Watch out, American Idol!

Here comes the next American Idol - in 2024:

7 years of wedded bliss

On February 2, 2002 (2/2/02) Chris and I were married. It was one of the best days of my life. I didn't like the ceremony part, the expression of our love and commitment to each other is a personal thing and I would have preferred to kept it between us and the required witnesses, but I got through the ceremony and we had a ton of fun at the reception. I can remember the day like it was yesterday.

Since then, we bought a house (in October 2003) and had a baby (February 2, 2007) and I can honestly say in the nearly 9 years we've been together, we've had maybe 2 fights. Yes, we've had disagreements, but we don't fight.

Chris is simply the best person I know. He is kind, and loving and he makes me a better person and that's why after 7 years of marriage, we had as much fun on this anniversary dinner date as we did on our first date.

This is us on our first anniversary, when we lived on Pacific Street.

This is us now.

I hope everyone is as lucky as I am to find a partner, a friend and soul mate who makes you laugh, and who loves you through the good and the bad.

Happy Anniversary, Chris, he is my heart and soul.

Carley's 2nd Birthday

I was creative this year in making her invitation. Here are the pictures as I went along, as well as the final result.

The downside? The theme was based around her love of Finding Nemo. Since we've been sick, she hasn't wanted anything to do with Nemo. Oops.

The only thing I provided in making these cards, is the idea.

I started out by asking a friend from work for some bags she used to put earrings in that she sold. I then put sand, and shells I got from my sister-in-law, Renae and blue food-colored water in the bags. I laid them out on this paper towel to see if the would leak.

I stamped a fish (stamp set courtesy of my mom) on the cover of the card and put rhinestones as bubbles (also courtesy of my mom). I colored the fish with chalk (again...my mom's).


On the inside, I stamped an octopus, and I wanted a phrase that related the theme, so we went with the hokey "It's o-fish-al" ('official').

The inside left of the card was left blank and just looked like it was missing something, so I added a cute crab for no other reason than to take up the empty space. Maybe this can represent Carley after the presents have been opened and she crashes from her cake high.

This is the "invitation" part of the card.

I cut a hole out of the cover of the card so the fish can peek through and when I attach this to the front, the bag with water/sand/shells will be between the hole and the fish, so it appears the fish is in water. The front says "Under the sea, under the sea..." and "...come celebrate my birthday with me."

Once put together it looked like this:

I attached the card together with brads (supplied by my mom) and this is the finished product. Voila!

Memories

I had fun on Facebook last night, posting old class pictures. Even more fun is that so many of the people in these pictures are my friends on facebook. Bellingham is a small town, which I love, and I love that we are all still in touch in 2009, 30 years after this first picture was taken. Enjoy:

1st Grade, Sunnyland Elementary (1979-1980). I am the one in the front/standing row, far right holding a book.

2nd grade, Sunnyland Elementary (1980-1981). I'm the one on the left side, holding the sign in the sweet velour top.

3rd grade, Sunnyland Elementary (1981-1982). That's me in the front row, rainbow shirt.

4th grade, Sunnyland Elementary School (1982-1983). I'm in the front row, 4th from the left in the god-awful jeans and bowling t-shirt. I'm sure my mom was thrilled that I wore this for picture day.

5th grade, Sunnyland Elementary School (1983-1984). I'm in the front standing row, 2nd from the left.

Seriously, my hair in all these pictures, with the exception of 1st grade is terrible! No style at all.

Welcome 2009

Well, 2008 had to give me the finger as it was leaving...by snowing yet again. I really thought we might be starting to get rid of what we have, but no. It had to snow. I, for one, am not sorry to see 2008 in the rear-view mirror.

We welcomed in 2009 with a quiet family night at home, just how I like to bring in the new year, with the people I love most.

2009 will see my 7th wedding anniversary (I can't BELIEVE it's been that long already), Carley's 2nd birthday and hopefully by the end of the year we'll have another baby on the way.

I don't make resolutions, but I do hope 2009 will be filled with laughter, love and many happy memories.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy 2009.

Christmas on December 27th

Well, we made it out yesterday. Barely. We got stuck 7 feet from our driveway and proceeded to drive sideways down the road. Got stuck at the end of the road, then stuck at the end of another road. Stopped 2 plow drivers to request our roads to be plowed THEN made it out for Christmas.

It wasn't the same as regular Christmas, but I loved being with my family, even if it felt like being on display being the only ones to open up gifts. But, I appreciated everything everyone went through to give us a Christmas. (Carley preparing for nunhood?)

Hopefully next year we'll be able to spend Christmas at my parents house. If we never see another white Christmas again it'll be too soon.


Carley got an Elmo that dances and she dances with him.

She also got a ball popper which she loves, but I don't know who loves it more. Carley or...
...daddy.

Tagged

I don't normally do the "tag" thing on my blog, but I figured why not. It's day 15 of snow and being stuck at home. Here are the top 5 things I love:

1. My daughter and every single thing she does. Not as obvious as you think because even when she's acting up I love her to death. Since we've been stuck together for so long, we've become even closer and every day she's doing something new. I can't imagine life without her. The latest thing I love is when she comes to me, grabs my hand and says "mon mon mommy" (come on mommy).

2. My husband. He puts up with so much and is the best thing to ever happen to me. We are total opposites, and yet he loves me so much and vice versa. We were apart for 4 days two weeks ago and I didn't think I could miss him as much as I did. We've been married almost 7 years and I missed him as much this time, as I did when he took a week's vacation with his brother 6 months after we were married. It's easy to forget how much you love someone, until you're apart. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

3. Rain. I love rain. I love rain because it's not snow. I love rain because it washes away snow, and I love rain because it makes me feel like putting on my most comfortable clothes and reading a book. Rain makes me feel cozy, and frankly it takes a lot of rain for me to get sick of it.

4. Sunrise. I love watching the sun rise, and I love the quiet a sunrise offers. The older I get, the more I appreciate the quiet of nature and life.

5. Photography. Pretty simple. I like being able to take a picture that can capture what I'm feeling when I see something, or even finding something pretty in the middle of chaos or something ugly. This morning, while looking my neighbors house, the snow on their roof was melting and where the heat comes out on top, it looked like the snow had melted into the shape of a heart. That's what I love about photography. Would you see that if you look at the roof of a house?