"The Shack"

I just finished reading this book. My Dad gave it to me a couple weeks ago after reading it. When you read the back of the book for the synopsis, it sounds a little disturbing. I went ahead and read it anyway....

I know there is a lot of buzz going on about this book, both good and bad. Personally, I thought it was fabulous! I can honestly say I have never gotten so much out of a book. It really touched me in ways that I can't even start to explain. Andy is almost done reading it and even when we have discussions about it, it is really hard for me to put into words how I feel about it.

I am not going to write too much about the book in case you haven't read it, and want to. I just wanted to say that I HIGHLY recommend this book. I think everyone who reads it comes away with something different. I had several "ah-ha" moments. I am not ready to discuss them here, though. If you haven't read it, you should. If you have, I would love to hear what you think.

Happy 65th Birthday Dad!

Today, January 30th, is my Dad's 65th birthday! Happy Birthday Dad! I found a few pictures from his childhood that I thought would be fun to share....

Just for fun, I pulled out his baby book. I am not quite sure why I have it but I do. Anyway, he was born on January 30, 1944 at 2:13 am. He weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 18 3/4 inches long. I am wondering if he even knows these stats.... Hope you are having a great birthday Dad! We love you....

This is new

I grew up in the little town of Loleta. I never really knew how little it was, though, because there was not a population sign. The other day I had to go to Loleta to check on one of our rental properties and I saw this:

Loleta finally has a population sign! I know that probably doesn't seem like a big deal to most (or even blog-worthy) but I thought it was pretty cool!

Choice of camera

I need some opinions here so please leave me a comment or email me directly....

In a couple weeks I am going on the Girlfriends Cruise. We will leave from San Diego and stop at Catalina Island and Ensenada. Here's what I am struggling with.... I can't decide which camera to take. I know, I know, sounds kind of silly, but for a photographer it's a big decision.

Here are my choices.... my point and shoot that fits in my purse (and possibly my pocket), or my digital SLR that takes much better photos. They both have their pros and cons. Do I want simplicity or do I want great photos?

Let me know what you think... Thanks so much!!

Going on a cruise

I have never been on a cruise before and I can't wait! However, I am a little stressed about the thought of packing for it. For those of you that have been before, is there anything that is a "must have" when you are on a cruise? I tend to be an over-packer so I am trying to avoid that this time..... Thanks for your help!!

Motivation

I really struggle with motivating myself to exercise. I am sure everyone does. I know I want to be in good shape and take good care of my body, but it's so easy to put it off to get other things done. I always have good intentions when I start my day, to fit some exercise in, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

I have been wracking (sp?) my brain to come up with a good way to motivate myself. I think I finally figured it out.... As you know, I am hopelessly addicted to my morning latte. So here's my plan... if I exercise on a particular day, I get to get a latte the next day. If I don't, then I have to suffer through a cup of regular ol' coffee. So far it's working extremely well.

So.... what motivates you to keep exercising?

Blogging

Lately I have really been struggling with what to put on here. Maybe I just have writer's block, I don't know. Please help me out.... what should I write about? Ask me some questions... help me push through my writer's block! Thanks for your help!!

For sale....

tickets to Ethan Craig's fundraiser!! They are $10 each.

I have a bunch so let me know via phone, email or a comment here, if you want to buy some. Thanks!!

Michela's baptism

I can't believe it's taken me almost a week to get this on here.... Last weekend we went to the bay area for Michela's baptism. I am lucky enough to be her godmother!

I didn't take many photos but I have a few. Here she is before Mass. Isn't she so cute?

Do you want to know the story about her baptismal gown? It was made my Grandma Dolly almost 34 years ago out of leftover fabric (white velvet) from my Mom's wedding gown. It was originally made for my baptism, but Mary (my sister), Abigail and now Michela have also worn it.

The baptism was perfect.... Michela didn't even cry!

We took a few group shots afterwards. Here is Andy (Jeff's brother) the godfather, Jeff, Michela, Mary and I.

Add in the grandparents....

Abigail and J.T. wanted one too....

We had a great party afterwards at Jeff's parents' house. The food was fantastic and the weather was so nice!

Save the Date!

A fundraiser for the Ethan Craig Medical Fund will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at Belotti Hall in Ferndale. Cocktails will start at 6pm and dinner will be at 7pm. This will be a Mexican Dinner put on by the owners of Casa Blanca in Eureka. There will also be beverages and a live and silent auction. Plan to be there and support this great cause!!

If you want to help or donate an auction item, please email me or leave a comment here! Thanks so much.

I will try to post more info as I get it....

My 500th post

Well that is pretty amazing! This is my 500th post on my blog. Here is one of my very first posts that gives you a little more info about me.... Thanks for checking in....

PS. Feel free to leave me a comment... I love to hear what you all think!

We lost

another one.... tooth that is... No photo yet!

Whoa!

Big hair! Some people have asked me why I never where my hair down anymore.... it just drives me crazy! This was taken during my senior year in college, which was about 12 years ago... wow, that's a long time. Anyway, just thought I would share...

PS. It sure looks like I am wearing a lot of make-up, but I really don't remember wearing a ton back then....

Can you tell what's missing here?

Can you see what's missing????

Yep, that's right. J.T.'s tooth! He lost his first one last night and boy was he excited! I am not sure if you can tell from the picture or not but the one right next to it is very loose too... It should be coming out soon. I'd be surprised if it is still in there in another week.

The tooth fairy brought $3. I told him that the tooth fairy usually brings more for the first tooth....

Thumbs

For those of you that didn't know, I was a thumb sucker when I was little. It was obviously very comforting to me.... but it also led to many years of orthodontic work during my growing up years. However, I still think a baby that sucks his or her thumb is so totally adorable!

Here I am with that thumb in my mouth....


And my little niece, Michela, is taking after me.... she likes her thumb too!!


I have had several people that have told me that they think that Michela looks like me.... what do you think?

Welcome baby Maggie!

Congrats to our friends Jared and Amy on welcoming their new baby daughter, Maggie Marilyn, on January 3, 2009! She joins Jared, Amy, three brothers, and one sister....

Isn't she so adorable!!! I can't wait to meet her when we see them in February. When Amy said in her email that Maggie sleeps and eats well, and is an easy baby, Andy said, "C'mon, let's have another one...." He just never gives up.....

CarePage for Ethan

A CarePage has been set up for Ethan Craig. Stacy's good friend, Sarah, will be posting updates... If you register on the site, you will receive emails when something has been posted. You can also go on and leave words of encouragement and love for Ethan and his family. Check it out! Thanks so much......

Update on Ethan

Ethan's mom Stacy posted this update on her myspace page...
Here's an update so far on Ethan. We are down here at Lucille Packard Childrens Hospital down at Stanford. His bone scan and bone marrow tests came back negative. Yay! Unfortunately we also found out that the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes on his neck on the same side the cancerous tumor is. The doctor said that is normal and would still mean the cancer is considered localized. We did another ct scan on the neck and chest area to see if it spread to the other side of the neck. That would be considered high risk and would need a way more aggressive treatment. He gets is port put in on Thursday and we will find out results then. I should be down here all week and probably into most of next. I am really anxious to start treatment. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about these results and want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers:) It sure is a great place we live up there. Ethan is doing great. He has absolutely no pain(unless he is getting an iv) and is otherwise very happy and healthy. I look forward to 2010:)

Prayer request

A friend of ours is in need of lots of prayers....

Ethan Craig, age 4, was recently diagnosed with cancer. He has a tumor on his cheek. Ethan is in J.T.'s preschool class and his mom, Stacy, is a friend and a fellow Ferndale Children's Center board member. They are at Stanford Medical Center right now finishing up some tests and finding out what the course of treatment will be. I believe the doctors plan to start treatment ASAP as this form of cancer (can't remember the name) is pretty aggressive.

A medical fund has been set up in his name at U.S. Bank in Ferndale, if anyone is interested in donating to help the Craigs cover transportation costs, etc.

Please keep Ethan and his family in your prayers.... they need as many as they can get right now. Thanks!!

Nutritional information

You already know from this post that I love espresso drinks, especially lattes. Today, just for fun, I decided to go on the Starbucks website to check out the nutritional information of their drinks. Whoa! Big mistake..... even though I always get non-fat milk and no whipped cream, those drinks have a lot more calories than I thought! I actually go to Shotz Coffee (a local place) a lot more than I go to Starbucks, but I figure they are probably similar.... Check it out, if you dare.....

Back in the routine

School starts back tomorrow and I am ready! While I loved the relaxing schedule of the vacation, we all need to get back in the routine. It is going to be really hard to get up early again tomorrow so I am trying to prepare myself for that. I might need an extra cup of coffee though..... Have a great week everyone!!

Jeans, jeans, jeans

I love jeans! Unfortunately the jeans I like are not cheap. How does this happen? I used to not care where I got my jeans as long as they fit. Somehow the designer jeans bug got to me.... I guess there are worse addictions I could have though...

My favorite jeans are Seven for all Mankind, Joe's, and my new favorite, Miss Me. Maybe I am just kidding myself, but I really feel like the more expensive jeans fit me better. I used to have to wait until I went to visit my sister in San Francisco or Walnut Creek to find them, but now I know there are two stores here locally that carry these brands (Girlie Girls in Ferndale and Alirose in Eureka).... yay for my wardrobe, not so good for my wallet!!

So tell me, my friends and family, what kind of jeans do you like?