{3.31.07}

strolling down memory lane

Six years ago today, i was patiently waiting for my baby boy to come into this world. I remember feeling and looking quite done and found myself pleading and begging brenner through my belly to come out. i sadly regret the days, weeks and months that i rushed through the most amazing nine (ten if you want to get technical) months of my life. if only i could go back, i'd savor every kick and hiccup.

...Six days later...brenner william was born. *sigh*

today has been super productive. i went to bella brides to exchange my veil for theeeee perfect one that only took me five minutes to find and say "that's the one!" and then it was back to redmond for some serious birthday shopping for the brenster, car wash to remove the poop from the pigeon that insists on decorating my car at work, a short pilates work-out and some more weed pulling over at the house. tonight If I'm lucky maybe adam will take me out on a...what are they called? i know this...don't tell me...a date! just teasing you babe, i love you.

{3.26.07}

monday & a quote

ever have one of those Mondays where everything just doesn't go as planned? like ... you wake up late, your son has a mental breakdown because you won't let him eat expired pickles, you dump coffee down the front of your white shirt minutes before you're supposed to walk out the door, your work email program crashes, your legs hurt so much from pulling weeds over the weekend that you can barely walk and your office assistant picks theeeee busiest week to take a vacation? I'm totally over this day.

so while brenner was helping me clean out the front flower beds this weekend he informs me in his sweet matter-of-fact voice that his dad has a new girlfriend named Matilian who lives in the mountains. she is also completely fictional!!!! no more than 10 minutes later he says; "mom, do you like to work?" "Because dad doesn't and I think he should get married so he doesn't have to work anymore!" this child never ceases to amaze me with his vivid imagination.

a quote i found most fitting these days...

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be." --Samuel Johnson

{3.21.07}

this year

this year is the year! the year i make brenner's birthday cake, no matter what! every year something comes up and i beg vickie at local grounds to make one. as yummy as they are, there's a part of me that feels like i've cheated brenner of the childhood experience i had from watching my mom bake and decorate all of mine. my all-time favorite - strawberry shortcake. She even made a dress to match.

this year's birthday theme is camping. I'm so excited to get started on some fun crafty ideas i've gathered online. mom and dad will be bringing a 6x6 ft bright yellow airplane that we plan to hang from the ceiling in brenner's new bedroom in the house. I'm so excited to see the look on his little face when he sees it for the first time.

here's a draft of brenner's birthday invitation that russ put together: 

last night jen came over to baby me while i followed doctor's orders to stay off my foot i injured while rinsing off the back patio last sunday. adam made us yummy garden burgers and bravely participated in a deep conversation with two emotional girls drinking wine.

{3.19.07}

peeves

before my "complaint free" purple bracelet arrives in the mail, here are my recent peeves:

• 
  
  send me spam and/or solicitation email at work.
  
  


• wet concrete + flip flops = owie!


• say you're content - actions speak louder.


• jump on any bandwagon that makes you look good.


• give me a file full of contact names and numbers for an event on post-it's...post-it's?!


• the current ring of flab around my midriff.


• discontinue only the bikini top of a matching set I ordered online. seriously?!


• look over my shoulder while i type this. Adam.


• daily reminders from theknot.com that I should be planning and/or purchasing something.


• my mail carrier. for the love of pete, neither ridlon lives here.


• design a local ad , use my company's name and my title with somebody else's picture on it. weak sauce. 

{3.13.07}

you know you're getting old

when...

• 
  
  You think you have a blackhead on your chin, but when you go to pop it you discover it's just AN ugly coarse black hair.
  
  


• you attend a function at a snazzy martini bar and recognize a child (now a man with facial hair) that you once had in your church junior high youth group. 


• 
  
  you wear computer glasses now and do that head tilt/bob thing when someone walks in the room so you can see them clearly.
  
  

***

i've always been the type of person who delights in planning ahead, for example; i pack for my vacAtions at least a week in advance, i plan what I'm going to wear to work the night before and now I'm keeping a log of all the great baby names I hear. no i'm not pregnant, so no rumor spreading people! We already have a girl name picked so now when the timing is perfect (according to adam...ten years) we'll probably have a boy. So think pink.........please!

last saturday night we met Julie and phil for dinner at shoji's in Bend.  Brenner didn't eat much for he was too engrossed with the most entertaining and talented chef. Julie and phil had just found OUT THEIR BABY IS A girl, SO WE HAD GOOD REASON TO CELEBRATE!!!!!!  julie and i have some serious shopping to get done now *insert high pitched squeal here*. 

ultrasound pictures of baby wise...

this week I've been super busy with designing our wedding invitations, planning and organizing Redmond habitat's 14th annual spaghetti feed and brenner's birthday party. oh yeah, and working a full-time job. I've been sternly instructed by my mother and maid of honor to say no to anything more. Ok, I get it! tomorrow night after bren and I have dinner with cheryl and zach at Pappy's pizzeria (formerly known as papa's pizza) I'll head over to lauren's house to discuss her fun ideas for my bachelorette party.

only three months and two days until i'm sitting on the beaches of Kauai slurping on a gigantic fruity mai tai. I can feel the warm sand between my toes already.

{3.11.07}

having fun with mom's new camera

{3.8.07}

be the change

so I went online to check my daily email that delivers a little bit of inspiring goodness and I was super inspired by today’s entry: 21-Day No Complaints Challenge

March 08, 2007

People who do not see their choices do not believe they have choices. They tend to respond automatically, blindly influenced by their circumstances and conditioning. Mindfulness, by helping us notice our impulses before we act, gives us the opportunity to decide whether to act and how to act. --Gil Fronsdal 21-Day No Complaints Challenge: How long can you go without complaining? A few months ago, the pastor of a Kansas City church told people in his congregation he wanted them to test their limits. "The one thing we can agree on," said Rev. Will Bowen, "is there's too much complaining." And so he asked the group to give up complaining, criticizing, gossiping or using sarcasm for 21 days. People who joined in were issued purple bracelets as a reminder of their pledge. If they caught themselves complaining, they were supposed to take off the bracelet, switch it to the opposite wrist and start counting the days from scratch. Rev. Bowen said it took him three and a half months to put together 21 complaint-free days. Now, about a half a million people around the world have requested free wristbands to rise to the challenge.

i jumped online and ordered my bracelet as fast as my little short stubby fingers could type. I'll report my progress once I get started.

{3.4.07}

organizing and cake, oh my

What a spectacular weekend. Saturday adam and i spent more time organizing, decorating and cleaning the house. It's really looking quite cute and cozy, spacious rooms we may not have but a home we do. I've always been fond of smaller homes; adam however is already talking about expanding. My view, the larger the home the more crap-o-la you collect. I'm all about keeping things simple and organized. Speaking of, I've finally consolidated all my bathroom stuff into this nifty little basket:

tonight adam and i went to eric's place for his birthday celebration. he made a fantastic homemade pizza and we ate cake, a chocolate cake that i made all by myself (yes mother, me!). I was able to finally meet his adorable girlfriend, cally, and what a total sweetheart she is! Good times with good peeps.

I'm off to bed...but first to figure out the menu for tomorrow night...the make-up dinner with phil and julie.

toodles noodles!

{3.1.07}

crumbs and color

ever watch something that was once toxic in your life shrink away to nothing but the size of a crumb on the floor? it's amazingly refreshing and revitalizing. self boundaries are good...very good.  

This week at work has kicked my bum and I'm so deliriously ready for my half-day of funness tomorrow. I finally got an appointment made with Miranda, the only person I truly trust to touch my hair with color product, for a color change and trim. another two inches of growth and my hair should be the perfect length for the style i want for the wedding. time to step it up and start popping those prenatal vitamins. After my appointment i'm driving straight to Adam's work where we'll bundle up and head to dutchman flat sno park for an evening of snowshoeing.  my first time ever - fun!!!!

loves, hugs and good wishes to you all for a happy and safe weekend.