A couple of projects.

A little more lime than I was going for. Pretty sure I'm going to paint it again. I was shooting for that laquered PB green, sort of like my kitchen chairs. Now I think I might bag the green and go blue. Like I don't have enough blue in my house, I know... but I don't have any blue furniture---- oh I don't know.

And yeah, I framed a few from the beach and finally filled these big empty frames.

Warning: Some of the images you are about to see may be unsuitable for boys or anyone else who is uncomfortable with a few incredibly unpleasant terms

...accompanying childbirth... that's for you Mom. (My mom thinks it should be left in the hospital for good--- what, six times left you with some bad memories? (my title was too long to fit in the title field. Pfft.)

Tip to look like Melissa while large with child: bold shoes with classic outfit. How cute is she?

It really should not be this hard to turn the camera around on yourself, but apparently I have a hard time with it.

Functional gal. Diaper/wipe shower, made shopping easy peasy.

So this past Saturday I had the honor of hosting a baby shower at my house. Lizzie threw it, but since she was mid-move (they just moved to a new GORGEOUS house in the heart of town, much farther from us, but still in the desert, so it's going to be ok... I guess...), she had it at my house instead. Fun for me! I got to have a fun party with a bunch of fun girls at my house with really, none of the work.

So leave it to Lizzie to force everyone to loosen up real quick. Instead of famous people (or whatever the game usually uses) we had preg. and baby related terms stuck to our foreheads until we guessed them using yes or no questions to our neighbor. Some of us couldn't stop laughing long enough to answer any questions. Especially for poor Holly.

For that, Holly, I'll share one of your cuter than cute bum. Don't you have like FOUR kids? Wowsers.

It's true what they say, the pictures, the thousand words, etc... but words are still pretty darn cool.

I'm officially blogging from our NEW computer. I love it. I'll have to take a picture of it. It's white with a blue swirly pattern, super cute, the screen's a little bigger than our last, glossy, and the best thing? We don't have to shove a tube of Desitin under the chord to keep it plugged in just right at all times since a) the battery actually charges in this one and b) if it weren't charged, I could at LEAST count on the plug working properly. It was a bad set up with the last one. It couldn't leave it's spot on the kitchen counter so I was constantly bent over or dragging a chair across the kitchen. Lame. o.

So regarding the post below with oh so many pictures and no words... it was SO fun. At least as fun as the pictures make it look, maybe more so, depending on your ability to be emotionally manipulated by pictures. But it was so fun.

The plan was to do Ryan's Grandpa's beach house for the weekend and then a three night getaway in one of Marriott's villa's in Newport. "Why move to a smaller place and waste a day in transit?" our genius Kodi asked, once we'd gotten settled and cozy in our four bedroom beach-house. So we stayed.

We played at the beach, swam in the pool, played tennis (or sort of ...Kodi and I stood next to our husbands, in a slight squat, ready with our quick feet, just in case they dared to include our unpredictable swings here and there... still super fun :)). We watched a movie, had plenty of space for our kiddies and us to sleep, talked politics (so fun to say honestly since they're more interesting than ever and I actually do, on occasion, take part), ate treats, watched the girls dance to Mylie Cyrus and the Jonas brothers (Kail's four. Four-year-olds are really cool these days, Sophia has learned some killer ,wiggly moves from her), stayed up into the ridiculous single digit hours of the night/morning (well only in the 1's... but for parent-folk?...) playing Dominos and Pictionary and eating chips and guacamole. We enjoyed the beauty of the SD temple (got it in her head pretty good that she would get married there some day like Mom and Dad:)--mission accomplished), lots of yummy take out, and Shamu, marshmallow cookies, and Polly Pocket for Sophia's birthday. Fu-un. :)

Oh yeah and we got pedicures, which is why I included the otherwise average photo of our feet in the sand. And yes, (thanks Lacy- for giving me away with your comment) mine are the ones with the freakishly large gap between my first two toes, and a shorter second. Don't ask me how I've managed to remain completely comfortable with this pair I was dealt amongst some relentless teasing from my dear sister (and you Ali, if you're reading). I almost didn't post it, realizing my gap did look particularly spacious that day. But whatever. Let's get to know each other just that much better.

So the trip was the bomb. If you have kids, please vacation with friends with kids, it's so much more fun. Thanks Ryan and Kodi! We'll just pencil in a Del Mar 2009 trip. What do you say? Hypothetically-- just to be prepared... when might that be? I mean if you're going again, and chose to invite us... I mean, just in case. Well, I'll just pencil it in. Did I already say that? I promise to put Sophia in a pull-up for her nap... maybe just a round about date?....

Del Mar with the Smiths... 2008

Let's just skip the thousand words. It's midnight.

See ya!

We're gettin' the hoo-ra OUT of here. OUT of the heat, out of the cricket infested desert life that we lead right now....(I'm being serenaded by choirs of the lovely LARGE creatures as I write) and onto sandier pastures... (the sand that's accompanied by miles of blue ocean, not to be mistaken by the sand in my backyard that is miles AWAY from any kind of water barring that in our pipes.)



I know, it can be deceiving, seeing as we do have a small, waterless beach for a backyard. But I assure you, it feels nothing like Southern California's heavenly coastal climate out here.


We get to spend days in both Del Mar and Newport Beach with these cute cute girls... Mia and Kail, a couple of Sophia's closest friends. We're all very excited. :)


And I just feel like I should mention, because I doubt I'll be blogging while we're there, that my darling (sometimes), sweet (particularly upon waking up), energetic (.... no qualifiers there), smart little girl is turning THREE on Tuesday! I've yet to plan any kind of birthday party. So since her birthday happens while we're gone, it's going to have to be a bit belated... and I just wanted to at least mention it before it's passed. Three?! How do I have an almost-three-year-old?! They really are like whole little people then... it's nuts.

Happy almost-birthday sweet girl!