It was our 9 year wedding anniversary on Tuesday but with a full work week and three kids, we didn’t find the time to celebrate properly. We didn’t even exchange cards.

I had my sister come over for [...]]]>

Our favorite place to visit when it’s just the two of us is Mary Hill Museum. We can take our time, slowly meander from Exhibit to Exhibit, actually “reading” each and every plaque.
No pulling children down from rafters and off of 17th Century Relics.

Okay, so I have played along with all of the little games of Blog Tagging that has gone on over time. I decided to make up one of my own. I think this one will be pretty fun. I would love it if you would all play along but if [...]]]>

Okay, so I have played along with all of the little games of Blog Tagging that has gone on over time.
I decided to make up one of my own. I think this one will be pretty fun.
I would love it if you would all play along but if you can’t stand stuff like this, I understand.
It’s still ALOT of fun to read other peoples!

Here we go. The (very loose) rules:

1. List 5 things you do NOT love about yourself.
2. Then list 5 things you DO love about yourself.
3. Tag 5 other people.
4. Check back with the 5 people you tagged. You may be surprised to find out how many things you have in common.

It’s quite interesting when we find out that for all of those things we dislike about ourselves, there are just as many, if not even MORE that we discover we love about ourself!

Here is my list….

1. My skin color. I have Japanese skin that is a very special shade of yellow. Not a fair porcelain or an olive tone. But what I like to call…..Simpson’s Hue.

2. I am extremely indecisive. When it comes time for dinner, I have a panic attack. When a friend asks where we should go for lunch, my stomach and my brain suffer total lock-down.

3. I am very hyper critical. Of both myself and of others. Not a becoming trait but I find myself doing it without even thinking about it. Until AFTER I’ve criticized. At which time, I feel totally horrible about it!

4. My teeth. I have the unhealthiest teeth of just about anyone I know. More silver than a Nevada Mineshaft.

5. I am fatally addicted to sugar. I need it in my morning coffee, my afternoon coffee and most definitely require a fair amount of grams in my evening desert!

Well,….. for the weekend.

I will be soaking up the sea air and gorging myself on all of the seafood I can possibly cram into my face.I’ll be sure to bring you all back some Taffy!

Hope you all have an equally lovely weekend. [...]]]>

Whenever the road is too long….Too narrow….Too cramped….

The air too thin….The sea too deep….The wind too fierce….

Whatever the storm, whatever the weather, you make me feel like I can do anything.

Then, I met you.

The first time we spoke, I can’t even recall what we said but I remember the laughter.I remember not being able to wipe my [...]]]>
My sister and my very best friend are the only people I knew of that could make me laugh until I thought I would pee my pants.

Then, I met you.

The first time we spoke, I can’t even recall what we said but I remember the laughter.
I remember not being able to wipe my smile from my face.

You still have that control over me.

Whenever you are near me, in presence or in thought, there is a smile on my face and laughter in my heart.

For as long as we’ve been together, he has woken early each morning and made me coffee.Uncoaxed by yours truly.

At first, when we were dating, I thought it was just his cute [...]]]>

For as long as we’ve been together, he has woken early each morning and made me coffee.
Uncoaxed by yours truly.

At first, when we were dating, I thought it was just his cute little way of making his sale.
We worked together in the same building and he would bring me my favorite coffee each morning.

“Yes, I am the most considerate guy you have ever met (aside from your father), I can make you laugh uncontrollably, I have that adorable little dimple on my left cheek when I smile at you AND I will bring you coffee each and every morning…..if you will have me.”

“I’m going once. Going twice.”

SOLD!

Yes. I bought it. I bought the whole package. And it wasn’t just his way of making his sale.
No false advertising, no tricky gimmicks. Just the plain and simple, honest to goodness truth.

Each passing year, I’ve coyly waited for it to wear off. Maybe if I really make him mad, he’ll slip up and be imperfect just once.

Oh sure, there’s the usual “toilet seat shenanigans” and his personal #1 top single hit, “Log Sawing Lullaby” he showcases each and every night.

But every relationship has these little hiccups. And we won’t even delve into my bad habits. Not here.

No, I have it pretty good. And unfortunately, I tend to take it for granted.
That is just one of my many flaws.

So, this is for you, babe.

This Saturday, we leave town, just you and I to celebrate these 8 wonderful years together. And for those five days leading up to our departure, I will be sharing with everyone ALL that I am thankful for, in you.

Undoubtedly, I will leave something out but for the most part, I think you will know and fully understand just how grateful I am to have found you.
And to have never lost you.

I love you.

Lego Love

there are many people and items I feel I must have in my daily life so that I can carry on with breathing but here are some that [...]]]> one of my favorite new blogging friends, Mrs. G, has suggested a post for today where you list some of the items you simply can’t live without!!

there are many people and items I feel I must have in my daily life so that I can carry on with breathing but here are some that keep my crazy world afloat.

Avon’s Le Cirque body spray.
my mom is an Avon Sales Rep. and has been since I was a baby. I get all my cosmetics from her at a sickeningly low price tag (ahem, free.)
in the early 90′s, they had my absolute favorite fragrance. and only a couple years after that, they stopped making it.
I actually have to buy this relic on ebay now. but it’s worth it. I love it that much!


Calrose White Rice.
my father is half Japanese and I was raised on white rice.
for breakfast with milk, cinnamon and sugar,
wrapped up in seaweed, and underneath just about every food I ate.
it was a staple in our house and to this day I have to buy a restaurant size bag so that I always have it on hand.

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground White Chocolate.
I am a coffee freak! so much so, that my hubbie bought me an at home industrial model espresso machine so that I could enjoy my happy addiction whenever it suits me.
my favorite drink is a white chocolate mocha.
hmmmmmm.
Ghirardelli is the only brand I have found that doesn’t taste like crap. it’s thick, rich and creamy. it also makes a rock’n white hot chocolate!

my Kitchen-Aid.

I use mine at least two or three times a day. I got my very first one for a wedding present from my MIL 7 years ago and I truly believe that it’s the reason I started baking.
if there was ever a fire in my home, I would probably rescue that puppy before anything else. well……maybe after I grabbed,

my Nikon D40.
I haven’t even had it a year yet and I’ve taken over 26,000 pictures.
yes, I’m a bit of a shutter big. just a bit.
if you look at my flickr photostream, you’ll see just how over heels I am in love with taking pictures. it’s an addiction, really. but an esthetically pleasing one.

Adobe PhotoShop.
I inherited little PhotoShop when he was just a wee lad when I married my husband. he was well taken care of but I decided to take him under my wing.
we’ve had long, torrid nights alone together tweaking, cropping and adjusting pictures until they look just right.
I’ve learned so much using PhotoShop and I think it’s even made me a better photographer.

legos!
these things entertain my boys for hours and hours and do a fine job of warding off crayon attacks on my walls and personal scissor craft time with every book in the kids playroom.
I also think they are the greatest creative outlet I could give my boys. they are going to become prestigous architects like Frank Loyd Wright and make lots of money and pay for mom and dad’s early retirement!

the most important item on my list is my family.
I wait on them hand and foot, they’re annoying, messy, loud and obnoxious.
they drive me nuts on a daily basis.
but without them, this blog would be extremely boring and I really need good writing material.
oh, and they also happen to be the reason I love my life.
the reason I am so happy and content with where I am at.
the reason I am who I am. they’ve made me a better mother, woman and person.
without them, I wouldn’t be me.
I also wouldn’t have stretch marks, saddle bags, saggy boobs and thinning hair.
but what’s family for?!!

I can’t help but think to myself that she’s going to grow up and she’s not going to offer up these little endearments [...]]]>

for about a year now, Zoe has made it a habit to [...]]]>