Introducing...

....the new executive assistant to the President of Tahitian Noni Intl.....ME!

After seven, yes seven, interviews I was offered the job this morning. It is so nice to finally be able to say my degree has gotten me somewhere. :)

What has unemployment done for you lately?

Thanks for asking. It has given me time to refinish some furniture, which has been on my to-do list for about a year now. Seriously, our dresser has been half sanded down, without any handles for about a year. I lucked out and bought the stain that was on clearance for a dollar because I am cheap, but it turned out that I loved the color, so no harm done.

The dresser started out an ugly piney yellow finish, and the table was really dark with lots of chips and scratches. I forgot to take before pictures. But, trust me, they look better.

Also, for some reason the flash on my camera makes the dresser look lighter than it really is. It is the same color as the table.

Birthday Shout Out!

This little man turns eighteen today! They grow up so fast. It would be distasteful for me to say he is my favorite sibling, so I will just say he is my favorite little brother. With all the wisecracks when he is around, it is nearly impossible to be bored. Happy Birthday Nik!

I think this picture captures the essence of the two men in my life. They had decided to go Christmas caroling together--the dynamic duo.

I love her...

It's true, I do. She is wonderful, and adorable, and hilarious. She is also two--with a vengeance. (We watched Monsters, Inc. four times in a day and a half.) I can't believe she is getting so big. :(
But, I am glad we got to spend some time with her this weekend. :)

56

Yes, that was my bowling score last week; and no, you could never attain that level of performance even if you tried. In case you're wondering, that means I had four frames that were 100% gutter balls. Nevertheless, we still had a blast with Jordan and Kelsey.
Kelsey and I with our matching lime green bowling balls. I thought for sure it would be lucky. Not so much.


No, that is not posed. That's his "bowling face."
We celebrated our high scores afterward with this AMAZING cake Kelsey made.

When nature calls

So today at work, I am getting ready for my last lesson of the day. I am welcoming all the kids when I notice that one little boy is missing. Both of his sisters are there, but they tell me that they don't know where he is. So we start swimming and ten minutes later he runs up, and wouldn't you know that the first words out of his mouth were: "Sorry I'm so late, but I really had to poop." Ha! It totally made my day!

A little bit of that, and A LOT of this...

Yes, a lot of swimming. My life is essentially made up of swimming right now. But let's be honest, my tan is wicked awesome.

p.s. that second picture was from when Chris bic'ed his head, don't judge him too harshly.

I lost my voice.

I just woke up this morning and it was gone. No letter. No note. No apology. It just up and walked out on me. Truth be told, I sort of miss the little guy. So if you see it, I would really like it back. Thanks.

It's a beautiful thing...

When the A/C in your car gets fixed, especially when you are about to lave for Reno. It is a Pioneer Day miracle.

California

A few weeks ago we went to California with my family. We had a great time. We went to Disneyland, the Del Mar Fair, the beach, and a bunch of other wonderful places in San Diego. It was so nice to have a vacation (being a swim teacher is rough). Here are our beautiful selves:

Old Town San Diego. I remember this big tree from field trips as a little kid.

Balboa Park in San Diego.
Love the Fair.



To the untrained eye, this robot we ran in to at the Fair may seem cool or interesting. Trust me, he was terrifying. He was huge and he kept making fun of me (yes, there was a person inside...one with wicked awesome dance moves.)The County Fair really brings out the best in people. Makes me wonder why I have been wasting all my life with organized religion.
It also brings out the red-neck in people. Case in point: turkey races.

My aunt and uncle got this new puppy. She loves me, as you can obviously see.

He also loves me, almost as much as he loves Winnie the Pooh.Waiting in line for Indiana Jones (don't worry, we went on it three times...I think Chris almost wet himself, he loved it so much).
On Indiana Jones...pure joy.

My two favorite men.Boys will be boys. The sign clearly said: "Do not rock the bridge."