A Prayer Answered

We have the most exciting news! (No, we are not expecting a baby, although the rest of the world seems to be). Chris got a new job today! This is such an answer to prayer. As most of you know, he was set to be laid off on December 5th. Last Friday we heard that it was going to be moved up to October 1st, which is really soon. God is good, and we would have made it ok for a while, but after 2 years and much soul searching prayer, Chris got a job today! He will be working on the main campus of Nike, which is really close to our house. No more 45 minute commute, no more getting up at 4:45, and no more stressful mandatory overtime. Chris will be working as a merchandise information coordinator, and I'm not really sure yet what he will be doing! We are so thankful to God for providing this and thankful to our family and friends for all their prayer. Our entire marriage has been a period of expectancy and temporary jobs, and now we feel like we can finally settle in and plan. First thing we are planning, a trip to Disneyland next year! Chris will start his new job mid-September and we can't wait! We hope and pray that God will bless you all as He has blessed us.

A Stella Is Born

Yesterday in my post I mentioned that my friend Emily was overdue by a week with her third child. Finally, Stella Rose was born today! I took Sydney down to the hospital to visit and that is one cute baby! I'm so glad the pregnancy is done and Aaron and Emily have their new little baby and their family is complete. By the way, Aaron and Emily picked the name Stella BEFORE Tori Spelling named her daughter Stella. So there, Tori. But I do love Tori's show and "A Stella Was Born" was the name of the episode where Tori's Stella was born, so I figured it worked here, too. Congratulations to the Johns' family on your latest addition!

Green Bean Smiles

I know I'm a tad bit biased, but I think it's quite possible I've got one of the cutest kids ever, if not the cutest. Today she was having her snack of green beans and she was clowning around for the camera and I got these adorable shots. I love being her mommy!


By the way, that magnet she's holding in her hand? It's of Jackie Kennedy. She loves her. Like mother, like daughter!

Poker and Pudding

This week, I don't really feel like I've won any parenting awards. Although, if you want to give me a shiny trophy and the grand prize winnings, who would I be to turn them down? Anyway, this week has been a really stellar week for my parenting skills. Currenty, my house is a mess, I have tons of laundry to do, and we've been so busy I feel like I've barely spoke two complete sentences to Chris. But, it's been a fun week, filled with fun surprises (my friend Alisa is pregnant) and not fun surprises (my friend Emily is almost a WEEK overdue with her third child). But I digress, back to my lack of parenting skills. This week we introduced Sydney to poker. Can't you just picture her with her little blond ponytails, cards in hand, placing her bets? Just kidding, but we did go to a poker party. For Abbie's birthday, she had a poker party and we went. Sydney was rockin in her Roxy outfit because she's cool like that. She did seem to really like the game, though, and she stole the dealer chip and carried around with her all week.





This week I also listened to my Amy Winehouse music in front of Sydney. Isn't that bad? I should be teaching her that people who do crack are bad, but what can I say, I love her music? And Sydney totally dances her little heart out to it, which is just too cute for words. I also failed in my parenting tonight when I made us all dirt-n-worms. In case you're unfamiliar with this delicacy, you mix crushed up Oreos into chocolate pudding and pour it on top of gummy worms. It just sounded good for some reason, so I made some tonight. I didn't even make real pudding, like my mom always did when I was kid. I was all over the out of the box into the bowl type. I did decide to strip down Sydney and let her have at it. Chris thought I was nuts to let her make that kind of mess, but even he got into it. It was so funny, and she had such a great time!

She wasn't really sure what it was...


...so she thought she'd try a spoon...


...then she had to feel the texture...


...maybe it's finger paint...


...maybe it's hand lotion...


...or hair gel like mommy uses?...


...maybe it's cereal...


...whatever it is, it's fun!!


The aerial view of the fantastic mess she made. We had so much fun!!


When I look at that last picture of how happy she looks, I feel like the best mom in the world. I know I say it all the time, but it is so true that she is such an amazing blessing to us. Even if she grows up to be an Amy Winehouse groupie who plays poker for a living and eats nothing but pudding, I'll still love her and be proud of my daughter, and at least I'll know where she gets it.

Exciting Moments

There was once a time in my life when I got excited over normal things. Back in the day, I would get super happy over a new episode of Friends, a passing grade on a final exam, or a new Luke Perry movie. I remember how excited I was when I discovered just how good the cheese sticks are at Red Robin, when I could get my bangs to curl just right (oh, yes, you all remember the days of bangs), and when the Gap had a sale. Now days, I breeze by the Gap on my way to BabyGap, I haven't seen an episode of Friends in months, and would have completely forgotten about Luke Perry if it hadn't been for all the hype over the new 90210 show coming out, which I completely plan on watching. Please don't get me wrong, I love being a mommy and a grown-up, but what makes me happy has definetely changed. Case in point...
Two weeks ago I was driving in my parent's neighborhood and there was a garage sale. I did the typical slow down and case the joint drive-by, then low and behold, I saw it. A DOUBLE STROLLER!! Now don't get all excited, we are not expecting another baby or anything, so don't even go there. I was excited because it was only $10.00 and on the days when I watch Madison or Melissa watches Sydney, we can totally get the girls out! We're no longer trapped in our houses for one day a week when we have both the girls! Sydney and Madison love their new shared stroller and last week we walked up to the store and bought a snack for the girls. They had the best time, and so did I.

Happ Birthday Abbie!

Last week my sister, Abbie, turned 19 years old. We all went out to our favorite restaurant to help her celebrate her big day. Sydney always loves a chance to see her auntie. The two of them are very cute together!

Summer BBQ

Last week we went to a local neighborhood for a family fun BBQ. It sounds like something Clark Griswold would be all over, but it was actually a lot of fun and a great opportunity to support my mom, since she planned it. It was also a fabulous opportunity to show off Sydney in her Hawaiian tube top and sarong outfit!


I got this one of her and Chris walking away, it's so cute!


In addition to the BBQ, there was lots of entertainment. I took Sydney down a ride on the bounce house slide...


...which she did not enjoy at all...


...and had to be comforted by Grandma!


She was soon much happier and was willing to pose for a few shots.


My newly married cousin Brianna and her husband Sam were there as well. Sam manned the karaoke booth and I tried to get him to sing "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" but he wouldn't do it. Sydney loves cousin "Nana" as we call her and adores Sam as well.


It was lots of fun and we can't wait to go next year!

Ode to Starbucks

Let me just start off by saying that I love Starbucks, if you couldn't tell from the title of this post. I LOVE it (notice the capitals there). I go often. Chris prefers the local mom and pop coffee joint and always says Starbucks is a monopoly on the market. Well, I don't care! I support the monopoly! I have at times thought about the money that some might say is poured down the drain by frequenting a place that charges almost $4.00 for a cup of coffee. I say that sanity is worth it. I am a terrible sleeper, thanks in part to two people in my life. First of all, my wonderful, loving, handsome husband who I love very much, but who snores SO FREAKING LOUD that it sometimes takes me hours to fall asleep. Then, when I do fall asleep, I hear sweet little Sydney coughing or fussing through the baby monitor and get up to check on her. The Chris' alarm goes off at 4:45, and that's it. My sleep is over. So, coffee is a staple for me, a necessity, but I also love the atmosphere of Starbucks. I love how they paint it and decorate it, I love saying to someone "I'll meet you at Starbucks." I even get that warm fuzzy feeling when I go through the drive-thru. I was thinking about this yesterday on my drive back from the coast. It was raining, and I had just loaded the car with all the stuff that me and my toddler need (a suitcase for me, then a suitcase for Sydney, a booster seat, a portable crib, extra mattress, bag of food, diaper bag, extra clothes bag, etc...). I was soaking wet, Sydney was already tired of being the car after 10 minutes, and I was exhausted. I even cried out in agitation "Isn't there a blasted Starbucks around here?!" (Blasted is about as bad of language as I use, but if you want to hear some real whoppers I'll introduce you to my swearing-it-up friend Jami). Then, as I rounded the final bend in Highway 101 in Lincoln City, there it was, like a haven, a drive-thru Starbucks! Let me tell you, I milked that grande non-fat with whip peppermint mocha all the way home. I was thinking about all of this today when I was reading my friend Jill's blog. Jill has recently moved back to her hometown. I'm happy for her to be near her family, but she will be missed here. I'm sad, too, because I was just getting to know her and now she is 2+ hours away. I am more sad for her, though, because she is 10 miles from the nearest Starbucks! One of her friends coined the phrase "Civilstarbucksization" and I think that is the perfect phrase to describe me and my generation. I almost had a panic attack 2 weeks ago when the news said they were closing down 600 Starbucks across the country. But not mine! I am happy to report there are 5 drive-thru Starbucks within 5 miles of my house, plus other regular ones. I miss you Jill, and you should come to visit and we'll get some coffee. In the meantime, I will pray that Starbucks opens a location close to your new home.

A Visit to the Coast

This past week while Chris was out of town Sydney and I went to coast to visit my grandparents. It was such a nice, relaxing trip except for the fact that Sydney decided to wake up between 4:00 and 6:00 each day. I guess she was excited and wanted to pack in every minute of our vacation. It was so nice to be able to visit with my grandparents. We went on walks, we went to the aquarium, and did some good old fashioned chewing of the fat (that means talking, or chatting, for all you non-country folk out there). Sydney had a blast and enjoyed showing off her newly acquired counting skills for my grandparents. Yes, that's right, sign her up for Mensa, my 19 month old daughter can count to five, and sometimes seven except that she always leaves out six, but who needs six anyway? She is also starting to try her ABC's. I know, you're impressed, so am I. The last two weeks she has started saying so many new words, it's getting to the point where we can almost have a conversation. As long as that conversation doesn't include the number six. Anyway, this top picture is of Sydney "helping" my grandma with the dishes. She loved to play in the suds!


We were getting ready to go to the aquarium, and it was almost 70 degrees, which is freezing to my grandma. So of course she was bundling up in her sweater and scarf, and she also added a wool blazer before we walked out the door. Sydney was impressed with the scarf and she wanted to get in on it.


We went down to the beach for a few minutes. It was a bit windy so we didn't stay long, but long enough to capture a few pictures.



This last one is a shout out to my friend Marilyn, who is a native Oregonian but for some strange reason decided that she should live in Oklahoma. Oklahoma doesn't have beaches, you know. Oregon does. Yet another reason she should move back here.


Last but not least, here is a slide show of the trip to the aquarium. It's super fun and if any of you bloggers are ever on the Oregon coast, it's worth the trip to go.