The Arrrrgalls

Bad mama, bad!

2011-09-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad mama!! My last post was in July ...July, really?? Here's some pics to catch you up. She's almost 8 months old, has two teeth peeking through on the bottom, trying her hardest to crawl, loves to clap, and is the happiest baby ever. We are a lucky mommy and daddy!

Don't worry ...more to come!!

Black Berry Juice!

2011-07-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

I came home from work on day, and Brint and I wanted to pick the black berries by the side of our house ...in hopes that we'll be able to make our famous black berry jam. Well, of course Miss Amelia had to help. She just couldn't stand it and wanted to hold the berry ...moments after that she tried to shove the whole thing in her mouth. I quickly intercepted ...mean mommy! I did, however, pop one of the berries for the juice, put it on the end of my finger, and placed it on her tongue. SHE LOVED IT!! She gave me that look again that said "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier??". We had fun watching her enjoying that juice.

This one is my favorite.....

First Daddy's Day!

2011-07-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

For Brint's first fathers day Amelia and I (with the help of our friends Katie & Ryan) made a "I Love Daddy" shirt. It was so much fun. Ryan held Amelia while I painted her feet, and Katie was my artistic director :-) Brint loved the shirt, so him and his girl had to pose together in their "I Love Daddy" shirts.

I just LOVE my husband, and Amelia just LOVES her daddy. Couldn't have asked for a more perfect daddy for a perfect little girl!

A little light reading!

2011-07-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

One evening I was trying to keep Miss A busy, before going to bed, so while she was sitting in her bouncer I thought i'd give her one of her soft books. She LOVED it. Actually, if you put any book in front of her she will turn the pages. One day we were reading a night time book to her, one of those thick cardboard types, she grabbed one of the pages and turned it. Thinking it was a fluke, she did it again, and again, and now does it every time a book is placed before her. I really hope she is a reader. Cross my fingers that she'll take after her mama, and adore Jane Austen. They should really make Jane Austen baby books ...hmmm! A project for another time perhaps!!

Over the moon!

2011-07-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Robyn & I threw a baby shower for our amazing friend Katie. She is due in late July with her first baby. They are having a boy named Noah. We ALL can't wait for his arrival. So the theme of the shower matched his nursery, which are moon and stars. Super cute, couldn't wait to get started.

I enlisted a little long distance help from Canada. Brint's wonderful cousin, Jen, is a party/event guru. Her passion is to decorate and put on parties. She creates the BEST sweets table. Here is her blog address Forty4Change
So I picked her brain as far as what I could do. Of course it no where compared to hers, but it's a start. I was on a super tight budget, so my best friends were the dollar store AND the dollar bins at Target. Woo, Hoo!! I hand made/put together all the decorations. Which made it more custom, and saved the budget. We had amazing food; Robyn hand carved a fruit bowl from a watermelon and it brought so much color.

The next thing was, what kind of cake do you make/get for a professional cake maker?? Box mix is not an option, and store bought was out of the question, and there was no way I was going to make a pregnant mama make her own cake. So the pressure was on. I was going to make the now popular cake pops, but panicked. I can cook till the cows come home, but baking is not my thing (or it doesn't go well), and these cake pops required melting chocolate ...which scares me even more. So I made mini cupcakes ...who doesn't love cupcakes. The one adventurous thing I did was make white (blue) chocolate dipped marshmallows. They were SO good, and everyone loved them. I really loved putting this all together, and I must admit, can't wait to do another party ...so I can improve my party decor skills. On with the pics!!!!

Thank you to all that came, you made it so much fun!!

Another fashionista moment!

2011-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is the stylish Miss A in her Sunday best. I love the dress she is wearing, and it has matching bloomers too!

Sunshine through curtains...

2011-06-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sunshine through curtains can make amazing filtered light for pics (yes, Dest, I was thinking of you!). I put Amelia on her changing pad to ...well you know change her. Anyway, she loves being on her changer. That's usually where we get the biggest smiles, and wettest kisses. She threw up her feet, popped out the biggest smiles, and out came my camera. Just look at what I captured, and who hammed it up ...

The onesie she is wearing is a "hand me up" from a friend that was too cute. She had it on so we could see how it would fit. Why? Because she will be wearing it the day she meets Mr. N. Our amazing friends, Katie & Ryan (who watch Amelia while we work), are expecting their little boy in late July. Of course Miss Amelia & Mr. N are destined to be BFF's, or maybe more?? The onesie has a cute stick figure of a little boy and girl holding hands, and it says "and the pretty princess and her dashing prince lived happily ever after". How perfect!

My favorites.

Her cheesecake poses.

Those eyes!

Which one was your favorite?

Always fun with Miss A!

2011-06-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

This first pic is from our church's Memorial day cookout. Her best friend, Jenna, came in a matching out fit. You know your a mama when your little one is all decked out, and you just have a simple shirt and pants on with a hint of spit up on it. I Love It!!!

This is Amelia with her Auntie Katie & Uncle Ryan. For those who don't know, we are very blessed because they watch our little girl for us while we are at work. We are grateful beyond words for them!

I love this next one, because of the expressions on Brint & Amelia's face. I don't remember what we were watching, but I just love their faces.

This one was fun ...I was cleaning out Amelia's winter clothes, and clothes she finally grew out of. I found a small box with a couple of head bands, and thought I'd have a little fun with Amelia. She's such a good sport!!

My friend from work gave me her johnny jumper, and she loves it! The funny thing is she always points her right leg and has it touching the ground. It makes her turn in circles like a ballerina. It's pretty cute!

These next two are older, but wanted to put it on the blog, because those back home had not seen them yet. These pics were taken with my phone, I have more to download. That will be a post in it self ...phone pics!!

To cute!!

2011-06-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

No words ...too much cuteness!!

Another day of firsts....

2011-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

So I really love documenting Amelia's "firsts", from something major to something very simple and fun. So this day had some fun "firsts". We were getting ready to go to my friend Nelia's bridal shower. When I was putting together Miss A's clothes for the day, I noticed that there was a pair of pants that she can FINALLY fit into. My friend Mandy gave me a pair of jeans that one of her girls had worn. So today was going to be the day that Amelia was going to wear her first pair of jeans. Take a peek ...

Ok mommy ...I'm ready to go!

The second first of the day, was Amelia trying something new and exotic. Chocolate ...yes, you read right. At the shower, there was a HUGE home made chocolate cake, that was simply a-maz-ing! Well, my friend Maggi was holding Amelia while I finished my piece of cake. We were talking about how much one of her boys loves, I mean LOVES, chocolate. Maggie asked, "Can I give her a little bit?" I said sure. So she put a tiny dab on the tip of her finger, and put it on Amelia's tongue. As first she wasn't to sure....

...Then it kicked in, her eyes got real big (as you can see in the pic below), and started rolling her tongue around in her mouth. Mmmm ...that's all you get little girl, unless Maggi sneaks you another taste!

THE Royal Royal Wedding

2011-05-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have always been super interested in royalty, history, and everything about the UK. I do remember when Prince Charles & Princess Diana got married, I was 5. My mom was also swept away with that special day, and has been in love with Diana ever since. I remember that we had a cookie tin on display in our house that was from that year, and it had a pic of Charles & Diana's engagement picture.

We also had some big things happen in our lives the same time the royal family did. The sad one was that Diana was killed a month before Brint & I were married. Amelia is born the same year that Will & Kate were married. Amelia's middle name is Elizabeth ...well the Queen of England is Elizabeth, Kate Middleton's middle name is Elizabeth, Amelia was named after Queen Elizabeth I. So it's the year of Elizabeth's, I just thought that was to fun.

So now that Will & Kate were going to get married, I just HAD to watch! Yes, I was up at 4am and I watched the whole things. I gasped, I cried, I was mesmerized and glued to my seat. I LOVED IT!! Amelia woke up at 7am and I fed her and we watched the "parade" back to the palace together. She loved watching all the colors. I love seeing THE kiss ...and the second one too! So here are the pics from that day.

So Amelia had something to wear for the special day, and I did too. Well, actually it came the day after the wedding. I sent away for MY very own ring. I wanted this ring since I was a little girl. I receive emails from the Jane Austen society in Bath, England, and they said their gift shop was selling a certain ring. I just HAD to have it, plus it was only $15 AND in came from BATH, ENGLAND!! Can you guess who else has this ring??

Look what I can do!!

2011-05-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what little people (like babies) can do everyday. What really seems so simple, are huge milestones for them. I am SO grateful to see them everyday. The first example ...Amelia was on her floor mat, just playing away by kicking her legs and putting her hands in the air. She had dangly toys hanging in front of her too. I literally looked away for just a moment, and when I looked back she had grasped onto a toy. I could not get up fast enough to get the camera. Ok, so she hung on with one finger, but she held on for 5 minutes. Again ...HUGE milestone for her!!

Now onto a bigger accomplishment. Amelia has always been a strong girl. She's been able to hold her head up since day one. She has a grip that would out do Arnold Schwarzenegger. She has been wanting to sit up for a while now. Through out the day I rotate her through different seats, swings, bouncers, floor mat with toys, and lounging in her boppy. Well, a couple of days ago I put her in her boppy, and she got a little fussy after a few minutes.

So I re-adjusted her and look what she did ....sitting up with head held high!

Now she is just going to kick back and watch Rick Steves travel through Europe on TV. It's hard work you know!!

A visit with Papa!

2011-04-26T08:56:00.001-07:00

My dad finally got the chance to come and stay with us, and meet Amelia. He stayed for two weeks. Some days we were busy running errands, going out to lunch with family and friends, and some days we just stayed home and hung out. Either way we, including Amelia, had fun. We even went to Georgia to see my Grandma, Uncle, and cousins. They all just fell in love with her ...well how can they not? Anyway, enjoy the pics because they are pretty sweet!

This first pics is of dad and Amelia meeting for the first time. My dad's plane got in so late that Amelia was already asleep, so they had to meet the next morning.

Check out the shirt ...enough said!

Here are the pics of our visit with my family in Georgia. My Grandma, Ruby, is 96 years old ...I think. She just couldn't wait to meet Amelia, she even told me that she had a dream of holding her weeks before we were there. She just loves babies and children.

We also got to hang out with my cousin Shawna, who is so amazing, and her son Logan. It was very sweet, Logan was so good with Amelia. He didn't like to hear her cry when she got a little fussy, so he went out to their car and got his stuffed bunny he got for Easter. He worked really hard to make sure she was happy.

We also were able to get video of my two cousins, Shawna & Howie, "fighting" about who gets to hold Amelia. And some great video of Amelia just staring at Grandma and smiling her big sweet smiles. It was such a great trip!

Easter time!

2011-04-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

I love all of these "first" for Amelia. I have a feeling there are going to be plenty of "first" posts on this blog! This first Easter for Amelia was great. We got to dress her up in her Easter best for church, the Easter Bunny left her a cute basket, and the best part is that Brint's cousin, Jen< came from Canada for a visit. She came to visit Nana, but we all benefited from spending lot's of time with her. I couldn't wait for her to meet Amelia for the first time. You'll never believe where they were when they first met ...only the best store in America ...TARGET!

Jen is a shopping diva, and was there to teach Amelia how to be one too. It was so much fun, took lot's of pics, and pretty much took over the entire store. Amelia went home with a lot of sweet clothes that Auntie Jen got for her. Thanks Jen!!!

So the Easter Bunny stopped by our house for the first time. Woo, hoo! Amelia got the cutest bucket, some Hello Kitty hair clips, a book, fresh new spring pj's, and some onesies. The best part about the onesies is that one of them say "Her Royal Cuteness". Which, by the way, she WILL be wearing for the Royal Wedding coming up on the 29th, can't wait to post that blog!

After church we met up with Brint's Uncle, Aunt, Nana & Cousin. Nana wanted to go to O'Charley's for Easter lunch. Then went back to their house to hang out, and took some pics. They turned out just beautiful, with all the green, budding flowers, and the sunlight streaming through all the trees. There were so many good pics, just had to post them all.

This was a great Easter, and It was fun to see all the love that Amelia got from family and friends. Hope yours was just a memorable!

Amelia's new BFF!

2011-04-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here are pics of the two cutest girls on the planet ...destined to be best friends!! As soon as I put Amelia down, Jenna reached out to her little buddy, as to say "HI!!". In May I will have to go back to work (cue the tears), and we are SO blessed that our friends Ryan & Katie will be looking after Amelia. What makes is better is that Jenna will be there too!!

First day at church!

2011-04-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

March 7,2011
Here are a couple of pics of Amelia's first day to church. We were able to find ONE dress that would fit her, and not swallow her up. Although no one saw her dress at church, as we kept her covered up to keep her away from people with germs. So we thought we'd take a couple of pics. The last pic (which is my favorite) is of Brint and Amelia after we got home, had lunch, and got in our comfies. Don't they look like twins, I think it's the bald head!! Enjoy!

Love,
Dayna

I'm one month old!!

2011-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

March 3, 2011
These are pics of Amelia and a couple of adopted "Aunties". All four of these wonderful women were all there when Amelia was born. Each one played a VERY important part on that special day. There are many more Labor & Delivery "Aunties" that were there as a great support, hopefully we'll get Amelia's pics with them soon!

Enjoy!

Love,
Dayna

Amelia & Suzie

Amelia & Anna

Amelia & Micki

Amelia & Barb (who was my labor nurse, and then Amelia's baby nurse)

First Bath!!

2011-04-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

Feb 13, 2011
Here arer some pics from Amelia's first bath at home. Grandma & Misty cat got in on the action too. Enjoy!

Love,
Dayna

P.S. She screamed the whole time ...just like her mama did at her age!

Wheew ...all done!!

Just do it!!

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I kept putting of blogging, because I felt I needed to start with our birth story, and go in order from there. While I was dragging my feet, I was emailing family and friends short stories and pics. I thought to myself, a month or two into it, these would be great blog post!!! Simple, to the point, and full of pics!! So I'm going to play catch up on the blog. Some of you have received these emails, and some haven't. Either way enjoy the posts!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mar 12, 2011

Alright, here is a sneak peak of the photo shoot that my friend Desitnee did at our house when Amelia was eight days old. Just love them, she is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO talented. Don't you think??

http://www.destineeblau.com/2011/02/24/eight/

Enjoy,
Dayna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feb 9, 2011
Here are some more pics of little Amelia ...more to come!!

Love ya,
All of us

MORE TO COME .....

Some Coworker Love!!

2011-01-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

What does a girl do when there is eight inches of snow outside ...blog of course. This weekend was a blast! On Saturday, the girls at work threw me a baby shower. Oh my gosh, soooo much fun. We went to Franky Bones, which is a yummy restaurant that is styled after a place Frank Sanatra and "the boys" would hang out at. It's a cool place, it's like at almost any moment the Rat Pack is about to walk in.

Those that came were ...Micki, Sandie, Jan, Tipton, Joy, Erin, Gwen, Crystal and her daughter Phoebe, Katie, and of course the guests of honor (Moi & baby Amelia). Lot of others wanted to come, but either had to work or the roads were bad in their area due to snow & ice. On to the food ...yumm!! Now that my little girl has moved down a little, her momma has a little more room to breath and eat. I almost got their Mac & Cheese (this ain't no box mix), you could have lobster added to it ...need I say more! Instead I got the California burger, which was ...amazing!! A yummy burger on focaccia with mozzarella, pesto aoli, and avocado. Did I say AVOCADO!?!? It came with simple yet divine shoe string fries and a crispy, white Kosher pickle. Mmmmmmmmmmm!!

On to the fun stuff. We received lots of cool things, like baby outfits, socks (that look like Mary Janes), diapers, wipes, paci holder and wipes (in case its dropped), diaper "pail", AND a Travel set from all the girls at work!!! My friend Katie came and made the best cake in the whole world ....peanut butter & chocolate cake. This is no ordinary cake, you just have to try it. Go to her blog, and check out her cakes... http://katiescakesofasheville.blogspot.com

In the mean time, here are some pics from this fun day (if you want to see them closer, just click on the pic) ...

This pic is of me holding piece of paper, from Tipton, telling me that I will be receiving a Moby wrap. The best part was the pics on the back side. Click on the pic, and you will see our heads superimposed on the pic, and I am holding Brint when he was a baby in a moby wrap, and he is holding me when I was a baby. It awesome & hilarious!!!!!!

Left to Right: Sandie, Jan, Crystal, Me, and down below Pheobe.

Micki & Me

Gwen & Me

Sandie & Me

Tipton & Me

Erin & Me

L to R: Joy, Me, Micki, & Erin

Yumm cake!!

Thank you to all those who came and contributed to the gifts we received. They were very much needed, and are very appreciated!! Thanks for the love and friendship you showed us as well.

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll ....Merry Christmas. Have you ever seen that movie "A Christmas Story"? It's my personal all time favorite. Remember the scene where Ralphie wakes up on Christmas morning, and finds that the world out side is covered in sparkly white snow. Being California kids, having a white Christmas was something we've never knew ....till now.

Brint and I decided to go out and play for a little while, and take some pics of us and our little one in the snow. Feel the love....

A little baby time ...

Love this one ...

This one is called ..."pregnancy agression". We were playing in the snow, and how can you not throw snow balls at each other. So I got Brint ...real good. Hee, hee!!

Hope you've all had a warm and wonderful Christmas. We love you all, and wish you nothing but the best!!

Holly Cow!!

2010-12-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

Holly Cow!! The grips of pregnancy brain has finally released me, and I'm now realizing all the things I need to catch up on. I had some time today, and thought ....I haven't read any blogs in soooo long. I logged on, and saw when my last post was. I'm in total shock ...August!? ....really!?!? I'm so sorry everyone for not keeping up on this. So I'm just going to hop on it, and give you the highlights of this great pregnancy we are having. *Click on the pics below to see them better!!*

SHORT SORIES:

*When I was 6 months along they did an ultrasound. They were having a hard time seeing all four chambers of her heart. The office said "Because of her position (breech and facing my spine), we can't see all four chambers of her heart. Happens a lot, don't worry." What I heard was "We can't see all four chambers of her heart ....worry!" Working in the medical is hard because you know WAY to much. I worked for a Pediatric Cardiologist, and I know what kind of things happen with babies that have major heart issues. My doctor saw me that same day, and repeated the same thing, "Dayna, don't worry ...she's fine." She saw the look in my eyes, and said "Let's send you to ROGS, and they can do a more in depth ultrasound. It will help us see her heart better, and it will make you feel better." Two days later, my doctor's office rocks, got me into ROGS who handle high risk pregnancies. I was there for two hours. The first hour was doing basic anatomy, and trying to get her to turn. She was still in the breech position and facing my spine. It made sense, she's comfy, warm, and had her head on a cushy pillow (my/her placenta). After the first hour, they had me drink two boxes of juice, touch my toes, stand on my head, do the hokey-pokey, etc. For a half an hour she had turned a little, just enough for the tech to get all the pics they needed. Then sweet relief came ....four chambers, an aortic arch, great blood flow, etc. The funniest part, I love my little girl - she already has a sense of humor, THE moment the doctor walked through the door, and took her turn to do her part of the ultrasound, Amelia turned back to her stubborn position where they couldn't see the heart again. We all couldn't help but laugh. Although we had a little scare, we got the best pics of our little girl!!

LOOK AT HER GLOWING BONES ...THAT'S BECAUSE HER MOMMY DRANK LOT'S OF MILK!!

*So Brint is a very informed, and very involved husband/soon to be daddy. How lucky am I!! He know's about how ALL women love their body/belly pillow. Well, I guess I'm not "ALL" women. I figured that I have broken all the rules from the beginning of this pregnancy anyway. No morning sickness and all that fun stuff. Anyway, Brint insisted that I needed to sleep with a million pillows, or that we should just buy one of those $50 pillows that are in an "S" shape. I told him don't waist money on that, I like my two pillows, and besides we could use that money to by more baby stuff. In true Brint form, he didn't listen to me, asked the girls at work about their opinion (and how much they love their body pillow), and went to Wally-world and bought me a body pillow. Thank goodness it was only $9, because I TRIED, honestly I did, to use it that night, but it was on the floor in 15 minutes. Brint woke up in the middle of the night looked over to see that I was all cuddled up with this fabulous pillow. What he saw was laying there with my two pillows under my head, blankets thrown off, faaaaast asleep! Nice try honey ...at least we have a nice "decorative" pillow for the bed now.

HER FACE WITH ARM BESIDE HER HEAD.

*One Sunday, after church, Brint and I slipped into our comfies, had lunch, and was watching a movie. I was leaning on my right side on the couch, when all of a sudden my belly was going crazy. I said to Brint "Hey! Look!!!" while pointing at my belly. His eyes just about popped out of his head, and he said "Holly crap!". My belly was bouncing from left to right. We now call this a belly dancing moment.

ANOTHER FACE SHOT, THE TECH ASSURED US HER NOSE IS NOT THAT BIG!

*It's so amazing when a baby, who is still in the womb, already have the traits of her/his mom and dad. So when we got to the 25th week, we had read in our weekly pregnancy emails, that the baby was now able to hear sounds. Of course we talk to her, and we saw her respond to my talking during an ultrasound. Now it was time to give her a little music. Brint and I are HUGE music lovers, from classical to rock, and EVERYTHING in between. First we played her some Vivaldi, my favorite classical composer. I had the headphones on my belly for about a half an hour she liked it and moved around quite a bit. Over the next couple of days, we played a couple more different classical composers, Medieval Babes (check them out, they are awesome), Lorna McKinnett, Enya, and a little B-52s to shake things up. We found her favorite ....Amelia LOVES Alison Krauss!! We listened to her old stuff and new stuff. Her favorite song, because she moved around a lot, was "Atlanta". I guess she knows she has Georgia roots!

*Another Sunday we came home from church, did our normal routine of putting our comfies on, eating lunch, and watching a movie. Halfway through our movie, I notice little Amelia moving. Then after a minute or two, I noticed that it was quite repetitive. I looked down, and could see the bow on my pajama bottoms was "bouncing" with each movement. I thought about it for a minute, and realized she was having hiccups. I called Brint over, and he just laughed. We tried to video it with our camera, and it was pretty funny to watch. I notice, probably because I am laying down, that she has the hiccups when I lay down to go to bed, or get up first thing in the morning. I love to just lay there and feel that movement, plus that's a good time for Brint to feel her too. All I have to do is roll to my other side to give her some relief, and me a little sleep! She definitely takes after her mom the "Hiccup Queen"!

AFTER THREE CONFIRMATIONS THAT SHE IS A GIRL, WE ARE FEELING CONFIDENT. HINT: LOOK FOR THE SIDEWAYS "V", BY THE WAY SHE MOONING YOU!!

*This may be a "more than you need to know" story, but I'm going to tell it anyway ...it's funny. I'm usually at one extreme or the other. Either I can feel my bladder is full all the time, or not at all. Apparently I have a built in warning system, and her name is Amelia. One night, after a long day at work, Brint and I were relaxing on the couch. I noticed that "someone" kept making quick little movement, very low in my belly. I just continued to lay there, and let her move. What I didn't know was she was trying to tell me something. So I still just laid there, feeling her move swiftly. Finally I felt this "punch" on my full bladder, that I didn't know I had. As I was trying to quickly get up from the couch, huffing, puffing, and grunting my way up, Brint asked if I was ok. I told him "Apparently ...I have to pee!". Got to the bathroom just in time, and boy did I ever have to go. Thank you my little early alert system!

MY FAVORITE, I TURNED THIS ONE. YOU CAN SEE HER NOSE (see she has a small one), MOUTH, AND CHIN COMING OUT OF THE SHADOW. WHICH STAR WARS CHARACTER DOES THAT REMIND YOU OF?

It's a ........???

2010-08-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

As of Tuesday 8/31, I am 18 weeks and 5 days. So today we were off for our ultrasound appointment. The last time we saw our little sweetie, he/she looked like a fuzzy-wuzzy-gummy-bear. So now this was to be the real deal. First of all it will look like a real baby, not a fuzzy spot on the screen. Second we will get to see cool things like fingers, heart, head, tummy, legs, all kinds of movement, etc. Third, and this is the most important (especially to all our family and friends), is to find out what he/she is.

Here's the beginning of the adventure of the day...

So the morning started out with drinking my 24 ounces of water to fill up that bladder. The theory is so they can see the baby better. My theory ....a good laugh for the office staff. A waiting room of women bouncing, cuz they "gotta go", AND let's push our hardest on the mom's tummy to get the "shots" for the ultrasound, and let's go back and forth over the overly full bladder like a teenager practicing parallel parking ....over and over!

Yes, the simple answer would be to go to the restroom as soon as that is over, but you see there was another fun obstacle in my way before my dam was about to break. My ultrasound was at 9am, and I had an appointment with Dr.Hunt at 10am. As some of you know, you have to give a urine sample every time you come in. We were done at 930a with our ultrasound, and our sweet little tech was REALLY taking her time putting all the ultrasound pics together, and do a quick report for the doctor, so I could take it all upstairs for my next appointment. Ahhh, I'm dying here!

We went upstairs for our appointment, and thought they'd take me right back and bring me to my sweet relief, but noooo. Half an our later, Brint couldn't take it and went up and asked if I could just leave a sample, because I REALLY, REALLY had to go. I was even bouncing in my seat. The nurse felt bad, and said I should have spoke up sooner, oh well that's what I get for being polite. Finally the sweetest relief I've ever had in my life, so far. This may have been more than you wanted to know, but it was a fun story anyway.

Back to the best part. So I'm laying on the table in this nice cool room, that has soft mood lighting. She said first she will be looking at the anatomy of the baby, then asked us if we brought a VHS tape to record the ultrasound. Then she asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby, and we both said a resounding YES!!! She blobbed on warm, yes I said warm, jell and went to work. The first image was a nice sized baby on the screen, and the first thing I saw was a beating heart. Whheeewww!! That was my first concern, next ...onto normal anatomy!

When all was said and done the tech took enough pics that would have stretched across the entire room. We got to see (and all the anatomy is normal and healthy) a spine, along with each vertebrate, a cute round little head, measured her tummy, measured her femur, looked at her stomach, got to see her face (one image that was more skeletal and one that look more like a face, which was cool), her feet and toes, her hands and arms, she measured my placenta (which the baby was using as a pillow), and I asked her what position the baby was laying in. They baby is in a breech position, for the moment. At this point there is plenty of room to move and flip back around.

Ok, so the part you have ALL been waiting for..... what are we having???? She showed us an image, that even I couldn't make out, and she said we are having a GIRL!!! See the pic below. What the tech says is where the arrow points to is a side ways W. It's whiter than the most of the anatomy, I know, I know most of you still can't see it, but it's there.

The next set of pictures are really fun, and my favorite two will be the last two. The next pic is of her little foot. Her toes are on the left, and her little heel is on the right. Click on the pic if you want to see it closer.

The next pic is of her head/face. On the left is the top round part of her head, a little further to the right is her eyes, a little further past her face is her two hands and arms, and a little further is her knees/legs together. Can you see her better now?

This next pic is one of my favorites. In the pic the head is on the right, looking to the left is her two knees almost against her head. If you look a little further you can see her two legs, and they are crossed like an X. Such a little lady already, love it!!

The next pic I call her paparazzi pic. It of her tiny, delicate, little hand saying "Please ...no more pictures." Cute as can be :)

So that's her! I don't think that Brint and I were surprised that she was a girl, we were more excited to see her move and see how much she has grown. Brint said the other day "I love her and I haven't even met her yet.", that just melted my heart, but he is soooo right. We just fell in love with our baby even more. I can already feel that motherly/parental love for her, and can understand how mom's that I see at work fall in love with their babies the moment they see them.

We go back for our next appointment Sept 28th, and we get to have another ultrasound. Because of the the position she is in, legs crossed tight up against her chest, they weren't able to see all of her heart, and where the umbilical cord goes into her belly. The totally reassured me that's it's all because of her position. I asked the girls at work, and a lot of them had the same "issue". The doctor, ultrasound tech, and my friends said "that just means you get to see her again, and get more pics!". Can't wait!!

What's new...

2010-08-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today I can breath freely!!! Why do you ask??? Well I just bought my first pair of maternity pants ....aaaaahhhhhh. Why are we not wearing these all the time? I had finally had it yesterday when I wanted to put on my pair of "big" jeans, it gave me heart burn when I buttoned it because it was so tight around my tummy. So I told Brint "I think it's time". Not bad, I am 5months now and I haven't bought anything till now.

Well that's not true. I did buy a belly band at Target. What it a belly band you ask?? The best way to explain it is ...it's like a tube top. What you do is you put your pre-prego pants on, don't button or zip them up (usually you can't anyway - hence the belly band), pull the band over the open part of your pants, and it will hold your pants up AND cover your open drawers. Pretty cool!!!! It saves you some money, so you don't have to buy expensive maternity pants, for a while at least. It worked last month, but this month I was a vienna sausage.

So today, I went to Motherhood Maternity and tried on some much wanted jeans. Once on all I could say was .....AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! Even the skinny jeans gave you ample room to breath. Again, why don't we wear these pants all the time. Below are pics of what I bought. I only got pants because I have a friend at work who has emptied out her closet and is giving me her maternity clothes. Yippee!!

Another reason why I like being pregnant is that stores/companies give you free stuff, samples, and coupons. Since this was my first trip to the store, I got the goody bag below. It was full of hair product samples, laundry samples, coupons galore, and my favorite was the $25 gift card to shutterfly. Yippee!!

What's new on the baby front?!

2010-08-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Well as of today we are 15 weeks and 4days, and going strong. I was thinking that some of you, especially those who don't live in town are probably wondering how things are going, how I'm feeling, etc. I thought I should share some of the good stories about this pregnancy, some of you had heard the stories, but most of you have not. You know when Brint and I are involved there is always a good story, so here goes (and since we don't have any pics to share, I thought I'd show you baby pics of Brint & myself)...

~The placenta brain, as we call it in the biz, or pregnancy forgetfulness as you my know it, hit me again big time. We have a monthly meeting (third thursday of every month) at church, called Branch Council, where all the Presidents of all the auxiliaries get together to bring up calendar items, welfare issues, and other church related issues that we work together on. Right after that meeting I have a PPI (Personal Progress Interview) with our Branch President, where we talk even more in-depth about welfare issues and the needs of those in the church. So these are pretty important meetings. Well, for me, that week came and went. Usually I think about those meetings days before we have them, so I can discuss with our President about the issues at hand. It wasn't even a thought in my mind. I wasn't till I received an email of the minutes taken at that meeting, and I received that email on a Saturday. GASP!!!!! Couldn't believe that I did that, I have made it to ALL the meetings since I became president a year and a half ago.

Sunday morning, after sacrament, I went up to our Branch President and gave my deepest apologies. About how it completely did not even come to mind, etc. He said ...and get this ..."That's ok, I just told the whole council that you were excused because you have pregnancy brain." NICE!!! Well, at least he was light hearted about it and understood since him and his wife have three boys. I bet they were hootin' it up at the meeting when our leader made that comment. Very Nice! :)

~I work every other Monday to help out with payroll at work. A couple of weeks ago I got off two hours early from work. Brint and I rode together that day, and he was getting of at 5:30pm. So I needed to kill some time till he was off. Where does a girl go to kill some time ......Target of course. I actually haven't been in a couple of months, I hear the gasping out there, it's just been to hot to go anywhere. Anyway, I wanted to go particularly to look at maternity clothes, and baby stuff (price things out, etc.), but of course one has to shop Target head to toe. I think I was an hour into my shopping experience, I was half way through the baby section, stopped and looked down at the floor and thought "I could really just lay down here on this linoleum, and totally go to sleep." Never in my life has a store floor look so enticing. That's when I knew it was time to go, otherwise they would find me on isle 22 curled up with a blanket. Now that's tired!

~Got to hear the baby's heart beat again last Tuesday. Brint was so excited that he wanted to recorded it on his phone. So I laid down on the table, pulled the top of my pants down a little, and Amy our Nurse Practitioner went to work. She found the baby on my right side, after some pushing on my filling bladder. I look up at this special moment, and Brint and Amy are in cahoots to get his phone to record ...don't mind me! After a couple of minutes they were done. I sat back up, got my self re-situated with my clothes. Brint was checking the recording, and Amy asked "Did you get it?". Brint said he didn't think so, Amy said no problem we'll do it again. Next thing I know I'm getting pushed (gently) back down, and had to pull the top parts of my pants down ...again.

So Amy went to work again to find the baby, looking on the right. Finally she found the little on the left, all the while pressing again on my ever filling bladder. I don't think the baby was all to happy either being pushed on. I looked up again, and there they were hovering over the phone to get the recording....don't mind me. This time it worked, whew! All kidding aside, the coolest part was when we heard, both times, the baby moving around inside. It sounded like if you scratched a needle on a record (remember those round things that played music). I loved that part. Our next appointment will be on Aug 31st, and I will be 18 1/2 weeks along. You know what that means ....we'll be able to know what this "fuzzy-gummy-bear" is going to be. So let's all pray that his/her legs won't be crossed, or be a typical Argall and be difficult. Hee, hee!

(I think I was destined to be a Jane Austen girl!)

~For my Birthday, the girls at work celebrated it with me on a Wednesday. After an a half an hour or so they (Micki, Sandie, Gwen, Teresa, Joyce, Julia, and Joy) all came around the corner singing me Happy Birthday. Micki was holding a tray full of her yummy brownies, a bunch of fresh pick "Micki's road side flowers" (she loves risking her life to get the prettiest flowers on the side of the road), and a cute ballon that everyone had signed. The surprising part was what was going up to the ballon. Taped and stapled all the way up was folded (in different shapes) money and checks. I was STUNNED!!! They said instead of bringing in food or ordering out, they wanted to make a birthday/baby fund. Words cannot say how touched I was, and still am.

Throughout the day, when I left to use the bathroom, or had to go to other parts of the department, I would come back and more money would be stapled to the ballon string. In the end they blessed me with $200. The money will go towards a crib, and some very overpriced maternity clothes.

Thank you, thank you Micki, Sandie, Gwen, Melissa, Tipton, Linda, Joy, Erin, Sharon, Ronnie, Teresa, Joyce, & Julia (and by the way Julia made the best fresh salsa ever!). My angles of L&D ...I love you!!!

(I love that curly head boy!)

Now I've been sitting here for 15 minutes and here I am again, knowing I have quite a few more stories to tell you, but can I think of them ......nooooo! Ugh, I guess until next blog posting.

**I love the pic below, because it's of four generations. In the front on the left is my great-grandma, in the middle is my mom one month before I was born, and on the right is my grandma!**

The Surprise of a lifetime!!

2010-07-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Where have we been???? Well let me tell you.........

After almost 13 years of marriage, and 10 years of trying, it has finally happened!!! Brint and I are expecting our first baby January 27, 2011. We are in shock and awe. We had gone to our doctor back in November 09 to talk about using fertility meds, like clomid. They told us just let them know when we are ready to start. So Brint and I were looking at waiting 6 months to a year to start. I wanted to loose some weight before we got started.

Back on May 19 I realized my monthly had not arrived, Brint was excited, but I told him let's wait a week or two before we go crazy. So by the next week, he was driving me crazy about taking a test. Finally in the middle of work on a Thursday (5/27), I couldn't stand it anymore. Marched down to the pharmacy (love that I work in a hospital), bought a test, and took the test as soon as I got back to my department (so glad you don't have to wait till the morning anymore). Well, just my luck!!! My test was as clear as mud. I had one dark line, and a VERY faint second line. Great!! What the heck does that mean????

I pulled my good friend Gwen (who's a delivery nurse and a nurse practitioner) into the bathroom, surely she'd know what that would mean. After the first shock of what I was showing her, she said "Yep, I think your pregnant girl!!" My heart was pounding by then. I decided to take another test in the am, old school style, to see if that would make a difference. So the next morning I was up at 530am to get ready for work, Brint was following me like a little boy for Christmas. I did my test, waited a few minutes, and saw the same thing. One dark line, and a second VERY faint line. Crap!?!?

So then I just told Brint that we should wait a couple more days and repeat. By then I told my good friend Micki of our new possibility, and she was just as bad as Brint. She kept saying "you need to re-test". Then that crazy girl couldn't take it anymore, and by Friday 6/4 she marched down to the pharmacy, bought a test, and I took a third test and she took the test herself. When done we compared my stick to her stick. She said "See mine is as white as the driven snow. You are pregnant girl!!"

I was about 50% convinced. I had no symptoms, except my missing my monthly and a sore chest. I went ahead and made an appointment. My first appointment was June 8th with Dr.Hunt (love her), and by then I was 7 weeks. When I got there, my blood pressure was up a little, for me, because I still wasn't convinced that I was pregnant. I told that to the nurse, and she said "Well, you have nothing to worry about, because you are.". She held up their test, and I saw the prettiest pink and blue lines I have ever seen. Dr. Hunt examined me, which was a little awkward for me since I work with her often in L&D. She answered all our questions, and prepared us for what was to come. They drew about a half a gallon of blood, just kidding, for my prenatal labs. Then set me up for an ultrasound appointment for that Friday.

June 11th was our first ultrasound. I was nervous about weather there would be a heart beat or not. Then we caught our first image of what only can be described as a "Fuzzy-Wuzzy-Gummy-Bear". The BEST part was seeing the little flutter from inside!!! The baby is alive and thriving. Yippee, on cloud nine for the day. I remember Brint leaning over me to get a closer look at the little flutter inside. It was sweet. He is the happiest guy in the whole world!!

Although it's our first fuzzy picture, and we love it, the technician moved her had a little when she captured the picture. Seconds before you could really see a shape of the little one. Oh well, just grateful for the pic we do have, at such an early time. Boy does it make it even more real.

This week we had another appointment (July 6th). I will be 11 weeks on July 8th. This appointment was for lab results, questions, and fetal heart tones. I was very nervous about that. Since the last appointment the only symptoms I've had is major fatigue, my chest is sore, and I have to make sure I eat every meal and on time. Otherwise, I feel like crap the rest of the day. So since my symptoms have been so mild, it was making me worry. Most of my friends say, consider yourself lucky. I was still worried beyond belief, thinking of friends and family that had lost a baby at the same week I currently was at. Brint and I have been praying for this baby's life, growth, and development from the first day we suspected.

However, today before we left to our appointment, we got on our knees and prayed to our Heavenly Father. So the moment came where she asked me to lay down so she could check for heart tones. She said "Now don't worry, it can take a couple of minutes to find it." Not worry ...me ... yeah right!! The whole time I kept saying in my head "Please Heavenly Father, please let there be a heart beat.". It seemed like it took for ever, and my heart was really starting to pound. I think my nurse practitioner could tell, because the next thing she said "It's ok Dayna, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack." A couple of seconds later she said "There it is!". She turned the volume up, and there it was. My sweet relief!! The sound brought me to tears, as I heard that little heart galloping like a horse. He or She was alive and thriving with in me. Brint was behind me tearing up just the same. The NP said "See, everything is going to ok! You are both healthy and well." She was right. I feel 100% convinced that everything is going to be ok. Although, there is a long rode ahead of us, I am looking forward to it now.

So there it is, in a gigantic nut shell. That's is where we have been, and what we have been doing these past two months. I promise my next blog will be soon, now that we are further along and I'm comfortable letting everyone know. Thanks for all your support and the faith you had for us over the years to have a family. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity and this blessing. This baby came at Heavenly Father's time, not our time, which makes this baby even more special for us. I can't wait to see what this little one will grow into, and can't wait for him/her to grow in the gospel.

On our church's website they have video messages, that are always beautiful, warm your heart, and bring a tear to your eye. I think this one was dedicated to me. It calmed my heart long enough till my last appointment. Please go to the web site below. Enjoy!!!

(Copy & Past Link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbYLKVgwztY&feature=player_embedded

P.S. I have already had a placenta brain moment (or what others call "pregnancy induced ....what do you call it???" DUH moments). I had pics of my pregnancy stick and my friend Micki's pregnancy stick, to go with the stories above. When I went to down load the pics from my memory card, from my camera, instead of putting it into the memory card hole. I put it right in the CD hole!! So now my memory card is floating around the inside of my laptop. And so it starts, Mac City here I come!!!

A happy man!

2010-05-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was just talking with my mom today on the phone, and we were catching up on things. I told her that I think I just made my Uncle Bill very happy. We had our friends, Katie and Ryan ...and Nicole too, over for dinner on Sunday before they left for their trip. I also had forgotten that we had signed up for the Missionaries to come over too for dinner. So in total we had seven people over, including Brint and myself.

I made something simple, and something you can make a lot of.... soft tacos!! All these people need so many plates, what is a girl to do?? Well, use the new plates she just inherited of course. So into the pantry I went to get the pretty cream white plates, that are newly washed and ready to use. These were my Uncle's party plates. He had, and now I have, twenty of these "party plates". Super informal, yet super pretty. My dinning room table, is pushed off to the side in the dinning room, so we all couldn't sit there. Plus our kitchenette table is way to small. So we all ate alfresco style on the floor around my Uncle's coffee table. One of the the Missionaries sat in the "Kings Chair". After dinner he said, "I could go to sleep in this chair!". I told him he would be one of many men who have sat in that chair of my Uncle's, and fallen asleep after a good meal.

After dinner, we had Katie's YUMMY red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. Woo, hoo! What could I put these beautiful slices of heaven on, well of course my Uncle's glass plates. So back into the pantry I went to get those newly washed, waiting to be used, dishes. Perfect!!

As, we all sat there eating, enjoying our leisurely good time, I realized how much of my Uncle's items had been used. And had been put to good use!! I could feel his presence about us, happy as a clam that we are using his items they way he use to use them. I felt a sigh of relief, and a sense of accomplishment. All I can say is, that is more dinner parties to be had. Who want's to come??

I am grateful!

2010-05-22T09:45:00.001-07:00

I am grateful for what I witnessed yesterday! My good friend Laurin's son came home from his mission last night. We all came together to meet at the airport to welcome him home. There were family members, friends of the family, and almost our entire branch. Boy were the TSA agents happy!! Anyway, as the plane landed we all stood up as a large group holding signs, and posters. We all notice another family with their own poster, which said "Welcome Home Captain ......., We Love You". One person asked the family who they were expecting, and they said their loved one from Iraq. So we decided that our group would cheer for that soldier when he came through the door too.

Two flights came in around the same time. The first flight was carrying the soldier. It was such a great moment, he came through the door full fatigues and pack. Very surprised to see all the people, the whole airport broke out in applause. His wife ran to him and it was such a great moment. I looked around, and thankfully, standing next to me was my friend Dest who too was tearful over this moment. As soon as the applause quieted we all yelled out "THANK YOU!!". Such a great Goose-bump moment.

Then the second flight arrived, all of our hearts were pounding. Especially for our dear friend Laurin as she has literally counted down the days. We all held our breath with each person that step out, thinking it might be our return missionary. A lot of the people getting off the plane smiled at the posters that said "Welcome Home Elder Howell". A pilot from one of the planes knew what the word "Elder" meant, and quickly asked where the mom was. He talked with Laurin for a little bit.

On a side note, no matter where you go in the world, LDS church members are all alike with our similar back grounds, love of the gospel, and support for each other, even if you've never met. Love it! After some time, that much anticipated Missionary came through the door. His mom and sisters just went running, and showered him with love, while we all cheered and applauded. Again, it was a great moment!

I am so grateful to have experienced these two young men return home , one from protecting our country, and the other spreading the gospel. They volunteered to leave their family for long periods of time, protect and changed the lives (for the better) of people whom they'd never thought they'd meet, they both fought for good against evil, and were watched over closely by our Heavenly Father. I feel comforted knowing there are young men like these protecting our world both physically and spiritually.

For the love of California!!

2010-05-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

I have been helping quite a few people lately plan their trips to visit California. With all the talking that went on, and some blogs that I follow, made me yearn a little for home. So what is the best way of bringing a little bit of your old home to your new far away home?? The internet of course.

I spoke with people about San Francisco and the ocean coast. All the nook and crannies that made my life a sweet bliss. Everything in our family is based on food. We say "Oh if you visit there, you must eat at such and such!". Well I did it, I carried on the tradition. "Fooding" my way through California.

So what was my first thing I droolingly (I'm full aware that "fooding" and "droolingly" are not words, yet they best paint my picture) spoke of???? Well, of course, if your in San Francisco you MUST visit the Boudin bakery (hey, Samantha Brown did a show about it!!). Where, as my stomach starts to growl, you get the BEST sourdough bread in the world. Then they push the envelope further, by making it into a bread bowl with a creamy, potato filled clam chowder!! I'll wait a minute, while you wipe the drool off your keyboard.....

In fact they even have a "what kind of bread would you be?" quiz. And here is what I am ...explains everything!!

Anyway, I went on line and (THANK HEAVEN FOR TECHNOLOGY!!) looked up the Boudin bakery web site. Wheerrrreee, you can buy loaves of their heavenly bread. This sweat, savory, tangy, crusty bread. That is ONLY made in San Francisco since 1849 .....and that is Sour Dough Bread!! Here is what showed up at my front porch. (Props to Timber and Kiki for not tearing open the box ...brave FedEx man!)

Amen brother!!

Here is the rest of the pics of the heavenly items we received!!

The hardest part was trying not to rip open the bags and go at it. I put one immediately in the freezer, before it was harmed in any way. The second I put in the pantry, behind dishes, till Brint came home. That night we had some toasted buttery slices with our dinner. Boy was it worth the wait. I missed that flavor, texture, and twinge in your neck from the sour dough. Aaaahhh!!

Of course the whole time, I was thinking of the person who introduced me to this heavenly bread. Well, and "fooding" your way through a trip. I have a pic of him in my kitchen, as that was his fav place to be, and to entertain!! I think the pic of the Boudin bread and my Uncle Bill says it all (click on the pic to see it close up, I just unpacked the green stemmed wine glasses he has on that table. And last week I washed those white dishes!).

Now, another place I've told my friends to go, it to a small town just out side of Monterey. Can any of my Calif. friends guess it?? Castroville, the artichoke capital of the world!! I told my coworkers about a town where ALL it was, was a town full of farms that grew artichokes. Artichokes that are grown right up to the edge of the ocean cliffs. Artichokes, that are kissed every morning by the misty ocean fog. Artichokes, that are from the size of a small cell phone, to bigger than a baby's head.

So now I have one friend in particular ready to sign up. We looked up the web site to a family farm that I knew of, and apparently Martha Stewart too (she just did a show there). The farm is called Pezzini Farms. The prices are amazing. She decided to order them online (Again~ THANK HEAVEN FOR TECHNOLOGY!). The next thing you know they were shipped straight from the California soil to her house in North Carolina. I totally scored, as she gave me a big ziplock storage bag full of the baby artichokes. These are the kinds where you snip off the tops, to get the thorns off, and toss them in the steamer. Then ....wait for it ...you eat the WHOLE thing!!! Aaaaahhhh!

Here are the little beauties just steaming away!

Sorry that these next pics are blurry, my camera was getting low on battery juice, and refused to take the pics with the flash. Rude! Anyway, I know everyone has their own love of what they dip these little yummies in. Some with butter, some with mayo, and some with dipping sauces. As for me and my home, we use mayo!!

I served these jolly green minis with a pan seared and wine glazed pork chops, fresh chive mashed potatoes, and some Boudin bread. Which I regret that I didn't get a pic of, since the slice was already in my mouth!

The nice thing about these little guys, is that you don't have to worry about the prickly "choke" in the center. You just eat it up! So what is your favorite food and from where. Do go "fooding" through your trips?? Please say Brint and I are not the only ones!?!

Crystal Clear

2010-05-13T16:43:00.001-07:00

Just had to show you these three pretty little pieces. One piece is obviously for cream, the other two, I think, are probably for oil and vinegar?? Don't know, but I think I will use them as little flower vases. There is nothing like sunshine and freshly washed cut crystal.

Speaking of a pretty sunny day. I managed to get this pic of these very colorful birds.

If you click on the pic, you will see the bright yellow and red that these sweet birds bring. Ahhh, I love spring!!

Ode to Robert...

2010-05-10T15:00:00.001-07:00

I just had to get this out, before his next big flick (Iron Man 2) comes out. My coworker and I were talking about movies, and often quote them, and realized that we share the same love for Robert Downey, JR. Ever since he appeared in our life in 1985, he has been our (well my) first heart throb, with those BIG brown eyes. I have always been a sucker for guys who have a natural sense of humor!

Can't have an "ode" with out a favorite list. So here is my fav RDJR movie list

1. Chaplin

2. Iron Man
3. Air America

4. Heart and Souls

5. Soapdish
6. Only You (best eye candy movie...sorry had to say it)
7. The Pick Up Artist

8. Chances Are
9. Home for the Holidays (Diane this one is for you!)

10. Sherlock Holmes

11. Back to School
12. The Soloist
13. U.S. Marshalls

Ok, so I went a little crazy with the pics, but I just can't get enough. Keep it up Robert!!!

What My Momma Gave Me!

2010-05-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a good friend of my parents (Yep, Gayle thats you!!) who has a computer, they now have a way to read and keep up with my blog. My mom has gone crazy over this, since this is a way to see what we are up to, so far away. So I thought, since this is my Mom's new favorite thing, I should do a blog on her just in time for Mother's Day. I thought about things I wanted to say, and pictures I wanted to show. There was a million things to say, and a million pictures to show. So I narrowed it down to this...

Things my Mom gave to me...

She gave me life and love.

She surrounded me with people who love me.
(Great-Grandma Wallace, Grandma Lundberg, Grandpa Lundberg)

(My God-Parents, Uncle Bill and Auntie Linda)

(Aunts and Uncles everywhere, including adopted ones)

(Four generations: me, my mom, grandma, and great-grandma)

Mom gave me a love for animals at a young age.

She taught me how to have fun, and be silly (and my cousin Christina too).

Was a second mom to others.
(Me, Shana, and Melissa going to their 1995 Junior Prom)

And trusted us with things that were valuable to her (like her 1989 Volvo, for a night on the town!).
(We won't tell you how many guys we picked up that night... just kidding mom!)

Helped us through new beginnings.
(This was the first meal, at our new place, for our one year wedding anniversary)

Taught me to never stop learning.

Taught me to appreciate M*A*S*H, and I Love Lucy!

How to be stylish. Before the mom jeans and kitty sweat shirts, there was style ...who knew!

Now I will move on to my Mom's motivating advise and thoughts. I call them Mom-isims!

1. Smile, it increases your face value.

2. Smile while your on the phone, it comes though on the other end.
3. This one she took from the movie Steal Magnolias "The difference between us and the animal kingdom, is our ability to accessorize."

4. (And this one is my fav) You'll find love when you least expect it!

5. Honesty is the best policy.
(By the way this is one of my fav pics)

6. Always have a grocery list to shop with, and a menu for the week.

A couple of my Mom's favorite quotes from me....

1. I want to keesss you on your yips

2.Mom~"Hold on to your balloon Dayna, or it will fly away." Dayna~"That's OK mommy, Jesus will catch it!"

Everything Mom

How did you find the energy, Mom
To do all the things you did,
To be teacher, nurse and counselor
To me, when I was a kid.
How did you do it all, Mom,
Be a chauffeur, cook and friend,
Yet find time to be a playmate,
I just can’t comprehend.
I see now it was love, Mom
That made you come whenever I'd call,
Your inexhaustible love, Mom
And I thank you for it all.

A Mother loves right from the start.
She holds her baby close to her heart.
The bond that grows will never falter.
Her love is so strong it will never alter.
A Mother gives never ending Love.
She never feels that she has given enough.
For you she will always do her best.
Constantly working, there's no time to rest.
A Mother is there when things go wrong.
A hug and a kiss to help us along.
Always there when we need her near.
Gently wipes our eyes when we shed a tear.
So on this day shower your Mother with Love.
Gifts and presents are nice but that is not enough.
Give your Mother a day to have some peace of mind.
Be gentle, be good, be helpful, be kind.
Happy Mothers Day.

One writer summed up our love for our mothers when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.” The influence of your mother will bless you throughout life.

~Mom, I hoped that you have enjoyed this blog dedicated to you today. This is just the tip of the ice berg of how much I love you, listen to you, respect you, and cherish you. Know that I love that your my mom and my friend.

Love,
Dayna, Brint, Misty & Timber

Men at Work!

2010-05-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

So the other day Brint started up the lawn mower for the first time this year. He did a couple of swipes back and forth, and realized something wasn't right. It looked like the lawn had the mange, some parts were high, and some parts were almost down to the ground. Well, the belt had broke. So he got out his tools and went to work. By the time he was done, and a couple of store visits later, it was getting to late to mow. So Saturday he finally started her up. Things were going well, and I went back to folding clothes in our room.

An hour later (it take 1 1/2 hrs to mow our lawn), I noticed that I didn't hear the mower. I thought, "Oh no, something is wrong again." So I look out our upstairs window and saw this...

If you click on the pic you can see that there are some parts that are still tall, and the rest is cut very nicely. Now, Brint and I are soul mates, and have everything in common ....except when it come to cleaning and mowing the lawn. When I mow it's in straight lines up and down, or side to side.

Saturday I discovered he does the opposite, and his little next door buddy does the same. When they started up their engines, a few minutes later I looked out the window and saw kamikaze-Indy-style-go-cart racing. They were going back and forth, big and little circles, figure eights, and free-style formations. I just put my hand to my forehead, shook my head, and laughed. I wish I got that on video!

Some cool items!

2010-05-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

So here are some random pics of items that I have unpacked from last week....

Now we have some tapestries (that reminds me of the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he-he), I love it!! I wish I knew the story behind this. I know that my Uncle Bill and Walter have been to China, but they also lived in San Francisco that has a LOT of Chinese shops, sooo....

This is a pretty cool picture that will hang in Brint's library. The whole frame is an inlay of little tiny stones. The tile in the center is hand painted. This was obviously from one of his trips to the middle-east. I don't know which trip, or place it's from, but he's been to Egypt many times, and has been on boat trips down the Nile. *Click on the second pic to see it close up*

Had to show my little helper. She's a hard worker, inspects ALL the boxes inside and out, and tries to get into every pic I try to take.

Isn't she cute!!

Next I just about fell over, I was so excited. Let me paint a picture for you ...Picture it Sicily 1980... just kidding. That was from Golden Girls, do you know who always used that line in the show?? Getting off track again! One of the memories I have of my grandma cooking, before she had Alzheimer's, in her kitchen in Santa Rosa, was her orange/red Le Creuset French oven (or dutch oven) that I love. It looked something like this...

I remember always seeing that on her stove top, and my grandpa would use it a lot too when he lived with us years later. I wish I had that amazing piece. I have always wanted to by some Le Creuset pieces, but they were pricy and I can't choose a color. Anyway, I opened a box of kitchen items, and I found this...

I know it's silly, but it made me jump up and down with excitement. I even text Brint at work, and he was excited too. Now I have to find ways to use it. Yippeeeeee!!

Next, I LOVE these dragonfly dishes. I love the design, and the deep green. They are new pieces from World Market, but they look old fashion. Love it!!

Then, I found a couple of more larger pieces of my Great-grandma's China. The first piece is a serving platter.

The second piece is a soup terrine. Sooo pretty!

Next is one of Brint's favorite items. It's a collection of four plates that has Independence Hall on them, plus they are pretty blue and white. Brint want's to hang at least one of the dishes in his library. Probably next to his painting of Thomas Jefferson.

I think that's enough for today, as you know there is so much more to come. Thanks for reading, and hope that you enjoyed the pieces too!! Next, something Holy....

My heart goes pitter-pat!

2010-04-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

So last weekend President Obama and his beautiful wife, Michelle, vacationed in my neck of the woods. No that wasn't the part that made my heart go pitter-pat. They went to 12 Bones and had yummy BBQ, hiked on the Blue Ridge Parkway, he golfed, they played tennis, had dinner at The Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village, stayed in the Grove Park Inn, and met with Billy Graham. It was pretty neat having him here. The town was all a buzz. Although I never saw him, there was evidence of him everywhere. No, that did make the heart go pitter-pat either. There were HUGE CNN satellite trucks, reporters hopping in and out of tour busses, fighter jets flying back and forth ALL weekend (ok, that did make my heart go a little pitter-pat), plus a LARGE surveillance jet way up high (smile your on camera), and sirens blaring back and forth in downtown (for his motorcade).

I had told my coworkers that I wish I could have taken Friday off, just to see Air Force One fly in. You know me and planes! I've see Air Force One once in California, when Pres. Bush flew in. I saw the underbelly fly over my house. So being a good girl, I didn't call in ( I was very tempted though), but my friend did have the day off. She was able to go to the airport after he had landed, got pics of the plane, and the best part, pics of the flight crew. Super cool... here are the pics!

This is what made my heart go pitter-pat. Oh, plus these pics from another friend, Tipton, who has a friend that works at the airport. He got these AMAZING pics of Marine One. I would give anything to see that big bird.

Anyway, when I saw the pic of the flight crew ...THAT made my heart go pitter-pat. Besides the obvious that they are some good lookin' all American Air Force guys, but I think they are the luckiest people ever. How amazing would it be to fly THE President of the United States of America all over the world, in one of the safest and kick ...uhh... butt plane ever! When I look at the pic of them I just think of all the possibilities and opportunities they've had. I would, if possible, do that job for free!

The Little China That Could!

2010-04-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ahhh!! Today I am a happy girl. I FINALLY opened the box of china that belonged to my great-grandma, Lucy Pereria Wallace. She is my Portuguese side of my family. She was born and raised in Hawaii, and her family worked in the sugar cain fields. Here is one of many pictures of her that I love. I didn't realize how much I looked like her till I saw this picture of her when she was a young woman. What do you think??

Wish I had her dress!

Any-whoo, back to the blog. Here are her dishes. They are Fukagawa (wow, be careful saying that one quickly) China, from the Arita province of Japan. I read that they actually get the clay from that town. Here are the pics, click on them to get a closer look. I think they explain themselves.

Should we be paying attention?

2010-04-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there has been earthquakes, a bunch of them. A bunch of them in places that normally never have them. Ok, that got my attention and I found it fascinating. Now this volcano eruption in Iceland, wait isn't that a contradiction?? Fire and ice? They do make for some amazing photo's.

Pretty amazing right? Uhhhh ....untill I saw this....

Go ahead, click on the pic above. Look at it closer, I dare ya. That's right it's a lightning storm coming from a volcano cloud. From a volcano that has not erupted in "THOUSANDS OF YEARS". Got that right off the NatGeo web site. Uhhh, should we be paying attention people?? Doesn't this pic look a little biblical to you?? It does to me, snap goes my eyelids right open. How's that song go ..."Suddenly I see"!

I'm not saying we are going down tomorrow, but maybe this is what it means in the Bible when it says "Prepare ye, Prepare ye!".
The Lord said "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear". "Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh". This made me think of the talk given by Dahlin H. Oaks of the twelve apostles. Here is my favorite excerpt from that...

"We can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us. A parable that contains an important and challenging teaching on this subject is the parable of the ten virgins. Of this parable, the Lord said, “And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins” (D&C 45:56).

Given in the 25th chapter of Matthew, this parable contrasts the circumstances of the five foolish and the five wise virgins. All ten were invited to the wedding feast, but only half of them were prepared with oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came. The five who were prepared went into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. The five who had delayed their preparations came late. The door had been closed, and the Lord denied them entrance, saying, “I know you not” (Matt. 25:12). “Watch therefore,” the Savior concluded, “for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 25:13).

The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. The ten virgins obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom came. But only half were ready when he came.

Modern revelation contains this teaching, spoken by the Lord to the early leaders of the Church:

“And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.

“For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes. …

“And … the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

“And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.

“And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come. Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (D&C 88:88–92)."~~~

I will still stop to smell the roses, and enjoy my beautiful spring day. This won't put me under a rock thinking the world is going to end, and we shall all parish. Instead I am happy and joyful that I know that my oil lamp is full, and I am prepared!

The good, the beautiful, the what??

2010-04-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

Little late on posting for this week. I unloaded four boxes on Tuesday, I know I said one or two a day, but I just couldn't help my self. So here are the treasures from earlier this week!

The first BIG box. What could it be??

Ahhh ...statuary!

This statue is from Italy!

Next is this heavy bubble wrapped item. What could it be??

This is St.Francis, Patron Saint of animals. Here is a little exerpt from Wikipedia on St.Francis ~ "It is said that, one day, while Francis was traveling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds". The birds surrounded him, drawn by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. Francis spoke to them:
My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you... you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore... always seek to praise God."My family always had one or six somewhere in their yard and garden. I am SO glad that I finally have my own!

Funny little story ...the blue dot on St.Francis. When my uncle had passed away, two years ago, I flew back home to California for his funeral. While there I wanted to help my parents with his house. Fold clothes, pack up the kitchen, etc. While there my mom said "take these blue dots and place them on the items you would like to have". So as I am unpacking, I am starting to find some items with blue dots still on them. Again, kind of bitter sweet, but I am going to keep them to see how many I will collect by the time I'm done.

This is a lazy susan dish from Japan. I just love the color, and the size. The one I already have is pretty small, this will be great for parties.

I don't know the proper term for this item, but my uncle would have it on his dinning room table FULL of flowers. You can see the black "pot" where you can put in a florist sponge, and arrange a hardy flower arrangement. The brass body is very heavy, yet has delicate flowers on the side.

Next is this HUGE old hand painted tray. You can see the "large" fork below it to put it to scale. It really needs a good cleaning, but I think it would be lovely as a wall hanging.

This next box I call "the box of oddities". It had some mis-matched items that were from his kitchen. Some of the items were newer. Uncle Bill and I love shopping at the same places, particularly Pottery Barn, Bombay Co., and World Market (our favorite). The bowl and plate set were from World Market, the rest of the items were probably from the 60s-70s. All of these items will still be used none the less!

Now, I have saved the last two boxes (that I unpacked that day) for last. The first one is the box-o-lamps, now they are a little dusty, I just got too excited and snapped some pics. So please mind the dust!

This first one just needs a lamp shade. It will be perfect for Brint's library. I love the lamp toper (sitting in front of the lamp), very Roman-esc!

I love this next one. It's flower is shaped like a Lilly of the Valley, just with deep colors.

This is my second favorite. I love the lilly pad base, I love the deep carmel tube flowers, how warm it looks on, and how great it looks on my new chippendale desk.

Now onto the last box. The box-o-books. There was something for everyone.

We loved every book, but we did have our favorites. Brint's was the Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson books.

I loved the World cookbook from the 50s. It had amazing (mostly do-able) recipes from places like Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, France, UK, etc. My plan is to make some of the items from Austria, like strudel, turnovers, and items from France, like croissants. Since my Uncle Bill and Walter made them in their swiss bakery, I thought it would be fun to make them and serve them on the Blue Danube plates, I now have, that they use to serve to us.

Well that's it for last week, I will be working on a couple more boxes tomorrow. So stay tuned!!

Blue Danube

2010-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

So I decided to open 1-2 boxes a day when I am not working so I won't be over loaded with what needs to be done. That's four days of box peeking fun! I started on Monday. I laid down a blanket on the floor as to have a nice back drop for my pics. Also, I decided it would be a good idea to get an inventory of what I had, for those (knock on wood) "just in case" moment. The first box I opened was the Blue Danube China.

I remember these dishes in my Uncle's house. Every time we went to his house in San Francisco, wether it was a holiday or not, we would arrive in the morning. In his sun room he would have the table set with these dishes, and on those dishes would be the pastries that him and Uncle Walter made in their Swiss Bakery on California Street. There would be danishes of every kind, croissants, or muffins. They would have coffee and I would have milk in my favorite glass, which you will see in a later blog.

Here are the pics you have been waiting to see. They are quite pretty.

Thankfully only one piece broke. Not bad out of two boxes. What do you think?

It has arrived!

2010-04-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

My sweet, and dear, Uncle Bill passed away 2years ago in February. I have mentioned him in many a blogs. He lived in San Francisco all of my life. He's traveled the world more times than people go to the grocery store, bringing back MANY treasures from his trips. His design, decor, and ability to host a party would knock Martha Stewart's socks off!! He would say "It's all about the presentation!". His cooking would melt the mouth of Julia Child's, all the while being inspired by the foods he has eaten around the world.

He has given me the love of classical music, art, books, and gardens. He is my uncle (my grandmother's brother), my Godfather, and one of the most important people in my life. My mom and I are his only surviving heirs. When he passed, I flew out to California for his funeral, and to help my parents with his home and items. While there mom handed me a handful of blue sticker sheets, and said place a blue sticker on the item you would like to have. It was bitter sweet, because these were his cherished possessions, yet I couldn't wait to have them in my home. Each item he had I grew up with, listening to his travel stories while sitting on a certain chair, statuary and paintings he brought back from his travels that I would day dream about, and so on, and so on.

Anyway, bless mom and dad's heart, they (over the past two years) have lovingly packed all the items up and paid for a moving company to ship it out here to us. So the following pics are of the movers, and the progress of my house quickly filling up. A lot of the furniture has beautiful form, they just need to be either cleaned, reupholstered, and/or painted ....more blogs to come on that. The boxes are FULL of china, glasses, paintings, sculptures, books, european treasures, etc. There are a few items my parents surprised me with, that are not to my liking, that will go to those in need (like the couch, barstools, bookshelves.)This is a stressful blessing. It has only just begun.

Before cleared out library...

Before cleared out dining room...

As you can see a lot of my walls are bare, not painted, and not much furniture. I have been waiting to see what would go where, what colors to pick, what kind of flooring to lay down, and where to hang what. It's been a blank canvas for a while!

Then the movers arrived. Kevin, the driver, had a beautiful rig it was HUGE. For just driving cross country, it was so clean and shiny you could eat off it. Kevin was SOOOOOOO nice, as was his helper. They were so organized, and were able to off load in two hours. Not one thing was broken or damaged. All my neighbors came out, and cars drove by slowly to see what was going on. I am sure we were the talk of Candler! I love nosey southerners.

The truck was so big, I had to take it in two separate pics. Thankfully, half of the truck was empty. If the whole thing was full, I think I would loose my mind!

So here are the pics of my house quickly filling up!! Oh yeah, we got so many chairs we piled them up in the family room.

Getting fuller...

Here are some close up pics of the big items we received....

Whew ...then there are the boxes! I am going to go through them, take pics, inventory them, and blog so you can see what we got. As always, I look forward to your feedback, and ideas of what I can do with all these items we now have!

Cheerio ...Here We Go!!

2010-03-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

I just HAD to post what just happened. Brint and I had first decided to go home to California next year, seeing how I was getting home sick for the beach and friends. Instead, Brint came up with a brilliant idea. "Let's do something different, let's see something different. Let's go where we have always talked about, dreamed about". Where is that you ask, well no where better but the UK. We've been talking about it ever since we were dating.

So we have already been feverishly on the internet looking up flights, rail tickets, places of interest. We plan to go to Edinburgh ~ Scotland, London, Cornwall (Brint has family there), and Bath. Bath the place of my dreams. Bath, the place where Roman soliders once tread. Bath, the place where Jane Austen frequented. Bath, the place where beauty was in high court. Bath, the location of the Royal Crescent.

Well, I was looking at Bath online, and found a couple of places to stay. Now one of the major places to stay is a dream hotel. A place suitable for the Regency period, or even victorian period. This is a little excerpt from a hotel review ~"The Royal Crescent Hotel is an architectural masterpiece turned luxury hotel. Here’s the skinny on the setting from Wikipedia: “The Royal Crescent is a residential road of 30 houses, laid out in a crescent, in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a grade I listed building.” Occupying two central buildings in the crescent, the elegant hotel lets guests experience a style of gracious living from a bygone age. Outside in the “secret gardens,” guests can indulge in a sumptuous Afternoon Tea. Dinner at the hotel’s Dower House restaurant is just as good. There are 45 guest rooms, each with their own character, appointed with authentic period carpets, furnishings, and fabrics.". If you desire to see more I urge you to go to their web site and feast upon the images and descriptions. http://www.royalcrescent.co.uk/

Anyway, for fun I requested a brochure, and completely forgot that I had. Until the other day. I went out to my mail box, pulled out the mail, and saw that there was a large manila envelope. I didn't look at it till I was half way down the driveway. I stopped dead in my tracks, and saw the postage mark where this envelope was from. BATH. It said BATH. As tears welled up in my eyes, I was realizing that I received a letter from bath. A letter, where a million letters had been sent back and forth for Jane Austen. Where a million letters of high society had been sent. And now I had first piece of correspondence from the place of my dreams.

I also had tears in my eyes, because this made the trip of our dreams even more real. I just can't wait. I was/am so excited about this piece of mail, I just had to take a picture and post about it. Please see them below!
Can you see the words Bath in the circle and the crown in the postage square ...just gives me chills!

Have you ever been to the UK? Do you have any pointers, or tips for the trip? We aren't going till April 2011, so we have some time to research it all out!

Melancholy and the infinite sadness!

2010-03-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today has been a melancholy day for me. Not for one specific reason. I knew I needed to find a way to shake it, then I remembered two things. One is the song you are hearing now, by Enya, called Pilgrim. I heard it and read the words at a work retreat where we learned to de-stress, and find our inner peace. Below are the words, for each person it has it's own meaning. I had to fight the tears the first time I heard it and read it. Take a moment for yourself, read it, and ponder what it means to you.

Pilgrim, how you journey
On the road you chose
To find out why the winds die
And where the stories go.

All days come from one day
That much you must know,
You cannot change what's over
But only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
One way leads to gold,
Another leads you only
To everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder
Which of these is true;
The road that leads to nowhere,
The road that leads to you.

Will you find the answer
In all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,
Each one wants to know
The reason why the winds die
And where the stories go.

Pilgrim, in your journey
You may travel far,
For pilgrim it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are..

Below is the link to my favorite talk give by one of the members of the church's presidency. My favorite... Dieter F. Uchtdorf. When ever I need a boost, I read this. Again, take a moment for yourself, read it, and ponder what it means to you. Hope this brightens your day as well!

LDS.org - Ensign Article - Happiness, Your Heritage

Much love~

My Irish Eyes are Smiling!

2010-03-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

I love St. Patrick's Day. It has always been special holiday in my home growing up. My dad being Irish, we always celebrated by wearing green, we had a full Irish dinner (corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, bread... yumm!), and 7-up with green food die dropped in it. My grandpa would cook the corned beef all day, and oh it would be just mouth watering. Dad would put some Irish music on the radio, and we would feast in style. I put some images in this post to show you the things that I love about St.Patrick's Day, Ireland, and it's people.

Corned Beef feast!

Four leaf clover

Chicago keeping it green ...Irish style!

Irish Places...

Irish Faces (I'm partial to freckles myself)...

Famous singers...

Celtic dancers..

What makes them unique...

Did I say POTATOES???

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!
Éirinn go Brách!!

Inspired by Greatness!

2010-03-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

I have always been one to watch the Olympics. Does not matter, winter or summer, I'm watching. This was the year for great Olympics! There is an athlete with an amazing story, has the ability to rock his competition, shows cool style and makes it look easy, is a power house both physically and mentally, and has a cute smile. Who's that athlete?? None other than ...

Apolo Anton Ohno!!!

Here is a quick summary of what he has done. This all started when he was 12 years old.
"Ohno went to become the overall champion at the 1999 Junior World Championships and at the 2000-2001 World Cup. Making the 2002 Olympic team, he scored silver and gold at the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the 1,000-meter event, Ohno was injured when several skaters crashed, but he was able to complete the race to win a silver medal. A disqualification led to his first gold medal, when a South Korean skater was found to have illegally blocked Ohno from passing him."

"Continuing his career as a superior skater, Ohno earned the title of overall champion at the 2002-2003 and 2004-2005 World Cup events. He also won gold for the 1,000-meter and 3,000-meter events at the 2005 World Championships. Returning to Olympic competition in 2006, Ohno won gold in the 500-meter event. He scored two bronze medals for the 1,000-meter and 5,000-meter relay competitions."

"Ohno also continued to train during this time, and in December 24, 2007, he won his ninth national title in the 1000-meter and the 1500-meter short-track races. The next year, he placed first in the 500-meter race during the 2008 World Championships in South Korea, and he won his tenth national title in 2009."

"In anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Ohno took on a strict training regimen. With diet and exercise, he lost more than 20 pounds and nearly doubled the amount of weight he could lift. In peak physical condition, Ohno was able to defend his national title during the U.S. Olympic trials in September 2009—and won the meet overall. During the 2010 Games, Ohno earned a silver in the 1500-meter, then snagged the overall silver in the 1000-meter. With these victories, Ohno broke the record for most medals won by a U.S. Winter Olympian."

Wow, enough said. I love to watch his style of speed skating. At the start of the race he just sits back like walking through the park, with hands on his back. Then next thing you know BAM he steals third place, second place, then in the last seconds ...first place! I found a video that showed a fraction of his training. So humbling what a human can do. Every time I watch this video, I just want to get up and hit the gym. Check out the muscle definition Apollo has in his legs when they do the deep lunges, especially compared to his training partner. Amazing!

Can't wait till 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia!!

Snow play!

2010-03-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

This winter it has snowed every friday I have worked, or at least on a day I had to work. So today was a good snow storm, I was off and got to enjoy every minute of it. I was cleaning the house, but found myself looking out the window ...a lot. Even though I was home alone (Brint was at work), I felt like I had to get out there and play in the snow with our husky. So I did!

Here are some pics from my day. It was just me, Timber, the birds, and the snow. Oh yeah, and two snowmen Timber and I made. You can click on the pics to make them bigger.

Our brave bees trying keep warm.

Don't laugh, it's my first real snow man.

Winter's version of "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree".

Our husky is enjoying the snow. I got some great video of him and I playing in the snow, but that will be another post. Timber and I had a lot of fun. He likes snow balls thrown at him, gets frisky, and he eats them too!

Here is Timber's snow man.

This picture cracks me up, it's as if the little snow man is saying "My snow people, let's unite". In the background you can see the bigger snowman in the front yard.

This last pic does not do the color any justice. The contrast of the bright white, and the deep red of the cardinal is amazing. We have two cardinal families (Mr. & Mrs.) and I love to see them in the snow. Just beautiful!

When it snows I really make sure the bird feeder is full, as it is hard for them to find food in the snow. The best part of it is the amount of birds, and the type, we get. If they didn't run every time I go to the window, I would get some great pics. Well, this was a great day. I ended it with shoveling the driveway. It was pretty easy, seeing how it was light and slushy. I even spread some sand. I guess the California girl in me is slowly starting to fade. As beautiful as today was, I really hope it's the last! Stay warm ya'll!

Ode to the Space Heater!

2010-02-16T15:19:00.001-08:00

Nuff said!!

Valentine's Day Gift

2010-02-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Guess what Brint lovingly gave me for Valentine's Day ...the stomach flu! Yippee!! I guess all true loves share everything. All kidding aside, Brint and I were pretty sick. Brint was sick on Friday, I was sick on Sunday. There was one true comfort, one nurse who never left our side no matter what the time, one who is so warm and loving. That one person was Misty Kitty. It is true that all animals know when their humans are not well. So here is the "nurse" in action doing what she does best.

P.S. Those are my legs she is sleeping on ...the little dear!

But as you can see from the pic below, it's all worth it!!

Things of beauty ...with Jane

2010-02-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Here is another person of beauty. Her time is of beauty, her words are of beauty, and her inspirations are of beauty. Here are my inspirations that keep me dreaming, thanks to Jane Austen.

The great Miss Austen herself

What she has inspired....

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
~Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

I have every consideration for your nerves, my dear, as they've been my constant companion for the last twenty years.
~Mr.Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.
~Mr.Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

Ahhhh ...what sweet bliss

Sweets for the sweet!

2010-02-15T07:51:00.000-08:00

One of my friends at work is having a baby. We had a baby shower for her last Monday. It was so much fun, and super simple. We had dinner at the Corner Kitchen, had a wonderful meal, lot's of chit-chatting, and an all around fun girls night out. I thought that was such a fun idea rather than do a typical baby shower where we have all played the same games, and had the same finger foods.

Of course one thing we did do was shower her with cute baby gifts. I decided to something different this time. I got washcloths, onesies, and hats all in boy colors and designs, since she is having a boy. Instead of just wrapping it up and calling a day, I wanted to do something creative, so I made them into lollipops, cupcakes, and campfire sticks. I know I can see the question marks in your head. Just see the pics and how to below!!

Here are the supplies I used ...washcloths, onesises, hats, popsicle sticks, tule, twine, scotch tape, and scrapbook paper.

I folded, taped the two washcloths end to end, rolled it up nice and tight and taped that too.

Then I taped the swirls to the ends of popsicle sticks. I have seen it done with baby spoons, which is so cute. I forgot to pick some up, as I was so focus on getting the supplies at Michaels. Oh, well, next time I will use spoons. Can you see the lollipops now?

Now it's time to wrap it in tule. I tied it with a piece of twine. If it was for a girl I would have use some cute pink ribbon. Use what ever will with your theme and colors.

Next, I made the campfire sticks. I took cute boy onesies, rolled them up, and taped them so they didn't come undone. Then I stacked them up like a bunch of campfire sticks, and wraped it up with strip of tule, and tied it with twine.

On to the cupcake. I took three new born hats, taped them tip to tip, and rolled them up. To make it look more like a cupcake, I pulled up the insides, like a swirl of icing. Then I tied tule to the bottom, and cut the top with a jagged edge like a cupcake liner. I used a ribbon that said "blessings", and tied that with a piece of twine. Check it out!

Lastly, I made some cute labels for each item out of scrapbook paper, and a eyelets so they could be tied on.

Here is the is my project completed. I placed these items in a basket (I forgot to take a pic ..i know, i know). I stood the lollipops up in the back, placed the campfire sticks in the middle, and the cupcake in the front.

Well, what do you think? Let me know!!

More Beauty ...with Marie

2010-02-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Marie Antoinette ~Many of these pics are from the movie, but they filmed in Versailles and other real places that Marie had been. Click on the pics if you'd like to see them in more detail. I would!

Country home.

Here are a couple of pics from inside her actual bedroom, the open door goes to her boudoir. Ahhhh...

The last picture is of my favorite dress, my favorite house Marie had, and the country lifestyle she loved there. Oh to have lived in a time like this. I can not even imagine the opulence, the colors, the style, and the beauty they had then.

Rather be...

2010-02-05T18:15:00.001-08:00

I know a lot of people around here is real tired of all this snow and cold weather. The first go around we had 18 inches of scary snow, followed by a month of deep freeze. Then we got hit with 8 more inches a week ago, now this morning Brint and I drove to work in a 7-11 slushy. Only to expect more snow tomorrow, next week, and probably the week after that. Ground hog day was just two days ago, and Punxsutawney Phil said we would have 6 more weeks of winter, whereas Asheville Nibbles said spring was soon.

I am hoping for Nibbles guess-tamite. In the mean time, I am hoping for a warmer, dryer, sunnier place. Here are some places that I am dreaming about. Some of these are places I been, and lived, and some I would just love to go.

Where I have been and lived...

Point Arena light house, first lighthouse I had ever seen and been in.The movie Forever Young (with Mel Gibson) was filmed there.

Point Reyes National Seashore. This is where SIr Frances Drake "landed" back in the 1600's.

Point Cabrillo lighthouse.

Russian Fort Ross.

My favorite bridge that has my heart, the Golden Gate Bridge. The pic below is of the west side of Golden Gate Park, many happy memories there. I love San Francisco!

Sonoma, Napa, Santa Rosa, and Petaluma is where my mom and her family are from. When you drive through the roads, you can smell the eucalyptus trees that line many of the roads. Mmmm, miss that!

The sign of our hometown. Roseville, California

Roseville is the largest rail yard west of Chicago. Often times the hum of the engines would put us to sleep, the horns would drift through our window with the summer breeze, and the historic homes we lived in belonged to the first rail workers and their families.
Bright lights on Main Street, two blocks from our home.

Where I would love to go.

Versailles

The Royal Crescent where Jane Austen and her characters once walked.

A little place called Venice, Italy

Florida Keys. Ever since the movie Fool's Gold, I have wanted to go. Who wouldn't?

Buckingham Palace, England. Queen Victoria was the first royal to live there.

Well, I think I feel a little better, and a little warmer now. As little orphan Annie said ..."The sun will come out tomorrow"!

Things of beauty ...to me

2010-01-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

These are the objects of beauty ...to me

Queen of the screen ...The Dame Judi Dench

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen of the skies ...Amelia Earhart

Dresses

Did I say dresses??

Home Decor. The beauty of home decor came from big influences from my Uncle Bill. He lived in San Francisco for all of MY life. He traveled the world more time then people go to the grocery store. With those trips he brought the world home with him. Hence, grew my love for the finer things in life.

But wait... there is more to come!

Have you heard?

2010-01-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

I ment to post this blog a couple of months ago, but there is a new show that I just adore. Have you heard of it? It's called...

The show is about a Glee club in a high school that has lost it's luster, a long time ago (1993 to be exact). A spanish teacher, who once in the award winning Glee club, decides to resurrect this long gone club. They hold try outs, and with most try outs come the interesting characters. There is some recruiting of the football team and the cheerleading team, called the Cheerios. However, there is some dark plot to crush the Glee club, by the Cheerios coach named Sue. You see, the Glee club is taking up some of their budget, for important Cheerios activities like ...tanning beds, first class flights to competitions, and Sue's rockin' uniforms.

All that being said, in between all of this high school drama is the most amazing music and dancing. The music you are listening to now is from Glee (well the first two songs). Of course, there are no new episodes till Spring (boo, hoo), however, you can watch past episodes on . If you are already a fan tell me what you think. Who's your favorite? What's your favorite episode? Mine is episode number 4. Where Kurt joins the football team, because his dad catches him dancing to the song "Single Ladies" in his room. He joins the football team to please his dad, but teaches the WHOLE football team the same dance to bring them together as a team and to get them to focus. Check it out on Hulu.com, or see the two vids below. The first is Kurt dancing in his room, the second ...well you can guess.

Here is the second AWESOME video!!

2010 Passions

2010-01-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

I have noticed over the years there is always certain subjects that I focus on all year. They always stem from my passions.

The passion that is always in first place is "Everything Austen". If you were to put a phrase to who I am that would be it ..."Everything Austen". It defines who I am, who I want to be, and where I want to be. The clothes, the people, the society, the country, the homes, the language, the romance, the lifestyle, and on, and on, and on. Enjoy this great montage of Jane Austen couples from the recent adaptations of Mansfield Park 2007, Persuasion 2007, Northanger Abbey 2007 and Sense and Sensibility 2008 included in "The Complete Jane Austen" on Masterpiece Classic in 2008.

My newest passion, thanks to Laurin and Robyn, is ZUMBA. I have a 13year background in dance. I did tap, jazz, ballet, and point. I loved, and still love, dancing. This was a passion that I stored away deep inside me years ago. Until, I was introduced to this workout class that our local gym called The Rush. The first time I went I didn't know what to think of it, but when I went back again and again it had a different meaning. It brought memories back to my dance classes. The three things you focused on ...what your instructor is saying and the direction she is giving you, focus on your body (from your posture, the expression on your face, the tip of your fingers to the tips of your toes, and everything else in between), and focus on the music and it's rhythm. Love the moves, love the fun, love that it makes me sweat (and loose a pound or two), and love that it makes me move like I did back in the day. Sheila, the instructor, is just a ton of fun and gets you to just let go. The Zumba video that I am posting is my most favorite. Robyn, Laurin, and I go crazy over it too. It's one of those songs and routines that you just can't sit still when you listen/watch. Sheila put's the routine in the middle of the class to get us all energized again. Just watch and listen, and TRY not to move!!

There is a new magazine that has inspired me to no ends. It is called "Where Women Create". I love it because they highlight women who artistically create, where they create, what inspires them, advise, and favorite quotes. It only comes out every three months, but it's like Christmas every time I open a new addition. You should take a peek!

A passion that comes in a quick second is my love of flight, and aircraft. My goal this year, in my spare time - he, he, is to start a women's club for the love of flight. It will not matter how young or old, a new admirer or a seasoned pilot. All women are welcome to come. I do have a name picked out, plans that are sketched out, and a couple of people who are already interested. However, these things will remain under wraps till certain ends are "tightened". Here is the person who has inspired me for many years...

If you choose to know more about her, and I suggest you should ...just to be inspired, there is a great blog posting that sums her up in a nice little package. Here is the link...

www.bluetramontana.blogspot.com/2009/12/amelia-earhart-first-lady-of-air.html

I'm sure that is enough to undertake for now. Do you have the same interest and passions? What are your passions?

And then ...there still was snow!

2010-01-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

So today marks a month today since the blizzard dropped 18inches at our house. Yesterday was a bikini wearing heatwave, it was a whopping 48 degrees, right now it is 52 degrees. There is also quite a bit of snow left too. Here is a look around our house of the "snow islands" that are left.

A Great Visit!

2010-01-13T15:38:00.001-08:00

This year was a great Christmas. Brint's cousin Jennifer, plus her husband and three kids, came down to visit from Canada. They are of the Jewish faith, but wanted to celebrate Christmas with Nana, who is 92 and Christian. Well, we just had a blast while they were here. I went with Jen, and her mom (aunt Dionne), to Target to do some Christmas shopping. They quickly scoured the shelves like the rest of us do every Christmas. Bought everyone stockings, and a ton of little gifts to stuff them with. Brint and I bought the kids each a Christmas book (The Polar Express for Yale, Mary Englebreit-Twas the Night Before Christmas for Fleur, and Fancy Nancy Christmas for Blythe), to help them remember their first Christmas with us. We too, had a ton of fun buying them things for Christmas.

The best part, was teaching them about Santa. About how you have to leave cookies and milk out for him, and carrots and celery for the reindeer. As we told them their eyes got real big. So the next morning when we came over, as soon as we walked in they all jumped up and said "He came, he came!!!". Brint and I just basked in the spirit of Christmas that children bring. THEY made it the best Christmas we've had.

Here are some pics from the other fun activities we did...

Uncle Gil and his traditional turkey carving. Do you like the apron I put on him... he was at my mercy. He, he!

Dayna and Fleur

Brint and Blythe

A little hoe-down at the Fiddling' Pig

Jen and Wayne doing the broom dance.

Doing our own little dance!

For New Years Eve we celebrated Brint's birthday 12/30 and Jen's Birthday 12/31. We ALL (Jen, Wayne, Fleur, Blythe, Yale, Nana, Uncle Gil, Aunt Dionne, Brint and myself) ate at a yummy mexican restaurant. Afterwards, the kids went to bed, the grownups played Apples to Apples, then rang in the new year together. Sadly I was having way to much fun to take a bunch of pics, but here are the couple I did take.

Dayna & Fleur

Ole ..Jen the birthday girl!!

And then ...there was SNOW!

2010-01-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

So every year since we have moved here Brint has wished for a white Christmas, especially since his birthday is Dec 30th. Well I think he got 4 years of wishing in one storm. Many of you locals lived through it and know the story, but for those who aren't ...well, here is the story.

This was to be another "Winter Weather Advisory" that some of us just brushed off. Of course having no idea what was in store for us. Brint and I was at work at the hospital. In my department we have wall to wall windows, so we were able to see it coming. When it started we thought "Oh it's really snowing, but it will die down soon", but it just kept coming down. Here are some pics from one of many windows at work.

As the day wound on, the snow just kept at it. The snow flakes were more like snow clumps. The EMS (ambulance) workers that were bringing some of our patients in were saying they were slipping all over the roads, even in their big rigs. Well there goes my stomach, nervous as can be. I knew we would get home ok, seeing how we JUST bought a 4x4 car three days earlier. I was more worried that I would be stuck at work and have to stay there. They can call a "Code Disaster" and you are required to stay there. In the blizzard of '93, employees were there for three days. Sleeping, and working ...ugh.

With time, the storm only got worse. My fantastic co-workers told me to go home at 5pm, because Brint was off and he was my ride. BLESS THEM. So me, my nervous stomach, and Brint went home. We hopped into our new (to us) Land Rover, and proceeded slowly. It was just chaos on the roads. Mostly people who were not being smart about driving. What normally took us 15 minutes to get home, took us an hour. Brint said our neighbor called him, and they wanted us to meet them at Applebee's for dinner. Uh, hello people ...we are in a middle of a blizzard here!! I was in no condition to eat anything, we barely got into the parking lot since there was so much snow already, but there was a ton of people there. I just thought "this is crazy!". We just sat down, my nerves were settling when I looked out the window when all of a sudden an electrical transformer, the size of a semi-truck, across the street blew up not once, but five times. Out goes the power to Applebee's.

The next thing I know Brint and our neighbors are talking about what other restaurant they can go to. What ...are you kidding me. Take me home! So we are on the way home, can I just say that was the most dangerous car ride I have ever been in. By the time we got to our street, the road was SO covered with snow, Brint couldn't make it into our driveway, and was stuck in a ditch. I got out of the car, and the snow was just below my knees. Before I got out of the car, the most frightening thing happened. The transformer on the pole by the driveway blew. Blue green flashes, and sparks everywhere. We sat in the car and watched the power flicker off in our house. It was like watching the Titanic movie, when the boat is about to go down and the survivors are watching the power flicker out on the boat.

Anyway, Brint and our neighbor Mark were able to get our car out of the ditch, but had to park it a couple of driveways down. I went inside, lit candles, checked on my cat (she was upstairs asleep), and brought in our dog. Again, the crazy people (aka: Brint, Mark, and Amy) still wanted to go out and eat. I pated them on the head, told them they were crazy, and off to Waffle House they went. I laid on the couch, threw on a blanket, timber laid beside me on the floor. And I curled up with my Mission windup flashlight, and my Twilight book. While i was reading by candle/flashlight there were blue green explosions of the transformers all over Candler. I just thought "this will take weeks for the power to come back on".

By the time Brint and our neighbors got home, it was two and a half hours later. They waited for an hour for a table, and then when they got a table there was only one waitress, and two cooks. No one was getting any service, so Mark got behind the counter, in his snow bib-overalls. We have video of it, it's priceless!! Maybe that will be another blog post.

When we went to bed it was 60 degrees in the house, not bad considering it was WAY colder outside, and threw on three extra blankets. Misty, our cat, slept under them all night. When we woke up in the morning we woke up to the most amazing winter wonderland we had ever seen. My butterfly bush, which is normally 6-7 feet tall, was squashed down to just two feet tall. But sprung back to life a week later. We finally got our power back on. It was only out for a day and a half, which compared to others, not bad at all. BIG thanks to Progress Energy, they came out in full force like an army. In our area of Candler we got 18 inches. Now it was time to just enjoy the snow.

Introducing ...our Land Rover!!

Our chicken coop. We had JUST put on a clear roof, so their "yard" was free of snow. Brilliant!

Love these pics of the car, especially the one with Brint and Timber in the car thawing out.

The bird feeder was empty, and there was a ton of birds on the railing as if to say "We are hungry". So I put on my snow boots and filled their feeder. The next thing I knew there were even more birds, some we had never seen before. What a treat!

Here is a pic of my cactus poking out of the snow. This is the little cactus that could!

Troy and Robyn had to spend the night at our house, since they still didn't have power or heat. The next morning Troy helped Brint get the Land Rover out of the snow and off our neighbors driveway. Leave it to a Marine to save the day!!

Brint and I became the master shovelers after this storm. We helped Brint's Aunt and Uncle down the road shovel,sand and de-ice their mountain drive. With some great help from his cousin who flew in from Canada, which she thought she left the snow behind. We used our whirly-bird from our driving lawn mower, attached it to the tow hitch of our Land Rover and covered their drive. If we ever need a back up job, I think Brint and I found one!

Well that's our story. The good, the bad, the scary, and the beautiful.

Captured moments...

2009-11-17T12:26:00.001-08:00

Here are some captured moment's of my mom and dad's visit last month....

A fall day in Cataloochee~

Mom talking with rangers about elks.

Grovewood Galleries & Car Museum~

Jonesboro, Tenn... The oldest city in Tenn~

We had so much fun together. This is just a fraction of the pictures we took, and the places we went. Can't wait for them to come again soon!