tis the season

The seasons in my life go like this: spring, summer, fall and christmas. well folks, after tomorrow it is finally legal in this country to let the festivities begin. Although I have been going all out since november first, i am thrilled that the rest of america will now join me. tomorrow is america's day of thanks  and i say "america's" because canada celebrates thanksgiving in october...hence my tendency to celebrate christmas directly after halloween....in oh canada, christmas comes next. tomorrow we will start out with a little turkey bowl action, followed by a movie with the Nielsens (tradition), finishing off with a hearty turkey dinner complete with the jello salad that i am in charge of. ew.  nothing triggers my gag reflexes more than the thought of hospital food filled with chunks of fruit. i guess some people enjoy such creations. not me. We plan to tackle carlsbad outlet mall at midnight, and then some crack of dawn shopping in the wee hours of the morning to get our hands on those anticipated great sales. sales on items we would NEVER even consider purchasing under normal circumstances...what a waste. Our christmas tree is up, and we have started our shopping. i'm feeling  joyful and triumphant! happy thanksgiving everyone!

flashback.

i was looking at pictures of my sweet husband when he was a wee lad, and then had my dad send me some pictures of me when i was just a wee lass. It looks as though we will be sure to have fat, happy children....with afros.

november beach day.

november 15th 2008, a perfect day at the beach. Only in southern california. Gregory woke me up this morning asking if I'd like to go to IHOP, so after a hearty breakfast we hit the sand, and it was truly delightful. be jealous.

Tagged.

Favorite Person (outside of family)? I have a few. Ashleigh (so loyal and wonderful, one of my best friends always), Ashley Smith (my new favorite friend in this world) , Taryn, Ashley Pitts, and Em. (us girls go wayyyyyy back and they will always be at the top of my list)....so there you have it. the new and old.

Favorite Food? pasta (white sauce only), killer pizza from mars (space cowboy, or cluck rogers), carne asada fries from jilbertos. From the candy section of the food chart...i'd have to go with see's chocolate, swedish fish, gummi bears, sour patch watermelon slices and carmels.

Quirks about you?  ohhh one of the many, i cannot sleep with anything covering my feet. (socks, footed pajamas, sheets) this started when i was a wee lass...my mother would have to cut the feet out of my pajamas or i wouldn't wear them. 

Any regrets in life? Not so much.

Favorite Charity/Cause? i enjoy anything that raises money for cancer.

Favorite Blog recently? probably ashley smith's ode to jeremy. he WAS a pretty cute lad.

Something you can't get enough of? christmas christmas christmas. i think it, hear it and breathe it daily. music in my car, apple cider scent in our home, endless thoughts and plans in my brain. oh martha!! oh christmas!!

Worst Job you've ever had? I'm going to have to go with customer service at National Pen Company. takes the cake for sure.

What job would you pay not to have? dishwasher at a restaurant. ew.

Guilty Pleasure? ANTM, hills, BFF, 90210, and oddly enough....wheel of fortune.

Got any confessions? greg...i ate your last see's bordeaux chocolate. oops.

If you had $1000 dollars to spend on yourself how would you spend it? we would probably go on a cruise with ash and jeremy. sounds good to me.

Favorite thing about your house? It's bigger than the closet we were living in before, and we can paint the walls. 

Least favorite thing about your house? it's not ours. we don't own it and we don't have a backyard.

One thing you are bad at? directions. 

One thing you are good at? making scrambles eggs. i just am! they taste better than anyone else's.

If you could change one thing about your circumstances, what would it be? I would be able to go to oh canada and not get hassled at customs. oh what a joy it would be to go home for christmas.

Who would you like to meet someday? erin nelson.

What makes you feel sexy? haha probably when i have tights on. you know...JUST tights, hiked up over the belly button, before the dress or skirt is on. yeah. that. ....obviously kidding, i rarely feel like a sexy little mink when i sport sweatpants most days.

Who is your real life hero? My dad. he's the best!

What is the hardest part of your job? afternoons! taking all 3 kids places with all 3 now walking and exploring. they go in different directions and it drains my energy. i miss mornings, but i love playing with viv!

When are you most relaxed? when our home is tidy, i'm clean, and there is a good show or movie to watch!

What can you not live without? family and good friends.

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? haha i have yet to read this article, therefore have not yet developed an opinion.

Why do you blog? to keep family and friends up to date with whats going on in our lives, to keep in touch, to share thoughts and ideas.

Who are you tagging? michelle, ashleigh, ashley quist and kristi

apple cider, carmel apples and candy OH MY!

We did go to julian on saturday with jen and ryan and it was truly magnificent.  The drive was much longer than i remember, and we just could not wait in that massive lineup for mom's apple pie, but we did play in the leaves, eat more than we should have, and wonder around the crazy little shops. I am satisfied for another year.

leaves!

jen and i taking a break...obviously still stoked on the leaves.

carmel apples!

lovers in julian.