Goodbye 2009

I am sad to say that 2009 has not been one of the best years of my life. Don't get me wrong, there were some high points (meeting Lady Antebellum, Guy Fieri Roadshow, Michael and Vania's wedding), but there were also some low ones (Nana Shanley's heart attack, Kyle's grandma passing away). I am usually sad to see a year go, but today I am so happy to see 2010 begin. This new year is going to be so good. I just know it.
It will be off to a good start with waking up in beautiful Sedona with my husband. It can't get any better than that.
I hope that the new year brings everyone a new beginning. If you do resolutions, good luck on yours.

P.S. I completely forgot to post about Christmas. I have some photos, so I will post when I get home.

Christmas Memories

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I would share some memories from my past.

Christmas at Aunt Peg’s…
This memory is still very vivid in my mind. Even though it happened about 25 years ago. Molly, Hannah, Dean, Michael, Rebecca, Abby, and myself were at Aunt Peggy’s (with our parents of course) for Christmas. My dad and Mary came down from Seattle to spend the holiday with us. I loved being at my Aunt Peggy’s. She made us a gingerbread house. She must have spent hours of decorating it. All of us kids gathered around the dining room table and it only took us three minutes to destroy it. It was awesome! She was the best. I could go on about several memories from that house, but I will just limit it to this one this time.

D.J.’s first Christmas...
My step-dad, Bruce, thought it would be funny to set up the video camera and not tell anyone. D.J. was only a couple months old, so he was on the couch. My mom and Bruce were setting up the Christmas tree. My mom obviously didn’t know about the camera, so she was cussing at the tree. She couldn’t figure out why Bruce was talking under his breath. That was probably the worst tree to ever set up.
Meanwhile, Abby and I were watching the Disney Sing-a-long Christmas video. The entertainment center had a glass panel that we could see our reflection in. Abby and I were both dancing in front of it at various times. Abby was more hilarious than myself. She had some routine that she busted into.
The funniest part of all of this is that we didn’t find this video until years later. We laughed until our stomachs hurt and tears were streaming down our faces. This wasn’t my finest hour, but it is fun to look back on.

The Santa Letter…
I will end with this memory since it just happened last year. My Aunt Kathy lost her brother, Dick, the summer of last year. Christmas was Dick’s favorite holiday. Dick was mentally disabled and still believed in Santa Claus. My aunt would have one of my cousins write Dick a letter every year from Santa. Dick would save those letters in his wallet. It wasn’t Christmas for Dick or any of us until he read his letter.
Knowing that the first Christmas without Dick would be very hard on my aunt, I decided to write her a letter from Santa. It took me a long time to sit down and do it because I couldn’t find the right words. Finally, they came to me. I wrote the letter in less than 15 minutes. I cried through the whole thing. I wanted this to be a surprise for my aunt, so I mailed the letter to North Pole, AK to be canceled. This way she wouldn’t know where it came from. I only told Abby about the letter. I asked her to keep her ear open to anything that was said. When I arrived for Christmas, she still hadn’t heard anything.
We stopped by Uncle Dennis and Aunt Kathy’s house the night of Christmas to visit with them. I spotted the letter in with the Christmas cards. She got it!!! We opened our presents and visited for a bit when I asked Aunt Kathy, “Did you happen to receive a letter from Santa?” She looked at my blankly. She was thinking, “How did Erin know about the letter?” Then she said, “It was you!” Everyone in the room…Michael, Vania, Rebecca, Jim, Candy, and Uncle Dennis were yelling “It was you!” She gave me a big hug and started crying. There were a lot of tears that night. I was able to get the rest of the story of the letter. She and Michael had been out on a walk with Meg when they checked the mail. Michael said that Aunt Kathy yelled his name and started sobbing. She asked if he had done it. Then she called Uncle Dennis and she couldn’t speak so Michael had to get on the phone. Uncle Dennis said he had to close the door of his office after hearing the letter and cry. Aunt Kathy called everyone she knew (except for me or my sister). Some said they didn’t do it and wished they had thought of it, others just took credit for it. I found out that the letter arrived on Dick’s birthday. I had no idea. I believe someone of a higher power had control of that. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
Later that evening, Uncle Dennis sat with me and told me some of the rest of the story. We cried together and he told me “I am so happy it was you.” I laughed. I said, “You are just happy it was a Shanley.” I will never forget about this letter. I was able to give something special to my Aunt after all of the wonderful things she has given to me over the years.
Part of me regrets telling her it was me because I could have kept up the letters anonymously in the years to come. But I am so glad I was able to tell her it was me and seen the look on her face. It was priceless.

Trip to Los Angeles

Kyle and I made a trip to Los Angeles just before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, it was for his grandmother’s funeral. Grandma Esther was one of the greatest women I have ever known and I feel blessed to have known her in my lifetime. I know my world will never be the same without her. My heart still breaks for Kyle. I know he misses her terribly. I enjoyed my time with Cindy, Eric, and Georgina. It is times like this I wished we still lived in L.A. It was really hard to leave this time. Harder than usual.
We had some alone time while we were there. We went to Pink’s in Hollywood. My first time there. Then we went to the Arclight Cinerama Dome to see New Moon. In my honest opinion, the food was better than the movie. I just wasn’t excited about this movie. I think it had to do with the fact that it was my least favorite book of the series. The quality of the movie was much better than the last one, but still wasn’t an A+ for me.
We were able to get in some time with Abby and Andrew as well. It was brief, but I will take any moment I can get with them.
This trip was full of laughter and tears. We love you Grandma Esther and know you are with us everyday…

Coming soon

I promise I will be blogging more soon. I just can't seem to find enough hours in the day. I have some Christmas memories that I would like to share, so it is the perfect time of year to do that.
I also have our trip to Los Angeles to blog about. Soon, very soon!

Lady Antebellum-KNIX Radio Contest

I won a radio contest last week to meet a country group by the name of Lady Antebellum at KNIX. I am a fan of their music so I was beyond excited. I decided to take my friend, Brandie, with me because she is equally as much of a fan as I am. Here is the link to the ones on the station's website.
http://knixcountry.com/cc-common/gallery/display.html?album_id=202613
We are in #2, #30, and #31. I am in the orange sweater.

We were able to get our picture taken with them. So here is the one from my camera.

I had the idea to take photo mats with us for them to sign. Everyone thought it was a fabulous idea. Even Lady A!!! (Which is why we are holding them up in pic #31 on the website.)

We had the best time there. We went to the concert that night and had a blast. Best concert I have ever been to. No question... I can't wait to see them again!

Big THANK YOU to Ben, Matt, Carolyn, and Joe from KNIX...

Bonus...We saw Taylor Hicks in the hallway while we were waiting for Lady A.

Brandie blogged about this as well...http://blog.brownies.com/blog/fairytale-brownies/0/0/knix-rocks-

Wrist Surgery

I have been neglecting my blog for a good reason this time. I had surgery on my right wrist on the 6th and have been pretty limited as to what I can do. I get the bandage off this Monday. I can't wait. This has been a real experience for me. I have to wrap up my hand to take a shower (not fun). Kyle calls it Hulk hand because I use a green glove. I can't sew, scrap, take pictures, knit, cook, do the dishes, vacuum...you get the idea. I am not all that upset about the last few. ;) I hope to be able to post some photos from my recent sessions here and on my other blog soon. I have a lot to share!

For my Cricut friends...

This link was posted on a message board I belong to. The site has a Cricut Cutting Guide. Tells you all the settings your Cricut needs to be on for everything you can cut. It is a must have for any Cricut owner.

http://www.aboverubiesstudio.com/

Day 3 in Medford

i thought this posted yesterday, but it didn't...

My final day in Medford was just as much fun as my other two. Marisa and I went on a tour of the Harry and David factory. We had a blast. The factory was super busy preparing for the Christmas season. That made the tour even better. We saw a woman put a gift basket together in 40 seconds! That is talent. We watched a batch of Moose Munch be made, English Toffee be enrobed (coated in chocolate), peppermint cheesecake dipped in ganache and drizzled with red and white chocolate, peanut butter cookies prepared for the oven... I should stop there, it is making me hungry just thinking about it. The smell when we got off the bus was decadent. I think it was Moose Munch. Regardless of what it was, I wanted it. We received samples at the end of the tour. Two cookies and a mint truffle. Yummy… I am saving mine for when I get home. Marisa was kind enough to give me hers for Kyle. She is so sweet!
This afternoon Ethan has karate, and then we will head to the airport. I am very sad to go, but can’t wait for my next trip. I want to bring Kyle up here to enjoy cooler weather and great scenery.
(Will post photos soon!)

P.S. I got this post on Facebook last night from Marisa. When I got back from the airport last night Hudson ran to the door yelling "Mommy" and "Erin". Then he stopped dead in tracks and said "Where is Erin?" He was disappointed when i told him that you had to go home.
I didn't get it until this morning. Nothing like making someone cry first thing in the morning... ;)

I can't thank Matt, Marisa, and the boys enough for letting me come stay with them. I promise to do it again soon!

Day 2 in Medford

Today was a busy day. We started off with attempting to do a photo shoot of all of the boys. We got a few good shots (thank goodness). We packed up the boys and headed to Ashland. Marisa warned me that people there tend to be "organic". She wasn't lying. We packed a picnic and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I saw some interesting things while we were there. A garden on top of the cab of a truck. (I wasn't able to take a pic of the entire "house"), a seven year old girl who had no imagination, her extremely passive-agressive mother, and a hippie in a long velvet skirt try to climb on the play structure. I also saw the most beautiful park ever. So green and lush. I loved the water all around, too.
Marisa and I were able to get some girl time. We headed to the Harry and David store and then out to Jacksonville. Both were amazing. I found a few cool things at Harry and David and was able to take a pic in front of the truck. So cool! Jacksonville is a cute little town. Quaint stores and restaurants. I am in love with "old" towns, and this one was no exception.
We are all getting ready to head to bed. Tomorrow I will be heading home, but not without a full day of fun!

Day 1 in Medford

And no pictures. :( I forgot my battery in the charger at Marisa's. I was so scatterbrained when we left. It is tough work getting three boys out the door. I don't know how she does it. I think she is Super Mom. Marisa is such a good friend that she would drive 30 miles to a town just so I could get a sweater on sale in the color I wanted. (Which could not be found in Phoenix.) We took the scenic route to get there. We started off our road trip at a scrapbook store that is going out of business. Everything was 75% off! If you know me, you know I love a deal. I got some good stuff too! We drove through Jacksonville, stopped at the Applegate General Store and Cafe for lunch. This might be my new favorite place because they bring you ranch in a squeeze bottle (like a ketchup bottle). And they make pretty good shakes, too. We then headed to Grants Pass to get my sweater. Headed to the mall (that was an adventure) and then to Jo-Ann's for fabric for the boys' photo shoot tomorrow and then home. After dinner Ethan and I taught Hudson how to play Candyland. That was especially fun because Hudson won! I think it was beginner's luck. Now the boys are asleep and it all is quiet. Looking forward to our adventures tomorrow... I will have photos to post, promise. :)

Impromptu Date Night

Kyle and I thought it would be fun to go to Bookman's and trade-in some books. I love browsing used books stores to see what treasures I can find. We brought in boxes of stuff. They didn't take much of it, but we got a pretty hefty amount in credit. :) And of course, I almost spent all of it in one night. (Sorry Hunny...)

We were starving even before we left for Bookman's. We couldn't decide on anything. We headed to Oregano's and there was a wait. (I will never understand how there is a wait at 8:45 at night.) So we kept driving and saw that Liberty Market was still open. If I could only use one word to describe that place it would be AMAZING! And that is an understatement. We walked in at 8:55 and they didn't have any problem with us ordering. (They close at 9.) Everyone who worked there was extremely friendly and helpful. I got the Sloppy Joe and Kyle got the Meatball Panini (which is not even on the menu). Kyle gave me a hard time about getting the Sloppy Joe, that is until he tasted it. It was the best Sloppy Joe I had ever had. Bye, bye Manwich. I have a feeling that I will start craving them. Not good.


It was nice to spend the evening with Kyle. Starting next week he will have Sundays off, so we can start going out on Saturdays!!! I am sure you will be able to find us at Liberty Market.



A little history on the "real" Liberty Market... It was actually a grocery store that served the Town of Gilbert for many years. I remember it when I lived there. I was sad to hear when it closed. I am so happy that the owner of my two favorite restaurants (Joe's BBQ and Joe's Farm Grill) has restored the building into a great restaurant. For all of my out of town friends, if you come to visit we will go to all three of these amazing restaurants. You will not be disappointed.

Mannywood, AZ

September 7, 2009

“Mannywood is alive in Arizona” –Vin Scully

Kyle, Brandie, and I went to the Dodgers/Diamondbacks game at Chase field. Kyle thought it would be fun to make a Mannywood, AZ sign for the game. So of course, I ran with that idea. We have become huge Manny fans since he has come to the Dodgers. With the help of my Cricut (which never disappoints), I made the sign. Well, it is actually a banner since it is so long. Almost 7 feet!!! I was given tickets from my wonderful company and knew exactly where we would be sitting, so it was perfect.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would get the exposure we did (national television!!!). I just wanted to get on the Jumbotron or something.

Here is the list of where I know we were seen on television:
L.A. feed of the game
Phoenix feed of the game
SportsCenter on ESPN
Baseball Tonight on ESPN
Fox Sports Arizona Final Score
Channel 7 (ABC) in L.A.
Channel 12 (NBC) in Phoenix

The following people saw us:
Kyle’s mom
Kyle’s grandparents
Uncle Bobby and Aunt Dolores
Uncle Tino
Sonserey
Amanda, Mark, Ranae, and Zac from work
Shawn
(If you saw us, let me know and I will add you to the list)

Here is a picture of us on SportsCenter:

Perfectionist...

I found this great blog called Nesting Place. I found it while blog browsing (which I do often). Her motto is "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." This is the perfect quote for me. (No pun intended...) I am such a perfectionist that it can be debilitating at times. I have learned that this trait has been passed down to me and it wasn't until a few years ago, while having a conversation with my Nana, that I learned where it came from. She told me, "Your grandpa wouldn't do anything unless he could do it perfectly." (I have seen this same trait in my dad, too.) That is when the light came on. I have so many unfinished projects because if I can't do it perfectly, I won't do it at all.
I am going to find a place to put this new found revelation. I think this quote may have just saved my life! Hopefully, I will be able to get some of those projects done now!

Andrew learned a new song

Andrew's teacher makes up songs for each child. Here is what Andrew came home with yesterday. He is a sponge, I swear...

Andrew's First Day of Preschool

It is hard to believe, but Andrew started preschool on Monday (August 3rd). How time flies...
Here is a video of him leaving for school.

My apologies...

...to those who do follow my blog. I have been neglecting my blog lately. Honestly, I think it is because there isn't much to write about. It is the basically the same stuff, different day. Abby and Andrew have come to visit since I last posted. Abby also came another weekend by herself and we saw Wicked. It was nice to spend some quality time with my sister. We don't get to do it near as often enough since I moved.
Not much else is going on. Just really HOT here. But that is to be expected. I just wish our utilities bills didn't rise as fast as the temperature. Oh well...what can you do...
I have been getting some photography jobs here and there. Which has been a lot of fun! I love capturing moments of children and families.
I feel bad that there isn't much to write about, but there really isn't. I will try to post photos soon of our trip to California. I guess there is something to blog about. It was a fun trip. I miss California so much. Why can't we just win the lottery?!?!?!?!

May update (finally)

May was so busy that I think I am still recovering. This year was the BIG 3-0 for me and we celebrated in Los Angeles with family. Even my Dad and Nana came down from Seattle for the event. It was the best birthday I have had so far. My Sister and Aunt really know how to throw a party. I don’t like being the center of attention, but it is nice every once in a while.


For Mother’s Day, we had breakfast at Eric’s and headed to the Dodger game. I love Dodger Stadium. One of my favorite places in the world. We had a great time at the game. I miss going to Dodger games. Baseball just isn’t the same here in Arizona.



















I almost forgot that we spent Thursday evening at Shaun and Erica’s. We haven’t seen them in ages and we got to meet Zoe. She is absolutely precious. We also got to see Patrick, Sommer, Scottie, and KK. The visit was made extra special when we found out Patrick and Sommer are expecting!!! I am so happy for them and can’t wait until the Fall when the little bundle of joy will arrive.
It seemed to be go-go-go for the rest of the month. I know there is more stuff that I am missing, but I can’t remember for the life of me.
My month ended with a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the Dale Chihuly Nature of Glass exhibit with Brandie. I almost missed it and I am so glad I didn’t. Those sculptures were breathtaking. I got some amazing shots that I am hoping to hang somewhere in the house. The colors don’t really blend with our color scheme, but I am going to make them work. The DBG also had the butterfly exhibit, which just started. I was in awe of all of the butterflies. They are beautiful. So many different varieties.


























So that is basically it for May. June is flying by me just as fast as May did… Hopefully, I will get better at updating my blog. I don’t know what my deal is.

May update coming!!!

I promise to update this blog soon. May came and went too quickly. Tons of pictures to show off too!

Week full of events

Let's start with last Friday... We celebrated Kyle's birthday with a beer tasting. It was a blast. I know that I still hate beer, but it was fun to try some different ones. Sorry, no pictures. I was coming down with a cold and was in no mood to be snapping photos. That should be verification enough that I was really, really sick.
Saturday was my company picnic and Kyle's actual birthday. Kyle wanted to play in a poker tourney and he came in 16th out of 100! Nice job hunny...
Monday, I came home to a surprise candlelight spaghetti dinner made by my wonderful husband. It was for our anniversary. Our anniversary was actually Tuesday, but he always thinks it is the 27th. I will forever give him a hard time about it. He did a great job on dinner. I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary.
The rest of the week I have been buried under owner billings, sub billings, and everything else that lands on my desk. I can't wait until tomorrow when the month closes. Then it is time to do it all over again! I really do love my job, just some weeks are better than others.
11 days until my 30th birthday!!! (Man, I am getting old.)

Five years ago today...

I met my husband. I knew the moment I saw him that I was going to marry him. He still argues with me about that, but it is true. When I came around the corner into the bar at Don Cuco’s (in Toluca Lake), I knew he was the one. Granted, we did “meet” online a few days earlier, this was the first time meeting face to face. Looking back, it hasn’t always been perfect, but I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He makes my life complete. I love him more than anything. So hunny, thank you for the past five years… I love you…

Neglected...

I have not been neglecting my blog intentionally. My internet at home is jacked up and I can't log into anything! I hope to be posting soon. I better start writing down everything I need to blog about!

March?!

Where the heck did February go? I know I am not the only one who is thinking this at the moment. 2009 seems to be flying by me already. Well, our house guests made it safely to their new home yesterday. I do miss them adding life to my house, but it is nice to have quiet at the same time. Although, I am ready for some of my own little people noise. All in good time... I better take advantage of quiet while I can.
I do love March. It is when the weather here is perfect. In a normal March, it is perfect. It was 85 today! Too hot for me for this time of year. I am not ready to put my sweaters away for the season.
I better go take care of some things before bed.
Oh, for those who are wondering...I am doing great on my giving up french fries. It helps keep me away from McDonald's drive-thru. That is, unless I want a Sweet Tea. :)

Giving up

I have decided to give up french fries for Lent. I am a french fry addict. I admit it. So this is going to be very tough for me. I will eat fries over anything else. I especially love them dipped in a Wendy's Frostie. Mmmmmm...
Hopefully, the next 40 days will help with my addiction. I have needed to break this ugly addiction for a long time, so this is the best way to help keep me accountable. Wish me luck!!!

Clipping Coupons

Growing up, we never used coupons. My mom thought it was a waste of time. I would pour over the coupons telling Mom to get this and that. Even back then, I wanted to get a deal. To this day, my mom still won't use coupons. Amazing...
Well, a friend turned me onto The Grocery Game (thanks Marisa) and I am hooked. I signed up for the $1 trial period on February 8th and I have saved $89.97 (to be exact) so far. Imagine what my total will be at the one year mark... Now I know clipping coupons isn't for everyone, but I can tell you it is sooooo worth it. The Grocery Game makes it much easier. We now have plenty of food on hand at all times and more money in our wallets.
I highly recommend The Grocery Game to everyone. Especially in this economy.

Valentine's Day memory

When Abby and I were younger, our mom would send us HUGE balloon bouquets to school with candy. We were the envy of our classes. This went on for years and it was always a great surprise. I wonder if there are any photos floating around of one of those balloon bouquets.
Now, I just don't think that I have to buy my husband a gift or that he has to send me flowers just because it is Valentine's Day. It isn't worth the money. Plus, if I want anything I will wait until the day after and get it at 50% off. If it is meant to be, what I wanted will be in the bargain bin.
I know that when we have our own children, Valentine's Day will be just like it was when I was little. A sweet reminder of the love our family has for each other. Until then, Hallmark can keep their holiday.

Abby and Andrew Slideshow

Check out my photography blog to see the new photos of Abby and Andrew.

I am in love with a Cricut

Cricut Expression to be exact. I have been able to do so many things with it in the few short months I have owned it. For Christmas gifts, I took glass coffee mugs and etched initials on them for co-workers (used vinyl as stencils for etching cream). I did the Elmo decorations for Andrew's party. And...I put Andrew's name on his bedroom wall in vinyl! Andrew's response to the Cricut cutting the vinyl was "that's awesome". He loves having his name on his wall. My sister's friend said it looks "very Pottery Barn-ish". I think that is a pretty big compliment.
Here is the wall...

Nothing fancy, but it does look sharp in person. I am looking forward to using my Cricut for stuff in my own house.

Elmo Restaurant

K and I got Andrew this Elmo Restaurant for his birthday. Abby set it up so it was ready when he got home. He started playing with it immediately. Here are a few videos of him serving Abby. Too freakin' cute!

Take 1


Take 2


Take 3

Hangin' out

After Andrew's party, we hung out and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.

Photos from Andrew's Party

Andrew's birthday party

We had quite the busy day. Andrew had his 3rd birthday party today at Jumping Genius. Everyone had a great time...adults and children. The cake and the favors were a hit. Andrew had a wonderful time running around like a mad man. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we got home. After some intense napping, we had a nice evening at home. I was able to get sushi from my favorite sushi restaurant (Arigato) and enjoyed some one-on-one time with Andrew. Abby, Nick, Jen, and Sergio went out to spend the evening celebrating a friend's birthday, so I offered to stay home with the kiddos. My night is now ending with Andrew singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star into the baby monitor. Life couldn't get any better right at this moment. Well, my hunny could be here with me.

(Pictures will be posted tomorrow!)

Elmo crazy

I have been diligently working on the decorations for Andrew's birthday party this Saturday. I am beside myself with excitement. The decorations are going to be AWESOME! Well, at least in my opinion they are. I could not have done these without my new love, my Cricut Expression. The Sesame Street cartridge was released in December and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. It couldn't get here fast enough. I can't wait for Andrew to see everything for his party. Here is a sneak peek at the decorations.

I will post photos of the party when I get home from Cali. 4 days until party time!

Kookie Krazy

Abby found out about Kookie Krazy from a friend and thought it would be fun to check it out with Andrew.
We had the best time. Andrew picked out the cookie dough and the toppings he wanted. The three of us created a pretty yummy cookie I must say. There was even some extra toppings to nibble on while we created.


Andrew's creation:

• Blue sugar cookie dough
• Oreo cookie pieces
• Hershey Kissables
• M&Ms
  

Picking out the dough

Choosing the toppings






















Let's get started!

A little help from Mommy...

Finger licking good!

Ready for the oven...

And now we wait...thank goodness for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Andrew didn't blink. It was the first time he had ever seen it.
Let's eat!

Christmas 2008 Pictures

As promised...

I just loved my Aunt Kathy's tree. I am going to do this!

Pictures...

I can honestly say I am uploading pictures for Christmas right at this moment. So I will have them posted soon!

Bittersweet evening...

I received a phone call this evening from a very close friend's husband asking if he and two of their three children could stay with us until the end of February. The reason they need to stay with us...they are moving to Las Vegas and my friend and the baby leave on Friday!!! I am so happy for them and this great opportunity. I am sad that they won't be a few minutes from us anymore. But now we have a place to stay in Vegas!

Happy 2009!

I know I have been a bad blogger. Please forgive me. I will be back soon with photos from Christmas and other adventures while in L.A.