Happy Thanksgiving!

We've had a busy morning at home getting ready to head down to Uncle Josh, Bella and Avery's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Zach worked out, P and I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and I prepped for my 1st ever, early-morning, black friday! I'm not doing the whole 3am thing but my goal is to be out the door by 5am. It's going to be the first Christmas that P really 'gets' so I'm excited to pick up a few things for him that he'll be super excited about. Good news is, since I prepped this morning, the rest of the day will be focused on my gratitude for the people around me.

We are truly a blessed family. Great home, great friends, great work places, great church, GREAT kid, great family, great health...SO THANKFUL for the blessings that have been given to us this year and the years before.

This year my family is in 5 different locations, Sacramento, Palm Desert, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. We wish we could be with everyone but we know each celebration will be special and filled with love.

I hope you enjoy this day where ever you are. Please know that we love and appreciate each of you and thank God for your role in our lives. We couldn't be the people we are today without the influences of our friends and family. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Good Morning Weekend

I have to say, I think it's been a good 7 weeks since I've woken up on a Saturday morning and just got to stay in my jammies. I LOVE IT!!!

Zach's working out, P's all cozied up on the couch watching Fireman Sam and I'm checking in with the WWW. I've already cleaned the kitchen sink (my new thing, I have to do 1 task for my house before the T.V. or computer get turned on) and I'm ready to take on the floors.

Later today we get to go to Sac to celebrate our youngest niece's 3rd B-day. We're all excited to see them and their new house. Parker LOVES his cousins...we wish we saw them more.

Anyway, I hope you all have a GREAT Saturday!

Back in action!

I feel like I am finally getting back into the swing of things since my spa weekend...that didn't end up being a spa weekend.

Couple highlights...

My oldest little old lady (104 yrs old) slid out of her wheelchair while I was gone at the grocery store...THANKFULLY (and amazingly) she didn't break anything or really get hurt at all. Praise the Lord! I got to see my friend Kenny when the fire engine came to help her and my little ladies totally flirted with the firemen! SO CUTE!

I set-off the whole house alarm closing a window...man those things are LOUD.

Now back to my normal. I had a great day at work yesterday! It's mid-year review time and it was a great feeling to report on goals I've already accomplished that aren't even due yet! SO THANKFUL for my job, supervisor and co-workers! I feel blessed to work in a place where innovation isn't just ok-it's expected. I have never been in such a healthy work environment and I feel SO blessed!

Music class today, laundry, floors-trying to get a handle on this place then off to work. I'm feeling great and full of gratitude!

I hope you have a blessed day and know that if you're reading this, I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU!

Spa Weekend...kinda

For the last 1.5 years I've had a little side job...I spend 2-24hr. shifts per month with 2 sisters...94 yrs old and 104 yrs old...yep...TOTALLY SERIOUS! I got hooked up because my friend Jana helps manage their 'business affairs' and they have someone that lives with them 24/7 but she gets 2-24 hr shifts off a month...that's where I come in. It's been fun hearing their stories and the money has been a blessing so I'm thankful.

This weekend their 'live-in' is taking her grandkids to Disneyland so I'll be there from 7pm tonight until Sunday at 8pm. It's really hard to be away from my boys that long and be in the same town so, I'm calling it my spa weekend! I've packed my scrubs, masks, nail polish, files, People and O magazines and GREAT snacks. Needless to say, these ladies do not own a computer (nor have they ever used one) so I will also be taking a break from my posts (and all outside communication) as well. Enjoy your weekend my friends...I'll be back in action Monday.

Tears in My Eyes Excited!

I found out yesterday that one of my old Newport friends is pregnant with twins and I am SOOOOO very excited for her and her husband. It sounded like it had been a long journey to get there and she is SO pumped! I found out through her status update on Facebook...I told her I was "tears in my eyes excited" for her...you know that feeling, when tears just show up in your eyes...happy tears! She had just heard the heartbeats and there is NOTHING that sounds as sweet as that 'thud-thud-thud'...I cannot imagine what it would be like to hear 2! SO COOL!

Many of you already know, but I had a miscarriage 2 weeks ago today. I went in for my ultrasound and the baby had no heartbeat. I was supposed to be 11 weeks but the baby only measured 10w 2d so it had probably happened just a few days earlier. I was scheduled for a D & C the next evening. Instantly in my head, I knew this was not the end of the world, but my heart was broken.

It's been amazing to hear from so many friends and others that they too have gone through the experience. Not only the experience of miscarrying, but of being "ok" in their head but devastated in their heart. I'm SO thankful that we had a great pregnancy experience the first time (minus the broken leg and all) so I know we're capable. This is just not a club that I wanted to join, although I don't think anyone does.

Now, I'm trying to figure out how I 'commemorate' the little life that was growing inside me, that I had hopes for and plans for and that we were picking out names for...how do you honor that? I think this blog is one way. We had been trying to get pregnant and we were ecstatic when we found out we were but also a little surprised. I knew I could have been in a better place physically, mentally and organizationally (the chaos that surrounds) than I was. So this is my do-over. I get to spend the rest of the year doing that and I'm pretty excited. Once again time is flying by, so I need to get a move on!

The moral of this post is I know in my HEART that GOD IS GOOD and LOVING and HAS A PLAN FOR MY LIFE. I'm tired of passively living and taking what comes my way. I want to walk with HIM and LIVE with the LOVE and PURPOSE that he has for me. I am SO THANKFUL that one day I will hear the sweet sounds of the 'thud-thud-thud' and I SO look forward to experiencing the JOY and BLESSING that we did before.






Congrats again to Heather and enjoy the next 7 months...it's A BLAST!!!!

My Own Personal Stylist

I got out of the shower this morning and found the outfit below laying on my bed. Parker had been yelling something about getting dressed...turns out, he was picking out clothes to get me dressed...not half bad either.




Plus, how can you resist this face...



Just don't look at the Sock and Keen combo...he looses all credibility with that.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Fun Day

We continued to have a blast with Gigi today. Nice relaxing morning and then a little shopping. We even got to spend some time at our friend Jen's 40th birthday party. We had to leave right as the cake was being served so we brought some home. Parker sure enjoyed it and then sang some ABC's...



I'm off to try and get this kid to sleep...wish me luck.

Gigi's Here!!!

Yesterday Parker and I got to drive to the "HAIRPORT" and pick up Gigi (my mom) . I usually leave early so P and I can go park on a rural road right at the beginning of the landing strip and watch some planes land...SO FUN! After we met her we headed to the shopping center in downtown Sac for lunch and a little shopping (of course...Gigi's here).

Parker LOVES his Gigi...as do we. Originally, this was going to be our first weekend out of town together at our church's Couples Retreat, but I wasn't quite up for it. Instead, we get to have time with Gigi as well. Plus, Zach and I have a live-in babysitter for 2.5 days. We already took advantage of that fact last night and headed out to happy hour. We're hoping to get away again today. It's like a stay-at-home-retreat...we still get time together but it's a little less emotional.

Here are some pics from our first day with Gigi...

He must have slid off this thing 4 times trying to pose for this picture!

Walking to Work

Parker and I walked to work this morning. I L-O-V-E that we live less than 2 miles from work and our path is through Bidwell Park-one of the most beautiful places on earth this time of year.


Parker said hello to everyone we saw along the way!



Checking out the swimming hole.



We've arrived at our destination.

Day #2 (even though it's really #3)

So I sat down at the computer and started a post yesterday but I kept thinking I wanted to write at the end of the day so I could capture all of my thoughts and experiences...well my experience of that is I went to bed...oops!

Yesterday was a good day...P and I had music class-which he LOVES-and then did the weekly Costco run. When I got home, I was stoked to clean the house and then head into the office. Parker loves Wednesdays, because aside from music class, one of his favorite people ever-Kristin, comes over to hang with him while Zach and I are both at work. I LOVE that other people love my kid! I feel SO fortunate to have people in our lives that really care about us...especially Parker. Not only that, he cares about them! Today's post (a day late) is for all of those people who are not relatives by blood but are by love...

Parker and Kristin at the baseball game on the 4th of July...


Parker and the Campbell Kids...


Lindsay and P (awhile back)...


The Kressin Family...


And MANY more I don't have pictures of yet...but I will...

Almost a year later...

Recently I've really been enjoying reading my old friends (and new friends) blogs and thought I would give it a try yet again! I figure haven't deleted the blog for a reason so maybe this is it. Between 'emergency potty runs' with Parker, changing laundry loads, working and trying to live the life I'm called to, I'm going to try to write something, anything everyday for 60 days. We'll see where it goes.

For today, HAPPY TUESDAY! We're off to the dentist...:) wish us luck!