anyone surprised Tegan has a box just for Valentine's day....because I wasn't! Thank God for friends that throw as many parties as I do!) And Laura for loaning me her appetizer plates and punch bowl.

We started on Friday getting things ready.

Most of our prep was for dessert and appetizers

Casey was in charge of everything craft-y.

And Linds was in charge of everything Alch-y.

:)
I'm kidding!

Auntie Mary had Madeline for most the night, but once she came home, Mom and Dad were on Madeline duty. Here they are playing "Birthday Party" Maddie's favorite new game. And YES that is my Mother in Mad's Elmo Chair.

Decor was so much fun for this party.
I found the most adorable invitation for this shower.
On the invite there was a banner across the top.
I emailed Heather and asked ~~begged~~ her to make the sign.

PERFECT Execution.

Let me bring it in for a close up.
It's worth a second look.

So adorable.

My Mom made her sash for the party.

Super Cute!

For appetizers we made 7 layer dips in individual servings.

I found the recipe on Pinterest.

They were a HUGE hit!

We also put candy out around the room.
(Thanks Teegs for the adorable dishes)

Lunch was catered.

Woot! Woot!

I only made the salad!

Los Panchos

MMMmmmm

BCR's, Carne Asada, Chicken Tacos, Beans and Rice.

Deeeeeelicious!

For Dessert....

Fresh Fruit....

Heart Rice Krispie Treats, Pound Cake, and Marshmallows..
To dip in a Chocolate fountain....
Yum.

At the end of the Dessert counter I placed a photo from Brit and Ben's engagement shoot with Mia Hope.

Let's take a moment and talk about Mia Hope.
They recently did Brittany and Ben's engagement photo shoot and did an AMAZING job. I wasn't surprised...I had seen their work from Tegan's Wedding and knew they were the perfect photographers for the job. They are so kind, so wonderful, it was an easy decision to have them do photos for Jack's Six year annual shoot. (more on that another time) Anyway....during the shoot I was talking to June about the shower. I could see the lightbulb go off in her head. She turned to me and said, "Would you like to do an autograph board for the guest to sign at the shower? "
Uh.. YA!
OMG
Yes!
So nice!
That was last SUNDAY!
By Friday I was handed a framed photograph for signing
AND
TWO pictures to choose from.
She had me at white mat and black frame.
I'm in love with Mia Hope.
They just got a customer for LIFE.

I framed the second picture and displayed it at the dessert table.

How cute is this picture!
I can't WAIT for Wedding Pics!
Thank you again Mia Hope!

For drinks I served Brit's Fav's

Coronitas and Cranberry-Pomegrante Sangria
(if you have been turned off by Sangria's...make this one, I PROMISE you will run out....It's THAT good.)

We froze fresh fruit and cranberry-pomegranate juice in heart molds to float in the wine glasses.

We were ready!

When guests arrived they were handed a page out of Brittany's Guest book.

You answered questions about the Bride and gave her advice on Marriage.
(Shannon sent me this link a while back, and I LOVED it and had Mom order it immediately. Thanks Shan!)

Guests had fun filling out the pages.

On the invitation sent out, Guests were also asked to bring a Red Panty to add to the Bride's Lingerie collection.

We attached little tags to each panty, and asked guest to add a little "spicy" advice for the Bride.

We used these heart pins to attach the panties to the twine.
(How cute are these clothes pins....Thank you Tegan's Valentine's Tub!)

I adore this idea, not only is it cute decor for the party, but it gives the bride TONS of new panties.
(Casey saw this idea on a blog forever ago and told me about it, I immediately stored it in my Brain's Party Planning idea's for later use.... Kind of like Pinterest in my head if you will...)

Love it!

Brittany was adorable.

We had quite the turn out!

The guests played Bridal Bingo during gift opening.
(It's one of the only party games I find acceptable.)
;)

Brittany raked in the loot!
(How cute is that pillow??)

Brit was SUPER exited about her new panty collection in her favorite color.

Brittany took time after the shower to read everyone's entry into her guest book.

Lindsey was told she couldn't leave until she disassembled her creation of the Balloon Chandelier.

Dad came home and dug right into the chocolate fountain when no one was looking...

As Did Jack....

But not Ben....Benny came home and went right for the Clothesline of Panties.....
Seriously...
This IS my Brother.

:)

I'm actually gonna end it on that note.
I can't top that last pic.

I will say...

It was a great day.
For the Greatest of Girls.
Love you Brit.

Valentine's 2012

2012-02-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Heart Day!!!

We have had a VERY busy day!

Jack couldn't wait to get to school for his party.

Last week we spent a lot of time on his Valentines.

We have Aunt Casey, Oma and Aunt Brit to thank for the completion of his Valentine Box and Valentines.

(Guess I'm going to have start investing in some crafting items...)

When I saw these Valentines on Pinterest I fell in love...and Thankfully when I showed Jack, he fell in love too...

I swear...

What did we do before Pinterest??

They turned out adorable, Don't you think????

I will take credit for assembly and delivery.

(actually...MiMi assisted with Delivery.... What would I do without my entourage??)

While the kids were at school, I prepared a little surprise for them to open when they came home.

(Mr. Kirbyface got one too)

Of course I attached Balloons!

....nothing say's I love you like inflated Mylar...

I mean,

Am I right, or Am I right??

Little did I know that while I was at work a little Cupid would leave me a little surprise at my door too!

Thanks Casey for the Sweet Treats!

They were Delicious!

Clayton greeted me with a kiss, a card, and my favorite chocolate.

Love that guy.

For dinner, we didn't want to fight crowds

....or fight our children...

So I fixed a family favorite.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.

Even Jack loves it.

While I was whipping up dinner, I found a cake mix.

I decided to whip that up too.

My Kind of Valentines day...

For my Valentine(s).

Hope your day was full of Love!

Weekend Re-cap!

2012-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay.....

I had quite the busy weekend!

Saturday we went to Britt's Bridal Shower her Family threw for her.

Quite the spread!

Gram and Mom came with Me.

This is Brittany's Aunt who threw the Shower and her Daughter, Brittany's Cousin.

Brittany and her Sisters

Brittany made out like a Bandit!

Here are some of my favorite gifts

Her Sister got her this little number... Super Cute!

My Mom gave her "His" and "Hers" Robes.
She embroidered on the front mrs. on Britt's and on Benny's- mr. and Britt's new last name on the back.
I LOVE the small typewriter font!
Super Cute Mom!
(These too can be yours! I've got the hook up!)

This was AWESOME! Someone saw that Britt registered for a large beverage tub, they sent away for one that they personalized, and filled it with the Bride and Grooms favorite drinks. So thoughtful! I am TOTALLY stealing this idea...I'm just sad I didn't see this before the last two Weddings I went to this year.

The cake was breathtaking.

Brittany's Best Friends Mom is a cake maker. She saw a photo of Britt's dress and re-created it into this cake. Love that!

It was so nice to see Britt so Happy, there is no one more deserving.
I feel like the Wedding is upon us! Only 40 days left! Yikes!
LOTS more Wedding stuff to come!
Stay Tuned!

Sunday I had the honor of watching my favorite 1 year old become a member of the Catholic Club.

My little man, Baby G

I also had the pleasure of spending the morning with my other favorite Guy- Big Boy Vin.

I love these guys more than they could know.
Their Mom ain't so bad either.

Bo's Church is really fun. No pressure, lots of joy, So much fun.
The Priest by far gave the best sermon I have ever heard. EVER!
Leave it to James to find the one party church in town.
It's just reason #4,567 why I'm sad I don't live closer to my friends.
We would rock that place on Sunday's!

Jaime's Brother was the Godfather, and she asked me to be the Godmother of Gabriel.
So Honored.
I love that I'm the Godmother to both her children.
They will always be my boys.

After celebrating all things Jesus we headed out for Pancakes to keep the party going.

I told Vin to give me his Tough Guy face.
He's so Awesome.

So there you have it.
Quick, and to the point.
Weekend is over.
Back to work.

More to come!
This Month is packed!

Flashback Friday!

2012-02-03T05:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend, this lovely couple will be celebrating 57 years of Marriage.

(Let's take a moment and truly appreciate the awesomeness of this photo)

Alice and Fred

Circa 1980

This photo shoot was from their 25th year of Wedded Bliss.

Today's Flashback Friday is dedicated to them.

And THEIR Awesomeness.

Happy Anniversary Gram and Pop.

I love you so much!

Let's Talk Marriage. And Kids. And Life.

2012-02-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

Remember when you met the one you're with....

Remember when you got engaged.....

And EVERYONE told you how hard Marriage was....

And you thought to yourself...

Hmm.. Maybe for YOU.

And then...however many months into your Marriage you came to a point where you had to compromise on something, or you had your first really big disagreement.

and you thought to yourself...

Man. Marriage IS hard.

But you make it through. Whatever life throws at you...you make it through.

And then you decide to have Children.

And people tell you...

Children are amazing, wonderful, THE best thing that will happen to you......
But!....
BOY is it life changing.

And you think to yourself...

Ummm...not my children! My children will be perfect, and never embarrass me, and will ALWAYS listen, and I'm always going to be patient, and kind and they will fit into MY life. I WON'T be fitting into THEIRS.

And then....

You're at the grocery store on a Friday night and you find your daughter holding on for dear life to the can food aisle shelf in a frog like position. You realize very quickly what she is doing and when you tell her to come here, she says back to you in her loudest voice, No Mommy! I POOPING! ...

And you think to yourself....

Children ARE life changing.....

Which got me to thinking.....Both of these warnings from your loved ones, friends, strangers in Safeway....They have SO many meanings. So many layers to the words.

My Marriage being hard, is probably totally different from YOUR marriage being hard.

Clay and I were away from each other for 6 months. TWICE. We have been Married since we were 20! We grew up together. We were each others first room mates.

Our list goes on.

But being Married is the best thing that EVER happened to me. Meeting Clay is the BEST thing that ever happened to me. I am who I am because of him. And any bit of "hard" that is dished out. We eat it up, lick our fingers, and wait for the next helping.

Having children DID change my life. But not just because I can't go to Happy Hour on a whim or because we can't Fly off to Hawaii whenever we want. But Because, I'm a Mom. A caring person. The old Heidi could care less if she watched Dateline about an abducted child, and how the Parents were missing her for months before they found here. I mean it was sad don't get me wrong...I am HUMAN. but THIS Heidi can't watch ANYTHING about children without tearing up and then obsessing for days that it might happen to mine.

We are blessed in SO many ways. Having the help that we do, and people in our lives that make our life more enjoyable. We are more sane because of them and SO grateful for each and every one of them.

I thought a lot this weekend about the stress that life holds. Clay and I are under extreme stress. Two demanding jobs, two demanding children, one demanding lifestyle.

But we make it through, and to tell you the truth, if I don't stop to think about it...it goes almost unnoticed.

Until that stress is lifted.

This weekend, I had no kids to parent, No work to complete, nothing but have a good time with the Man that I Married.

And that's just what I did. I looked across the table at him this weekend and thought to myself.....

God, I love him.

I REALLY love him.

We are SO good together. He gets me. And he always has. AND he still loves me, even though my faults are crystal clear to him.

And then I said....

You know...we could handle 3 kids...

;)

(See what wine and a little relaxation does to a person....)

And he smiled..and said...we could....But....

Upon our return home the kids were like wild banchees.
He looked at me again and smiled.
Then he whispered, remember at Lunch when you said we should have 3...

And there we were, back in reality, rested, a little more patient, a little more in love, and a whole lot better for it.

So in conclusion.
Marriage is Hard.
Children are Life Changing.
And this Girl...

Wouldn't have it any other way.

The Pleasure was all mine, Mr. Keller....

2012-01-30T15:26:00.000-08:00

I have a Bucket list.
It's Quite Lengthy.

I have mentioned a few items on the list once or twice.

At the top of my list...
Enjoy a meal at Thomas Keller's French Laundry.

Last April, My very good friends the Letts, made that possible.
For months after receiving this amazing gift, I tried and tried to get a reservation. We tried for our anniversary, for the crush season, and I tried and tried for my Birthday.
You have to call 2 months to the calendar date prior to obtain reservations. I had everyone I knew try and call.

No luck.

I called and asked them to put me on the wait list for Friday through Monday on my Birthday weekend.
Christmas eve they called.

They had an opening.
ON MY BIRTHDAY.

She told me the time....

9pm seating.

I'll take it!

Waiting for 9 o'clock was like waiting for Santa when you are 6.

Pure torture.

Finally it was time.

The Restaurant is very small.
It would be very easy to pass the building and not know the Art that is created behind these stone walls.

Did I mention that I was very EXCITED.

I'm going to worn you....

There are a lot of photos of food in this post.
And a lot of descriptions of food.......
(that to some of you will read like this Flafleefla-blablahblah-yaya-Tee-Dah.)
But I think you SHOULD see the photo and read the description of the food.
It's important.
Especially if you love food as I do.

We arrived and they had our table ready.
As we passed by the front desk, the gentleman wished me a Happy Birthday.
(I hadn't told them it was my Birthday....)
I looked at him Shocked and said Thank you.

We were seated by the fireplace.
The dining area of the restaurant is the size of my living room.
There were only 6 tables in the dining room we were in.

The restaurant changes the menu daily.

I was excited to see their famous Oysters and Pearls are the only item that is consistently on the menu.

The menus were handed to us by our waiter. His name was Guillaume. (William in French.) He was so friendly and patient, and had the thickest French accent I had ever heard.

He went over the entire menu before we ordered.

He also handed Clay the wine list. Which was on an IPad that you flipped through the pages of to make your selection.

After we ordered Guillaume brought over two Champagne glasses.
Clay and I looked at each other like...Ummmm...we saw the price list for the Champagne....and we didn't order any.....But both stayed silent just exchanging eye contact.
(it's amazing how much communication can be exchanged without saying a word after 15 years of marriage.)

Guillaume could sense something and explained it was a gift for my Birthday.
(My father had called the restaurant and pre-ordered a bottle of Champagne for us to enjoy upon our arrival. So, So nice!)

The first course was not on the menu.

It was a mini puff pastry filed with goat cheese, and a Creme fraiche filled savory coned dipped in smoked salmon shavings.
Melt in your mouth.

I was very worried about how to eat it.

I flagged down the busboy and quietly asked him.
He told me to pop it in my mouth.
And I did.

The second course was their famous Oysters and Pearls

You'll have to forgive my photos in some of these shots.
The dining room was full, and I was kind of embarrassed to take photos.
My first few shots I was frantically trying to take the photo before anyone noticed.
I was torn between wanting to look calm and cool and act as if it was an every day occurrence for Clay and I to eat at a 5 star world renown restaurant, and the real me that wanted turn to everyone in our dining room and scream, "OH MY GOD, Did you guys see this plate? Did you just taste THAT?, This is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!"

I chose to quickly take my photos, look like somewhat of a tourist, and pray that my fabulous table manners and outstanding attire would distract them from my crass behavior.

Again. Forgive the amateur photography.
The photos do not do justice to the beauty that was presented before us last night.

Oyster and Pearls:
Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island creek oysters, poached in butter from vermont with a splash of vermouth topped with white Sturgeon Caviar.
To. Die. For.

For our third course we had the Sunchoke

Piperade, young fennel, castelvetran olive and arugula.

About every 20 minutes Sophie (Guillaume's Assistant) Would bring the basket of breads over.

There were so many choose from.
All the breads are baked daily at Bouchon down the street.
Above is their pretzel roll.
Holy Cow. Like no pretzel that has ever hit your lips.
Clay gave me the look of death when I whispered across the table, "This would be amazing with some mustard"

Our Fourth Course we each chose something different.
I chose to keep it safe with the fish.

Gulf Coast Pompano, pan seared, with radishes from their garden across the street, a haas avocado puree, pea shoots and satsuma mandarin.

Mr. Kirbyface gets an A+ for being an adventurest.

He ordered the frog legs.

No Joke.

Cuisses De Grenoulli
Hearts of Palm, Nantes Carrot, peanut, chili and Cilantro.
Clay said it was delicious.
I had a bite.
It tasted like Chicken.
:)

Our fifth course was our favorite savory course.

Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster
Hobbs Bacon, Scallion, mission fig chocolate emulsion sauce and caramelized cipollini onions.
Perfectly cooked, perfectly paired.
Perfect.

I had Guillaume select a wine to be paired with the rest of the evening's meal.

It was a selection from a local vineyard.
(When I told him I wasn't a big fan of french wines, he told me I should go...)

:)

I loved it!

Our Sixth course was Wolfe Ranch White Quail

Tokyo Turnips, Garnet Yam puree, Oregon Huckleberries and pecan sauce.
I'm not really one for quail....
But it was SO delicious.

Clayton felt his plate had better presentation and requested the camera to prove it.

The Seventh Course was the Lamb.
There was another choice of Beef. But the Beef selection was an additional supplement of $100 each.
I decided, If I'm gonna have Lamb.....
it might as well be prepared by the French Laundry.
Clay and I both declined the 49 day dry aged snake river farms beef.

And good thing.
The lamb was superb.
Lamb"bacon", Arrowleaf Spinach ravioli, black trumpet mushrooms and green garlic.
I layered each bite with a taste of each item on the plate.
When paired together it was like an explosion of flavor in your mouth.
You wouldn't have guessed it was Lamb.

After the lamb course my camera died. I hadn't charged the battery and had to use my small camera.
boo...

So from here on out, the rest of the night was photographed using my elph.

I took two photos to show the ratio of food to plate.
It was a beautiful presentation.

Here is Mr. Kirbyface patiently waiting for our next course.
Dinner took over 3 hours from start to finish.
Love. That.

The Eighth course was our cheese plate

Polenta, Glove Artichoke, Cavolo Nero, Pine nut and black winter truffle.
The striped cheese is layered black truffle.
Good. God.
At one point Clay asked me if I was going to lick my plate.
I'm not gonna lie.
I was tempted many times last night to do so.

Look at the perfect placement of his knife and fork.

This boy was taught well.
Mr. Manners.
Good Thing Gram sent me to Charm School so I could keep up!

When they set the 9th course down it looked so amazing, I started eating it before Sophie's hand left the table.
(almost)

And then I remembered I forgot to take a photo!
Ruby Red Grapefruit Sorbet with pickled ginger, Shiso & Andante dairy yogurt foam.

The Tenth course was dessert.

And a Surprise.
Orange crusted custard
Divine.
I made a wish.
;)

After I made Clay sing to me, they brought the rest of our 10th course
Clay and I made our own selection.
(I made him share)

I had the Funnel Cake, with Rum sauce and Salted Caramel Ice Cream.

Clayton had the Mousse Au Chocolat
Spice pudding, Panna Cotta, Persimmon and Almond Glacee.
(If you want to talk Lick your plate good..... If my Mother had been here....she would have.)

After dessert was our Eleventh Course.
Frozen Cappuccino, with foam, French chocolate dusted macadamia nuts, and home made doughnut holes.

The Frozen cappuccino looked like we should drink it....

So we tried...

but then realized he said frozen..

:)

it was like a coffee liqueur mousse.

and along with it

Were home-made truffles.

Put a fork in me, I was DONE.

I couldn't stop smiling all night.
It was one of the best nights of my LIFE.

As we sat and ate all night, Clay and I would look around and try and figure out every one's story. Why we thought they were there that night, how they had the money to afford to go...etc. etc.

One table was from Orinda. They were there celebrating his Father's Birthday. At the end of their Meal they asked Guillaume to take their photo and handed them their Camera. It was a Canon 5D. Tic Tac is right. I suddenly felt better about my *little* T1i

Just next to us was the largest table in the room. It sat 8 people.
Because we were the last seating toward the end of our meal people started to leave. Which made the dining room very empty. And you could very easily hear every one's conversation.
The waiter went up to the Party of 8 and spoke to the oldest gentleman at the table. He thanked him for coming in, and told him Bouchon would be picking up the food portion of their bill.
OH. MY. GOD.
And then they asked the entire table if they would like a tour of the kitchen.
DOUBLE- OH. MY. GOD.

I instantly shot a look at Clay.
He instantly shot me one right back that said, I will kill you if you embarrass me.
I wanted to scream like a 2 year old Child.
I was all ready for my interpretation of Madeline the last time I told her she couldn't have a cookie before dinner.

And then it happened.
Guillaume came to our table with a small white bag and an envelope.
He handed me the envelope and said he thought I might like a souvenir of the menu from that evening.
He then handed me the little white bag.
It was filled with fresh backed cookies, French chocolate bars and more Truffles.

THEN...

He said...

Would you like a tour of our kitchen and meet our Chef?

Ummmm...

Is the Pope Catholic!

I couldn't get up fast enough...

I held my composure.
I had to....
I had 6 inch heels on that I could hardly walk in.
Clay kept calling me his baby gazelle all night.
I fell over twice in our hotel room trying to get ready.
And that was sober.

I carefully grabbed Clay's arm and walked back to where the magic happens.

Unbelievable.
Incredible.
Amazing.

Have I mentioned, Best Night Ever?

The chef was planning tomorrows dinner menu.

It changes every day, and he and his staff meet after the restaurant closes to compose the next day's presentation.

He was so nice.

and gladly posed for a photo.

I was soooo tired by the time we got back to the hotel.
I couldn't wait to take my shoes off....

Mind you I sat for 3 of the 4 hours I wore them...
What price beauty, right ladies?

This photo is for Roseanne, to prove I did not completely destroy my beloved red bottom shoes.

When we got back to the room, I couldn't wait to break into that bag....

Mr. Kirbyface set the mood with a fire.

It was all I could do to stay awake...

I did try...
In my defense it was Midnight!

So there you have it.
The adventures of Heidi and her long awaited visit to the French Laundry.
What a Birthday!

And just like that.
It's over.
Hmmmm.....

Wonder what we'll do next year???
;)

Happy Birthday to Me!

2012-01-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned I love Birthdays?...

I'm pretty sure I have.

Have I also mentioned that I love MY Birthday the MOST.

I have had the most amazing two weeks any woman could have.

It all started with the Girls last weekend.

And it continued into this weekend.

Friday night we met up with Casey and Brit for some Sushi and Sapporo to kick off my Birthday weekend.

Casey kept Jack for the night, and Mary already had picked up Maddie from Daycare.

No Kids all night.

Wanna know what we did after dinner?

We grocery shopped.

That's right. Grocery shopped for over an hour with out kids.

It was Awesome.

We didn't get home until after 11pm. Then we slipped into bed and got to sleep in until 8am.

8AM PEOPLE.

THAT is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

We had a busy Saturday planned. The boys got haircuts while Brit and I shopped for her engagement shoot that she had that day at 1pm. Nothing like last minute.

Jack had his 6 year birthday shoot on Saturday too.

Mia Hope is Brittany's Wedding photographer. They did such an amazing job on Tegan's Wedding, and Jaime's family shoot, that it was a no-brainer to have them do Brit's wedding. I can't wait to see the proofs from Saturday's shoot.

Saturday Morning I had breakfast with Gram and she invited me to the Church Crab Feed.

MMMmmmm Crab.

How could I say no??

p.s. I secretly love Church functions. I can't get enough of them. I love the people, and the mingling and the silent auction and bad wine. I love all of it.

That's right. I wore it.

Here's our table.

Clay was ready to win big.

Gram perused the silent Auction

The crab was fantastic

I will not confirm, nor deny that a bucket of crab was stolen for later enjoyment.....

Much

FUN!

Clay and I got to sleep in AGAIN!
My birthday started with a leisurely morning in bed.
Clayton brought me a beautiful card, and a coke zero.
(after he sang me the Birthday Song)
Love. Him.

We kind of dragged our feet all morning....
Not really having concrete plans...
Finally we decided to just head up to Wine Country.

So, that's what we did.

We drove straight to St. Helena and walked the town, working up an appetite for lunch.

At Market.

With Mimosas...

and Oysters

A Lobster Roll in Rice Paper with mint sauce

And Grown up Mac and Cheese with Gruyere and Bacon.
To. Die. For.

We checked into the hotel after lunch, The Villagio.

At Check In they hand you the warmest, thickest Hot Chocolate as a Welcome Beverage.
(it was like a warm, melted chocolate bar.)

Upon our arrival there was a chilled bottle of chardonnay and logs for the fireplace.

There was a soaking tub for two...
(that may or may not have been used several times this weekend.

Mr Kirby was quite relaxed.

Our dinner reservations were for 9PM.
9 P.M.

So.....

To hold us over...

we had an afternoon "snack" at my favorite Wine Country Restaurant

Bouchon.

So, so, so Amazing.

We sat at the bar made friends and enjoyed a *little* appetizer for two.

Oh. My. Lord.
(Just looking at this picture makes me want another platter right now.)

As we talked with everyone around us, we met quite an interesting group.

There were 3 gentlemen and a lady who were casually dressed at the end of the bar. We overheard them say they just got off work.

It turns out...they were the day shift for The French Laundry

They were drinking the most interesting drink. It consisted of Flavored Vodka, infused simple syrup and ginger beer. I did not try it....but it comes in a copper mug!

They gave us some insider tips to the restaurant.

As we were leaving, I asked them if it was frowned upon to take photos inside the restaurant.
They all immediately told me No.
I had my camera hiding on my lap the whole time we were at the bar.
I raised my Canon from my lap and said, even if it's THIS?

The gentlemen on the left smiled and said "Miss, that is a Tic - Tac compared to some of the cameras we have seen"

9 o'clock couldn't come fast enough.

I was ready for my Meal of a Lifetime.

And because it lived up to EVERYTHING and MORE.

I think it deserves it's very own post.

Stay Tuned.....

Flashback Friday!

2012-01-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

Flashback Friday this week is compliments of my Mother.

Here I am on my way to my First Birthday Party.

(I thought it was appropriate with my Birthday this weekend.)

I love me some Birthday Parties....

And I'm ready to get this Party Started.

Happy Birthday to me!

And

Happy Flashback Friday!

Bring on 35!

2012-01-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

I usually start thinking about my Next Years Birthday plans the day after My Birthday. After my Birthday last year, I started to think about a Girls weekend....But I knew I wanted something different from other Girls Trips. I knew I wanted to Relax, and do NOTHING. No dancing all night, no exhaustion upon my return. Just sit back, relax and DO NOTHING.

So, Back in September I contacted the girls and asked them how they felt about a Spa weekend. They were all in, pretty much before I hit send on the email.

I felt like I should put someone in charge. I immediately thought of Bo.

Jaime is someone who understands the importance of a "nice" establishment. She is a Spa snob. As am I, and I knew putting her in charge of the day would guarantee a day of complete Pampering.

Jaime put so much work into this weekend. She coordinated the entire thing. She was amazing.

And unfortunately....

She was not able to make the event she carefully planned every detail for.

She was truly missed.

But it needs to be said.

She did an amazing job. And we had the time of our lives.

Jaime wasn't the only one who put a lot of time and effort into this weekend.

Every single girl who came went above and beyond for me.

I was floored this weekend.

Totally overwhelmed by my amazing friends.

They thought of everything. And I mean EVERYTHING! AND they treated me to THE WHOLE WEEKEND.

The word spoiled doesn't come close to describe this level of generosity.

But I'll say it anyway....

I am one spoiled girl.

This weekend was more than a Girls Trip.

It was THE Girls Trip.

The Ultimate Girls Trip.

The weekend started with Mary picking up 1/2 of the crew in her Expedition.

Mary arrived with 12 of the Happy Birthday cake plates I've been drooling over since I pinned them from the latest Pottery Barn Catalog. They are not available in stores and are internet only...she had to have them rushed here to make it in time for the weekend. She always gives me the perfect gift.
Mary offered to be our driver for the weekend.
She was the perfect chauffeur.

She put together a play list for the hour car ride, which included songs that reminded every girl on the trip of me, and she researched the top hits from the year and month I was born, in addition to our favorite songs we have listened to together since 1988.

She went shopping for my favorite snacks and had them ready to enjoy as soon as the car left my drive way. She even brought my favorite low fat snacks so I wasn't too bad this weekend.

So Thoughtful!!

Laura placed a basket on my seat to be enjoyed with my favorite snacks.

(She knows me so well....they were chilled and ready for enjoyment.)

Here is part of the group ready for our weekend!

Jaime and I went round and round on location. We finally decided on Wine and Roses.

I have been to two Weddings at this location, and both times have had an AMAZING time. They surpass Napa in so many ways if you ask me, and for the cost.....you CAN'T beat it.

We stayed in the Vintner Suite.

Here is the living room and electric fireplace with French doors to a private balcony.

King Size second bedroom, with another set of french doors to our private balcony.

My Bed.

In the upstairs loft.

I had the whole bed all to myself.

Spoiled.

My roomies for the weekend...

and the tub I soaked in this morning to top off my weekend.
(Kim and Roseanne flew in for the weekend. Love. Every. Second. Of. That.)

Tegan made favors for everyone. And when I say made....SHE MADE these bags, AND the body scrub for each girl.

So, so nice.

She added chocolates and a scrubby....

so thoughtful.

Because there were 9 of us, we had to split up all the treatment times, so half of the girls headed to the spa...while the other half enjoyed lunch.

Wine and Roses has an award winning restaurant on site.

And it is DELICIOUS.

We started lunch off right..

with Rombauer.

I love their bib lettuce and shrimp salad with citrus vinaigrette.

So, so good.
(I'm an official member of the clean plate club....)

I love it when the staff is thrilled to help us out with a group photo....

After lunch we were READY for the spa.

When I arrived at the Spa I found that my Mother In Law had called and purchased a gift certificate for me for the weekend!

So Nice!

Kim was first up to be rolled like a taco.

And we hit the hot tub.

It was so warm and wonderful.

We had a delivery while we waited for our turn.

It was the perfect accompaniment for fire side lounging.

While we were at the spa a cheese platter and bottle of wine was delivered to each room.

We stayed at the spa the WHOLE afternoon.

Just relaxing....

and hydrating...

(it wasn't wine the entire time.....)

;)

well....

We WERE in Wine Country after all.....

we made it with 10 minutes to spare to the Lodi tasting center that was on site at the Hotel.

After our *quick* taste of Lodi, we headed back to the room where the girls had another surprise waiting for me...

Casey not only bought me the cake plate from Pottery Barn I wanted....but she went to my favorite cupcake shop and ordered my favorite cupcakes!!!

Love. That.

They showered me with gifts, including new UGGS!

We enjoyed a quick pre-dinner treat, and headed to the Restaurant.

We ended up at Rosewood.

It was FANTASTIC.

The staff was so accommodating, so patient with our large group and so, so nice.

I had the seared Ahi Salad on Baby Greens.

Perfect.

At the end of dinner the Manager of the Restaurant brought me this:

I DID try a sip of each one....

I DID NOT finish each one....

I had lots, and lots of help.

After they sang they surprised me AGAIN, when they gave me this:

A scrapbook of all our years of friendship.

From 1988 to present.

With photos and letters and lots of love.

Roseanne coordinated the book.

I couldn't stop crying.

Their thoughtfulness was overwhelming.

After dinner we headed to the piano bar at the hotel.

We enjoyed a quick night cap

And then headed to back to the room...

To fill up on Mary's snacks!

And play games....

As I sit and reflect on my weekend away I am humbled by the love that is present in my life.

I have a husband who makes it possible for me to have these get-a-ways and is happy to have the kids all weekend and let me enjoy my pampering to the fullest. I have family that wanted to make sure I enjoyed my time while I was away. I have friends who thought of every detail. Down to my favorite socks to wear after my pampering. This weekend had it all, laughter, tears, happiness, great conversation, rest, relaxation, love, friendship, and lots and lots of memories.

How could I ever thank you for all you did? How can I put into words what each of you mean to me?

It isn't possible.

I feel the love.

All I can say is I love you too.

And Thank You.

So. Much.

Flashback Friday!

2012-01-20T04:33:00.000-08:00

10 years ago this weekend I went on my first "Girls Trip"

If you've read my blog at all, you know I have a big group of Friends.

All of those girls were invited 10 years ago on the first annual "Let's Celebrate Heidi, Birthday Extravangaza Weekend" (YES, that is the trips official name)

Everyone had an excuse on why they couldn't make it.....

So.....of all my girls, only these two made it.

And we had the BEST time.

*note*

This photo was captured long before digital cameras. There was no quickly looking at a photo and saying, "Delete that, I have a double chin".... (on another note...never take a photo while lying down....whose idea was that??)

Regardless. I love this photo. Me and my girls.

They were there for me. Just as they always are....

They helped me ring in 25....

And this weekend, my whole group will help me bring on *gulp* 35.

Who cares...

35.....

Could be worse....

Besides, I only get better with age..

Bring. It. On. 3-5.
I'm READY!

Can't wait for my Girl time this weekend!

Bring on the Pampering!

We've come a loooooong way since that night at Harveys in South Lake....

And We DESERVE it!

Weekend in Pictures

2012-01-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

Let's start our weekend back on Thursday for Jack's Birthday.

At Jack's School on your Birthday week, you are a Star Student.

That means that when it's your Birthday your whole class celebrates you for one whole day. And you Mom gets to bring in goodies for the class, and read your favorite book to the class, and hear the teacher read the special book that the class makes especially for you.

Here is Jack's book.

Every student decorates a page of the book, and narrates to the teacher what they would like to say about Jack.

It's the cutest thing I have ever seen.

This one was my favorite:

Alice said "Because he likes to play with me, and he is a rock star."

Awesome.

I read Charlie Cook's Favorite book, Would you rather, and the crowd pleaser Don't Let the Pigeon drive the bus.

I taught a class for 10 minutes. It was so much fun.

But...

10 minutes of teaching is enough for me.

I don't know how you Teachers do it.

Thirty-two 5 year olds falling over each other yelling Pick Me! Pick Me!

Jack loved every second of it.

He stood up next to me and told all of the children that he would not select anyone who said "Ooo Ooo!" or was not sitting Criss Cross Apple Sauce.

I was a Hit if I do say so myself.

After School we took Jack to Super Franks in Pleasanton.

If you haven't been to Super Franks...

It's kind of like Chucke E Cheeses on Crack.

Video Games, and Zip-lining and Bounce Houses, and Basket Ball.

And so much more...

Jack loved it.

I was very excited about Skee Ball

I'm quite the Skee-Baller...

I totally beat the boys!

Maddie had fun bouncing

Jack enjoyed the classics

After lots of fun it was time to eat.

We told Jack we could eat where ever he wanted for dinner.

Anything he wanted.

We were quite shocked when he said...

All you can eat Chinese Buffet.

Classy.

He loves this place.

I have no idea why.

So we obliged.

After Dinner it was back home for presents.

(Yes. You are correct..that IS Christmas paper...Don't Judge.)

On the way home from dinner I asked Clay to swing by our favorite cupcake shop.

They were SOLD out of almost every cupcake.

Boo....

But we made do....

Which was just fine with Jack.

Sunday we celebrated everything Girl.

And this pretty lady

We had a ladies lunch at Lark Creek Cafe in Walnut Creek

Not a detail was missed.

Heather did an Amazing Job.

Cutest. Favor. Ever.

And SOOO delicious!

So, so Cute.

And I got to see these ladies...who I don't see NEARLY enough.

The rest of the weekend was spent Chillaxin.

With Big Barbie.

Cause that's how we roll.

And now...Back to the work week....

Lucky me... I have a fun filled weekend ahead again!

I LOVE Birthday Season!!

Flashback Friday! Guest Blogger Edition

2012-01-13T04:43:00.000-08:00

With Jack's Birthday this week, and me being pressured several times to tell this story, I thought it should be told by someone who can truly give the story life.

Today my Guest Blogger is none other than the talented writer L. Shanna

So Sit Back and enjoy The Story of Jack's Birth from one of my best friends eyes:

Picture it: January, 2006. Beijing, China. I am in my mid twenties and my boyfriend and I are lounging on the couch surfing the internet on a particularly cold and smoggy afternoon. We are still adjusting to life in Asia and missing home terribly, when an email comes in from Heidi. It is her birth story—Jack’s birth story—and one of the best emails I’ve ever received in my life.

I read it the first time to myself, doing what I always do when I get an email from Heidi—I pictured her reading it to me, complete with her voice in my head. (This is very important if you are a friend of Heidi’s since she, like the Chinese, puts great emphasis on tone.) I was laughing so hard that L stopped to ask me several times what I was doing. I shushed him quickly and told him I’d tell him in a second. When I was finished, I told him to sit back, picture Heidi’s voice as I read, and listen:

I starting feeling funny on Wednesday. Like Crampy. I had had lunch at the Fish market with my Aunt Ann and told her I felt like I had bad gas….
She looked at me and smiled and said that that was no gas….
She was right. I did not know it but by that night my contractions were 15 minutes apart…..
I called labor and delivery at 11pm, they told me to watch the time and to take two Tylenol pm and call them when the contractions were closer together…
By Three am I could not sleep through the cramps I was feeling. Cramps that came about every 6 minutes…. So I got in the tub.
Clay woke up when he heard the water running. He came over to the tub to see if I was okay and he sat down and stared at me. I told him to go back to bed, because labor takes forever and he would need his sleep since he was still going to work (he was scheduled for OT and we need the money)…
He went back to bed and I sat in the tub for what seemed like forever. I finally got out and decided to hop in the shower and shave my legs… - just in case today was the day- When I got out of the shower my contractions were 4 minutes apart….. I still figured I had a long way to go…
I waited until 6 am and called Aunt Kathy to tell her that I thought today was the day. She had plane tickets by 6:30 and was on a plane by 8 that morning. I called my Mom and she was on her way from Dobbins in minutes.
Then I called Gram. We had both had scheduled hair appointments for that day, mine was at 3 hers was at 7, so I told her to come and pick me up…
I was not sure how labor was going to go and I did not want to have roots for the next six weeks.  So off I went with Gram to get my hair done.
My contractions as I sat in the chair stayed at 4 minutes apart until we left…. Then they hit about 3 minutes…. I figured, I still had time, so I told Gram to stop by the other salon I go to and I got my eyebrows done…..
Then I headed home. I walked in the door, sat on the couch and waited. My mom showed up, then Kathy then the contractions got closer and closer….
I called the advice nurse and told her I wanted to wait to come in….when I could not talk to her and threw the phone at Clay during a contraction she informed Clay to get me in there asap.
So after my mental “ I don’t want to do this “ breakdown in the kitchen off we headed to the hospital.
My water broke in the car…. It is the strangest feeling….  Like there is a water balloon in your crotch and somebody bursts it….
Then the pain really started. I could barely walk to the elevator.
We got into admitting, and I was at 6 cm.
By the time we got to the room, I was requesting drugs.  Quite firmly.
Finally I got my epidural.
I got to the hospital at 12:30, I had my epidural by 1:45 and Jack came out at 3…
I was pretty lucky.

And that, dear readers, is how a birth story is told. When I was finished reading it to L, we were both laughing so hard we could barely see. Once we caught our breath, L’s first words were, ‘Read it again!’

Over the past six years I have referred to this email several times as evidence of why Heidi needs a blog. Now, finally, she has one. She also has two beautiful children and a wonderful support system that appreciates her ability to tell a story.

What she doesn’t have are roots or messy eyebrows. The girl’s got priorities.

Happy 6th Birthday Jack!

2012-01-12T05:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jack-Man!!!

Today you are 6.

6. Years. Old.

I can't believe it.

You have changed so much in just one year.

You are so tall. I think you may be the tallest boy in Kindergarten...(I'd be willing to place my bets on 1st grade too)

You are so giving, and so so loving

. You always want to have a good time and you are at your happiest when you are hangin with the boys in the ManCave. You also love to be out front playing with your friends. You love everything outdoors. You like to explore, and play tag, and ride your big wheel.

You are Daddy's #1 sidekick. No matter where Dad is, that is where you want to be.

He is your Best Friend.

Mom is okay too, but you reserve your love for her on the down-low. You will come up to her while she is cooking, and ask for a hug, or you crawl into her side of the bed if you've had a bad dream, or are not feeling well....and I'm not gonna lie... I love those moments.

You think Uncle Ben is the funniest person alive, but you love ALL of your Uncles. You love your Monday's with Aunt Brit, and get so excited when Uncle Justin and Casey steal you away for the night.

Your favorite place on the planet is Chuck E Cheeses.

You love school. You don't fight me at all to get up and head out the door. You put your clothes on and jump in the car. You even like your Teacher Mrs. Hanebury.

You say the funniest things. I wish I had a constant recorder on you.

I am so lucky to be your Mom. You are one amazing kid.

I often think about who you will be, and what our relationship will be like as your grow....

But I have to stop myself.

I want to make sure and enjoy every minute with you right now.

I hope you never stop stealing hugs in the kitchen.

I know there will be a time when you will no longer crawl into my side of the bed and I know I'll be sad when you won't hold my hand as I walk you into daycare each morning, and someday, you'll refuse to kiss me good-bye.

But for now.

You're still my great big 6 year old baby boy.

And I love every second of it.

Happy, Happy Birthday Jack.

I love you more than you could ever know.

10 on 10 (well 6 on 10)

2012-01-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month!

{Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day!}

I tried. I really, really tried. But I only captured 6 today...

But 6 is better than none, right???

Here is how I have started my morning every Morning for the last 10 days.

Henry is VERY excited to go running with Mom in the Morning.

It's our bonding time.... We'll see if it lasts.....

We are STILL desperately working on potty training....

Even Barbie goes Potty!

(Hey! Whatever works right?)

Madeline is fascinated with all things Barbie. Every night she lines them up and sings Happy Birthday to them. Tonight was Christmas Barbie's Birthday, and according to Maddie, today Barbie is 2.

Today Mom caved and allowed Juice as part of our afternoon snack. I'm usually a Milk and Water only house and save Juice boxes for visits to Grandma's or Birthday parties...but today we had a treat.

Momma's Workin on her fitness. I finally picked a dress for that darn wedding. So running at 5 am and low carb, low cal, fiber cereal for dinner it is. YUM. YUM.

Daddy picked up a Sponge Bob Shaving kit.... Jack was nice enough to share with his sister.

There you have it.

My 10 eh... 6 on 10.

Maybe I'll get it next Month....

If I remember....

Happy Birthday Gram!

2012-01-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we Celebrated this Lady!

Happy Birthday Gram!

You all know how much I love this lady, and Yesterday we all gathered to wish her a Happy 80th Birthday!

80 years....

That is amazing.

We almost had the whole family

Gram and her 5 kids

Gram and the Grandkids that were present.

All the women in our family. (minus Madeline)

The boys needing some camera time of their own...

My Fam, minus Clay who was working, and Chris who is somewhere in Vegas livin the dream.

Gram had a great time!

And So did everyone else.

Here's to many, many more Gram.

I love you so much!

New Years Eve 2011

2012-01-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

We ended our year, just as it started.

As a Family.

We spent the afternoon playing with gifts from Santa (and others)

Madeline on her new scooter

And her new Bike.

Jack on his Big Wheel

And Dare Devil Trickster on his bike

(Look Mom! One Hand!)

Jack tested out his new Skates.

And Henry enjoyed the Fresh Air.

For New Years Eve

We had some Friends over...

Here are the Girls

Madeline had lots of cuddle time with Baby Audrey

So did Lynne

Even Jack took a turn

Madeline and Ayden had some quality time

We Played Dress Up

And had a dance party

and sipped Champagne....

LOTS of Champagne....

I couldn't believe we ALL made it to Midnight!

Well.... Almost all of us.....

Madeline got Two Kisses at Midnight.......

(Brit woke up just in time)

And I got two kisses at midnight too!

Happy New Year!!!

Hope your night was full of Cheer!

As the year ends...

2011-12-31T13:09:00.000-08:00

I'm reminded that I told myself that this year was going to be different...

Hmmm....

Different....

That word has sooo many meanings.....

Let's review:

1) I promised I will not obsess about my weight....

(I'm pretty sure I mentioned dieting about 79 times this year in posts....In my defense...I did have 3 WEDDINGS to prep for this year...)

*Fail*

2) I will go back to Weight Watchers.

(I did! And lost 10 lbs!...and then gained it all back this Holiday Season)

*Solid B*

3) I will choose Carrots over Cornuts.

(We all know that didn't work out-Although I will say all Summer I was really, really good...and for Mary's pre-wedding prep too)

*C+*

4) I will spend more time with my Kids

(This year I rode the Jet Ski, played IN the water, went down the slide, rode roller coasters, gave horsey rides, played dress up, and had Dance Parties in my bed- OF COURSE I would like MORE time with my kids, but I'm doin the best I can with a 50+ hour a week Job...and I think I did pretty darn good given that obstacle)

*B+*

5) I will make date night happen.

( I think we did really, really well with this. We had lots of nights of "Just Us" At least 8 "date nights" this year-plus one week with No kids! That's adds up to more than once a month. Pretty good if you ask me! Thanks to my Mom and Dad, Brit and Ben, Casey and Justin, and Aunt Mary and Uncle Shane for all the sleepovers! With out you, Date Night would not have been possible!)

*B++*

6) I will keep one room clean at all times.

(Who was I kidding with this one)

*Fail*

7) I will stop sweating the small stuff.

(Ummm...No comment)

*Fail*

8) I will drink water - 2 glasses per day

(I would say for 6 months out of this year I did!)

In my eyes...even at 50% that's still better that I thought I'd do.

*C*

9) I will play nice with others.

(again...No Comment)

*Fail*

10) I will not use the Treadmill as a clothesline.

(Well I didn't for January.....)

*Fail*

11) I will be thankful for what I have.

(I am. So, So Thankful. I truly have everything I need. And everything I could possibly want.)

*A*

12) I will be happy with who I am.

(I'm working on it...)

*C*

13) I will make more time for the Ladies in my life.

(I think I did pretty good with this one...everyone got their fair share of Heidi this year)

*B*

14) I will cook and Share.

(Cookies at Christmas, Lasagnas were given, I failed on the "you had a baby-here's a meal" But I will make up for that.)

*C*

15) I will take one day at a time.

(Why is it so hard for me to not think about tomorrow....)

*Fail*

Sooooooo.....

Looks like I still have my work cut out for me in 2012.....

I think I'm just gonna work on this.

*Be the Best Wife I can be.

*Be the Best Mom I can be

*Be the Best Friend I can be.

*Be the Best Me I can be.

That's it.

I'm just gonna be Me.

and Everything else will fall into place.

Happy New Years Eve!

I'm excited to see what the New Year has in store!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas seems to Fly by every year....

This year was the first year EVER that I waited until the week of Christmas to visit Santa.

Here is the before picture:

Such sweet adorable children....
Until we arrived at Santa's house....
I didn't pull out my camera. Not one picture this year in my camera. There were 43 meltdowns, and once it was finally our turn, I was about to throw in the towel, and the lady in front of us turned and said..."you can go ahead of us..." So that's what we did. I placed my screaming child on Santa's lap, told the woman behind the camera to snap away, and took what I got. One child scared out of her mind with no shoes, and black dirt from the parking lot outside on her brand new tights, and one smiling child who was promised Chuck E Cheeses for lunch if he wore his tie and kept his "nice face" on until the photo was obtained.

Mission Accomplished.

Yesterday we headed to my In Laws for our Annual Christmas Eve Crab and Presents.

Casey was in charge of Appetizers....

Maddie had some MiMi time...(and insisted on wearing her Party dress)

Jack had time with his second cousins.
(They were so patient with the kids)

Shan always sets the nicest table.

Uncle Justin and Casey bought Madeline dress up shoes.
(She has worn them since they were opened.... even to bed.)

Mimi and Gumpy gave Jack a new game.

Which was opened immediately.
Fun!

The night was so nice, low key, yummy food, delicious wine and great company.
I love our time with Clay's family. They are so much fun!
Look at all of them! Such good sports!

When we arrived home, Mrs. Claus had stopped by to drop off an early gift!
Pajamas for Christmas Morning.
Hooray for PJ's!

Jack and Madeline loaded up Santa's plate.

and I tried to get a quick photo of the two before bed....
Oh well...
I was definitely pushing my luck...
(please note Madeline's feet)

As soon as the kids hit the hay the "some assembly required" toys were pulled out.

And some quality control testing was needed as well.

Here is how I left downstairs at 12:30am....

Jack patiently waited for his Sister to wake up....

Pure torture.

But it was worth the wait.

Henry dressed for the occasion.

Jack's big Santa Gift.
Nintendo Ds 3D.
Very Cool.

And Madeline was very content with her dress up clothes.

And Make Up.

:)

(I can't express how much fun it is to have a Girly Girl.)

Even Daddy joined in the dress up fun.

I was so excited to give my gifts this year.

Especially My Dad's Gift.

Growing up my Dad had these shoes he bought as a teenager from Mexico.
We called them the "Dead Cat" Shoes.
I was so embarrassed when he wore them.
I wish I had a photo to attach of the shoes to show how awesome this next gift is.

When I was shopping this last weekend in San Francisco, I found these shoes.

They are pretty much the Dead Cat shoes reincarnated. And Dad Loved them.
So, so funny.

This year Jack went to the Dollar store with Daddy and bought all of us gifts.
Mine was a stocking with a reindeer on it with glitter.
Awesome.

He wrapped and labeled all the packages himself.
He was so proud.
Cutest thing ever.

Here is Christopher's gift from Jack.
You never know when a Knight shield will come in handy.

Every year we buy all the boys the same toy.
(last year was the helicopters)

This year, Nerf Guns-complete with Lasers, Jerseys and protective eyewear.

There was an all out Nerf war for a good 40 minutes this morning.

(No group shot this year)
:(

But Dad got one this year too!

Some gifts were not a huge hit...

My Brother Chris gave me Croc Sandals.
In a size 10.
Brothers are the Best.
(At least they're pink....)

Mom hit the nail on the head this year.
Please look at this book:

So Perfect.
Now..
I know my friends like to give me a hard time about reading...
I don't own a nook, and I have a small collections of books next to my bed that I want to read....but I just don't.

HOWEVER.

There was a time when reading was one of my favorite past times.

And Sweet Valley High was my guilty pleasure.
I CAN'T WAIT to read this book.
So, So Awesome.
Love my Mom, Love her Memory.

We had to take a mid morning break from opening gifts.
It takes a loooooong time for 10 people to open Christmas.

Here is our Mid point.

My house was a disaster zone.

Let's take a minute and talk about my Husband.
My amazing, wonderful, thoughtful Husband.

I'm kinda spoiled when it comes to the Husband category. Don't get me wrong he has his moments...but overall...he understands me, he loves me, he puts up with me.

and I love him for it.

Every Christmas Clay succeeds in giving me the greatest Christmas.

I know, I know, it's all about The Kids, and Jesus's Birthday, and Giving....

I know, I know, I know.

But this Girl..

(I'm just gonna say it.)

This Girl likes Presents.

It's fun to get the Perfect gift.

And I don't think anyone can argue with that.

This Christmas Clayton bought me the Ultimate Gift.

Can. You. Handle. It.

Because I can't!

Dude.
6 inches of Fashion Bliss.

They are perfect.

Perfect Size, Perfect Style, Perfect Everything.

I almost cried when I opened the Box.

I have been coveting these shoes for years.

He never says:
No you can't have those....
or
Are you insane?
or
Roll his eyes...

Like Most men would...

If we walk past Footcandy downtown, he always patiently waits for me while I dream at the window, fogging it up with my breath.

I never thought they would be mine.
Ever.

But ...

It's a new year.

And Mama's got a brand new Look.

And it wasn't just the shoes this year....

After I opened them, we were alone, and I gave him a huge hug, and whispered in his ear..."You realize you are creating a Monster....." and he just whispered back, "I know....But You're MY Monster" and pulled me in closer.

I was overwhelmed with his thoughtfulness.

He stole my Make Up Bag and ordered all my favorite MAC colors to restock my cosmetic bag.
He ordered everything I wear.
From Foundation to Lipstick.
Love. That.

He bought me gloves that are specifically made for touchscreen Laptops so my fingers will stay warm while I work.

He Joined Pinterest just so he could see some of my favorite things, and he ordered me a dish for the sink that holds my Jewelry while I cook, so my rings stay clean. He also ordered a Christmas pillow I wanted and tried to buy a few weeks ago, but the store and online were out of stock. He bought it in November to make sure I would get it.

He bought me a printer that is wireless so I can print photos from my computer.

The list goes on....

He is so wonderful.

He didn't do too bad either.

He was VERY excited about his ROY Buster Posey Ball...and his new Remote Control Helicopter that can battle ~~Ben's~~ other people's Helicopters. He loves his new Keurig for his new Office.

And He loves me.

What more could a girl ask for?

I had such an amazing Holiday.
Time with Family, Time with Friends.

Time with my adorable Children.

I am so blessed. So, so much to be thankful for.

I really am one Lucky Lady.

Hope your Holiday was as fantastic as ours!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hopefully....

Santa will look past this afternoon's encounter and still come down our chimney...

Merry Christmas to all....

And to all a Good Night....

Can't wait to see what Morning brings!

It's Christmastime!!

2011-12-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Season is upon us!

I couldn't be more excited!

I love all the Holiday hustle and bustle everywhere we go, I love all the shopping and prepping and cooking...

and I ESPECIALLY love all the Christmas Cards that arrive daily.

Madeline loves them too...

She likes to climb up on the couch and talk about all the faces she sees.

This year we decided to do the Cupcake in Mason Jar for Jack's Daycare. I originally saw this idea on Mel's Blog and thought it was a super cute idea. So I have my favorite cupcake lady make her delicious creations and gave them to all 12 of his Teachers. It was such a hit! I wish I had a video of Jack running from Teacher to Teacher wishing them a Merry Christmas.

Saturday Morning kicked off my week of vacation.

I needed a break from work soooo bad. I planned a shopping trip to the city for the day. Mom and Casey joined me. We left early to beat all the traffic.

When I walked outside I was so happy to see this:

The heavy fog in the morning is one of my favorite things about Winter mornings in Walnut Creek. I feel like there's something special about Walnut Creek's fog. I've lived a lot of places, and nothing makes me feel more like Christmastime than a cold, frosty, foggy Walnut Creek Morning.

It was SO beautiful in the city.

After a Morning of shopping, we stopped for lunch.

As we were waiting for a table we looked up and saw these two ladies walk by:

Gram was in the city to see a show and happened to pick the same place to eat as we did.

Which was no surprise because....

We both love this restaurant.

I had Grilled Radicchio wrapped in Pancetta in a basil cream sauce with goat cheese.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

After Lunch the shopping continued.

We had to go to Gumps!

Growing Up Gram would take me to the city to see the windows all decorated for the Holidays and we always went to Gumps to get an Ornament.

There were Carolers in the street!

It was definitely a successful trip!

Sunday this machine got quite the work out.

We baked all day Sunday.

Daddy was very busy working the Raider Game.

He made it on T.V.! There's Mr. Kirbyface near the upper left corner of the Television.

So Cool! Daddy's Famous!

Here is half of the day's work.....

we did 3 more batches..

And Made Fudge...

I could have never done it all without my Mom. It was sooooo much work.

She kept me motivated, and stood by my side baking all day.

Jack had fun decorating his own cookie.

Clay found an All Natural decorating kit from Trader Joes. The candies were colored with beet juice and spinach. Love Trader Joes!

Tonight we made deliveries to all the neighbors. I make them a plate full of cookies every year. This year I added fudge to our plates. (Mom has a way of building my baking confidence, I never would have made fudge on my own.) And for our neighbors with puppies, I put a ribbon on a bone for them to enjoy.

And that is only 3 days into my Vacation.....

I still have 7 days left! Woot! Woot!

Such a busy week planned!

So much to do to prepare for the Man in the Red Suit....

I'll keep you posted.

;)

Flashback Friday!

2011-12-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Last year's visit to see Santa didn't go so well......

Let's hope this year goes better!

She's Here!

2011-12-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Introducing...

Audrey Nevina (Giglio) Farkas

Born 11:44am today.

8lbs. 11oz.

20 inches

And a Whole Lotta Perfect!

I thought she'd NEVER get here!

Mama Janice is doing just fine.

And Daddy Mark couldn't be prouder.

Welcome Baby Audrey!!

Let's Talk Fashion

2011-12-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

So.

Two weddings down.

One to go.

I couldn't be luckier. The Bride is one of my Best Friends, and my Soon to Be SIL. I talk about her all the time. I LOVE her. One of Brittany's best qualities is her Breeziness. I tend to gravitate toward Breezy women. Because....

I'm kind of NOT.

I need the Balance.

So Back to Wedding Stuff.

I'm the Matron of Honor in this upcoming Wedding. It's the first time I have ever been asked to be the Honor of anything. And I couldn't be more excited.

Brittany's only requests are that her Bridesmaids look Fabulous, the dresses are evening gowns, and they have to be deep Navy.

That's it.

I have been to dozens of bridal stores. DOZENS. And I have FINALLY narrowed them down to two. I brought My Mom and Brit to see these dresses the first time. They were torn. I was torn. I left feeling overwhelmed and disappointed that I was leaving another dress store with no dress ordered for this wedding that is rapidly approaching.

So I decided I needed back up. I invited Lindsey and Mary to come with me last weekend to try again.

Lindsey couldn't make it, and Casey stopped by while I was waiting for Linds to arrive. Casey had the afternoon free and told me she would love to give me her opinion!

So off we went.

Mary and Casey had her Iphone.

Normally these photos would have been deleted immediately. But at my recent Favorite Things party these pictures were passed amongst my friends, and they were laughing at my pouty faces and grumpiness.

And they were right. I was grumpy, and frustrated, and I left AGAIN without purchasing a dress.

So I'm bringing it to the streets.

No make up, dirty hair, and frown a palooza.

It's clear that I need help.

So you guys pick one.

Tell me your favorite.

I should tell you, these photos do not do these dresses justice. Mary and Casey and Brit and My Mom can vouch for me.

Also...

1) Both of these dresses are pinned and cinched and not my size.

2) Casey was NOT supposed to be taking a picture of my FACE in these photos.

But I'm an honest blogger.

So here I am. In all my Honesty.

The bottom of this dress is AMAZING.

Here is a close up.

Despite the look on my face, I love EVERYTHING about this dress.

This one gives my body more shape, but the one shoulder is totally out of my element.

Mary loved the back.

I'm trying to hold the back tighter, it was 2 sizes too big.

(such a happy girl!)

So what do you think?

Which one do I get???

(Let's pretend they cost EXACTLY the same amount of money, and neither would require alterations.)

Okay.

Go!

These are a few of my Favorite Things!

2011-12-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

I have to say that Pinterest could be the greatest and worst thing invented.

It's the greatest because you get all these fantastic ideas and learn new things and have a place to keep all these ideas for later use, and it's the worst, because #1, everyone has seen the ideas already, and #2 It puts even more pressure on someone to be crafty and fabulous.

With that being said, I saw this idea on Pinterest. Loved it! And decided to throw my very own "Favorite Things" Party.

I sent the invitation out in a hurry, and wish I would have remembered to invite so many more people. But I didn't....so if you missed your invite, I'm sorry.... But please don't let that stop you from coming next year. Because THIS party was so much fun, this will now be an annual event.

I requested in the invitation for everyone to bring 5 of the exact same item, wrapped and unmarked. The item should cost under $10 and should be something you love. Something that you know someone else would love too.

With the invitation out, all that was left to do was get ready to party.

The House was pretty much ready, since we decorate on Thanksgiving weekend.

I just added a few little touches.

I was ready.

For My gift I wrapped up my favorite hot chocolate recipe from Ina Garten, complete with the necessary ingredients. This was a double whammy for something that I love. My favorite Half and Half is from Whole Foods and sold in re-useable glass jars. I keep the jars and use them as small vases. It's the perfect size to run down a table for a centerpiece for a party, or to put next to the soap in my bathroom.

I also had pinned some cute ideas for appetizers.

Lindsey came early to help (as did Casey and Brit) but Linds was the only person I knew who was patient enough to execute the veggie Christmas Tree.

Didn't she do a good job??

Everyone brought wine...

And since we had these...

Two bellies....

Baby "M" above and Baby "J"

I made Ina's Hot Chocolate recipe.

(Don't be afraid of this recipe...yes its fattening...yes it has a lot of ingredients...but I PROMISE you...it will be the BEST Hot Chocolate you have ever tried AND it's super easy to make. )

Here are The Girls.

Ready for some Gift action.

We put everyone's name in a stocking five times. Then everyone pulled 5 different names from the stocking, making sure not to pull your own name.

Here are the names I drew this year.

Mary went first, and EVERYONE loved her gift.

Mary was also voted Best Gift Brought at the party and won a prize.

I won't say what she brought.....because somethings should just be left for those who attended...maybe that will entice some of you to come next year. But I will say it was hilarious and her wrapping was adorable. AND she was only 12 minutes late to the party, which is pretty much a record for Mary.

You should all know that it is no fun racing to open something against someone who is a speed opener (Lindsey)

Everyone waited patiently while each 5 girls opened their gifts. We rotated, and each girl passed out her gift to the recipient.

Finally it was my turn.

My first gift was from Jaime.

So of course it was in a little silver box.

So smart! It's shampoo, and Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath all in one....and it smells SO GOOD.

Then Laura...

Practical, Practical Laura.

(I'm actually excited for my next laundry adventure)

Then Tegan...

Yum.

I also got a Teal knitted Scarf from Brit. And Lindsey's favorite Tank Top from Target.

Other gifts that I did not receive were and adorable mug from Crate and Barrel that can be used for coffee or soup, and was filled with Casey's Favorite coffee.

It was my turn to pass out gifts.

I'm so glad Teegie picked my name. I had her (and Laura) in mind when I thought of my gift.

The size of the party was perfect.

Small...

Fun..

And all my

Favorite people.

Have I mentioned how much I love Christmas-time!

Thank you to all my friends who helped me rush to get this party ready at the last minute, who helped with the menu, and brought delicious things to eat and drink.

You are so special to me, and I love all of you so much.

I'm already thinking about next years party....

;)

Flashback Friday!

2011-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

This week last year our annual Christmas Card went out.....

Here's Last years...

(before cropping)

Did anyone get the updated one yet......

I love Christmas Cards!

Who am I kidding?

I LOVE Christmas!

It really IS the most wonderful time of the year.

To the North Pole!

2011-12-01T22:05:00.000-08:00

December 1st.

The Christmas Season is officially here!

Every year our advent calendar is generously filled by a "little Elf" (aka my MIL).

It's taped up and ready to go to ensure "No Peeking" occurs until December 1st.

Well.

Today was the day!

Jack was VERY excited to open the first door.

Tonight it REALLY felt like Christmastime because tonight we took our Second Annual trip on The Polar Express!

And this time we had a whole handful of first timers!

It's a pretty dark photo, but it's the only shot we have of the whole group!

It was Madeline's first time!

And Baby G's First time!
(Well...out of the womb!)

And Oma and Opa's first time!

OF COURSE we wore our pajamas! It's Tradition! (Opa needed a *little* convincing)

We brought our books to follow along

Enjoyed our Snickerdoodles (That were all natural! Yay!)

....And Hot Chocolate

We gave our ticket to the conductor

And saw Santa!!!

Baby G had a very good time!

Big Brother V was Tie-Tie.

We agreed that Traditions are important, and that we will ALWAYS Believe.

(and maybe someday...we'll splurge on the VIP car)

Love starting out the Holiday this way!
Can't wait till next year!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011

2011-11-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get this post done yesterday....

and I also had every intention of updating my blog daily during my long weekend....

But that just didn't happen....

So you'll just have to be happy with one weekend re-cap post.

I figured if I didn't do a post soon, some of you might be worried I was injured during my annual Black Friday extravaganza.

No need to fear, at this point in my life, I'm a professional.

I started my four day weekend out just as I always do...

Thursday's paper with all the Black Friday ads

and something to eat.

Bacon, Eggs, Hashbrowns, a pumpkin spice muffin and a diet soda.

Breakfast. of. Champions.

My turkey turned out Fantastic!

(brining is really the only way to go)

A little vino to wash it down....

Just a bit... I had a loooooong night ahead of me.

The whole Gang at dinner.

We ate at 3 to give me plenty of time to clean up and prep for the night.

Everyone was gone by 6 and we finalized our lists.

We were out the door by 8:30pm.

This was the first year that the sales started so early it almost didn't feel like Thanksgiving. I really like my "power nap" before heading out, but with the first sale starting at 9pm...there was no time! So, I tucked the kids into bed, threw on my outfit for "battle" and headed out.

Mom, Brit and Me.

Just the Girls.

Black Friday is not for the weak.

You have to pick your group with caution.

We decided this year that we would invite Mary to go with us.

We were in line at Toys R Us by 8:45. The line was so long that it wrapped all the way around the building to receiving. The store opened at 9pm. Any special they had could have been ours if we wanted it. The night was looking good! We were in and out by 9:20 and on to Walmart.

The parking lot was so packed, we had to walk 3 blocks from a residential neighborhood to get in. The sales at Walmart did not start until 10pm. We were in the door by 9:50. It was INSANE. Mary met up with us at Walmart. She was the perfect addition to our Posse. We finally made it in line, and were able to get EVERYTHING on our list. Yay! We were done by 11:30pm and on to Target that opened at Midnight.

Here is a snap shot from my Mom's Iphone of our cart at Walmart. Now mind you....this cart is for 4 people.

We patiently waited in line at Target, found EVERYTHING again on our list, INCLUDING special electronics and were done and on to Kohls by 1:30am. Then we went to Macy's Home store, Sears, Macy's woman, JCPenny's and finished our adventure at Mcdonalds for some fine dining.

Here is a picture of the four of us at breakfast at 6am.

(Brit got cut off, because the lady next to us said she couldn't work an Iphone...Dude.)

All in all it was a success! Lots of gifts done! Yay!

There were a few mishaps along the way....There may or may not have been a small brawl in between the cosmetics and deodorant aisle at Target....But still! Lots of nice people, fun with my girls and so many good buys! I can't wait till next year! (I'm not gonna lie....there was a *tiny* bit of mourning at the trash can on Friday night as the ad's went in....)

;)

As always, much to my Husbands dismay...Christmas "threw up" on our house after my Morning nap on Friday. Jack was SO excited to decorate the Tree. The Holiday's are so much fun with the kids. I think it might kill him to wait until December 1st to open the first door on the Advent Calendar my MIL prepares for them every year.

Saturday Afternoon was Janice's Baby Shower. She is due in 8 days!!

Saturday night was Miss Lindsey's Birthday. The ladies headed out for a night on the town.

And Sunday was for rest. Lots and lots of rest.

Monday came too quickly.....

I have so much to be Thankful for.

My Husband who puts up with me and all my crazy antics and loves me unconditionally, Always.

My children who put a smile on my face everyday.

My new puppy who reminds me daily what patience is.

My family who is always there for me, No. Matter. What.

My friends who keep me grounded and sane.

My job and Clayton's job that helps pay our bills to keep a roof over our head and food on our table.

My health, so I'm able to do all the things in life that I want.

The list goes on and on.

I am truly blessed.

And So so grateful for all I have.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Good Bye Baby Bed! Hello Big Girl Bed!

2011-11-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming....

and I've been dragging my heels...

We finally converted Madeline's crib into her "Big Girl Bed".

And she couldn't be more excited.

She immediately grabbed all of her dolls and placed them in her "new" bed.

Doesn't she look HUGE in this picture???

Where did my Baby go???

Last night was our first night of the change, and she did quite well....

Tonight was night two and was not as successful.

Everything takes some time to get used to...

Mostly I'm just sad we are done with the Crib.

I loved this crib. I remember looking online and finding it with Clay's Mom. I loved that it was red, and like no other crib I had ever seen.

It's so hard to let go of the last of the baby items.

But it was time...

I'll miss placing her into her bed after singing to her every night.

I'll miss reaching into her bed in the morning and pulling her out for big morning hugs.

I'll miss watching her Macgyver her way out of her crib every night to sneak downstairs.

But at least I have moments like these recorded to remember those days fondly:

Madeline was definitely ready to say Good Bye to her "old" bed.

Before I know it, we'll be decorating her Dorm room.....

Awwwww...

Weekend fun in Cambria

2011-11-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend we drove to Beautiful Cambria.

If you haven't been.....You should go! It's a fantastic quaint little town, about 20 minutes from Paso Robles on Hwy 1.

We stayed here:

The Pickford House.

It had 9 rooms and an off site guest house. Each room had it's own bathroom! There was a HUGE kitchen, and a great room with a antique restored Bar. We went with my Dad's side.

We were there to celebrate my Grandparents 80th Birthdays and 60 years of Marriage, which all happen to fall in the same year.

The ENTIRE family made it.

All 24 of us.

And it didn't feel cramped at all. There was PLENTY of room for everyone.

Here is our room

In case you were wondering, 4 bodies fit across....
(some of us were afraid of the cot in the room)

The Hallway of rooms

All meals were served in the main room. Everyone ate together.

Saturday Morning we woke up and headed to the beach.

We couldn't have ordered better weather.

Madeline took an immediate liking to Auntie Debbie.

Jack had to get in.
(if you look closely he is wet up to his HIPS)

Mr. Kirbyface enjoyed some football time in the sand.

My Mother and Aunt thought it would be a good idea to spell out our Family name.

Since there are 9 Grandchildren
and 9 Letters.

They put us in order of age

I being the oldest got "R" Then Chris was O, Nick was B, Trevor was E, Benny was a lower case "r"..

Keith was T, Dan was S, Max was little "o" and Jake was "n".

(I guess it's clear where my crazy photo ideas come from....)

A lot of time was spent here. The family cooked all the meals. Well....
The Women cooked the meals.

There were intense games of Connect Four.

And Piano play

And puzzles....

Until....

The Karaoke machine was found....

And then it became clear...

That

EVERYONE....

Has a song...

that compels them...

to grab the microphone

Myself included.

Madeline enjoyed the show

Especially

When Oma joined in the fun...

And you can imagine my shock...

When Mr. Kirbyface grabbed the Mic.
That's right. Even Mr. Kirbyface has a "Song". I think I actually had to pick my chin up off the floor when I saw him reach for it.

Just for the Record. Clayton's song that compels him, is "The Joker".

It was a great weekend. Filled with lots of family time, delicious food, and fun.

Who knows...

Maybe this will turn into an Annual Family Weekend!

Which would be fine with me!

As we came down off the pass, on our way home we were greeted by this

It was so nice to get away.... But even nicer to be Home Sweet Home.

Now that Thanksgiving has been officially kicked off...

I'm on to perfect my Menu.

Turkey is being enjoyed at MY house this year!

Get ready to loosen those belts!

Flashback Friday!

2011-11-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving just around the corner......

Jack would like to remind you to..

Eat lots of Pumpkin Pie!

(Every time I look at this photo I think of my friend Summer. I sent this photo out to all my Girlfriends in an email and Summer replied with the comment, "You're a Strange Mommy." Dude. Putting your child in a carved Pumpkin is completely acceptable....I'm just sayin...)

Our Thanksgiving festivities always start the weekend before Thanksgiving day. So we are off to have some family fun in Cambria!

Hope your Thanksgiving week starts off with a Bang!

Not your run of the mill Monday....

2011-11-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

Brittany scored 8 crabs from her Dad's latest crabbing adventure in Half Moon Bay!

She's is so sweet, and brought over all 8 to my house tonight!

My plan for dinner was Beef Stroganoff, but move over, beef!

Mmmm...

How I love me some Crab!

Then Lynne stopped by with some Champagne!

And before I knew it I had a regular Christmas Eve Dinner on my hands!

The kids weren't too sure about Crab yet...

So they had Chicken Nuggets....

and somebody left their plate unattended....

Oops!

See! Mondays can be AWESOME!

Flashback Friday!

2011-11-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

This week marks the end of my Happy Birthday Posts.

I hope you enjoyed them!

I started thinkin...

It's time for something new.

I haven't been blogging long....

Which means two things:

a) I don't have a lot documented that I wished I did, ie-first steps, first words, family vacations, first Birthdays, etc.

and

2) I should have listened to Tegan and Roseanne a LONG time ago.

So.

To make up for lost time, I will start doing Flashback Fridays.

And today is the first Flashback.

Three years ago today I found out I was pregnant with Madeline.

It was a tad different than how I found out with Jack. With Jack I was peeing on a stick, while talking to a girlfriend on the phone with another girlfriend in the bathroom with me.

When I got pregnant with Madeline, I just knew. I could feel it.

I ran out and secretly bought a pregnancy test at Target.

No one knew we were trying.

Well...

Besides Kim. (I have my reasons)

I took the test at 4am in our guest Bathroom, with only the light from the outside window to see the line appear. As it started to appear I remember blinking, and bringing the test as close to my face as possible, and then finally giving in and turning the light on, just for a minute to not wake up Clay. (I wanted to tell Clay in a really special way, and didn't want to get his hopes up if the test was negative.)

It wasn't.

I was ECSTATIC.

If you know me....I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. I talk to my girlfriends, and Mother, and Grandmother about EVERYTHING.

Keeping something from them is pure torture for me.

I immediately had to get my plan into action.

I went to a local Maternity and Baby store and purchased a T-shirt that said "I'm the Big Brother".

I was over the top excited. I couldn't contain myself.

I blurted out to the salesgirl

"I just found out this Morning I'm pregnant!"

Sometimes I still can't believe that the first person I told was the girl behind the counter at Bellies and Babies.

(and the girl in the dressing room who over heard us talking and stuck her head out to say congratulations)

As soon as I got home that night, I broke out the camera and prepped Jack.

He could even say it.

It took Clay what felt like an eternity to get home that night.

He walked through the door, Jack jumped on the couch and said:

"Ine gonna be a brover!"

I will never forget the look on Clay's face. Shock, excitement, and a little bit of worry all in one.

He looked at me and said

"Really???"

The next morning I sent out that exact picture to my Girlfriends with the subject title to the email:

"First Come, First Serve."

(We are all kind of territorial when it comes to pregnancy. I mean...Come on...Who doesn't want to be the first to know!)

I won't say who responded to the email first...

We told the rest of the family over the Holiday's in the same way. It was fun to see them read the shirt and then watch the light bulb go off.

(some took longer than others)

9 months later my daughter was born.

P.s. That shirt is in Jack's keepsake box...Maybe it will fit his son for a big announcement someday... No pressure ;)

Puppy Love

2011-11-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

Meet Henry.

The newest addition to our family.

Today we took a very long drive to pick up our perfect puppy.

Awww...

The ride was longer for some more than others.

He is such a happy boy!

The kids adore him.

And he has LOTS of love to give back to them.

I have a feeling he will be my new favorite subject to photograph.

I mean seriously.
How can you resist this face???

It took some time for us to decide to get another dog. And we thought long and hard about all the work, and time and money that a puppy requires.

But....

We are a dog family.
So the decision was easy.

And we are so excited!

Welcome Home Henry!

We're so glad you're here!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

Halloween on a Monday was tough this year!

Mondays are my busiest day at work.
Lots of accidents happen on the weekend....

Mondays are crazy.

I was worried I might miss this:

Jack's first Halloween Parade!

But I didn't..
I made it!
And so did Clay!
He was so excited to see us.
The downfall of dressing in your costume at school is not being able to wear the whole thing. No gloves, masks or shoe covers....

Booooo.

But he didn't mind at all.

All he cared about was Hi-Five-ing the 4th and 5th graders as he paraded by.

He couldn't wait for night to come.

We started our evening as we do every year.

Rocco's!

There's something about Pizza and Halloween.

Jack-man in full attire

Madeline the Owl

Maddie caught on right away.
She was all about the Trick or Treating

(I don't know why I always wait till the last house to take the family picture.)

Don't set your camera down...even for a second.

All the ladies....

Dessert.
MMMmmmm Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.

And one last sneak into the candy....

Until next year..

:)

Happy Halloween!

Welcome Fall!

2011-10-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Just in time....

The weather is changing...

Thank. The. Lord.

I'm ready for some Fall weather.

Wanna know what else I'm ready for???

This stuff:

MMMmmmmmm....

If you haven't had the pleasure...

You Should.

Best. Seasonal. Beer.
Period.
.

Stay Tuned.....

More Fall fun is just around the bend.....

On the Pinterest Band Wagon!

2011-10-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Mel from The Larson Lingo and My friend Kim inspired me to stop pinning and start cooking.

I mean Pinterest could be one of the greatest inventions I have EVER used, but what's the use of pinning and not trying....

It's like Window shopping....It's fun for awhile, but sooner or later....you gotta just buy it!

I know I have mentioned how much I love my crock pot.

But lately....

I REALLY love my Crock Pot.

My work has been a tad busier than normal. Which makes my energy level not of it's norm.

Enter slow cooker. What better time to break out my Crock Pot than now. AND what better time than to try all those recipes people have been pinning.

So that's just what I did.

First up:

Egg Brunch Casserole

With the Holiday's just around the corner I need a breakfast that doesn't keep me in the kitchen and allows me to join in all the reindeer games.

This recipe had me at "Cooks while you sleep"

Yes! Please!

With Mom visiting this last weekend, I had a sous chef and at 11pm we pulled ourselves up off the couch and threw everything in the pot.

*hint* It is probably a good idea to read an entire recipe prior to starting it just before midnight.

I didn't realize you had to saute the bell pepper and onion, nor did I realize the bacon had to be cooked.

Whenever I'm in a hurry, and don't want the mess, I cook bacon like Ina taught me. Sheet Pan, cookie rack, 400, 15-20 minutes = Perfect Bacon.

You layer everything and pour your eggs on last.

Here is the finished product. Not so pretty now, but I added sour cream, chopped tomatoes and green onion and it was great. Clay even liked it.

*Winner*

and so so easy.

(If I were to change anything, I would add sausage and 1 and a half the recipe so it fills up my pot.)

Next up:

Two ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

I read Mel's blog and was so bummed that these weren't amazing. I had such high hopes!

So I did a little google research.

And found a recipe from Sandra Lee. The goddess of everything semi-homeade.

Sandra said....Add 1/3 cup of oil.

So that's just what I did.

And they were so moist and perfect.

Next time I would add some pumpkin spice, just to kick them up a notch.

I iced them with Ina's Cream Cheese Frosting.

Deeelish.

And again...

Easy!

This next one almost all of my friends have made and raved....how could I not try it!

Ranch House Pork Chops

Easy(check), Crowd Pleaser (check), Tender and Delicious (check)

I would recommend. Fo. Sho.

This one seemed too good to be true:

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

The only thing I added was Garlic Salt, Onion and Hot Sauce.

Clay loved it.

Hooray!

It was creamy and easy and good!

Topped with Cilantro and Hot Salsa and Sour cream in a tortilla.

Yum!

And Finally.....

This is my old stand by.

You can find Carroll Shelby's Chili mix at your local Grocer.

It's the best.

This week I used Steak instead of ground turkey or hamburger.

It was so good!

Carroll Shelby's Texas Chili

I usually use Chili beans with sauce, Kidney beans, onion, bell pepper, garlic and diced tomatoes with green chilies.

Throw it all in....

And Voila!

Autumn in a Pot.

I serve it with "Corn Puke"

You know....

Like when you go to Chevy's or El Torrito and your dinner comes with that little side of corn casserole. The link above will take you to that recipe. And I promise it tastes just like the restaurants version.

And if you are not a fan of "corn puke" which means you are probably one of the people that gave "corn puke" it's fabulous name.....you are crazy. Because it's fantastic.

So there you have it.

My Slow cooker, Pinterest, Crocktober, Palooza.

as Mel would say...

FTW.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this time of year.

I love Fall, and Pumpkins and Everything October brings.

Every October 1st we usually rush down to the Pumpkin Patch and stock up.

But this year.....

It's been tough to get in the "Fall" mood.

80 degrees does not an Autumn make....

So...

It took us some time to get to the Patch this year.

But we finally got there this last weekend.

Awwww...

The Baby Pumpkins are my favorite.

Especially these two little pumpkins

She wore the headband all afternoon.

(it was a Halloween Miracle)

Jack agreed to pose for 2.5 seconds

Why is it so difficult to a sibling photo?

I have about 47 more shots just like this.

The rule as always...

If you can carry it. It's yours.

Madeline picked a white one this year.

Jack tried for the biggest he could find....

This year Mom and Dad came with us.

I love it when my Mom comes because she's a Mamarazzi like me....which means she can't help herself when it comes to photographing her children and it helps me not feel so crazy with my camera.

She caught me.

Trying to get the "Perfect" shot.

(at least there's proof I was there)

(love this one)

Happy *almost* Halloween!

Happy Birthday Janice!

2011-10-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jannie!!

I think it's funny that my two closest "work" friends are born in the same week.

;)

Janice and I met through work, just like Honesty and I did.

But.... a little differently....

Janice was an intern. A very Hot, Sexy, Intern. She was probably one of the most beautiful women I had ever met.

And I hated her.

Not because I knew anything about her, or had even talked to her, but she was SO pretty. And Skinny. And had the most perfect figure I had ever seen on a woman.

So every day we would go to lunch as a group. And we would leave her.

Aren't we nice?

Until one day. My friend Kim at work said... "Hey, Janice....Wanna Come with us?"

I shot Kim the look of death. How could she? I thought....

And Janice with her perfect dimpled smile said. "I'd LOVE to!"

And off we went to lunch.

Thank God Kim asked Janice to lunch that day.

Janice was the most kind, sweet, generous, thoughtful person.

It was too hard to hate her. So she quickly became one of my close friends.

That was 11 years ago.

She knew me when Clay was called back to duty for the military.

She was my buddy when I had to live alone.

She knew me before I had my children.

Before I owned my home. (both of them)

And I knew her before she married Mark.

Before she bought her first home.

Before she had her babies.

We've been through a lot.

We bought homes 5 houses apart on the same street.

And have probably had dinner together 1,000,000 times.

To top if off, our husbands became friends....

Which makes hanging out even more fun.

The boys golf, and we shop.

We are quite the match.

We have traveled to Hawaii together.

They have been to almost every Holiday at my house.

Life was a little less complicated before we had our children.....

But we still work out a way to hang out...

Just not as often as we used to.

We were both pregnant at the same time.

And we love to joke about their wedding...

Someday.....

Janice, I hope you know how much I love you.

I'm so glad you are in my life.

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday Honesty!

2011-10-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Lady!

There is one person who gets me through all the live long day.

Monday through Friday ....

And it's this girl.

Honesty and I met through work awhile back.

It's so nice to have someone to talk to throughout the day. Someone who completely understands the demands of your job and can completely relate.

We clicked right away. We have the same goals, the same work ethic, and the same sense of humor.

We get each other.

I'm not gonna lie, Honesty has been on leave from work for awhile and I'm going crazy. I definetly miss having her at my fingertips 300 times a day.

Not only does she help me through the work day, but she helps me through life.

She's my very own "life" cheerleader.

When I'm down, she cheers me up. When I'm happy she always happy for me. When I'm whine-y she tells me to snap out of it.

She's always just what I need.

We have so much fun when we are together.

And through the years have become more than just "work" friends.

She is my friend.

My good friend.

She's always up for whatever I may have up my sleeve.

I'm so glad I have her in my life.

So Happy Birthday to you Ms. Honesty!

I hope your day is perfect!

The Heidi Kronicles

Britt's Last Night of Freedom!

Happy Birthday Jus!

Weekend in Pictures

Showering Brit!

Valentine's 2012

Weekend Re-cap!

Flashback Friday!

Let's Talk Marriage. And Kids. And Life.

The Pleasure was all mine, Mr. Keller....

Happy Birthday to Me!

Flashback Friday!

Bring on 35!

Flashback Friday!

Weekend in Pictures

Flashback Friday! *Guest Blogger Edition*

Happy 6th Birthday Jack!

10 on 10 (well 6 on 10)

Happy Birthday Gram!

New Years Eve 2011

As the year ends...

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's Christmastime!!

Flashback Friday!

She's Here!

Let's Talk Fashion

These are a few of my Favorite Things!

Flashback Friday!

To the North Pole!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011

Good Bye Baby Bed! Hello Big Girl Bed!

Weekend fun in Cambria

Flashback Friday!

Not your run of the mill Monday....

Flashback Friday!

Puppy Love

Happy Halloween!

Welcome Fall!

On the Pinterest Band Wagon!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Happy Birthday Janice!

Happy Birthday Honesty!

Flashback Friday! Guest Blogger Edition