TIM and DEBRA

New Blog Site

2011-02-06T11:42:00.001-08:00

I have switched over to wordpress! Please save our new link so we can keep in touch:

http://www.timanddebra.wordpress.com

Santana Row

2011-01-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to meet up with some good college friends (Christa and Jess) in San Jose a few weeks ago. We had lunch and strolled up and down Santana Row. If you haven't been to Santana Row it makes for a great afternoon. I loved the development of this little street with outdoor seating, restaurants, and shopping. I also loved the little details of the street with the beautiful pots teeming with flowers. Tim said it really reminded him of Spain. I could have sat on the outdoor patio all day with my frozen yogurt on their comfy lawn furniture just people watching. It also helped that the weather was gorgeous.

25 weeks

2011-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

For some reason I feel like my belly is way more visible this week than last. All the kids at school no longer look at my face when I am talking to them, just my stomach. My belly button has also started to pop out which makes me totally self conscious.

6 Months

2011-01-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the belly pics at six months.

Baby!

2011-01-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

We got another ultrasound yesterday. My how she is growing! She's the same active little squirt and was doing yoga in momma's belly. She always has her hands around her face so what looks like her monster lips in this shot is actually her hand up against her face. We're hoping for no Angelina Jolie lips. Isn't 4D ultrasound crazy! A little alienish.

Nap Time

2011-01-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

This is our nephew Rudy totally passed out on my belly. He's four months old now and has been having a hard time sleeping lately. (Maybe teeth are on the way) But I just love putting him to sleep. He sat and listened to Tim read to him for a good 15 minutes after crying profusely for a long time. He fell fast asleep after snuggling in on my expanding belly. It is so fun being aunt and uncle to this little guy. I think it was the book content that put him to sleep. (The history of Lewis and Clark! Boring Uncle Tim!)

Getting Crafty on a Budget

2011-01-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

We have been working away in the baby's room lately. Tim spent many hours taping off the walls to make yellow and white stripes for me. The room was already painted yellow and he added the white stripes. It is amazing how much better the new painter's tape works for this kind of project. He peeled off the tape and it looked great. (If you are painting stripes don't skimp for the cheap tape) I went and bought canvases and attempted to make my own bird artwork. At times I think it looks like a third grade collage and at others I really like it. I mod podged a bunch of "white" backgrounds from the Pottery Barn magazine and then cut the bird and leaves out of the crib bedding. I think I will keep them. I just keep reminding myself that they are not too bad for the overall price of $11. (Gotta love Michael's coupons) The branch was found in the empty field behind our house. I am going to eventually resew the birds in the branch to match the crib fabric. Those are my trial birds. The angle that I took the picture makes the branch look really upright but it is more arching in the room over the corner. My only splurge was for the bird cage from Pottery Barn. I thought I could find a bird cage anywhere cheap, but those things are pricy! We have an old dresser to refinish next. I'll keep you posted.

Snow Day

2010-12-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

Today was our snow day in Colorado. It started snowing yesterday, and we stayed inside all day playing games. So today we braved the temperatures (9 degrees) and went out and explored Boulder. I loved this city and would definitely live here if we were moving to Colorado. We built the snowman right in Tammy and Joe's front yard. So fun when you can instantly head back in the house to get warm.

Colorado

2010-12-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

We flew out to Colorado two days after Christmas to visit our friends Tammy and Joe. We took a day trip out from Denver to Fort Collins to visit friends from Cal Poly. We saw Debra's friend Julie and her two boys. We also visited Tim's friends Creighton and Kathrin. They have a newborn (only 1 week old) that we got to meet. Tim couldn't leave Fort Collins without visiting the New Belgium Brewery. Here are a few pictures from the Brewery.

Don't worry, I didn't consume any beer. But this is a good pic to show you the updated belly bump.

2010-12-22T09:58:00.001-08:00

Being off on Christmas vacation has given me some time to start thinking about the nursury. As most of you know, I love decorating! So having a baby room to decorate only brings that much more joy. I have been scouring the internet for fun ideas. I finally came across some things that I really like. I really wanted to make my own crib bedding (let me rephrase that) I really wanted to have Tim's mom and sister make my crib bedding while I picked out cute fabric. Crib bedding can be so expensive! So my search led me to http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/ She has so many great fabrics for all kinds of fun projects. The best thing is that lots of local stores carry her fabrics. Now it is just a matter of narrowing down which fabrics I want to choose. I think I want it to be pretty eclectic without looking like a hodgepodge. We will see if that is possible. I am also attempting to go with the bird theme. Tim has hung a birdcage in the corner of the room with a large branch (found in the ditch behind our house) above the birdcage. Doesn't get much cheaper than that. I found the pattern for these little birds at www.spoolsewing.com/blog/2008/05/16/bird-mobile.com I think I might actually attempt to make those to put on the branch. We will see how it all turns out.

It's a GIRL!

2010-12-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Bring on the frilly dresses, adorable headbands, and pink. Love it!

Baby Bump

2010-12-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

Alright...here's the first picture at exactly 4 months. Can you tell? I don't know.... Funny story from my fifth graders.... They were very excited when I told them that I was pregnant. There was the collective gasp, and then a rousing round of applause out of the blue. It was really cute. So the students have been going home and telling their parents that I am pregnant. Some of them apparently in creative ways. I got an email from a parent last week that made me laugh.

One of my students went home after school and his parents had just had the carpet cleaned and all the furniture was moved out of the house. So he was messing around in the freshly cleaned carpet drawing designs with his foot. He soon announced to his parents that he had a very special announcement to make, but that it was written in the carpet. Well the message read, "She's pregnant" There might have been a little confusion at home until he clarified that the "she" was indeed Mrs. Romano. Ha!

So same student two weeks later... I get a phone call in the morning when I am teaching math from the other 5th grade math teacher. He wanted to ask me if the two boys in my class with the same last name were actually twins. (yes, he had been teaching them for the last 4 months...another blog chapter could reveal totally funny stories about this other teacher) So I answered him on the phone, "yes, they're twins" and hung up. (a little annoyed that I was being interupted on my fabulous lesson of triple digit multiplication) So later the same day, this same "carpet writing" student approaches me looking only at my belly and says, " so you're having twins?" I was really confused thinking, wow, did I really look that big to the kids already? Obviously it took a few minutes to figure out that he had gathered that from my earlier phone conversation about the twins in my class. I quickly sent him out to lunch, reassuring him that I was not having twins!

Truckee

2010-12-01T19:07:00.001-08:00

We were generously given a stay at a beautiful cabin in Truckee (near Tahoe) over Thanksgiving from a student at my school last year. We had a great time for a weekend getaway with lots and lots of snow! I even attempted cross country skiing for the first time. Fun! Tim and I are cherishing these little getaways now before the baby comes.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T18:57:00.001-08:00

About half of us gathered in this picture after eating turkey in Visalia.

My sister, her husband Rudy, and of course the baby. (Not too happy about the bright, outdoor sun here) So much for the perfect Christmas picture.)

Our nephew Rudy Jr. is getting so big. We had a great time with him being the center of attention during family time. In this picture he is getting his hair gelled up for his Christmas picture. So cute!

Joy!

2010-11-21T11:53:00.001-08:00

Some of you know, but many of you probably don't know that almost exactly a year ago I had a pretty serious miscarriage after about 3 months. Our lives really seemed shattered after hearing the news. I had surgery to have the baby removed in December and then found out that it was called a molar pregnancy. I had never heard of the thing, but apparently it was pretty serious. I had some abnormal cells growing after the surgery and they could potentially become cancerous. So every two weeks I went in to get my blood checked to make sure my hormone levels were normalizing. The doctor told us that we could not get pregnant for a year in case the cancer showed up. Talk about having to seriously wait on the Lord and understand his timing and hand in everything that we just couldn't understand. Thankfully my hormone levels normalized about 7 months later (this July) and I was able to stop doing the bloodwork this September. Shortly after we were in the clear. I am now 15 weeks pregnant!!!! I am due on May 20th. Tim and I are so thankful for the Lord's hand in all of this and continue to pray for a healthy baby. We really learned a lot in this last year, whether we wanted to or not. This pregnancy is considered a high risk pregnancy, so of course I have my daily worries that I am trying to overcome. We were already able to see ultrasounds at 6 and 9 weeks, and heard the heartbeat last week. Hooray! Pregnancy really is a miracle to behold and we are learning that more each day.

October in Review

2010-10-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Every year all the teachers at school dress up for the kids and parade around downtown. It is such an exciting day for the students, and completely exhausting for the rest of us. It's been a little tradition that Tim usually accompanies me for the parade in costume. (He loves to dress up, totally opposite of me)

Disneyland was another adventure in the month of October. It was a blast to be able to go with Tim's parents. We had free tickets from the Disney promotion that was going on last year. We volunteered with an organization for a day and then got free tickets. We had to use them by December, so we were running out of time. It was really fun that Disneyland was all decked out for Halloween.

We hit the jackpot again by winning another contest. Tim entered a radio contest on the internet for a big event happening on the Central Coast. Sunset magazine was coming to put on a weekend called, Savor the Central Coast. It was a pretty high dollar ticket to get into the event, so as much as I wanted to go, we wouldn't have had the opportunity. We were shocked when the radio station called us and told us that Tim had won the tickets. (Same radio station that we won the Vegas trip from, although we didn't mention that when they called) We had won the grand prize (weekend of activities worth $600) So it was quite a weekend. It started out with a winemaker's dinner on Saturday night at Novo in SLO. We had an amazing six course meal paired with wines from Clayhouse. Yummy! I'm sure everyone was wondering what we
were doing at the dinner. (Average age: 60 and rich!) Then on Sunday we went to the main event out at the Santa Margarita Ranch. Basically it was every restaurant and winery from the central coast offering their best! They also had the brand new volvos out on a test track to test drive. This was a highlight! We got to drive the volvos down as fast as we wanted through the coned obstacle course. On the way back the professional test drivers showed us how to really squeal the tires. Super fun. I felt like I was in one of those car commercials. We were also given seminar tickets in the historic barn where we learned how to blend our own wine and got to make our own blends. Pretty cool, but the talk was way over our heads. We had fun experimenting. Lastly, we were given tickets to attend the Chris Isaac/Amos Lee concert with more food and wine at the Avila Bay Club. Definitely a high roller weekend that I will probably not experience again.

Tim blending wine...

Driving the Volvo...

Winemaker's dinner...

Rudy Rickey Jr. Has Arrived

2010-09-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

My sister had her little boy on Thursday, September 16th. He weighed 7lbs 12 oz. and was 18 inches long. We made it up to Watsonville Friday night to meet little Rudy. They are all still in the hospital recovering after a c section. Hopefully they will get to go home today. He's pretty cute. Nobody wanted to put him down, and he definitely wanted to be held the whole time. We miss the little guy already and will have to wait for another weekend to visit again.

Mr. & Mrs.

2010-09-12T17:36:00.001-07:00

Here's some fun pics from Devon and Tim's wedding. They were married at the Dana Powers Barn. The bride as well as the surroundings were beautiful.

2 1/2 Weeks Down

2010-08-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

I havn't posted yet about my new class this year. I just havn't found the words to describe them I guess. Had I posted about them the first week of school negativity would have been all too prevalent. The negativity is fading slightly, but I havn't come to terms that the school year really could be like this all year long. Usually the kids are quite timid the first day of school. New teacher, new students, new grownup surroundings in a classroom where more will inevitably be required. Was I in for a surprise. I barely survived the first day. The 35 fresh faces in front of me carried on like it was a ten year reunion. I was simply invisible to them. I actually told my principal that I wouldn't be coming back the next day. (in a half joking, half serious attitude) Never in my seven years of teaching had I experienced a first day quite like this.

While getting dressed and ready for my second day of school I had made up my mind that I would take no prisoners. I had to be somewhat congenial the first day. Day two would be a different story. I was ready for battle and needed to instill the fear. I even remember asking Tim if I looked like I was ready to battle before walking out of the house. I completely changed my tactics walking into the classroom. We would have no more frilly first week of school activities. Today would be reading, writing, math, science, history, etc. One right after the other. Believe it or not... I made some headway.

The beginning of the school year is always so difficult. I think I seem to forget that the kids are really still fourth graders and that it takes weeks of training to get them to the point that I just completed with my last class two short months ago. Really, beginnings of any kind are difficult. Things just take time to establish and grow. I have already been praying a lot more in my classroom in those moments of frustration. Maybe I'm the one that will grow through these kids. (Although I really don't see that being the moral at this point)

So I leave you with a tidbit of conversation in my day as the negativity wears off a little more.

Mrs. Romano: Student X did you remember to bring me your library card today? (I've been asking for the last 2 weeks)

Student X : No my parents and I aren't really big fans of the library.

Mrs. Romano: Well every time you don't have your card, your grade is dropping. So I hope you become a fan real quick.

Student Y: (In tears) Student Z called me a brat!

Mrs. Romano: Is this true Student Z?

Student Z: Yes, but Student Y said I was acting like a brat.

Mrs. Romano: (to Student Y) You know calling someone a brat and telling someone they are acting like a brat are the same thing.

Student Y: Oh they are? I didn't know that.

Mrs. Romano: (in my head) Ya right!

And the secret ingredient is... Chevre!

2010-08-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Debra and I have been watching Next Food Network Star for the past few weeks. I've discovered there are two types of people who watch food network, those who are inspired to cook and those who are inspired to eat. Of course most watchers are a blend of the two. I've discovered that while I'm primarily inspired to cook, Debra is more inspired to eat after watching the show. Interesting tidbit, now on with the story.

Those of you following the blog remember that recently we discovered a local organic goat cheese farm. We loved the cheese we tasted and bought some plain chevre and some flavored with herbs. The timing couldn't have been better since the episode of NFNS was an Iron Chef competition and now we had a truly exotic secret ingredient to play with.

We were adding chevre to everything, on top of crackers, burgers, salads, nearly every meal had the distinct flavor of goat cheese in one dish or another. We were gourmets in our own kitchen. But my coup d'etat, and the product of my own Iron Chef competition with myself, was dessert.

I mixed fresh Canadian blueberries from Trader Joes with local apples, sliced, peeled and sprinkled with cinnamon. I spread the fruit in a baking dish. Then I added finely chopped walnuts, vanilla, and brown sugar to my plain, fresh chevre in a mixing bowl. I topped the fruit with a layer of this mixture and baked it all together. The result... a rich, flavorful dessert that kept my taste buds intrigued from the first aroma to the last bite!

Bon appetit!

Exploring Our Greater Backyard

2010-08-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

It is the last weekend before school begins so we headed out for an adventure Saturday. We had some wineries to explore and check off the list. We think that we hit two of the best. The atmosphere was spectacular at these wineries. About 20 minutes from home we decided to travel to the furthest two on our list. Justin and Carmody McKnight. We love that the furthest wineries in Paso are only 20 min. from our doorstep. The picture below is Carmody McKnight. It was actually rated "best picturesque" winery in Paso. We picniced here in front of the pond. Well worth the short drive.

We also came across this quaint farmstand in Templeton called Happy Acres. We fed the goats, tasted many excellent goat cheeses, and walked away with lots of zuccini, watermelon, and herb cheese. They are certified organic and they sell their goat cheese to many of the restaurants downtown.

Skinny Jeans Arrrrggg!

2010-08-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well I decided it was time that I finally gave into the skinny jean craze and so I headed to our local Forever 21 to find the cheapest pair to try on. The only reason I want these jeans is so my tall boots will fit over my jeans without having to cram my jeans in. (No offense if you rock the skinny jeans) After picking out multiple styles while hoping not to run into any students in the same aisle I headed to the dressing room. Sidenote: if anyone has been in the monstrosity of a building that the San Luis Obispo Forever 21 is you know it can be an overwhelming place to say the least. My beef with the store comes with their dressing rooms. They must have at least 5 different fitting rooms all around their store in every department. After walking vigorously to the back of the store, keep in mind I'm trying to avoid any potential run ins with students, I realize that the particular dressing room is closed. I head in the direction of two others, upon being directed that they were open, to find they are closed. Now I have circled the store and have found someone to tell me that the plus sizes dressing room is open. Another side note: plus sizes in that store are a waist size of 30. I realized this when the largest size jeans came in a 29 in the regular section. What on earth! I quickly replied to the sales "teen" that the plus size dressing room is not open and she is mistaken. She then directs me to the castle. Ya, the what? Apparently the castle is an open dressing room and I just have to find it. Why is there a need to have 5 different dressing rooms that are always closed? Upon making it to "the castle" I find a huge line. The girl asks if I would like to go to another fitting room, apparently the plus sizes rooms are open. No thank you! I am staying put. And by the way, the plus sizes room is not open.

So the real fun begins as I cart my 8 pairs of skinny jeans in various colors into the dressing room to begin to try on. No joke, I cannot get the first pair over my ankles. Oh man. I'm quite sure I lost about 2 lbs just walking around to find the dressing room. I was bound and determined not to have to get my skinny jeans in the plus sizes. They call them skinny jeans for a reason, not plus jeans. So I attempt pair number two. Up to my calves! I am realizing that I am going to have to put a little more work into getting these on I'm afraid. With pair number three I am starting to breath harder and could quite possibly pull a muscle with the contortions I am attempting. So pair number three actually made it all the way on. I was mortified! I really should have brought a pair of boots in to try on with the jeans, because wearing them on their own is simply never going to happen. I quickly decide to take those off and put them in the maybe pile. Getting them off took some time. I don' t know what the deal is and why some people just look adorable in their skinny jeans. Maybe it is because they are 21 and not pushing 30. That probably should have been a huge sign that my days at Forever 21 should be over. I have a coworker (52 yrs. old) that has a few cute items from the store that she calls Forever 50. Apparently it was not my day, I didn't even attempt to try on the shirts I had picked out. I was too exhausted. Or maybe it was my day, because I actually ended up leaving the store with 2 pairs of these so called skinny jeans. What have I done...

Weekend of Celebrations

2010-08-08T18:39:00.001-07:00

We had such a blast at Christion and Megan's wedding this weekend. It was extra special for me because I went to high school with Christion and got to see lots of his family and many high school friends I havn't see in over 10 years. It was also a great mix of all of our SLO friends. You know its a good wedding when you look around and everyone is out of their seats and on the dance floor.

I also got to celebrate my good friend Devon. She is getting married in September so Iwas able to share in her joy as well.

The shower was at Devon's mom's house in Shell Beach. She is such an incredible hostess. Check out this fun idea... Vegetable cups made of pete moss filled with parchment paper, vegetables
and ranch dressing inside. Everywhere I looked I was inspired with decorating ideas.

A Week in Vegas

2010-08-06T19:18:00.001-07:00

This probably doesn't look like the Vegas picture you remember... because it's not. We sidetracked to Hoover Dam one day in the 110 degree heat so Tim could marvel at the engineering wonder of the dam. We took the dam tour, walked across the dam bridge, etc. (The phrase never got old) I would say I was a good wife as I walked in the heat all the way across the dam with Tim so he could take a picture of the intake tunnel. ?? I won't mention the part of the trip when he was a good husband and picked out my size pants in various styles in the Banana Republic outlet as I searched the sale rack.

Most of our Las Vegas experience involved food, food, and more food. We ate well to say the least. The trick was attending the time share talk at the hotel for $150 in meal vouchers on the strip. This restaurant was the Mesa Grill which is Bobby Flay's restaurant if you watch the cooking channel. Best pork tenderloin I ever ate...

There's just something so magical about the Bellagio water show. We could have sat there all night and watched it.

Les Artistes Steakhouse at the Paris Hotel. The best seared scallops and risotto I have eaten.

Tao restaurant at the Venetian. You must go there when you are in Vegas!

Only in Vegas do you open your fortune cookies to read this....

I know I have been raving about the food, but this curry shrimp dish at Tao inspired us both to try and start experimenting with cooking tastier dishes.

Just a few people we met on the strip.

Baby Boy Coming Soon

2010-08-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

I was in Watsonville last weekend showering my sister. She is due Sept. 29th! I can't believe it is getting so close already.

Fair Time

2010-08-06T18:38:00.001-07:00

Living in Paso this year only a few blocks from the fair made for two entertaining weeks. You could hear every concert from our front yard (slightly muted from in the house) . We found a great spot just up the street where we could see the grandstands of the concert arena. You can't beat free concerts from your hillside. We listened to Justin Beiber, Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar, and Offspring for free.

These were pics from the Keith Urban concert that I won tickets to. So fun. Keith actually went into the crowd and walked all around while singing one of his songs. It was the best concert I have been to this date. Keith is very funny and genuine on stage. You can tell he really wants to be there performing for you.

These pics are from the second time we went to the fair. It was obviously all about the food that night.

New Hobby

2010-07-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed living up in Paso discovering all the new restaurants and such so I thought it was time we figured out all of the wineries. During the wine festival a few months back we picked up the a pamphlet that lists all of the wineries in the area. I think there are like 140 or so. (Actually I know there are more because I drove past one the other day that was surprisingly not in my book!)I had no idea that there were so many wineries up here and there are so many more tasting rooms being built all the time. Well, my goal/new hobby has been trying to check out all these wineries to find the best ones with the perfect picnic atmosphere as well as good wine to bring all of our friends to when they come up and visit. Tim and I have been chipping away at the list steadily over the last 5 years, but now it is great that we live so close we can just drive a mile up the road and be at a great winery. So from my original list, I now have 98 wineries to spot that I have not yet been to! Overwhelming to say the least...As I slowly chip away at them I am making notes in my little pamphlet (mostly about the atmosphere...because I am way more into that than the actual wine) and how good the wine tastes. I am beginning to find some gems and some to completely avoid. It seems a little daunting to get to my now narrowed down list of 98 but it is a work in progress. Before long we will know the best of the best to take you to, and by that time I'm sure there will be so many new ones to frustrate me. These gigantic doors belong to Eagle Castle Winery. I love this place for its showmanship. (Havn't had the wine yet, sad to say) The place is literally a castle, you have to cross a moat to enter. I also like this place because I recently met the owner who leads the bible study I was in at our church.

Christa was visiting all week so she got in on the wine tour. Poor girl, because of my list she had to experience two bad ones before we found the perfect picnic spot at Summerwood.

Babies in Bakersfield

2010-07-23T12:32:00.001-07:00

My whirlwind summer had to include a stop to Bakersfield to see some sweet new baby girls. Cody and I headed over for a short trip to hang out with old friends and new additions. It was great getting to spend time with everyone.

Dodger Game

2010-07-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

What would summer be without heading to the ballpark to catch a Dodger game? I was given 4 tickets (with excellent seats, I might add) from one of my students this past year to attend the game. I had my pick of games so we had to see them play the Giants of course. There were plenty of Dodger dogs as well as movie stars in the stadium to make the game fun. (we saw Will Ferrell, Cedric the Entertainer, and Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers all sitting relatively close by)

My Love Hate Relationship

2010-07-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Succulents... I always had this hate relationship with succulents swearing them off as "old people" plants grown only in the desert where you can't pick out anything lovlier to plant. Well I have done a 360 on my thinking when it comes to succelents. Maybe its because I now live in Paso Robles where it has been 105 all week or maybe it is because I am rapidly approaching my 30's or maybe it is because I am increasingly looking for ways to save money when it comes to the backyard. A teacher at my school is pretty much the succulent queen and gave me so many clippings from her plants this summer I was overwhelmed. I think I have counted 10 pots sitting on our back patio right now just filled with baby succulents growing strong. The things are amazing. You just break a small piece off and stick it in the ground and it starts to grow. I recently scored the plant I am holding in the picture from Charity's house before she moved. It is now planted on our hillside. I hope it survives because I bet is has been growing for over 20 years in the ideal climate of Shell Beach. (If anyone knows what this particular succulent is called let me know) So yes, I've become the lady with the succulents pots on her porch and a little more money in her pocket saved from not having to constantly buy flowers for those pots.

Out of Control

2010-07-16T10:36:00.001-07:00

I don't know what has been going on lately but I have been winning contests left and right! Today I won tickets to Keith Urban (my fav) at the Midstate Fair. There's no better feeling than sitting there listening to the radio with your fingers crossed that your name would be drawn and then actually hearing your name on the radio!

For Sale

2010-07-16T10:31:00.001-07:00

Yes I am shamelessly trying to sell our couches to you on our blog. Need a couch? Know anyone that does? I finally got my leather sectional I have been wanting now I need to move these out.

$75 for the loveseat

$275 for the couch

Maui Adventure #6

2010-07-08T10:37:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to get to celebrate my 29th birthday this year in Maui. My last year of being in my 20's is a little scary, but I couldn't imagine a better place to celebrate. Today was literally my day as Tim told me I was in charge of the plans. Well, that meant spend all day at the fancy resort beaches (we camped out at the Four Seasons) and enjoy a tasty meal oceanside. We went to Duke's on the water in Kaanapali. It was my favorite restaurant of the entire trip. Sitting right on the ocean watching the sunset wasn't bad either. Hopefully this last year in my 20's will continue as good as it began.

Maui Adventure #5

2010-07-08T10:25:00.001-07:00

The next adventure was attending a Luau. The last time I was in Maui I opted not to do a Luau, so this time we sprang for it. I think it is something you have to try once in Hawaii. The coolest part of the show were the fire dancers. The food wasn't bad either, the huge roasted pig was my favorite. I'm sure it was because of all the seasoning salt that was on the pork.

Maui Adventure #4

2010-07-08T10:13:00.001-07:00

We drove the road to Hana! Basically this is a one lane winding road that goes about 65 miles into the town of Hana. It is the more tropical, lush side of the Island. There were lots of waterfalls to explore. It took almost 3 hours to drive one way. We went on a 4 mile hike through a bamboo forest to a spectacular waterfall and then took our time heading back stopping at Hana's black sand beach.

Maui Adventure #3

2010-07-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

The third adventure might not be an adventure to some but sitting on the beaches of Maui had to make the list. My kind of adventure came in the form of scoping out the best beaches. We definitely had our favorites and when we found them we kept coming back day after day. So beach hopping became an adventure until we found our favorite spot and then it was sheer relaxation. Our favorite beach was Kapalua. A little more private, about 20 turtle sitings a day, and only a mile from our condo.

Maui Adventure #2

2010-07-07T15:27:00.001-07:00

For our second adventure we went snorkeling. We took a boat about 3 miles out to a crater called Molokini. The visibility was incredible (about 200ft). We saw lots of fish and best of all turtles. It was incredible to be able to swim 2 ft from the sea turtles. They are so docile and don't even seem to mind that you are right next to them swimming.

Maui Adventure #1

2010-07-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

I couldn't quite figure out how to blog all about the great week we had in Maui, so I think I am going to have to sum it up according to adventures. There is so much to do in Maui and while laying on the beach for a week sounded great to me we filled our time lots more than that. One of the coolest things that we did was bike down Mt. Haleakala. (10,000 ft volcano) Not only did we bike down it, but we did it all at sunrise. We were picked up from our condo at 1:30 in the morning and driven up the mountain. We made it there around 5 and watched a spectacular sunrise. From there we got on bikes and biked down the windy road of the mountain face. It was pretty incredible cruising at around 30mph for about 90 min and never having to pedal. You'll notice that we look like we are dressed for Alaska. It was really cold at the top of the mountain.

Here We Come Maui

2010-06-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well our bags are packed. Let me rephrase that, our bag is packed. We attempted to fit everything in one suitcase so we don't have to pay so many crazy baggage fees. My hope is that it weighs in under 50 lbs. Havn't checked that out yet. Also havn't attempted to close the bag yet. We are so excited to be spending a week in Maui. We leave Thursday night to drop off the dog with my parents and then we fly out of Oakland Friday morning. Pray for the flight. I absolutely hate flying. Scares me to death. (I packed my leftover ambien from sinus surgery to get me through the flight) If you havn't been prescribed ambien while in the hospital for pneumonia, valley fever, sinus surgery, etc. It is a miracle drug while enduring all of those ailments as well as falling asleep on an airplane. Also while packing, I was reminded how much easier life would be if I were a boy. It probably took me the better part of the day to pack yesterday and Tim packed last night in about ten minutes. All he really had to do was throw in a couple pairs of shorts, polos, and t-shirts. There is so much that boys don't have to worry about. Cosmetics, blowdryers, straightners, and shoes alone took up half the bag for me. I also packed a dress for every night as well as a swimsuit for just about every day. (I know I get a little overboard when it comes to packing) During packing Tim and I decided it might be a good idea to talk about expectations for the trip. It became very evident from our packing that our expectations were on different wavelengths. (I highly recommend discussing expectations before any trip) It was funny how I conjured up my Maui trip to include fancy dinners overlooking amazing sunsets everynight while Tim's idea of the trip included hitting up costco when we land to cook meals at our timeshare to save money. We'll definitely meet in the middle. A girl can always dream right? Aloha for now...

Saturday

2010-06-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Eliminating weeds in the backyard... not fun... but such a sense of accomplishment... until they begin to grow back of course... next step... plants!

What a Morning Part 2

2010-06-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

I loved this Modern family episode and it totally reminded me of my morning. I am so glad that it wasn't a pigeon that flew in our house because we seriously have pigeons all over the neighborhood.

What a Morning

2010-06-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

I awoke quite early to a loud thud this morning and the usual sleepy dog missing from her bed. I headed out to the living room to find Cali climbing over the couch and jumping up on our new plantation shutters. The screen door was open and a bird had made its way into the living room. I was not ready to deal with this so early in the morning. This is usually something Tim takes care of but unfortunately he was already at work. If any of you know Cali you know that she will do anything for a bird. She has climbed chicken coops, swam too far out to sea, and recently ran away to a near by golf course (twice) to the duck pond all in pursuit of those stupid birds. She is the most well behaved dog until she is distracted by a bird and then shuts off all hearing to the outside world and more importantly her owners. So as I watched her jumping over the couch crashing into the shutters and nearly knocking off all glass items on the side table, yelling at her to stop was no use. I managed to get her outside where she continued to pound the window as the bird is now stuck in between the shutter and the window. I started to yell at the bird like I would the dog to make it stop fluttering in the shutter and realized quite quickly that the bird does not listen to you like a dog does most of the time. I grabbed a bowl and a cutting board to use as a lid to slide over the bowl and inched closer to the bird. (Why I am afraid of a small sparrow in my living room is beyond me) I realized that the bowl and cutting board idea was not a good one after about 20 sec. I managed to get the shutters open to have the bird fly into the dining room shutters. Now the dog has figured out that this is great fun and is slamming against the dining room window causing the bird to freak out and poop all over the place. I finally got the bird to fly out the original window that I opened.

This is a stark contrast in Cali from last week when she ripped off her entire foot pad. We think it happened when Tim took Cali for a bicycle ride and the asphalt was too hot. (A lesson to all dog owners and summertime heat) Her pad blistered and we had to end up cutting it off. Totally gross! So earlier this week she was not even in walking shape and was being pampered with iodine foot baths. I've never seen a dog willingly stick their foot in a bowl of water for 10 min. on end. She was soaking up all of the love. After the bird incident she has been put in the backyard for time out!

So I spent the remainder of the morning cleaning the windows inside and out, while ripping off a nail (I'm not that girlie but this one hurt) and forgetting that it was my parent's anniversary after the second call I made to my mom asking what to use to clean windows without streaks. She never mentioned a thing during the first call but during the second she asked, "Did you forget it was our anniversary today?" Oops!

My Brother is Married!

2010-06-14T09:09:00.001-07:00

My brother was married this past Saturday up in Auberry. (about 45 min. above Fresno in the foothills) They got married on Kaitlyn's grandparent's ranch. Everyone did a lot of work to get the ranch ready for a beautiful wedding. It was such a great day, the weather was perfect, the horses cooperated, and everyone had a great time.

This is my sister and her husband Rudy. Deanna is due on Sept. 29th

We were in charge of the rehearsal dinner the night before. We had everything set up in plenty of time to mess around taking photos with the horses.

This is just a sweet shot of my brother and Kaitlyn taking care of the horses before the rehearsal dinner.

My parents

The siblings Kaitlyn made a sweet entrance on her horse Cody. I've been to a lot of weddings but havn't seen the bride enter on horseback yet.

Just married! The reception was up above on the tennis court.

Dance party!

A rare snapshop of my mom actually on the dance floor

Off to Cabo!

Summer has begun...

2010-06-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

School ended last week and the week wound down with the last few days of teacher meetings and putting the classroom back in order for next year's group. With that ending comes the much anticipated beginning of summer. It is our first summer in the heat of Paso and so far we are enjoying it. I told Tim the other day that I was really enjoying the weather in Paso and he kindly reminded me that it was only June 5th. Weirdly enough, the sound of air conditioners turning on outside of homes in our neighborhood remind me of childhood. We haven't had to use our a.c. yet (thank goodness because it is currently not working) but a few more days of +100 temps might do it.
So what am I going to do with all my time now that summer is here? Well, I always find it funny that I keep completely occupied the first few weeks after school and then about week 3 I start wandering around the house wondering what to do. I have had 4 days of freedom so far and have painted two bathrooms, organized closets, rearranged the guest room, made a couple of cherry pies, and started to develop a writing curriculum for a new class I'm teaching next year. There's something about working constantly the last 10 months and then all of a sudden transitioning into nothingness. I have a hard time winding down I think. There's just something about having the free time all of a sudden to get all of those things that you have been putting off done. Don't get me wrong, I have been to the pool where I will spend many more idle hours this summer attempting to tan and get in swimming shape again.
I know the summer will fly by, it always does. 2 months just doesn't seem long enough. Tim and I have lots of plans this summer. (that's why I am getting my closet organizing done now) We are headed to Auberry this weekend to watch my brother get married. A few weeks after that we are flying to Maui for a week where we get to celebrate my 29th birthday. We have a Dodger game to catch in July as well as that trip to Vegas that we won. Sprinkle in summer concerts in the park, backyard bbqs, and some beach trips and the summer will be complete. Cheers to summer!

Cali the Hunter

2010-06-05T15:12:00.001-07:00

Just when I thought Cali couldn't be a better dog...

A few weeks ago some gopher hills popped up in our backyard. As any gardener knows, this was a serious threat to my newly planted fruit trees. If something wasn't done quickly my trees wouldn't make it through the summer.

Before I could buy traps or poison, Cali showed her prowess as a hunter. I've never seen a dog catch a gopher, but in that first week Cali dug out four! Imagine our surprise, since we had never seen Cali actually catch anything. Sure she goes crazy over birds, squirrels, lizards, and anything else that moves, but she never can catch them. Granted, she did tear up our hillside doing it. Fortunately we hadn't landscaped so she wasn't in trouble.

Needless to say, Cali is the best dog ever!

It's Hard to Believe!

2010-04-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Over the past weekend Tim and I went to the Paso Robles Home and Rec show. I was excited to go but Tim was dragging his feet wondering what on earth we needed for our home. I just wanted to browse the different vendors and sign up for all the contests. Every home show has tons of contests. So the grand prize contest was a 4 day trip to Vegas in some fancy hotel. We of course signed up. We filled out our ticket stub with our name and phone number and took the other half of the ticket, in which they mentioned that we should be sure to keep in case we won. Well, I put Tim in charge of the multiple tickets that day for all of the various contests we were entering. (Some of you can see where this is going)

Well, we waited for any phone calls after the drawing on Sunday and didn't get a single one. No big deal, I have never won a contest in my life. Didn't think this would be the one. Well on Wed afternoon they called and left a message saying that we had won the grand prize Vegas trip! I was so excited! If you know me, you know how sometimes when I get excited I have these loud outbursts of sheer joy! I would have been one of those great radio winners that goes crazy on the other end of the line while they are on the radio.

Well there was one small detail. The message said for us to call the lady back so we could redeem our prize. So, my next question for Tim is, "where are our tickets we were supposed to save?" We need to redeem our prize. Tim then mentions that he didn't think we were going to win and it had been 4 days so he threw the tickets away! My outburst of joy quickly turned into an outburst of "you've got to be kidding me!!!!" Tim quickly replied that he knew exactly which trash can he put them in. My next response was, "oh you mean the trash cans that were emptied last night and the trash man took away this morning!!!"

So we debated all night. Would they give us the trip? I mean they had our name and phone number.. They had to give it to us right? So Tim's job this morning was to convince the lady that tickets or no tickets she had to give us the trip. I was anxious at school today to find out the answer.

At lunch time I walked into the office at school to find flowers sitting on the counter waiting for me. This was a great surprise and I had two things running through my head. Number 1: either these flowers were from Tim saying he was extremely sorry he did everything he could but we needed the tickets he threw away, or Number 2: We were going to Vegas!

I opened the card in anticipation and it read:
Pack your bags! We're going to Vegas!

Whoo hoo! Now I can never say I havn't won anything again. The funny thing is people are starting to tell us that they are hearing our name on local radio stations congratulating us.

The Landscaping is Done!

2010-04-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the updated version of the front yard. It's nice to be done!

Personality Differences

2010-04-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Just looking at these two pictures crack me up. It is so obvious to see the differences in personality between Tim and I. Tim thought it would make a cool picture if I layed down in the wildflowers. At first I refused and but then gave in after some more pleading. Do I not look terribly uncomfortable in this picture? All I could think about was what insect would bite me, what might get in my hair, or what snake might wander over and wonder what I was doing on this level. Tim on the other hand had no problem being amongst the wildflowers and probably could have been quite happy taking in the view for ten minutes or so from down there. What I wouldn't give for that laid back, no stress personality. It is something I have to work for on a daily basis...acutally an hourly basis. I really don't think I will ever achieve it. I'm so glad my better half makes a great compliment to all the stress in a day so nicely.

Wildflowers

2010-04-21T19:06:00.001-07:00

Tim and I took a Sunday afternoon drive out to Shell Creek Rd. to check out the wildflowers. They were pretty incredible and so close to home. It was about a 30 min country drive and was totally worth it. If you have the chance to take a drive and check them out, I would highly recommend it. I think there only a couple good viewing weeks left. It was a pretty popular destination. I was surprised at the amount of people out there picnicing, biking, and walking through the fields.

Joshua Tree

2010-04-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

We took a roadtrip out to Joshua Tree for the last extended weekend of spring break. We saw lots of wildflowers, did some hiking, climbed lots of boulders, and braved some fierce winds. This is where Tim grew up. Enjoy all the pictures.

The Beginnings of a Spring Break Project

2010-04-07T13:02:00.001-07:00

We decided that after five months of being in our new place, it was time to begin to tackle the landscaping. Having bought a bank owned home, it was apparent that no one had done anything to the yard in quite a while. The grass was being taken over by weeds and most of it was dead. In this picture the lawn actually looks pretty good because it was just watered. The hillside is another beast that we are going ot have to tackle.

The city was offering a rebate program for those saving water. They gave us $500 to tear out our lawn and do a dryscape. We didn't want to water all of this lawn all summer here anyway with the extreme heat, so we took them up on their offer.

Tim built this really cool rock wall as a feature. We will also be building a couple more on the side of the house. We planted an olive tree in front of this wall.

We also went for the river rock dry bed feature. I was extremely sore after helping Tim put all of these rocks in place.

The best part was heading to the nursery and going on a shopping spree for new drought tolerant plants. (grasses, sage, lavender, breath of heaven, agapanthas, etc.) We will keep you updated on the finished product. Next step, lots of bark!

A Busy Month

2010-03-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

March has been totally crazy at school. It is the longest month of our school year and is completely packed. I took the fifth graders to outdoor science camp for three days (which was totally exhausting) I only had 1 student throw up on me! (A new record) Tim and I celebrated our two year anniversary on March 15! Sad to say, but I was away at camp. The next week was open house. The big horrah for every project imaginable to mankind. Which included grading them all. I am happy to say that as April approaches, spring break begins. I am so ready for a break.

Artwork gracing the halls. Making us beautiful on the outside as well.

This 3D state report map of Wisconsin was actually made out of Velveeta cheese. Makes sense right... Wisconsin? I was not tempted to eat this one when the kids left for the day.

Another awesome smelling project. Ever made a cake in the shape of South Dakota?

This 3D map of Hawaii smelled phenominal. It was made from brownies. Every time I would walk by I contemplated sneaking a little bite. So glad I never attempted eating it, I heard the boy describing to his friend how he put glue in the brownie mix to make it stick together.

These were book reports representing an animal as the main character of their book. They enjoyed showing these off more than they did having to stand in front of the class giving a 3-5 min oral report on their book.

We have been working on sacrifices for lent during the last six weeks. Every day the students have to write how they are doing with their sacrifice. Some of them are pretty funny. For example: "My goal is to take out the trash without my mom asking me" Journal Response: "The trash wasn't full. I didn't have to do anything." We are talking big sacrifices here...

The cool thing about this 3D state map was that each piece was a cut up sponge and represented the different counties in Kansas. Her parents commented that it started out pretty easy until they realized how many counties there were in Kansas. Apparently there was no turning back.

Believe it or not, all of these projects in one room and 36 fifth graders! You don't want to know the craziness during the day that it was to store the projects in any nook and cranny available so they could actually use their desk space. Being so anti-clutter that I am, I think I had the hardest time with all the projects in the room at once. The kids loved it of course.

My New Favorite

2010-03-12T18:34:00.001-08:00

I absolutely hate washing my face. It's the last thing on my long to do list before my head hits the pillow each night. I enviously watch Tim jump into bed everynight while I spend all my time at the bathroom sink. I hated washing my face, until I discovered this! I'm sure you know about the electric toothbrush, well now the makers of the electric toothbrush have developed the clarisonic for washing your face. I'm sure its been out forever, but I just discovered it. It's kind of like getting a little face massage every night. The brush spins for exactly one minute while massaging and most importantly cleaning your face. Its a little expensive and the selling point for me was that it is supposed to clean off your makeup and any dirt up to six times more effectively. I will really be ranting and raving if it actually takes care of the lovely acne that hasn't left me alone since middle school. I don't know if its a miracle worker like they claim...only time will tell.

Connecting with the Youth

2010-03-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

I gained a little bit of coolness this week with my students when teaching them how to spell the states and capitals. For some reason kids have the hardest time spelling Florida. I constantly get it spelled Floridia. Well, needless to say, all Florida issues have subsided. I brought up the rapper Flo Rida. They all knew who I was talking about and instantly knew how to spell his name. Problem solved. Now they all believe that I endorse and thoroughly enjoy listening to Flo Rida.

Tricked!

2010-02-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

I had a rather funny conversation with a few fifth graders on Friday.

Student #1- Mrs. Romano, how did you and your husband meet?
Myself- Well, we met playing beach volleyball. Mrs. Coalwell and her husband introduced us.
Mrs. Coalwell knew him before I did and we all decided to play volleyball one day, so
we got to know eachother.
Student #2 - So you were tricked into it! That same thing happened to my dad, he was tricked into
my mom!
(The whole class including myself are now laughing hysterically)

Myself- I am so telling your mom that you just said that!

A Cup of Tea for Your Story

2010-02-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

I came across this post on craigslist's barter section a couple of days ago and it made me think.

My dear 90 year old friend has survived World War 2, three years in a prison camp, an incredibly happy 62 year marriage, and is in the final transition of his life. He said to me the other day that he wished he could get out and meet some new people to learn about their lives. So here is what I am proposing: If you are over 50, a man or woman, and would like to come to our home for a cup of tea and a chat about your life, I woul dlove to hear from you. If you have something to say, I have a gentle and patient listener who is exilerated to learn about your life. Eagerly anticipating your reply.
- Hopeful

What a great opportunity to share your life with someone that obviously has many stories of his own. What a great opportunity for Christian service. I wonder if he would just want to hear about your life if you asked him questions about his own. It made me think about the many times people ask me how my weekend was and I forget to ask them how theirs was. It made me think about actually taking the time out of my day to slow down and sit for a cup of tea. It made me think about many of the elderly in rest homes that would love a visit. It made me think of the many times that I resisted going into a rest home to see my 92 year old grandma because it wasn't a comfortable situation. I think that it is a good reminder on life. It hit home with me.

Tim's Latest Woodworking Project

2010-02-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

Tim and I (well mostly I) have been trying to solve the problem of him getting home from work and emptying the contents of his pockets and hands on the counter or usually on top of the dryer when he walks in the door. This includes wallet, mail, loose change, cell phone, receipts, etc. Then come laundry time, I get thoroughly frustrated shuffling everything around. I had to come to realize that I have my purse that I have all of this junk in and guys are just out of luck. Therefore, Tim gets the bad rap of the messy husband, while I just throw my purse down where I please because everything is contained. I have been searching for a long time for an organzer system that everything can go in. They have all those fancy charging station getups now, but we really don't want to charge anything, we (I) just want to hide the stuff. I discovered that Pottery Barn has the monopoly on these sorts of organizers. Now, my favorite store is Pottery Barn, but I can't always justify the funds. I found the perfect organizer (wood box) at Pottery Barn, but it was $85! So I put Tim on it, and he set to work on the organizer with his leftover wood from the entertainment center. It turned out great, everything has its place, and my dryer is free of clutter.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T19:33:00.001-08:00

It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day, so we headed outdoors for some great scenery. We drove out to Stillwater Winery, which is about 10 minutes from our house, to enjoy the weather. Tim (still drinking left over cokes from the super bowl party)

Debra (loving that she gets to wear a tanktop in February, but desperately needing a tan)

This is the tasting room. There were olive trees over 100 years old all over the property that made some very tasty olive oil, lots of daffodils, you can tell spring is right around the corner, and a coy pond that was really peaceful to sit next to with all the water running into it.

These were the chairs we were sitting in pictured above. A great view of vineyards and the green rolling hills. Tim nailed it when I told him I wanted to visit a winery with good scenery
and a view.

This year for Valentine's Day I had the option of flowers or fruit trees. I thought I would go with the trees as they are a little more long term, and we need to start focusing our efforts on landscaping. It is bare root fruit tree season and now is the best time to plant. We bought a peach, plum, and apricot. We can't wait until summer time to enjoy all the fruit.

We have a pretty steep slope on the side of our house in the back, so we figured this would be a good spot for the trees. (Once again another blog post where Tim is hard at work)

It's Finished!

2010-01-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

After many hours of hardwork, my Christmas gift has been completed. I definitely got the better end out of this deal. I just purchased the saw while Tim slaved away in the cold garage for hours on end. We moved the tv stand in last night. I am very excited about the way it turned out and so greatful for my genius husband! (Yes, now we inevitably need a bigger tv to make things look proportional)

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Tim and I spent a quiet New Year's Eve in Paso this year with just the two of us. It had been a while since we had gone on an actual date, so we decided that New Year's Eve would be as good a night as any. We went out to dinner at Villa Creek downtown where we had some very tasty food. We have a whole new set of restaurants downtown that we have yet to try. I had a delicious winter squash soup and porkchops while Tim had butternut squash enchiladas. It definitely made me want to cook more with winter squashes. After dinner we came back to the house, made chocolate chip cookies, and watched a movie. It always seems like there is a big expectation to do something grand on New Year's Eve. I will probably still conjure up big ideas for next year like that posh cabin in the snow with all your friends around, or that rooftop villa to ring in the New Year, but I must say that I rather enjoyed spending time with Tim this year.
As for resolutions, I'm usually not the type to make them or if I do they last about a month. So my goal is that I have decided that I would like to be less lazy this year. This probably encompasses many resolutions in one. Of course that means excercising more. (actually using my gym membership) Reading my bible more consistently. And not relying on Tim to do so many things for me because it is convenient. (For example, "Tim I think the dog wants to go outside, maybe you should let her in the backyard" Meanwhile I sit two feet from him asking him to do this simple thing for me)
Tim is usually the one to have many resolutions. However, this year the roles are reversed. He did say that he intends to finish my Christmas present sometime this year. He is making me an entertainment center for tht tv. For Christmas I bought him a saw that he wanted and he had the idea of making me the tv stand. Can't wait for the finished product.

Christmas

2009-12-27T18:49:00.001-08:00

This year we celebrated Christmas with the Richards family in Watsonville. It was the first time that all of the siblings and husbands/fiances were able to get together. If you were wondering if we were having some sort of costume party, that answer is a no. Tim was quite festive this year sporting his Dad's Jesus vest on Christmas eve and Rudy (Debra's sister's husband)was in and out as he was one duty and getting calls left and right. There was never a dull moment between all the family and the three dogs. The Richards family dog Kirby is 14 and super old, Cali the Romano dog was constantly in the kitchen begging for food, and Nikko (Deanna's and Rudy's 9 month old German Shepard) was generally just out of control.

Strange Happenings in the New Neighborhood

2009-12-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting on the couch like any other week night grading stacks upon stacks of papers for school when I start to hear tons of police sirens in our neighborhood. I start to think this is a little odd because our neighborhood is one of those sleepy neighborhoods past 7pm where you don't see a lot of cars, people, or cops for that matter. Keep in mind I am home alone as Tim is out at a bachelor party all night. I am trying not to start the typical worst case scenario thoughts that I always think, when I feel the need to investigate the situation. I go to the back of the house and can see the reflection of lights from all of these cop cars on the houses. Weird... some of the neighbors are starting to gather outside. Weird... So I thought this might be a good time to meet neighbors since we never see any around. I grab my coat while trying not to alarm the dog in a frenzy and head outside. I am feeling very brave for actually walking outside. Normally I run around locking all doors. The sirens havn't stopped and it is progressively getting louder. I walk across the street and ask what is going on. The neighbors then inform me that Santa is coming on his sleigh! (Escorted by 5 screaming cop cars of course) What on Earth! So sure enough about 10 min. later the parade makes it to our house where all the neighborhood kids have gathered, including howling dogs, to greet Santa on his sleigh who is giving out candy canes. A neighborhood doesn't get much better than this! (Next year I will remember this and try not to freak out)

I tried to get some pictures but didn't have the best camera for the job.

Happy 31st Birthday Tim!

2009-12-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

This year for Tim's birthday we went to Disneyland. They are doing the "get in free for your birthday" promotion and we couldn't pass it up. They gave Tim special treatment from the moment we arrived. He recieved a Happy Birthday button with his name on it at the gate, so everywhere we went everyone was constantly telling him Happy Birthday. Even during the Christmas parade, Santa Claus looked down and yelled out Happy Birthday. We had a great day riding just about every ride twice (We managed to hit up the Matterhorn 4 times) The lines were very short, we waited at the most for 20 min. on just a few rides. To top it off, Tim even got free chocolate mousse with dinner including mickey sprinkles. It was so much fun to see Disneyland all decorated for Christmas. It even snowed during the firework show. (well, fake snow of course)

Home Sweet Home

2009-12-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, but we have finally gotten back on track with life it seems. After about a month we finally have internet access again and are reconnected with the world. Here are some pics of the house. We still have some painting to do, but other than that we are pretty much settled. Debra's favorite about the house is central heating. Having an automatic thermostat is amazing. A luxury we are loving until we get the first heating bill. Tim's favorite includes the garage. It is so great not to chip ice off the car windows in the morning before work. We have space we just don't know what to do with yet. Sorry we forgot to take a picture of the front of the house. It's raining outside, so we will definitely post the front next time. In the meantime, come visit us.

We're moving...

2009-10-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have been putting off blogging about our move because it doesn't quite seem real yet. Tim and I have been talking about moving to north county for quite a while now and finally decided to put the house up for sale. With the interest rates so good right now as well as the housing market, we are able to get so much more for our money in north county. So we put our house on the market to test the waters. Well, it sold the first day with a full price offer! We were in complete shock. I prayed that the Lord would open up doors if he wanted us to move, and sure enough we were answered quite quickly. We did not have any home in particular that we were hoping to move into and now we were looking at having to leave our home with a 45 day escrow. The next week it started to fall into place as a house became available in Paso Robles for a bank owned price we couldn't turn down. We will have plenty of room to grow into this house someday. (No, I'm not pregnant) So things have happened quite quickly and we are in escrow on the house in Paso now, and will probably be moving at the end of this month. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least.

Shopping cart wheelies

2009-09-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

If you haven't done it yourself, I know you've seen someone else doing it. Riding down the aisle in the grocery store on the back of their shopping cart. This works great when there are lots of heavy items in the cart, but what happens when the cart is empty?

I was rolling through home depot as i so often do, and hopped on the back of my cart for a quick ride. This time, I thought, I'll go big. This time I pushed myself up onto the cart, chest forward, and kicked my feet back superman style. I was impressed at how smoothly I glided along through the garden section... until I tried to put my feet back down.

The empty cart was only balanced as long as my weight was forward. Once I shifted my legs down and chest back, the cart immediately popped into a wheelie. I was completely unprepared for this and subsequently tumbled onto the concrete, the cart rolling on ahead of me.

Immediately I jumped up and looked around to see who was watching. I didn't see anyone but there happened to be a sliding glass door right behind me and who knows who was looking through the glass and laughing. I did the only thing I could do - pretend like nothing happened and mosey into the next aisle to get my pavers.

Like most husbands would do, I opted not to tell Debra about this fumble when I got home. But when she asked how my ankle got scraped and bloody, the cat was out of the bag. She was quite thankful it happened when she wasn't with me to suffer the embarrasment of being identified with the 30 year old who still hasn't quite grown up when it comes to shopping carts and wheelies.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

My brother and his girlfriend were in town this past wekend. We spent the day in Avila Beach hiking, visiting the Avila Barn for ice cream, eating lunch on the Bob Jones Trail, and then picking apples at Gopher Glen. Avila just doesn't get much better than that.

Sousan turns 30!

2009-09-01T20:18:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we drove down to Santa Monica to celebrate Sousan turning 30. We had a lot of fun hanging out with friends that we hardly ever see anymore because they all live down South.

Celebrity Sighting at the Pool

2009-08-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and decided to go for a swim and then sit in the hot tub at the gym. I was a little concerned that I might see some of my students in the pool practicing with their swim team, so I called ahead to make sure there were no swim teams in the pool. The lady told me that the pool was clear, so I headed for the gym. Upon arriving I spot 4 students in the pool. I jumped in the far lane and ignored them for a good half hour. It wasn't until their practice ended that I ran into trouble. A couple kids from my class were standing at the outside showers chatting loudly. (Nothing unusual, I now know they don't just constantly talk in my class) I was getting really tired of swimming and wanted to get out of the pool, but they were good motivation for me to keep going because I was so inconspicuous in my goggles. Well, I couldn't handle the pool anymore and they weren't moving from the showers. I got out and bee lined straight for my towell. Upon this move they spotted me. This is what caught my attention....
"Oh my God, that is my teacher!"
my response: "Oh, hey guys how's it going?"

Now I really wanted to get into the hot tub so I put my towell around me the best I could and headed for the hot tub. While walking away I hear the chatter...

"Hey everyone, that's my new 5th grade teacher!"

I would have liked to just wear the towell into the hot tub, but I couldn't so I dropped it at the last second to get in. This is what I hear next....

"Oh my GOD!!!"

If that doesn't give someone a complex I don't know what does. I think I am going to have to pull out the one piece next time. At least they realize that I don't live in my classroom on the weekends. Can't wait to see the little darlings Monday morning. Their response usually goes something like this....

"Hey, I saw you at the pool on Saturday."
my response: "ya, wasn't that fun!"

1st Day

2009-08-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school.

37 students....

1 little boy rolled his eyes at me and thought he would get away with it...

1 little girl tried passing notes in class and thought she would get away with it....

179 school days left....

I'm trying to be optimistic....

Roses!

2009-08-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have been complaining to Tim lately that it has been a while since he bought me flowers. So I got these.... thorns included.

Little Hosking

2009-08-17T18:49:00.001-07:00

We spent one of the last summer weekends haning out with RJ, Anna, and little Landon recently. He's such a cute kid, and it was super fun watching RJ and Anna be parents. We are heading back down to Ventura in a couple weeks. Just can't get enough!

SLO Girls Reunion

2009-08-03T09:59:00.001-07:00

It was so much fun to host our college girls reunion at my house this year. We had a great time catching up, laying out at the beach, and eating lots of food from all of those "must eat at" restaurants in San Luis when you are visiting. It was a lot of fun to see Monique and Becky with their pregnant bellies.

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

After driving 3,000 miles on our tour of the Pacific Northwest we were definitely ready to be home. We loved every minute of our trip and were really blessed with safe travel, beautiful weather, and fantastic scenery. Upon arriving home, this was our scene in the garden! We were a little fearful of what might be growing while we were gone. You can guess what I will be doing for the next week or so.

Vacation Day 19

2009-07-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Day 19... July 23

Today's road led us back into California with a view of Mt. Shasta. We originally planned on camping up in Northern California, but we were getting ready to be home and see our dog again. We pushed on and did another one of those 10 hour day until we reached Watsonville where my parents were. It was great to be in a familar place with family and of course Cali! We really owe my parents for taking in our dog for three weeks.

Vacation Day 18

2009-07-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Day 18... July 22

We hit the road for Crater Lake today. The lake was beautiful! It gets its really blue color from the snow melt. This is the deepest lake in the US formed from a volcano. When we arrived, there was no wind and you could see the reflections of the clouds in the water. There is a 1 mile hike down to the lake that is super steep. This is the only place all the way around to access the lake. There are only 2 tour boats that they operate in the lake and they had to helicopter them in. The mosquitos here were out of control!!! We made it down the trail to touch the icy water and then headed back up in record time (due to the mosquitos) We camped in the park and of course got in the tent early for fear of more bites. The weather was really warm (about 90) and it was really weird to see snow covering the ground in places still. The 4 Runner his 90,000 miles here! We also noticed that our front license plate was missing! We couldn't exactly remember if we ever had one in the first place or if it was stolen in Eugene. (They really don't like Californians there)

Vacation Day 17

2009-07-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Day 17... July 21

This morning we headed to Astoria to see Fort Clatsop. (Lewis and Clark) I took lots of pictures of the fort so that I could share them with my students. We listened to a guide dressed up in timepiece clothing and doing demonstrations at the fort. I remember coming here when I was little with my family and waiting forever for my dad to read about everything in the museum. This time it was not much different bringing Tim for the first time. (History buffs!) From there we made the long drive up the Columbia River to Euguene, Oregon to see friends Corey and Donna Templeton. They gave us the quick driving tour around town and showed us the University of Oregon (Track City USA) where Corey is working on his masters in Architecture.

Vacation Day 16

2009-07-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

Day 16... July 20

We reluctantly decided to cut short our stay in Victoria due to ferry schedules. Before we left we visited Butchart Gardens. There were over 55 acres of phenomenal gardens that we toured! We have never seen anything like it. There were rose gardens, Japanese gardens, Italian gardens, etc. They have 50 gardners working round the clock keeping this place beautiful. When we boarded the ferry we then traveled to Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula. This is one of the few rainforests in the US (over 10 ft of rain a year) The weather was super nice, sunny and hot! Not what we were expecting. We anticipated staying the night in Forks, Washington but when we got there we realized the town was booked because it is where the author of Twilight based all of the novels. Crazy! Everyone was there to see the town so we had to camp outside of town. The campsite proved to be better. It had a really nice creek running beside it and it was perfect warm camping weather. Couldn't help but think there might be vampires lurking...

Vacation Day 15

2009-07-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Day 15... July 19

This morning we arrived back in Vancouver and bid barewell to the cruise ship (not before eating one last breakfast buffet) We boarded our car onto the ferry and headed for Victoria. Victoria was beautiful. It is known as the garden city, and for good reason, they have flower baskets hanging from every lamp post. We toured downtown, ate some of the best Chinese food in China town, and hopped on our bikes again and rode for about 10 miles. They have this great bike path all through the city (kind of like the Bob Jones Trail in Avila) We really got to explore a lot by having our bikes.

Vacation Day 14

2009-07-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Day 14... July 18

Today was our second full day at sea. The sea got a little rougher as we were no longer cruising the inside passage but were out on the Pacific. We are both looking forward to being on land again and also seeing the sun. However, Tim will miss the all you can eat ice cream bar and I will miss Pakashur. (The waffle maker from India who had my order and toppings memorized by the end of the week)

Vacation Day 13

2009-07-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Day 13... July 17

We spent today at sea. The highlight of the day was the "white hot party" at night. The cruise ship had everyone dress in white and then it basically amounted to a big dance party with black lights. Watching Tim's mom and dad dress in white bath robes and towels made for quite a scene.

Vacation Day 12

2009-07-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Day 12... July 16

Today we arrived in Skagway. Population 800 (plus 3 cruiseships of 2,000-3,000 people each) We took a train into the wilderness that was the historic passage to the Yukon God Rush. We got off and were set to hike to the Laughton Glacier. I was a little scared of getting off the train by our lonesome in the wilderness (train stops are exactly populated, you just step off into the wilderness) We were trying to save some money by not booking the hike with a group of people and doing it on our own. The hike was supposed to be 8 miles round trip. Fortunately when we got off the train there was another group of people also getting off with a guide to do the hike. We scooted up to the back of their group and pretended like we were one of the group. I was more than relieved as we began to hike and the trail stopped shortly and we climbed next to stage 6 rapids (unnavigable water) and out onto the icy glacier. (The guide had rescue gear) I learned a lot about glacier safety. There are things called crevasses (basically deep openings in the ice) that you can fall into if you are not careful. The guide also had bear spray. I stayed within 10 feet of the guide the entire time. The hike, although difficult (hiking up steep slopes of loose boulders) was very rewarding in the end with great views of the glacier. I was exhausted by the time we returned to the boat. The highlight of the evening was the chocoholic buffet on the ship! You would not believe the amount of chocolate sculptures, fountains, cakes, etc. that were set out in front of you to eat. I do not even like chocolate and my plate was full by the end of the buffet line.

Vacation Day 11

2009-07-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Day 11... July 15

This morning we arrived in Juneau. We got off the boat and got on a smaller catarmaran style boat for whale watching. This was the coolest experience! We set out on the boat and came up to a group of humpback whales (about 16) travelling together. This is extremely rare because they do not travel in groups and are unrelated. It was spectatular to watch them in the water. We also saw three of them breach! This is also very rare because they usually only breach in Hawaii when they are mating in warmer waters. After whalewatching we got on a bus and they drove us to the Mendenhall Glacier. It was also spectacular! The amount of rushing water from the run off was incredible. The different colors of blue in the ice were beautiful. After we got back on the cruise ship, we maneuvered up the Tracy Arm Fjord. We travelled really slow and pushed ice caps out of our way in the narrow Fjord. (Visions of Titanic kept coming to mind) We made it all the way up the Fjord and saw Sawyer Glacier at the end. It took the cruise ship 45 minutes just to turn around once we got there. It was so tight and narrow. The emerald color of the water was also a sight to see here!

Vacation Day 10

2009-07-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Day 10... July 14

This morning we arrived in Ketchikan. We got off the boat early and headed for the fishing tackle store to buy fishing licenses. Tim and his dad brought their poles and tackle boxes so they were pretty much set. We headed up the street into town and fished off a bridge. I tagged along giving my expert advice on fishing and then jaunting off every now and then to shop in the town. I could not believe the amount of salmon running down the creek. It seemed next to impossible not to catch these 4 ft fish swarming their lures. (Tim almost had one on his line at one point but it pulled away, and they didn't catch a thing) There were also bald eagles everywhere diving down to the water to catch the huge amount of fish just jumping out of the water. Back on the boat we headed for the hot tub. It was pretty cold in Alaska! It was also a very weird feeling to wait for the sun to set later and later each night. (About 9:30 tonight)

Vacation Day 9

2009-07-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Day 9... July 13

Today we cruised the Inside Passage. It was so beautiful. We spotted a few whales and hundreds of dolphins playing in our huge wake. (Tim missed the dolphins because he was in the ice cream line again) The water was so calm, you could hardly tell we were on a boat. The passage was very narrow with just a few hundred feet on each side. We headed for the gym first thing this morning and hopped on the treadmills. The gym had floor to ceiling windows of the Inside Passage, so it made working out that more enticing.

Vacation Day 8

2009-07-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Day 8... July 12

Bon Voyage! Today we disembarked from Vancouver aboard the Norwegian Sun and headed for Alaska. We were greeted on board with champagne, music, and all you can eat buffets. We headed straight for the ice cream bar and on deck bbq for the ribs, in that order. We read that the average cruiser gains 7-10 lbs on their cruise. Scary, but we were well on our way. We met up with Tim's parents on the cruise and thoroughly enjoyed their balcony view from their room the entire time. (Our room had no window)

Vacation Day 7

2009-07-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Day 7... July 12

We woke up this morning in Vancouver, Canada! We drove in yesterday after hitting a major traffic jam. Driving in Canada is a little different! Seeing speed limit signs such as 100 km instead of 55mph was great! (That only amounts to 60 mph) After walking the main street in Vancouver (Robson St) last night we were ready to hit Stanley park on bikes. Basically it is a huge park that has a one way biking/walking path all the way around with views of the city and beaches right on the path. It goes for about 10 miles. I haven't mentioned much about weather yet, but I think we experienced 4 of the best days both in Seattle and Vancouver with highs in the 80's. So after our long bike ride we decided to skip all of the touristy things and head to the beach to lay out. It was a very relaxing day. We went to a nice dinner at the C Restaurant on the waterfront and had some of the best fish ever! Probably the classiest restaurant we have ever been to. After dinner we took a mini ferry over to Granville Island to walk along the docks. Vancouver really is a great city!

Vacation Day 5 and 6

2009-07-27T12:33:00.001-07:00

Day 5 & 6... July 9 & 10

Today we discovered that the direct route in Oregon may not be any faster than the scenic route if you get stuck behind an RV, which happened en route to Portland. We stopped in Portland for donuts...yes donuts. Before we left on this trip we were watching one of those travel channel specials that was an episode on "most outragous places to eat." Of course Tim was not going to miss out on Voodoo Donuts where they put just about anything you can imagine on top of a donut. Tim got the Voodoo vegan donut and to his surprise he pulled the little pretzel out of the donut's heart and it was covered in red jelly. He continued to eat it further and discovered that the inside was bursting with red jelly. Humorous... From there is was on to Seattle. We found the best way to see Seattle is to get a Seattle CityPass. These passes only cost $50 dollars and you get up to 6 attractions. We opted for the harbor cruise, Experience Music Project (where Tim was excited about the guitar exhibit boasting many famous musician's guitars and I walked up to Michael Jackson's white glove without even realizing it was in the place) Science Center (with incredible butterfly exhibit), IMAX 3D Theater, and a ride up the space needle on both days we were there. We also biked all over Seattle to the University of Washington and Pike's Place famous market.

Vacation Day 4

2009-07-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Day 4... July 8

This morning we woke up to rain and oil leaking out of the car! We found a place to have the car looked at in Lincoln City, since there was nothing in Neskowin. We dropped the car off at the shop and unloaded the bikes and started biking down HWY 1 in the rain to kill time. This might be my least favorite memory of the trip. Of course Tim was flying down the HWY as I tried to keep up, cars whizzing past us and rain still falling. I came to a stop after not being able to keep up the hill on my bike and of course started to cry. After a few moments of Tim teaching me how to actually use the gears properly on my bike we were off again and I started to smile as I saw a big sign for outlets coming up! After my first purchase at the outlets I remembered that Oregon has no sales tax! I knew the day was going to only get better. It turned out that the car was fine. The people at Jiffy Lube in SLO forgot to properly screw the oil filter back on. grr! So we got back in the car and headed to Pacific City to hike giant sand dunes! It was hard work climbing up the giant dune, but way more fun running down. Then it was off to the Tilamook Cheese Factory (pretty much the only thing Tim really wanted to do in Oregon) We sampled ice cream and cheese galore! We have never tasted better ice cream. I havn't seen it in the stores around here.

Vacation Day 3

2009-07-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Day 3... July 7

After our delicious farmhouse breakfast we hit the road. We didn't know how long the trip was going to take, but we left at 9am so it felt like we had plenty of time.... Over 10 hours later we arrived in Neskowin, Oregon! The picture of me with the Cal Poly sweatshirt on is in front of Crescent City, which is the last major city before you reach Oregon. We stopped for lunch at the Smith River and saw tons of elk in Northern Ca. We then continued all the way up the coast going 55 mph (Oregon HWY speed limit) until we arrived in Neskowin at Ryan James' parents beach house. Neskowin is a super small town just outside of Lincoln City. It was so cute with a small community of beach houses and one local cafe. We spent two days at the beach house exploring. The picture of the big rock on the beach is the view from the deck of the beach house. The rock is called "Proposal Rock".

Vacation Day 2

2009-07-27T11:09:00.001-07:00

Day 2... July 6

Today we discovered the town of Mendocino. It was such a quaint town, we only wished we could have spent more time checking it out. We stopped and watched some surfers just above Fort Bragg and then drove the the end of HWY 1 and met up with the 101 again. We took several scenic sections through old growth redwood groves. We stopped in Fortuna and stayed at a farmhouse bed and breakfast (pictured below) I even got an hour massage for 20 bucks here!

Vacation Day 1

2009-07-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

I think the best way to sum up three weeks of vacation will have to be done day by day. Looking back at all of the pictures, I am amazed at how many cities we travelled through, things we did, and hours spent in the car.

So here we go...

Day 1... Juy 5-

We started our journey by driving over the San Francisco Bridge and up HWY 1. We loved all of the little towns such as Bodega Bay, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes Station, and Tomales Bay. We camped the first night at Salt Point State Beach. (We would highly recommend it! It was beautiful!) We brought the bikes along so we headed to the beach for a beautiful sunset. I also discovered the joys of Mountain House freezedry camping food. It was delicious! My favorite was the pasta primavera.

Deanna's Wedding

2009-06-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting just a few family pictures while I had a second. Deanna was an absolutely beautiful bride! The wedding was a lot of fun... More details and pics later.

Busy Times

2009-06-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Just as summer begins, sleeping in becomes comfortable, and the gym membership finally begins to be used, it seems like summer winds up and before we know it, it is time for school again. I can already feel this summer in particular flying by.

My dear Grandma, at 92 years old passed away yesterday. I am glad to know that she is with the Lord, but she will be missed terribly. So we will be spending time with family in Visalia next week.

My sister is getting married this Saturday! We are heading to Hollister in a couple days to celebrate. I am nervous about making that Matron of Honor Speech!

I turn 28 in just a couple of days. I am catching up to Tim at 30. Scary...

We are leaving for our roadtrip in the beggining of July for 3 weeks. (Driving up the 101 all the way to Vancouver, and then heading into Alaska on a cruise)

So if the postings are few and far between this next month, you can bet we will have lots to share when we return. Happy Summer, enjoy the days flying by!

Edna Valley

2009-05-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Exercising the dog doesn't get much better than this. I have always been enamored with vineyards and just think they make for the most beautiful scenery. We got a new camera for our summer roadtrip to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska this summer, so what better place to try it out than Edna Valley. I would just love some property in the tiny town of Edna one day. I think it might always have to be a dream considering the price tag on that land. It is definitely on the top ten list of places to start my "dream" bed and breakfast/wedding venue one day.

Shower Time!

2009-05-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Deanna (my sister) this weekend as she is on the home stretch to her wedding day. She is getting married in June, so I threw her a shower. We had the most beautiful weather this weekend and were able to celebrate outside. We went to Novo for dessert and had quite a sampling. If you have never been to Novo, had a chance to sit on the back patio by the creek, and order dessert I highly recommend it. After dessert we went to Sycamore Mineral Springs to soak in the hot tubs. I think we all felt pampered by the end of the night. Can't wait until the big day!

Crusade Reunion

2009-05-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were really lucky to have a bunch of our close college friends in town for a Campus Crusade for Christ reunion. It was great to see so many friends that we haven't seen in years. It kind of felt like we were in college again. It was so nice to be one of the few still lucky enough to be living in SLO. It was really a neat reminder to see how Crusade shaped our lives through college and what a huge role it played.

Picking Our Battles

2009-04-24T18:55:00.001-07:00

We recently got new patio furniture for the patio Tim has been working so hard on. It was great to enjoy over spring break, just the dog and I hanging out in the back yard. Well, this week I have gone back to work and apparently the dog has been doing some enjoying herself. Day 1: Tim comes home to find the dog sprawled out on the love seat and gave her a good talking to. Day 2: I come home to find her on the lawn laying on one of the pillows, snagged from the chairs. Day 3: We decided to close the mosquito netting surrounding the gazebo so she could not enter. She somehow enters and gets herself stuck in the gazebo all afternoon. The result is two bite holes in the netting. She spots me coming home from work and frantically tries to get out of the gazebo but is stuck. Day 4: We compromise, put down a sheet for her lay on, and she enjoys the patio all day long. I guess I'm just glad someone gets to enjoy it all day long while we are at work, even if we did spend all that money for it to be the dog's personal retreat center.

Wedding Season

2009-04-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

It is officially that time of year. The latest one of our friends to get hitched was Casey Comstock. They were married in Texas a few weeks ago, and had a small reception in Atascadero this past weekend. Weddings have definitely slowed down for us. It was great to see old friends and catch up. And then the line goes "well, see you at the next wedding." Tim actually commented in the car on the way home that he really liked going to weddings, when he didn't have to attend 13 or so in one summer. I have only had the honor of being a bridesmaid twice while Tim has been a groomsman five times as well as DJing one wedding. My duty as Matron of Honor is coming up in my sister's wedding this summer. The great thing about this latest wedding was that I got to wear one of my bridesmaid dresses. Thanks Tammy!

Easter

2009-04-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter this year as we hosted both Tim's family and Debra's family. We had 14 in all, and it was lots of fun. It was wonderful to have everyone come to us, including grandparents from both sides. We cooked the traditional ham, potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, etc. We now understand why people spend the money for double ovens. Even if you only used it twice a year, it would be worth it. Surprisingly, the meal came off without a hitch! Whew!

We just recently finished the patio in the backyard. It was great to hang out oustide in the beautiful weather on Sunday.
My brother and Tim hanging out under the new gazebo.
The night before, Tim's parents were in town so we decided to color Easter eggs. Then things got crazy....

Tim was in charge of picking the lily's in our front yard for the table. They did make it to the table eventually.

"Rock Stars"

In a vase at last.

After coloring eggs the family had lots of fun with "peep wars". We discovered that Marshmallow peeps provide hours of entertainment in the microwave.

The goal was to equip your peep with the best sword possible (toothpick) and see which one poked the other first. Strategy was the key. The laughs were worth standing in front of all that microwave radiation!

These pictures were taken after church in our front yard. You can definitely tell it's springtime with all of the blooming flowers.
And when all was said and done, we are still eating left overs. Another perk of hosting Easter!