Friday, October 30, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Although I'm not really into the whole dressing up thing, I did make a {small} effort today for our work potluck by channeling my inner Gossip Girl and sporting a bow headband. I wish I would have pulled out all the stops with the rest of my outfit, but my fear of being too cold got the best of me and I played it safe with jeans & a tee.


We don't have any plans for Halloween, so we'll probably just go out to dinner & come home to watch a movie. We will light our pumpkins we carved last weekend (see picture below) and pass out candy to any little trick-or-treaters that knock on our door. Hope everyone has a fun & safe Halloween!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wednesday Wish List

Last week was a mess, so this week I am bringing three Wish List items. They happen to be from the same Etsy shop {TuttiStudio} and I'm just loving the simplicity of all of them!




The first one is an ode to my love of shoes, the second to my darling puppy, Buster, and the third for my love of my KitchenAid mixer. Love them all! At $25 a piece, each would make an impact in your home!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Weekend Recap

  • After last weekend, this weekend was a party!
  • I headed over the pass on Friday to spend a few days with my mom.
  • First on the agenda was some retail therapy.
  • Bend doesn't have a "real" mall, but they shopping is pretty decent (compared to Salem, at least) .
  • Then I headed to Redmond to see Michelle & Levi.
  • We played, ate, and watched Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice.
  • Saturday was the main reason for the trip.
  • My mom is the board president for the Women's Resource Center of Central Oregon (WRCCO) and they held their first Fall Femm Festival as a fundraiser.
  • Basically it was a pampering day for the women of the community.
  • Very fun!
  • Following her fundraiser, my mom had a going away party for a friend to attend (she's so popular!) .
  • This is where I learned to play Bunko for the first time.
  • And my wrist got really good at rolling the dice :)
  • I headed back home on Sunday and, as hoped, it was uneventful.
  • Being greated at the door by an eager husband & puppies who have missed you for the last 2 days = a great feeling!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Tribute

This weekend, I was down for the count (as I mentioned here) . Weekends are pretty important to me because it allows me to catch up on all the housework I have neglected throughout the week. And of course, I could have planned ahead and had it all done on Friday (my day off) , but instead I spent it going to Sam’s dentist appointment, running errands, and mentally preparing myself for my own dental appointment.

After my surgery, I felt so horrible that I sat in our recliner for 2 days straight, only moving to go to the bathroom or go to bed. While sitting there, I kept referring to my mental list of everything that wasn’t going to get done this weekend: laundry, dishes, cleaning the kitchen, etc. But I shouldn’t have even thought about it for a second because my {awesome} husband took my (mental) list and did everything & more without me having to saying a word. As dorky as it sounds, this really meant the world to me! Not only did he have the big task of taking care of me all weekend, but he found the time to tackle our weekend chores - I love him!

Thank you Sam!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wednesday Wish List

As I've mentioned (many times) , my go-to outfit is usually as simple as a tee/top and pants. I'd love to say I wear dresses & skirts on a normal basis, but that'd be a lie (that I wish was true) . [Sidenote: my office doesn't have a strict dress code policy, therefore I'd be severely overdressed if I wore dresses & skirts daily. Sadly.] Therefore, when I can find a bright colored top that will dress up my outfit a little bit, I am beyond excited!The Rained Sketches Scoopneck from Anthropologie is just the kind of top I like to wear. It is made of cotton, has cute ruffles, and could go with a almost anything in my closet. Plus, it's on sale for $10!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Weekend Recap

•This weekend has not been fun.
•Friday was a day off from work for both of us, but most of the day was spent at the dentist.
•First, Sam got another cavity filled.
•He has been to the dentist the last 4 Fridays, poor guy.
•Then it was time for my gum surgery.
•It all went very quickly and I was feeling quite good.
•Until the novacain wore off and I could feel everything!
•The rest of the weekend involved me sitting on the couch with a heating pad on my face, trying not to think about the pain.
•Although the pain has been uncomfortable, my husband has been absolutely wonderful!
•He has waited on me hand and foot, as well as gone to the store for soft foods and stronger medication.
•I will definitely keep him around :) Thank you Sam!
•I am going to try to go to work tomorrow, but no promises I will stay.
•Here's to hoping the pain subsides soon and next weekend is a little better.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

10.8.2004


5 years ago today. A day I once thought was just like any of the before. A day that now holds a "life changing" title. A day I (or my mom) will ever forget.

5 years ago today. I was driving home for the long weekend, mid-semester break. I recall getting up, packing up the car, and hitting the road. I remember a few landmarks along the first hour of my trip home, but once I passed the (one & only) rest stop, my memory stops. That is until I remember opening my eyes to my tiny Volkswagen New Beetle flipping midair and landing right side up against a tree, a mile away from the road. I had fallen asleep at the wheel.

5 years ago today. My initial thoughts were blank. I sat staring at the shattered windshield for what felt like hours (although looking back later, I'm sure it was only seconds) . My first reaction was to get myself out of the car and get help. Two men had seen my car and stopped up on the road. They asked me one question: "Is anyone else still in there?" They also told me that when they first saw my mangled car, they braced themselves for the worse (i.e. death) . They picked up my stuff (which was thrown all around my car from the tumbling) and drove me to the nearest town to call for help (because there is little to no cell service for over half of the Santiam Pass) .

5 years ago today. I remember calling my mom and telling her I was in an accident, but okay. Still in shock, I told her the men who had found me (and whom I had just met) said they could drive me to Bend. She wasn't comfortable with that and decided she would come herself. The police & medics came to access the situation & care to my throbbing finger (the only injury I had) , therefore releasing the men who had, in a way, rescued me. Pictures of the car were taken and statements of what I could remember were given.

5 years ago today. I was still in shock, and pretty calm, up until my mom showed up and I couldn't hold myself together any longer. The medic told her what had happened and shared the pictures they had taken. He told her to keep me awake until they could get to a hospital to have me thoroughly checked out. With a slight headache, a throbbing finger, and uncontrollable tears, my mom and I drove the reamining way to Bend. Once there, we made the stops: filled out paperwork at the DMV, called the insurance company, and went to Urgent Care. Still going off of only a couple hours of sleep, all I wanted to do was close my eyes, but that was the last thing I could do. Hours later, I saw the doctor and they removed a quarter size piece of glass from my right pointer finger (the cause of my throbbing finger) . They also said that I probably didn't have a concusion (the reason I had to stay awake) , but to monitor me closely. Then we went home and I fell asleep for two days.

5 years ago today. I woke up and thought my day would be just like any other. But it wasn't. I almost died. There is no doubt in my mind that God was watching over me that day. And that there were more than enough reasons for me to still be here today, alive & healthy. Words could never express how thankful I am for what has been done in my life since then (growing closer to God & meeting Sam, to name a few) . Since 10.8.2004.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Weekend Recap

  • This Weekend Recap is going back to Thursday because that’s when I wished the weekend would have started.
  • Thursday also happened to be the day of my hair appointment.
  • Love being pampered and having someone else do my hair!
  • I didn’t change the cut so much, but I did go a little darker.
  • Here is my before, during, and after:

  • Friday started out as any normal day.
  • But by lunch I was not feeling so hot and made the executive decision to send myself home sick.
  • I did pull myself off the couch to go to Safeway & Costco with Sam.
  • Then planted myself in our oversized chair for a night of DVR.
  • We caught up on Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, The Office, Community, & FlashForward.
  • I was feeling better by Saturday, so I made the drive up to Portland to visit my best friends.
  • We walked to a near by coffee shop, drank coffee (or hot chocolate, in my case) , caught up on lives, and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

  • We also stopped at the Saturday Market for a bit before catching a movie (The Hangover) at the cheap theatre.
  • It was sad to leave them, but {crossing my fingers} it won’t be too long until the next hang out session!
  • Saturday night brought dinner guests over.
  • We had chicken, baked potatoes, & salad.
  • Then we played Hearts, which I severely lost at.
  • Sunday brought church and then a lazy afternoon of laundry.
  • First busy weekend of the season done! Quite a few to go...

Friday, October 2, 2009

My Siblings

*This is going to be a long one!*

Since age 4, I’ve been blessed with 5 brothers & 1 sister (so far) . And each with their own personalities have come to make up who I proudly refer to as my siblings.

At age 4, my first sibling was given to me. I don’t remember my exact feelings on having a new baby brother, but I like to believe I was at least a little excited. Looking at pictures, I know we played together, but I also know we had our moments of getting on each other’s nerves. My mom likes to tell us that whenever she received a phone call, Daniel & I instantly began fighting. We really did get a long and I think grew closer through my parent’s divorce. We had to grow up a little earlier than planned and embrace the lifestyle of children whose parents live across the country from each other. To this day, I’m still thankful that I had Daniel through all the trips back and forth. It would have been so much harder without him by my side. Daniel has always been the all-star athlete. With soccer, football, basketball, baseball, and track under his belt, sports always were a part of him. Today, his priorities are different: school is #1. I appreciate his determination once he gets his mind on something. At a younger age, it was playing all the sports he could, and now it’s getting into pharmacy school.

10 years old brought a divorce, a marriage, & a new brother. Tommy is a month younger than Daniel and when we met him, I thought the two brothers would hit it off and I’d be left behind while they played together. To my surprise, it’s actually turned out that I have a closer relationship with Tommy than Daniel does, mostly because they are polar opposites. While Daniel was interested in sports, Tommy was interested in music. While Daniel was helpful, Tommy preferred to sleep in & be by himself. Tommy was always open to playing or going somewhere, but just on his own time. I think that’s what I admire about him most: he has always stayed true to himself. My dad & step-mom have always been on his case about getting to school on time & remembering to do things, but through it all, Tommy has finished everything slowly, but surely. He’s currently attending college in New Hampshire and has his own radio show!

When I was 11 years old, I received yet another brother. This time I can recall being very excited because I thought he would be my real-life baby doll and I couldn’t wait to play with him! Unfortunately, with my dad & step-mom moving to New Hampshire when he was not even a year old, neither Daniel nor I got to grow up with Brian. With trips back East happening once, maybe twice a year, it took a couple days for Brian to remember who we were. And that broke my heart. To this day, I believe that he’s not as comfortable around us because we haven’t grown up together, which still makes me sad. As a 13 year old boy, he’s shyly quiet. I wish I had the ability to go back & spend more time with him. He is the one sibling I feel like I don’t know enough about. I will always love him more than words can say!

{Daniel, me, Tommy, & Brian}

22 years old brought another marriage & 3 more siblings. As something different from the previous siblings, these ones were all older. Thus making the current count: 3 younger & 3 older!
Laura is Sam’s older sister, whom I remember being very nervous meeting for the first time. To my reassurance, she was equally as nervous as well because Sam had never brought anyone home before. We hit it off quickly and now I couldn’t be more thankful for my first (&, currently, only) sister! Laura works for the state with children that are in the system. She is always working late hours and still makes time to help her husband’s youth group. I wish we lived in the same town because I know we’d see each other at least a couple times a week. Maybe one day!

Josh is Laura’s husband. They have been married for 6 years and still look as in love with each other as they did when I met them. Josh works for their church as the youth pastor and is currently attending school to become a pastor. The passion that he has for the church & those he meets through it is awesome. I know I can always count on a good conversation with Josh and what a great listener he is! I’m his first sister (in-law) and I like to remind him that I’m his only sister for a laugh or two.

Matt is Sam’s younger (but older than me) brother. I met Matt when I first started hanging out with Sam (pre-dating) and could already see the similarities between the two brothers. It’s been fun getting to know Matt and see where his passion lies. He enjoys playing games and going on adventures. If you looked into Matt’s trunk, you’d find almost every kind of sports ball known to man. You’re also almost assured to have a good time whenever Matt’s around. He loves his family and friends and I look forward to see what God has in store for him.

{Sam, me, Josh, Laura, & Matt}

Reflecting on each of my brothers & sister, I am quickly humbled by who God has placed in my life. I know that if I ever needed anything, each one would drop anything to be there for me, and vice versa. I will proudly declare that I am very lucky for each of these people (& more) in my life.

To my siblings: Thank you for being you & loving me as a sister!
To my parents (mom, dad, step-mom, FIL, MIL) : Thank you for each & every one of the above!