8/10/10

Things I Have Been Up To

I've been busy!
I love being busy.
Nope.
I take that back.
I only like being busy as long as I am busy with things I like.
Make sense?
I also love photography.
And that's what I have been busy doing.
Snapping pics.
Editing pics.

Here's a peek of what I've been up to:
 
Some handsome groomsmen.



This little cutie.



A senior sir.



More wedding sweetness.



Some rock and roll action.



Cutie number 2.



Wedded Bliss.


What have you captured lately?

8/8/10

Cell Phone Sunday: (Mostly) Garden Edition

It has been a busy week!
But of course I still had time to take pictures.
Hooray!

Here's the proof:


...proof that the Sunflowers are getting HUGE!



...proof that the rockstar and I might have green thumbs. A very light shade of green, but green nevertheless.



...proof that Piglet rocks.



...proof that my neighbor only mows his FRONT yard. The back? Not so much.



...proof that the rockstar is in love.



...proof that the cherry tomatoes are looking stellar.



...proof of absolute cuteness.



...proof that the rockstar decided to plant corn in random places.

...more proof. One lonely corn stalk.



...proof that they are buddies, pals, best friends. So sweet.

8/1/10

Cell Phone Sunday!

I like the iPhone, yes I do!
I take a million pictures - how 'bout you?

Sometimes the worst quality photos are the most memorable.
Try not to throw the not so good ones away.

Here's the proof that sometimes bad = good:

...proof that the rockstar uses a WAY bigger spoon when eating cereal. Us normal folk use the smaller one on the right.



...proof that the kiddo has some pretty cool friends that hand made this little toy.

...same toy - other side. How cute and creative, right?



...proof that I love where I live.  Hooray for farmers markets a block away from my house!

...I mean, seriously!



...proof that things in our garden are growing! Peppers!



...proof that we have peculiar friends (who also wear groovy shirts).



...proof that my girl has beautiful curls...and I will never cut them. Ever. :)



...proof that the rockstar is not as tough as he thinks he is (all is well, but I DO NOT plan on making trips to the ER on a regular basis).


Hope you all are having a great weekend!!

7/29/10

A List of Sorts.

One thing they say not to do in the blogging world is make LISTS.
But I like lists.
They make me feel somewhat organized.
And happy.

This also makes me happy:
An oldie, but a goodie.

So, without further ado, here is a list of random things..... (I'm such a blogging rebel):

What is your favorite kind of food? Mashed potatoes and gravy. Please and thank you.

White bread or wheat bread? White (wheat is good too). So I guess my answer is both. Geez, I'm bad at this.

What is one song or that you’ve listened to over and over again in a very rough period of your life? The Kry - Take My Hand, Watermark - Glory Baby, It Is Well With My Soul.

What is one major quality you look for in a significant other? Honesty and a sense of humor. I found both.

Would you ever be on a reality show? If yes, what kind? The Amazing Race. Or a game show (I used to love The Price is Right when I was a kid).

What age of your life would you want to revisit, given the chance? 13-15. The summers of family camping at Cran Hill Ranch, running around playing capture the flag, no bills and no debt. 

What’s a phrase or saying you say a lot? Woot woot!

What do you love about where you live? The weather, the people, the small town feel, the view.

How do you cheer yourself up when you’re feeling blue? I used to play the piano and write music, but I don't have a piano at the moment. These days - take pictures, read, hang out with my kiddo (she makes me smile the SECOND she does ANYTHING. It's crazy).

What was your first job? Besides babysitting...I'm pretty sure I worked at this country club by the pool. Serving rich people food.

What’s the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to you? When I found out my first daughter wasn't going to make it, doctors suggested I terminate the pregnancy early - just get it over with. A gal named Lydia asked me if I had picked out a name yet and I said, "Well, if she was going to be normal, we would have named her Lyla." She looked at me and said, "Then I'll be praying for Lyla EVERY day." It doesn't sound like much, but it reminded me that even though my baby wasn't perfect, she was still my BABY and she was perfect to me. It was at that exact moment that the thoughts I was having about possibly terminating the pregnancy early were erased from my heart and mind.

What is your first memory? Getting in trouble when I was 4 years old for walking alllllllllll the way to my sisters elementary school and saying hi to people. I don't know what I was thinking.

What is your favorite sound? My daughter cracking up and when it's pouring rain.

What is your favorite board game? Settlers of Catan, Sorry, Stratego, Shoots and Ladders.

If you won the lottery what would you change about your life? Our debt. 

Where did you go for your honeymoon? Door County, Wisconsin. They have goats on the roofs there. Strange.

If you were to start your own restaurant, what would it be called? The rockstar and I actually discussed this. It would be called Mac n Cheese. And there would be a stellar variety of different mac n cheese dishes. It would be a cozy place that served cozy food. Sometimes when we make a really yummah dish, one of us will say, "That one's going on the menu."

Most hated chore on the chore list? Laundry. Only because our closet is the size of a peanut. I wish I had a bigger closet. Amen.

What is your idea of heaven? Beautiful beyond words, no pain or suffering, full of love.



Ahhhhh.. something about that was very refreshing. You should try it sometime.




7/25/10

Cell Phone Sunday. Woot.

You would THINK I would run out of photos.
Or run out of ideas maybe?
But it's not happening.
My family/friends/neighborhood/life is too silly.
Therefore, I give you my: iPhone photo taking maddness!

The proof, of course, is in the photos.

See here:
...proof that my kid reeeeeeeeeally loves Elmo in all forms. THIS is her Elmo dvd.



...proof that we have a funny friend named Nancy that sticks her head in her freezer to clear her sinuses.



...proof that my neighbor rocks. Major.



...proof that this portable dvd player SAVED MY LIFE when my kiddo and I FLEW to AZ.



 ...proof that I like to play Cribbage. I may or may not have been winning.



...proof that people have a lot of time on their hands...and jellybeans.



...proof that my child is very flexible AND hilarious. I gave her a plate of of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and THIS is how she decided to eat it. Look ma - No hands!



...proof that she also likes to help clean whenever possible.



...proof that I do paint my toenails from time to time...and go out on docks...and take random feet pictures.



...proof that my little brother actually fell asleep in this position. Who does that???



...proof that she's my favorite.

7/23/10

Once upon a-Ooo! That guy singing with the tight rockstar pants is cute!

Tomorrow will be 6 years of wedded craziness.
Blissfulness.
Silliness.
Making up musicals in our kitchen-ness.
But I must go back a bit.


When I met the rockstar, he looked something like this:
What a babe, huh?

We met at my house, on a roof-top that my roommates and I shared with several neighbors.
He invited me to his solo show.
...promised their would be singing and guitar strumming.
I didn't go to said show.
I wasn't 21 yet.
Bars didn't like me.
He and his pals left the roof top that night.


We met again at my house, 6 months later (in those days, my roommies and I always had people coming and going, which can also be interpreted as parties. Don't judge me and my younger self).
He called me Heather.
I corrected him.
He and his pals left (NOT because I corrected him).


We met AGAIN, 3 months later at a bar (hooray for the age of 21).
We danced.
He was/is a funny dancer.
He and his pals left (they left a lot).

This time though, he came back.
He walked up to me and said, "We keep running into each other. Maybe we should hang out sometime. Can.......I have your number?"
I said yes.


By this time, his hair was a little longer and may or may not have had pink in it.

Two days later he called me (yes ladies, he waited the appropriate two days to call the girl).
I didn't answer.
I remember his voicemail being cute (rockstarishly cute...and yes, I just made up a word). He left me his phone number to return his call and repeated his number the sllllloooooooooowest I have EVER heard anyone leave a number in a message. I think this was done so I couldn't use the "not calling" excuse: I couldn't catch your number - OR - You said your number way too fast.
I called him a week later.
No, wait.
I realized it was a week later and thought, "Oh man! I really need to call that guy or he's going to think I'm a jerk."
In any case, I called him a week later.
Oh yes - and the first time I called him on the phone, he just so happened to be in the recording studio, with his new band.
Recording an alllllllbum. Ooooooooo.
So VERY cool.
SUCH a rockstar he was.
(he LOVES that part of the story - which is why I embellished it with the Ooooooo's and spicing up the word album).
We saw each other the very next day.
And the day after.
And probably the day after.

He introduced me to his band.
He's the guy second from the left.
He played their allllllllllbum for me.
I said I liked it.
He called me pretty.
I probably blushed.
He asked if he could kiss me good night.
I said no.

One night, as we sat in his living room, he serenaded me with singing and guitar strumming (MY favorite part of the story).
I was hooked, but I didn't let on.
A couple weeks later, he told me he had written a new song - wanted me to hear it.
Again - the singing and guitar strumming, but this time it was slightly different.
He was nervous.
And the song had my NAME in it (no wait, THIS might be my favorite part of the story).
Yea.
I was TOTALLY hooked...and maybe I let on a little.
He asked if he could kiss me goodnight.
This time I said yes.

I called my mummy and told her all about this cute rockstar boy I had met.
I may or may not have emailed her the first picture in this post.
She thought he was handsome.

She came to visit.
And took this picture:
One of my favorites.
My ma said, "Can I take a picture of the two of you together?"
I remember groaning, "Awww mom!" and whispering to the rockstar, "Why don't we just kiss instead of looking at the camera."
I'm not sure why I told him that.
And he didn't object.
We were smitten.
And our little adventure began.
We dated...
and made out
and laughed
and ate food
and talked
and danced
and dated some more...
and made out again, I'm sure...
and got engaged.

We got engaged in May and married that July.
It was perfect.
We wanted a small and simple wedding.
We didn't want to be in debt.
We just wanted to get married and live happily ever after.
So, my rockstar decided to design the wedding invitations and we made them ourselves:
Hilariously, wonderfully perfect.
Nice touch with the cute little hearts, rockstar. Nice touch.

And the day came:
Simple, yet beautiful.
Man and wife.
US began.

And so far, it has been quite an adventure.
We've lived pay check to pay check.
We've moved across the country.
We've loved and lost.
We've gained and rejoiced.
We've laughed and cried.

And we've done it together.

My life has been
 sillified
more fulfilling
more spontaneous
filled with WAY more laughter
made brighter...

My life has been changed...
...since he's been in it.

6 years - going on 60.
Oh, happy day.
I think I'm in love.

7/22/10

The DAD Who Came To Visit

My dad.
THE Dad.
Dad.
The Dad-meister.
The RAD-meister.
The Dad-ernator.
Pops.
Sometimes known as Daddy.

He came to visit.
He lives far, far away in a state that looks like a mitten.
The Mitten State.

*On a side note - don't you think Oklahoma kind of resembles a baking dish? Maybe it's just me.

He and my little cutie (doesn't want to go to bed at night these days) patootie hit it off right away.
They sang songs.
Played with toes.
Swung on swings.
I'm not quite sure who liked who more.
I love this picture.
I love my kid.
I love my dad.
I think as I've gotten older, my love and appreciation for my dad has grown.
Don't get me wrong, I've always loved the guy...
I can't really explain it without sounded utterly sappy.
Let's just say -
I'm glad he's around.
I'm glad he is who he is.
I'm glad he's my dad.
I'm glad he's my friend.
I'm glad he loves my kiddo.
And he's so COOL.


 Three of my favorites:
 I wish the dad on the left, with the super cool beard lived closer.
Also, I love the dad on the right, with the super cool hair.
And the cute tiny person in the middle - she's amazing.

But alas, his trip has ended.
Back to the land of the mitten.
And I probably won't see him for a year or so.
Plane tickets are pretty expensive - and who wants to fly 4 hours with a 2 year old?
I LOVE her, but it's not on my top 10 list of favorite things to do.
Miss you already, pops...
a.k.a.
Daddy.