Truly Scrumptious

Almost every holiday in America comes with seasonal candy goodness. I don't go nuts for any season's offerings until the all mighty Easter season.


You have no idea the excitement that goes through my head when I see them set up the Easter stuff at the store. Holy geez, seriously. I have stalked the WalMart Easter section waiting for the box of these to arrive. They aren't usually like the 5 kinds of jellybeans that are the first to arrive and the last to sell out. Once they arrive there's like ONE box and once they're gone...that's it till next Easter. This shortage has driven me to buy the family size bags of these things and slowly work through them over the following MONTHS! One Easter years ago my mom opted to just get me a bag of these rather than a million different kinds of candy. Apparently nobody informed my little brother that partaking of my treasured candy was the 8th deadly sin... if I hadn't been able to go to the store in emergency mode and replace the eaten bag things would have gotten really ugly. But luckily I managed to find a bag at some store and was able to calm the monster inside me.

These aren't even my favorite ones (although they are super tasty and I enjoy the darker colors of the sugar shell.)

But, even though they aren't the specific ones I was looking for, I grabbed them anyway just in case the next time I go to the store they don't have ANY! I introduced Lincoln to these delicious drops of heaven and though he was quite skeptical b/c of his distaste of the classic Cadbury CREME Eggs he announced quickly after, "you probably should have gotten more than one bag."

I'm pretty sure he's been eating them for breakfast.


Title taken from the infamous Chitty Chitty Band Bang song of the same.

Lightening Strikes

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to capture lightening striking. I'm not really sure why, just the fact of capturing a split second in time. I will say I miss this about Texas. It's rained a lot in California but only ONCE have I heard real thunder.

Anyway, this picture was taken from my front porch back in C-town during a lovely classic Texas thunderstorm. I was uber excited about it. I have several others but none as clear as this one. For perspective, that's the high school.

What About Breakfast At...

the Sunrise Cafe.

Were you expecting a different ending?


It's become Saturday morning tradition for us to roll outta bed on Saturday mornings and come down here for delicious "hole in the wall" type food. So far we've tried many different kinds of omelets. We intend to venture into the massive breakfast burritos but we can't tear ourselves away from the omelets. Their omelet dishes come with a three egg omelet (there are about 40 different varieties), a potato type side, and a "toast" type side. We opt for hashbrowns, and get the biscuits and gravy....sooo delicious.
I will say that it is so much food and generally counts for 2 meals, breakfast and lunch. This morning's combination was concocted with gyro meat, feta cheese, some kind of other cheese, and spinach. Spectacular.
Saturdays are my one day a week to eat what I want. I think next Saturday might be donuts :) I haven't had donuts in a long long time. Mmmmmm fried doughy goodness.

First Comes Love

Then Comes Marriage (July 2006)


Then Comes the Baby, in the Baby Carriage


Once upon a time back in 1990 when Kindergarten was offered for half a day in that old asbestos ridden Sante Fe School, began a lifelong friendship in Mrs. Martin's class. They met over a puzzle and the rest is history.

(Blast from the Past. September 2002)

For the new baby Luke that arrived a couple weeks ago I decided to try to knit some stuffed animals. They were so cute and I had them all picked out. Then I realized that you knit small things with small double pointed needles...and I hate small double pointed needles. So I decided to learn to crochet and make a blanket instead. The cute stuffed hippo has four feet and part of a leg...I'm currently working on a blanket for my sister :)

I think it turned out pretty good. I'm in love with crocheting. You get such a pretty result without doing a million different stitches like you have to with knitting. PLUS it's so much faster! I look forward to the next friend's baby that's due this summer. I already have the pattern picked out and that one will be pink :)

Take Good Care of Your Mother

Inspired by a picture my mom posted today on Facebook, I share my own picture of her tree.

My mom grew up in Glen Rose, TX where we visited often when we were all younger. A couple years ago my mom shares with us something we've all seen a hundred times but probably never took much notice to. When driving into Glen Rose, after you cross the Brazos River but before you get to town, there is a huge live oak tree off to the left along this wooden fence. It's been there forever and mom said when she sees that tree she always knows exactly where she is. Kinda like coming home.

So, one day while visiting family in Glen Rose I ventured off to her tree and tried my best to document it's grandeur.



I don't think I came close to capturing how grand this tree is. Maybe upon our return to Texas I'll try again.

Sing For Your Dinner Sing

This is Command Central for dinner. I found the "What's for Dinner?" magnetic pad at Michaels for a dollar. On Sundays I fill it out, put the grocery list off to the right and anything else that comes up I put on the cute post-it pad my mom got me Christmas before last. It's one of the best stocking stuffers ever. Top left is the current meal plan for the week followed by pics of Embree our niece.

Tutti Frutti

Part of our new "diet" includes keeping fruit in the house at all times. Lincoln suggested a fruit bowl so that the fruit that can sit out would be easily accessible. So far so good. Plus it opens up space in the fridge from rolling apples, grapefruits, and oranges.

Lovers in Japan

This is the one "souvenir" thing I got in Japan. Somewhere there are chopsticks that I got at a local market, but this sits out on a shelf in the hall. I'm very fond of it.

...and I can do the sewing

Once upon a time I was trying to find a hobby that would go a little faster than knitting or quilting, so I thought SEWING! I inherited a sewing machine from my amazing hair dresser, and went and got this clothe for the only thing I really wanted....a cute ruffly apron.

Months and months later...and here lies the clothe, exactly as I got it back in August. The sowing machine has been used as I learned the ins and outs of it but that's pretty much about it. I still plan on making the apron...one day :)


Title courtesy of Disney's Cinderella song

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

For Lincoln's birthday I got him a Kinect for our xbox on top of other things. After he opened it we went out to Target and picked out a game a piece to play. He got this Sonic the Hedgehog game where you "surf" and I got the Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout. I really like it. It totally kicks my butt so we invested in a balance ball and resistance bands to go along with it.

I will say that we picked the "stay ball" just b/c it's easier to use but upon getting it home and airing it up, I was so thankful for this choice b/c all Lincoln wants to do is bounce this thing to the ceiling. Due to the sand inside the ball that keeps it from rolling, it also keeps it from bouncing! If it weren't for that sand I swear everything breakable in this apartment would be broken by now.

You've Got a Friend in Me

I don't know if I inherited it from my dad who has always been fond of Disney movies or if it's just the kid in me but I've always wanted to own all the classic Disney movies. You know, the ones that only come out like once every seven years and if you don't snatch them up when they're re-released you have to wait another 7 years. Anyway, I told Lincoln about this "dream" and slowly but surely we've been building the collection. When I moved out here I had Monsters, Inc., Lady and the Tramp, and Aladdin. My favorite was the Little Mermaid but I think upon moving home from college the last time it may have gotten misplaced or borrowed and I never saw it again. Totally bums me out b/c it was also a gift from Lincoln.

Anyway, one day our kids will get to watch these for the first time (as long as DVDs are still relevant.)

These Photographs

My view today. John Mayer and Keith Urban on Crossroads which ended with a lovely cover of George Michael's "Faith." My knitting project on the coffee table. Laptop open to facebook (I have a problem.) My valentine's day flowers and what we have lovingly nicknamed the big kid sippy cup, my newest Camelbak bottle.



While on our honeymoon, we decided to pick something to collect from every place we would go and start a collection. Shot glasses are so universal and available year round so we started a little collection. We have 8 from places we went in Colorado....none for California yet. I should check the base to see if they have souvenir shot glasses since that's about the extent of my travels. That and Wal-Mart. I also enjoy how shiny this surface is after it's been dusted and how you can see the reflection of the glasses in the wood.



And my last addition for the day, the "Family" wall. I have a dream that one day I will have a picture for every member of our family in random colors and sizes of frames. It may take years but it will happen.

Title courtesy of Joshua Radin's "These Photographs"

February, Won't You Be My Valentine

The beautiful flowers Lincoln got me on Valentine's Day. I also got not one, but TWO boxes of chocolate to go with them. I love getting lilies because some of them are always still closed and you get to watch them open over the following days. It's like a gift that keeps giving :)


Title courtesy of John Mayer's song "St. Patrick's Day"

California Dreamin' on Such a Winter's Day

Except I'm in California...so maybe it should be the opposite of the song...
Dreaming of "winter storm warnings" while spending the day at the beach.

I think I've settled on a premise for the blog. Inspired by the only blog I keep up with (Dooce), I will use this to track our adventures via pictures rather than relying completely on words. We're just really not interesting enough to rely on words to tell a story, so I'll try to do it via pictures instead and maybe THAT will make our comfortable little life a bit more riveting.