the many faces of vanessa

because i adore her
and because i took approximately 500 pictures of her
i share with you
the many, many faces of vanessa.

the fam in colorado

so here we are.
10 days in beautiful colorado.
i thought i would start off with a few quick pictures of the family.
meet the new niece, vanessa rose.

uncle todd got his share of being an uncle.
bottles, diapers, and all.
she gave us a lot of down time too...
she is a power sleeper like the rest of the family.

and boy did she smile.

here's the new mom, todd's sister, jill.
a little bit tired, but very happy.

and then there's the rest of the nieces and nephews...
not as new, but just as wonderful.
aiden added the hat to my cat.

and he and taylor had to just "look" at the baby.

well, and hold her, too.
that was the best part for all of us.

dylan and corinne both napped through this set of photos.
but i'll show you how cute they are too.

how amazing to be an auntie.

laughing at myself

back from 10 days in CO
and getting back on track.
back to work tomorrow,
but for today
i can have a little fun.
(beginner) DDR style.

inspiration

blogging has been drawing a blank for me lately
with life just at status quo
and everything out there just continuing to spin on by
me.


so i have been searching for inspiration
in new friends that paint
(and deciding to take out my "learn to paint" kit hiding in my closet)
i didn't know it would be a multi-day process...
(i am currently waiting for further inspiration...)

and in thoughts of things that i have always wanted to learn how to do
and maybe i'll be brave enough to try
now...
or maybe this summer.

and we are bracing ourselves for a glorious 10 day trip to visit family and new babies in Colorado.
ah,
spring break.

let me count the days...

thoughts on my mind

i am thinking of fun and friends and new babies and many birthdays
and cute shoes and hair cuts and winning a round of bowling.
i am thinking of weight lost and hours on the elliptical gained
and dvd's from netflix and kids coloring little circles with number 2 pencils.
i am thinking of power tools-
from cordless screwdrivers to new flatirons for my hair.
i am thinking of pop music and folk music and songs that swim through my brain and bring me sanity throughout the day.
i am thinking of the life cycle and the people we lose and gain
and of how lucky i am to have

you.

our lovable dog

easton turned one this month and its hard to believe that our little boy is growing up so quickly. :-) he has developed so much personality and its been a joy to have him as a part of our family. its been so much fun for all of us, but he's made a special impact on mollie. she's come back to life and tries to romp with the best of 'em.
he's a whiner and an yawner and retriever and a swimmer a prancer and a hunter. he can find anything gross within a mile radius of our home when he just gets out to go potty. he brings us home only the finest of treasures, or the smelliest. in his mind, they are the same.
and so we love him and bathe him often and only let him lick us a little bit. he's proved to everything we could hope for in a dog.
happy birthday, little man.

to my valentine

to the man who will shave himself in funny ways, just to make me smile, and then will let me take his picture.
to the man who knows just how to hold me and when to just let me be.
to the man who sits by the window just to watch the geese with our dog.
to the man who keeps the cupboard stocked with sugary cereal and a freezer full of candy.
to the man who chats with me until we both fall asleep exhausted.
to the man who can make me smile just by saying my name.


to the man who i hope to laugh with for the rest of my days.
to the man who may someday be the father of our child.
to the man who loves me even when i am cranky and tired.
to the man who makes the best breakfasts.
to the man who cares for me when i am sick on the couch, making me toast and jell-o.
to the man who knows me.
to the man who is my best friend.


i love you.
i love you.
i love you.

Our newest bloggers

Please welcome our newest bloggers in the family.
Jill and Kevin have finally been talked into a blog
and it is already funny and delicious.
Check out the pictures of thier new little one
and post some encouragement here: Bento Box W.

january splendor

so much splendor, so much beauty...

sunrises and concerts


party decor and soups


strawberry shortcakes and latte coffees


martinis and wool skirts and boots



cute boys and homemade caramel popcorn


what a delicious month.

more martinis

we hosted a party last week-end... a mid-winter martini party... just to pass these cold months and give us a little sparkle in the middle of january.

there was an almost full bar of girlie liquors that made the cashier at rite aid think i was buying for minors... that's right, i buy my liquor at a drug store and i am not ashamed.


we had blue motorcyle martinis and coffee martinis and apple martinis and dirty martinis and milky way martinis and peppermint patty martinis and cosmopolitan martinis and sweet nectar and buzzed o.j. and fruity, fruity drinks... served in style with sparkles.


chilled glasses and all the right fixin's... we played the new wii and conversed and laughed and made new friends and ate lots of goodies.


all while the boys played their low-stakes poker and shuffled 'round a whole lot of chips...


i will have to host more often, i think.
we had a mid-winter martini blast.