Happy Friday to everyone and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
(Peanut, dressed as Tinkerbell)Friday, October 21, 2011
friday
It's Friday! I have worked odd hours for the past three years, and it is such a nice feeling to be able to say it is Friday! I have really been enjoying have real weekends this month and try to fit as much fun and festivities into them to make up for lost time. I am looking forward to enjoying the whole weekend with friends and family. We have some Sunday plans to get massages and then enjoy football. Tomorrow will be hopefully spending time with a friend. Tonight we are planning on going through a "haunted" corn maze with friends.
(Peanut, dressed as Tinkerbell)
(Peanut, dressed as Tinkerbell)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
you make me dance like a fool, forget how to breath. shine like gold, buzz like a bee
October 17, 2010 was a perfect sunny, crisp, fall day. Weather in the Pacific Northwest can be unpredictable at best, and this was an absolutely stunning autumn day. There was a chill in the air, and the sun was shining brightly through the changing leaves. 10.17.2010 was the day we dressed up, stood in front of family and friends to say our vows, and celebrated with those we love as husband and wife. We were married in a historic barn that was a perfect setting for our fall nuptials. We decorated the rustic setting with candles, mason jars full of hydrangeas, and paper lanterns. We enjoyed delicious food, a tower of freshly made cupcakes, and capped the night with a candy bar.
I can hardly believe we have been married for a year! I am so glad we can celebrate our marriage and our commitment to each other each year in October. October is the month of harmony you know! Also, it is both of our favorite time of the year. Full of corn mazes, pumpkins, turning leaves, festive lattes, gorgeous NW weather, and the beginning of the holiday season. This year marks our 7th Halloween together. We won't be dressing up this year, but it is fun to look back on our wedding attire from last year.
I can hardly believe we have been married for a year! I am so glad we can celebrate our marriage and our commitment to each other each year in October. October is the month of harmony you know! Also, it is both of our favorite time of the year. Full of corn mazes, pumpkins, turning leaves, festive lattes, gorgeous NW weather, and the beginning of the holiday season. This year marks our 7th Halloween together. We won't be dressing up this year, but it is fun to look back on our wedding attire from last year.
Monday, September 19, 2011
happy birthdy mookie!
Did you know today is pretty special? It is national talk like a pirate day! Aaaaarrrggghh matey, shiver me timbers! Not only that, but it is also my stepmom's birthday whom we affectionately call Mookie.
Mookie is the very best "other-mother" a girl could ask for. My two sisters and I are so very lucky to have her in our lives. She is creative, hard working, and one of the most generous people I have ever met. She is all at once a big sister I never had, a great friend who always listens and gives sound advice, and a mother who is always there with unconditional love. We really lucked out when she joined our family. She and my Dad are a great pair and bring out a side of each other that is very special. Mookie introduced our family to some new traditions regarding eating dinner and a fun pickle game around Christmas.... yum, pickles :)
Wishing you a very happy birthday and hope you have great year! Love you lots and lots.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
i may need a change...
.... in the form of a new hairstyle! I always do this, I cut my hair only to hate it and then to grow it out till it is way too long. I want something fresh and stylish. Right now my hair is super duper long. When I take the time to curl and style it looks nice, but I don't always have the time. I recently came across a fun blog and love all of the great hair inspiration. I am loving this style and just may be making a change:)
Check out It's The Small Things for more drool worthy hair ideas and crafty inspiration. I am thinking about making her DIY coasters, they are so fun!
Source: itsthesmallthingsblog.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Check out It's The Small Things for more drool worthy hair ideas and crafty inspiration. I am thinking about making her DIY coasters, they are so fun!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
it takes two
The other night after a delicious dinner at home the Mr. and I started in on two very cumbersome household tasks. The first, to change out a broken toilet seat (don’t ask) and the second programming a super old universal remote we recently found in storage and wanted to put to good use. We each set out on our individual tasks. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr….. I hate this thing………..what the heck?!?!?! We each were having an increasingly difficult time with what we wanted to accomplish. Was this toilet seat bolted on with super duper glue?!?! Why oh why would the stupid red program light on the remote not flash as it was supposed to?!?!?!
Halfway through, as we were both getting more and more frustrated, the Mr. suggested we switch tasks. We passed each other in the hall as we took our new positions with a smirky smile… good luck buddy, it is not so easy. A few minutes passed. No grunts, cries, swearing or frustrations this time around. Wouldn’t you know it… we quickly had a reprogrammed universal remote and replaced toilet seat! Success! What it really took was a fresh set of eyes, our own individual strengths when it comes to problem solving, and a little teamwork.
The great thing about a partnership I have learned over the years is you always have someone to help you out with the little things you just can’t quite figure out. Being open to someone else’s problem solving method will often times help you greatly. I bet you won’t guess who figured out which problem, but it may be the opposite of what you may think ;)
Halfway through, as we were both getting more and more frustrated, the Mr. suggested we switch tasks. We passed each other in the hall as we took our new positions with a smirky smile… good luck buddy, it is not so easy. A few minutes passed. No grunts, cries, swearing or frustrations this time around. Wouldn’t you know it… we quickly had a reprogrammed universal remote and replaced toilet seat! Success! What it really took was a fresh set of eyes, our own individual strengths when it comes to problem solving, and a little teamwork.
The great thing about a partnership I have learned over the years is you always have someone to help you out with the little things you just can’t quite figure out. Being open to someone else’s problem solving method will often times help you greatly. I bet you won’t guess who figured out which problem, but it may be the opposite of what you may think ;)
Friday, July 15, 2011
lessons from my father : caveman edition
Some of my most memorable lessons from growing up come directly from my Dad. The lessons he taught always seemed to have a visual component and I am quite sure he had not read about them in any modern parenting how-to book.
Growing up I was tall. Very, very tall. I currently stand somewhere in the neighborhood of a bit over 5’9”. This is not an absurd height for a girl, I have met some* people taller in my life, but I have been this tall since I was 11. That is a very long time to be very tall. Especially when all the other girls are all petite and small. I was taller than all the boys up until the end of high school when they finally grew. When I was in the 5th grade, I was the tallest person in the entire school. The WHOLE school. That includes the kids, the teachers, the principals, the librarian and perhaps even the custodial staff. As you may imagine being tall (taller than everyone in the whole world it felt like at the time) doesn't exactly make you self assured and confident.
Looking back I realize I was also gangly and awkward. Oh my goodness, I was awkward. A quick shuffle through old pictures reminds me my awkward phase stuck along quite a bit longer than I care to let my husband know. I have an image to uphold after all! I also dressed like a boy. I don't know why I did this. My guess is boy pants came in lengths so I could get them long enough though they were inevitably always too loose and baggy. I was a vision in ill fitting khakis and a boyish shirt I hoped and prayed I would someday fill out with the lovely lady lumps I wished for each day.
*I should note, for accuracy sake, there are many people in the world taller than me. For example, my whole life my Dad has always been taller than me.
Sometime in my early teen years (I assume when I was awkward, because let's face it, that was most of the time) I would try and slouch to make myself seem shorter. I thought no one would realize I was standing like Quasimodo or suffering in a permanent squat-plie position. They would simply think to themselves… "My, my that Jessica is a perfectly average height girl. Though, she does dress like a boy". Standing with this absurd posture would make me “normal” sized and thus as popular as the sisters from Sweet Valley High and I would have endless date invites to the dances. This didn't really work as planned. While my peers never mentioned my odd way of standing (though I am sure they thought I suffered from some sort of muscular disorder) my family did and let me know it was not very becoming or attractive.
When you are a teenager you feel everyone is looking at you and judging you at all times. Later in life you learn that this is simply not true. Everyone is too concerned with their own pimples, what is happening with the Sweet Valley High sisters, what *NSYNC video is going to be playing on TRL that afternoon and other various teenage maladies to really pay much attention to you. Around this time my dad took the time to share with me, his oldest daughter and pride and joy that he had a growing concern I walked like a caveman.
You may think that my walking like a caveman had something to do with my attempts to shrink myself through terrible posture. Nope, this caveman walk was a completely separate disorder I suffered from and a whole new can of worms. As it turns out, unbeknownst to me, when I would walk to and fro (presumably dreaming about ponies, how to become BFFs with Britney Spears, and how awesome my life would be when I finally grew boobies) I would swing my arms in such a way that the back of my hand and thus my knuckles would point forward.
Have you ever taken into consideration how you swing your hands when you walk? You may not have until this point, perhaps walking like a regular human comes naturally to you. Consider yourself lucky. However, now you will most likely become acutely aware of how you and others' swing their extremities while walking. Here is the short version of the lesson for those growing impatient… knuckles forward = caveman, thumbs facing forward = walking like a lady. Ask Kate Middleton, she's obviously got this all figure out.
My Dad took the time as a caring and concerned father to show me the way I walked (like a caveman with knuckles dragging) versus the desired lady-like or modern human way to walk (back straight and erect, thumbs naturally facing forward). At the time I was humiliated. No wonder all of my life long dreams hadn't come true yet at the ripe age of 15! I had no idea how to walk! From there on out I would consciously (and I am quite sure pretty obviously) make an effort to walk properly.
Right, left, right, left… thumbs forward, thumbs forward… should my thumbs be sticking out independent of my hand? Make a fist and have thumb face forward? Is that like hitch hiking? I like glitter. I wonder what’s for dinner. How can I make my hair more shiny? Keep walking! Thumbs forward!
I am sure this was a hard thing to approach me about. How do you tell your awkward, overly emotional daughter she walks like a caveman? Though it was a difficult lesson to swallow, I am very thankful for it. I am proud to say I no longer walk like a caveman. At least I don’t believe I do. Thumbs forward, thumbs forward, thumbs forward is part of my daily mantra along with don’t trip.
I am quite certain my lady-like walk helped me progress from my teenage years, make friends, become a fairly successful adult and eventually get a husband. I am pretty sure when my husband sees me walk through Target throwing stuff in our cart we don’t need on one of our adventures he thinks…”wow, I am the luckiest man in the world. I married a girl who walks like a lady, not a caveman”. Lesson learned Dad, lesson learned.
Growing up I was tall. Very, very tall. I currently stand somewhere in the neighborhood of a bit over 5’9”. This is not an absurd height for a girl, I have met some* people taller in my life, but I have been this tall since I was 11. That is a very long time to be very tall. Especially when all the other girls are all petite and small. I was taller than all the boys up until the end of high school when they finally grew. When I was in the 5th grade, I was the tallest person in the entire school. The WHOLE school. That includes the kids, the teachers, the principals, the librarian and perhaps even the custodial staff. As you may imagine being tall (taller than everyone in the whole world it felt like at the time) doesn't exactly make you self assured and confident.
Looking back I realize I was also gangly and awkward. Oh my goodness, I was awkward. A quick shuffle through old pictures reminds me my awkward phase stuck along quite a bit longer than I care to let my husband know. I have an image to uphold after all! I also dressed like a boy. I don't know why I did this. My guess is boy pants came in lengths so I could get them long enough though they were inevitably always too loose and baggy. I was a vision in ill fitting khakis and a boyish shirt I hoped and prayed I would someday fill out with the lovely lady lumps I wished for each day.*I should note, for accuracy sake, there are many people in the world taller than me. For example, my whole life my Dad has always been taller than me.
Sometime in my early teen years (I assume when I was awkward, because let's face it, that was most of the time) I would try and slouch to make myself seem shorter. I thought no one would realize I was standing like Quasimodo or suffering in a permanent squat-plie position. They would simply think to themselves… "My, my that Jessica is a perfectly average height girl. Though, she does dress like a boy". Standing with this absurd posture would make me “normal” sized and thus as popular as the sisters from Sweet Valley High and I would have endless date invites to the dances. This didn't really work as planned. While my peers never mentioned my odd way of standing (though I am sure they thought I suffered from some sort of muscular disorder) my family did and let me know it was not very becoming or attractive.
When you are a teenager you feel everyone is looking at you and judging you at all times. Later in life you learn that this is simply not true. Everyone is too concerned with their own pimples, what is happening with the Sweet Valley High sisters, what *NSYNC video is going to be playing on TRL that afternoon and other various teenage maladies to really pay much attention to you. Around this time my dad took the time to share with me, his oldest daughter and pride and joy that he had a growing concern I walked like a caveman.
You may think that my walking like a caveman had something to do with my attempts to shrink myself through terrible posture. Nope, this caveman walk was a completely separate disorder I suffered from and a whole new can of worms. As it turns out, unbeknownst to me, when I would walk to and fro (presumably dreaming about ponies, how to become BFFs with Britney Spears, and how awesome my life would be when I finally grew boobies) I would swing my arms in such a way that the back of my hand and thus my knuckles would point forward.Have you ever taken into consideration how you swing your hands when you walk? You may not have until this point, perhaps walking like a regular human comes naturally to you. Consider yourself lucky. However, now you will most likely become acutely aware of how you and others' swing their extremities while walking. Here is the short version of the lesson for those growing impatient… knuckles forward = caveman, thumbs facing forward = walking like a lady. Ask Kate Middleton, she's obviously got this all figure out.
My Dad took the time as a caring and concerned father to show me the way I walked (like a caveman with knuckles dragging) versus the desired lady-like or modern human way to walk (back straight and erect, thumbs naturally facing forward). At the time I was humiliated. No wonder all of my life long dreams hadn't come true yet at the ripe age of 15! I had no idea how to walk! From there on out I would consciously (and I am quite sure pretty obviously) make an effort to walk properly.Right, left, right, left… thumbs forward, thumbs forward… should my thumbs be sticking out independent of my hand? Make a fist and have thumb face forward? Is that like hitch hiking? I like glitter. I wonder what’s for dinner. How can I make my hair more shiny? Keep walking! Thumbs forward!
I am sure this was a hard thing to approach me about. How do you tell your awkward, overly emotional daughter she walks like a caveman? Though it was a difficult lesson to swallow, I am very thankful for it. I am proud to say I no longer walk like a caveman. At least I don’t believe I do. Thumbs forward, thumbs forward, thumbs forward is part of my daily mantra along with don’t trip.
I am quite certain my lady-like walk helped me progress from my teenage years, make friends, become a fairly successful adult and eventually get a husband. I am pretty sure when my husband sees me walk through Target throwing stuff in our cart we don’t need on one of our adventures he thinks…”wow, I am the luckiest man in the world. I married a girl who walks like a lady, not a caveman”. Lesson learned Dad, lesson learned.
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