JH Cowell

In an Instant...

2010-06-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long!! My "break" from blogging is partly due to Facebook, I guess. But I got to thinking that I truly don't get to write down my lengthy thoughts and lately, I've had a lot on my mind.

There really is no true place to begin so I guess, I'll go back to the two biggest events in my life in the last seven and a half months. The two major events brought me to an extreme emotional high to an extreme emotional low. It took me to my baby girl being born to my Grandma dying a week later.

It has been 7 1/2 months since she died and there are still days that feel as though she just died yesterday. It all started on November 4th...where I went into the hospital with labor pains. To spare the details, I ended up having an emergency C-Section and on November 5th, 2009 my daughter was born at 6:32 that morning. In an instant, I became a mom. That is powerful to think about...that in an instant, my life changed forever. I went from being a wife to being a wife AND a mom!

The first person I called when I was able to was my Grandma. I laugh even now, remembering what she told me. She said, "Oh there you go, taking the easy way out...having a C-Section." This, followed by a laugh and a voice full of excitement (yet frail) of how excited she was for me. She couldn't wait to see a picture of Rylee and even more excited to meet her in person and hold her in her arms. I told her I would call her when I was able to go home. She told me loved me and we said goodbye.

As promised, when I first got home, (2 days later), I called G and G. My Gramps answered the phone and we talked a little. I asked if Grandma was free to talk and he said she wasn't as she wasn't feeling very good. I thought nothing of it as this was a frequent thing throughout this last year. She had her good days and her bad days, and I just thought that this was her bad day. I told him to let her know we were home and that I would call again and that I loved both of them.

As the week passed on, I continued to adjust to being a mommy with my mom's help of course. She was able to be their for 2 weeks and I was so grateful. There's nothing like your mom who is always there to help out when needed.

Unfortunately my mom's time was cut short with me. My Grandma passed that Thursday morning. She had the horrible job of knocking on our bedroom door and telling us the news. I remember that morning like it was yesterday. I have never had that feeling...where you literally can't breathe. I lost my Grandma. Some of us have that awesome blessing where your Grandma plays two roles in your life. She was like a mom to me. I grew up spending at LEAST every weekend with her. I counted down the days till we got to go to G and G's house. She was one that I could always go to, to make me laugh and give me advice.

All I could think of was...my baby girl will never be held in her arms. My baby girl will never be able to "go places" with her. What I mean by that, is Grandma had a way of playing pretend with us. My baby girl will never be able to hear her voice and laugh with her. I truly know, though, that Rylee will know who she was. After all, she is named after her.

I often find myself, even to this day, wanting to pick up the phone and tell her about my day. I knew she always enjoyed hearing about my day and I sure enjoyed telling her about it. She always put a HUGE smile on my face! I hate that the last time I talked to her was a quick conversation in the hospital. I wanted to tell her so much more...about my first week with Rylee, how beautiful she is...and how MUCH she looks like her. Man, my daughter looks like my Grams!! She did get to see a picture of her. Rylee made it on the mantle for her to see. The mantle is where all of G and G's pics of the grandchildren were. And I know my Grandma loved that Rylee was in her Ohio State onesie that she gave her.

I wish she was still here, but I know she's in a better place and out of pain. It's crazy how much your life can change in an instant. Everything you know to be true is turned upside down in a mere minute. Some for good, and some for the worse. That is crazy to think about!! Grandma is a part of me and I am who I am because of her. I am forever grateful and she will be forever missed!

Always a Buckeye fan!!

2009-01-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

The title says it all as the Fiesta Bowl has concluded and I have experienced heartache once more for the third year in a row. I'm not sure I have been at a game that was so exciting yet so disappointing all rolled up into one. Walking back to the car knowing that we could have won the game and going through all the different things that happened during the game that should have been changed...well, it was a long walk back.

Walking back though, I was reminded why I absolutely love the Buckeyes!! As obnoxious Texas fans in cowboy boots and tight wranglers walked past gloating as if hey had just won the Super Bowl just made me smile (and laugh-as I'm not a fan of the tight pants let alone Wranglers). Through the laughter, many Buckeye fans continued the spirit that will always be there no matter how much respect OSU continues to lose being a part of the Big Ten or how there's a constant cloud of others chanting how the Buckeyes are "overrated." Shouting "O-H" with a quick return of "I-O" just reminded me that I'm so excited to be a fan...no matter how much disappointment I have experienced in the last few years. There's a class and comradery among many of the fans that I love! I was again reminded of that as we drove home :)

Ok, so some may say that sounds cheesy and perhaps it is. But, Ohio State has been a part of my family since the day I was born and it is the game, the team, the University that brings the family together. It's more than just OSU it's a connection that brings us together and I was reminded of that this weekend. A couple of my cousins flew/drove out for the game and we all just had a day to spend with each other. As all of us are in different states it's not always easy to get together.

Ohio State is a HUGE part of my memory growing up and it truly warms my heart when I look back on the years. As we all grow older I cling onto that tighter than ever before. It's hard to explain but needless to say...it's frustrating when they lose. But at the same time, it's so great when they play because the family comes together and will continue to do so throughout the generations.

Anyways, here are some pictures of the weekend. My cousing Keith flew in from Denver and spent a couple days with us at my brother and sister-in-law's house. We did all the "before the game" events like the Fiesta Bowl parade (which was awesome)! As with the Rose Bowl, the two opponents in the Bowl game have the bands come out and play in the parade. I had no idea it would be so much fun as the band did an amazing job and we literally had Brutus (the mascot) come up to us and give the kids high fives. The bummer part is I didn't have my camera!!!!!! Not a big deal but it's typical to have a LONG line waiting just to take a picture with Brutus and he came right up to us!

After the game we went to the "Buckeye Bash" where the coach, team, band, president of the university, and of course Archie Griffin come out and talk about the game. It was a great day, but wet and cold as it was raining a little.

My other cousin came out with his girlfriend from Las Vegas and we all piled into the Suburban and drove down EARLY to the game to tailgate and hangout. It really was just a great time! We almost got on TV :) (there's a whole other story about that). But some of us did get in the Columbus Dispatch and possibly a local AZ newspaper. What was also great about this game is we all got to sit together which is very difficult in the past. You typically can't get that many seats together but somehow my Grandpa did. Thanks Gramps! It was a great Christmas gift...just next time, they NEED to win!

My nieces and nephews; Kristine, Todd, and Chad

The "Buckey Bash"

My cousin Keith and Chad

Look familiar? They'll show him in the crowd ALOT during a game

The team running in before kick off

Before the game

My brother and sister-in-law

We had great seats!

This was actually before the game

Buckeye Man and Big Nut (yep, that's his nickname)

Tailgating

A local reporter. She actually had us stay there as we had the best tailgate set-up according to her. She didn't have a long enough segment as she had originally thought so she didn't film us. But, she was RIGHT next door :)

Bump in the night

2008-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm trying to get more creative with my titles.

Last night, I was visiting with my friends in Redlands who I haven't seen in forever. I drive all the way there with traffic and back and get in an accident just 2 blocks from my house. It was about 12:30 in the morning. I was sitting on Imperial getting ready to turn onto Orangethorpe. The light turned green and I began to pull out but couldn't see the ridiculously fast car coming from the west because of the massive construction they are doing there. Needless to say, I gunned it causing him to hit the back of my car versus T-boning me. He hit me hard causing me to do a 180. I just sat there knowing of course he was going to stop. As I looked in my mirror he was halfway down the street already. I'm fairly confident to say that he didn't even brake which leads me to believe that he was very drunk. All things considering, with as fast as he was going, I was very lucky. God was definitely looking out for me!!

As I gunned it I turned a little which allowed him to only clip the back side of my car. A witness saw it and told the police officer that was down the road pulling another car over. But because the driver was going so fast he didn't get the license plate either. So the jerk gets away and I have to deal with getting the car fixed as it's not safe to drive - the left rear tire is bent. Half of my hub cap is gone and I have his paint on my car. The trunk popped open and the police officers couldn't get it closed. Jeff got it to close and you can see that the back end is bent and off. But, besides being sore, I'm very lucky!! So if you see a (what I think was a BMW), dark colored, with a mashed front end with shades of white on his car...get his license plate number :)

Classic Christmas

2008-12-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

Vineyard Christian School had their Christmas party last Friday and I had no idea what to expect. Jeff and I walked in and saw this! A parent within our school owns "Perfection Painting" and THIS as his hobby. They opened it up for the first time to the teachers and what a great time!! He travels around for his job and finds amazing things...not to mention amazing cars!! It's not open to the public so it was a privilege to be in there and look at his collection. I'm not even sure the pictures do justice but I've posted a few. He owns cars that are so rare it's unbelievable!!

This picture was jut one of the three huge rooms filled with cars!

There were only 49 Tuckers made, including the prototype made ever...and he has 2 of them! This gold one is in original condition with minimal flaws...and he drives it to church! The green one is fully restored.

I just thought this one was fun.

He had 5 vintage complete gas stations fully stocked with supplies. He has bought these all over the US. This was a diner that he had with original supplies.

Along with the cars, he had one tank and one army truck. What was awesome is that he would have original articles/magazines about that particular war on the seats.

Along with all the cars he had tons of vintage signs along the walls. This one was my favorite! This Lincoln sign was about 60 ft. long.

Along with all this he had an additional small room that was called the "General Store." This newspaper article struck me. As soon as you walk in you see this and it caught my eye. You'll notice that this newspaper is from the Daily Pilot-Costa Mesa. It was cool to see this from Costa Mesa.

At a glance...

2008-12-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

So, I had a wonderful birthday!! To top it all off Jeff took me to a really good restaurant in Laguna Niguel called Salt Creek Grill. Definitely recommend it!

We were seated in a booth that faces other tables which is always interesting for me. I kind of feel like I'm on display when I'm seated in those. As we were sitting there talking and enjoying each other, we noticed there was an older couple that kept glancing at us every now and then. The husband stared for awhile when we first sat down and I didn't think anything of it until the lady actually had to turn her head back to look at both of us. As the night went on we noticed that the glancing continued so we thought...let's count how many times the lady looks back at us...so we did.

So from the moment we counted from the time they got up and left, we counted...44 times!! 44 TIMES!! What's that about?!?!?! That doesn't include the times before we started counting and the husband staring at me every now and then. Seriously, who does that?!?! We couldn't figure out why she felt the need to look over her shoulder...look at me...then look at Jeff...and then back. We got a little taste of what it might feel like for Hollywood stars. So, great restaurant, great atmosphere...annoying guests!!

My little ones

2008-11-30T15:23:00.000-08:00

We just got back from Arizona and I get sad every time I leave. I LOVE hanging out with my family. I miss them a lot and wish we lived closer. Anyways, they celebrated my birthday out there and we had a little fun with the camera.

I'M 30!!!!!

2008-11-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, where do I start?! Well, I'm 30 today and I can't believe it!! As I sit here with Jeff (playing with my Wii - a gift from the hubby) I have to pause and get all sentimental.

I'm truly not one to get mushy by any means but I was just thinking lately of how truly blessed I am. Since I didn't go through all the things I'm thankful for during Thanksgiving, I'll do it now.

30 Things I'm Thankful For...some of these should be in different order of course, but nonetheless, I'm still thankful for all of them.

1. First and foremost, I'm thankful for a God who loves me know matter what I do! He is my ultimate example of what it means to love unconditionally. He is my everything!

2. Of course, my hubby! I am so blessed to have met him and it is so amazing to know and be loved by someone who is incredibly patient, thoughtful, funny, loving and humble.

3. My mom who has given up so incredibly much so her kids can succeed! She is the true meaning of sacrifice. Even though I grew up without my father in my life; she was able to come along side me and fill so many shoes for me. I am forever grateful for my mommy :)

4. I truly believe I have the greatest grandparents in the world!! Along with my Heavenly Father, they have also filled that void in my life. They have played so many roles and have done it perfectly!

5. My brother! Even though we don't talk much, I love who he is. His love for God is so evident and he is SO smart!

6. Barby, who is so fun to be around! A sister-in-law who has taught me alot! I can always go to her with a problem and she always knew just what to say.

7. Kristine, Todd, and Chad - my nieces and nephews who bring such a joy in my life. Watching them grow and mature is hard as I will always see them as my little ones. They are truly a gift from God and I love them so much!! Couldn't be a prouder Aunt!

8. My cousins, who even though we grew up in separate parts of the country, always enjoy getting together and hanging out. We're not super close but close nonetheless. I absolutely LOVE hanging out with them and talking about old times.

9. My aunts and uncles. My aunts have also played a significant role in taking care of me and I'm forever grateful!

10. Jeff's family - they bring a lot of joy and creativity to my life. As Kristy once said that; we would totally have it made if we were all stuck on a deserted island.

11. Ohio State of course; that goes without saying!! It's more than just a team, it's a small connection to the family. It is safe to say that we all know what each of us are doing on game day.

12. Diet Coke...enough said

13. Teaching! I am so incredibly blessed to be a teacher!! The fact that I can play a small role in the students' lives is so awesome and I love every minute of it! Although, it is such a demanding and time consuming job :)

14. My new Wii

15. JoAnnes - I'm not sure what I would do without that store!

16. Chipotle - So bad for the diet yet SOOOO good!!

17. The fact that I live in America and can express my own opinion! This is such an amazing country founded on sound principals. I have always been patriotic and will continue to be. The day I stop getting teary eyed during patriotic songs on the 4th of July will be a sad day :(

18. Although annoying, I do love our cats!

19. I am thankful for the gift of mercy that God has given me. Although having a big heart can be annoying at times; it is the gift that allows me to see (even just a little bit) through God's eyes.

20. 80's music!! Such good music; why did it have to change? :)

21. My closet; after all where would I put all my shoes and clothes?!

22. Teacher stores! I could spend hours in there.

23. My friends of course! They really should be more at the top of the list but nonetheless I am super grateful for all of them!!

24. For Birthdays! It's such a reminder of God's provision and love!

25. Target - Big fan! Again, I could spend hours in there!

26. For good health. I don't think I stop enough to thank Him for how he keeps me healthy and provides for me when I'm not.

27. For prayer! The fact that we can go before God almighty, who created the heavens and the earth and literally holds everything in the palm of His hand is so awesome! Something most of us take for granted, I think.

28. Chewy Sweet Tarts! SOOOO yummy!

29. 50% off deals after Christmas. I'm always in for a good deal!

30. Blogs! Such a great, creative way to keep friends and family in touch.

California on Fire!

2008-11-15T14:59:00.001-08:00

Tis the season for fires in California. It did come late this year as many of the fires typically occur in October. But with record temperatures combined with the Santa Ana winds...well you get this...

You can's see it very well but this was the other fire in Brea

Yep, we were breathing that!
All these pictures were taken at 1:15 in the afternoon.

MooBabies

2008-11-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to put some pictures of MooBabies' first boutique at El Dorado High School. We didn't sell much but had a good time. We had a cute set-up though! People definitely liked the dresses and thought they were super cute but just weren't showing the money. :) Oh well, perhaps next year. Ashlee did sell a good amount of her hair bows which was awesome. Here are some pics.

Our Little Shopper

So cute!!

Pismo 08

2008-09-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Just got back from camping at Pismo and had a great time!! I always love Pismo, although this is only my second time going, I always come back relaxed. It was mine and Jeff's first camping trip as a married couple which was super fun as well!

It's just such a great time with family filled with nothing but relaxation and a little bit of drama....Melodrama that is. Every year we go to the local Melodrama in town which is always fun. This year was the hilarious play called "Mummy Dearest." Good times!

For some of the time we played at the beach which is where I took all my pictures apparently. The weather was great, scenery was beautiful, and the food was delicious. Looking forward to next year at Pismo or as some call it "Camp Malabucha."

Such cute kids! I couldn't get all kids in there as not all were present at Camp Malabucha yet.

Proud to be a Buckeye!!!!

2008-09-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

While Ohio State played horribly, I have never been more proud to be a fan of Ohio State!! Based on many of the USC fans at the game I was just reminded how much I love classiness, tradition, and a love and respect for the sport. All of which I saw lacking from USC fans. Regardless, we had fun and look forward to next year when USC comes to Columbus. Here are some pics from the game.

Some of the necklaces we made. Jeff made most of them and did a great job!

I absolutely love this guy! He's at every game and brings such enthusiasm. I love it!!

Poor guy who has traveled a long distance to get to the game...

The Halos!

2008-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I got free tickets from a friend who couldn't go to the game. Boy, did we luck out!! We got seats, 1st and 2nd row up, on the field between home plate and the dugout :). The best seats Jeff and I have ever had (and may ever get). Super fun!!

....Yes, that would be Vladimir Guerrero
Not my favorite picture, but there you go

After winning the game 7-5 against Minnesota

You just have to get the rally monkey celebrating

Welcome Home!!!

2008-07-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

Nothing like coming back from a relaxing trip in Mexico to a shaky welcome from California. WOW! That was a good one, to say the least! You can't tell when I'm teaching that I'm really not a fan of earthquakes (you know, don't want to scare the little ones) but I'm a total basket case when I'm by myself. My mom can attest to this. But I did do better than our cats :). Beacon took solace in the kitchen sink while Bonzai found it more comfortable behind the TV for about an hour.

This one is at the top of the list of ones I'll remember, right behind Big Bear and Landers earthquakes. Not much damage; but we do win over Kristy (sister-in-law) who had an overturned sippy cup. Stuff on top of our fridge fell, candles fell on the floor, there were quite a few crooked pictures, and my car alarm was blaring in our garage. Just another day in California.

Anniversary Cruise to Mexico

2008-07-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where to start and feel somewhat overwhelmed to try to describe a fun-filled week of vacation into a small blog. So, I don't want to bore you, and will spare you the details...as I'm sure I'll be able to tell most of you in person anyways.

In short: The cruise was super rocky the first two days of our cruise and I'm not sure if it has to do with the ever so fun hurricane "Dolly." Either way, it was definitely rocky at first but definitely got better as the week went on (thank goodness).

Our first stop was Cabo San Lucas, which was a lot of fun but incredibly HOT! We took a catamaran down to Chileno Bay where we snorkeled. Plenty of fish, sting rays, jelly fish, and an octopus later, we headed back just in time (10 minutes later after the LAST tender boat was to leave for the ship). Ooops!

Mazatlan followed Cabo; where we just took a tour of the town, ate at a "World Famous Shrimp" restaurant and did some shopping. It was a very nice day in Mazatlan which was a nice break after a scorching hot day in Cabo.

Puerto Vallarta was SO much fun! We zip lined from 12 platforms, some 75 ft. high, taking about an hour to get through, in a forest of Puerto Vallarta. Super fun! I've worked the zip lines at Forest Home before so I was a little familiar where Jeff has never done it before. We both loved it! Not a fan of the walk back though...

The days of cruising (3 total) were fun but we did get a little "cabin fever" at the end. It did help though to see the vast marine life in the ocean; whales, sea lions, and dolphins, which often swam along with the ship. Definitely entertaining!

Overall, it was SUCH a relaxing time! It's crazy to think it's been a year already! I love it!

Some pics: Our Ship: Vision of the Seas, taken as we were tendering back to the ship in Cabo.

Cabo San Lucas: "Los Arcos," which is the very tip of Baja California (for those who don't know)

Mazatlan: The rocks in the picture below are called the "Two Brothers." They say that the Pelicans come out at night and "paint" the rocks...also known as bird poo...

Yep, that's one of the 5 divers that dive off this platform everyday. The platform is about 45 ft. high and that water below is only 6 ft deep. There were 6 (not joking), one died 6 months ago doing this, yet they continue to do this and make a living off of tips from those watching below. CRAZY!!

Puerto Vallarta: This bird gave kisses. The tongue felt like leather against the skin. Good times!
Picture in front of our ship, waiting to go on our Canopy Tour (zip line). Just to the right is the Disney Magic ship. Both ships were always in port together.
This is SUCH a great picture, considering this line was a free spin, meaning you sat back in your harness as they spun you going across the line. This picture was in mid spin :)
Our friend JackWe were delayed 3+ hours in Puerto Vallarta because they routinely had to clean the bottom of the ship getting rid of barnacles, etc. Apparently there was a lot more than anticipated so they had divers cleaning the bottom of the ship for hours, causing a major delay. No worries though, as we waited we saw a huge storm come in which was awesome. Lots of thunder and a great lightning show!

I had to include these. Every night, you come back to a towel animal on your bed. The elephant was my favorite, and the second one...well, the verdict is still out on what that is. But it has the appropriate attire on it's head.

It's 9 days away!!!!

2008-07-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

WOW!! I can't believe our one year anniversary is just 9 days away! ONE YEAR! It truly has gone by so fast!! I'm excited that we get to celebrate our one year on a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Definitely looking forward to that!!! I'm also looking forward to the many years to come :)!! This last year has been awesome and I am so incredibly blessed to be Jeff's wife! He truly is an amazing man of God, patience, kindness and love! Jeff, I'll love you always!! Happy anniversary!

Our first 4th of July!

2008-07-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

A little late, but here's some pictures of our 4th of July. The Cowell's got together as usual to play games, hangout, and watch fireworks at Hurless park. They set the fireworks off at the park, so needless to say, there's always a great view of the fireworks. 4th of July is, by far, one of my favorite holidays and look forward to it every year. Yep, I'm one of those that tear up every now and then while they play those familiar patriotic signs while they set off fireworks. I just love it!!

Here's a few pictures of the night:

Kristy and I

Hmmmm......

This is how our nephew, Judah, watches fireworks. He's not a big fan of them but these "big ears" as he calls them or actually his grandpa's ear protection when he works, makes him feel better.

Micah...super cute pic!

The fireworks

Let the sewing begin!

2008-07-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so some of you know that I'm getting back into sewing...which I haven't done since high school, which is over 10 years ago so I'm a little rusty. Not to mention, I've had to reteach myself on some of the very basics. But, anyways, I've thoroughly enjoyed it and have a renewed love for sewing.

With it, has come a whirlwind of craziness; in that, my sister-in-law and I have an online shop now of dresses and accessories, called "MooBabies." Ashlee, being the one who does the super cute accessories (hair bands, barretts, and so on). The shop definitely needs some work, but overall, I'm super excited! The shop's on a site where you can buy and sell handmade items, called "Etsy."

Out of all this dress making and accessory making comes modeling....which Ashlee's girls do so well at! We got together last week and had them model while my other sister-in-law, Kristy, took pictures. A lot of super cute pictures! Thanks Kristy!

Here are a few pictures. Feel free to visit our Etsy shop if you like, but remember, our online shop needs a lot of work still :). www.MooBabies.etsy.com

Fun white and beige linen outfits

Red and white gingham sun dress

I just love this picture! This top can also be a dress for the littler ones.

Super fun ladybug sun dress that can be reversible :)

Matching hair band. I love this!! Ashlee does such a good job!

Cute halter dress!

Family Outings

2008-06-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

My family was able to come out to Cali and visit!! It was a last minute trip which worked out really well, as they got to be here for a full week vs. just a couple of days (I'll spare you the details). So, we visited the typical locations...or attractions, I should say; Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. SO much fun and SO very hot :)

In between the days of Knott's and Disney, my Aunt took us all out to "Pirates Dinner Adventure" in Buena Park, which is similar to "Medieval Times." All in all, it was fun. Good dinner, good entertainment...not much of a story line to watch but great acrobatics and good times.

I've put up a couple pictures from the rides. My family, particularly my brother, always does something funny for the camera...as you can see.

The other hilarious thing is the truly terrified look on virtually every ride from my nephew Chad. He got to be a "big boy" this year and ride most of the rides as he barely met the height requirement. He met his challenge of experiencing new rides...but I have to say, he was a little nervous most every ride but ended up loving them at the end. Of course, you can't tell that from the pics and video. I laughed at these for hours!!

This video is from a fairly new ride at Knott's, called "Sierra Sidewinder". You are put in these little "pods" that rotate throughout the whole ride. On each of these pods is a camera which videos the whole thing. The beginning part of the video is a small intro to the ride itself...eventually you can see Chad...having the time of his life. Don't worry about the stuff after they ride...as it's just more info about Knott's.

(Quality of video is low...sorry about that. You can't get Chad's true reaction but you can kind of see the fear in his face)

Personalities in Pictures

2008-06-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

So, Jeff's Sister-in-law, Kristy, got this from her friend's blog and now I am putting it on mine :). This was too fun! I recommend that you do it!

The concept:
a. Go to flickr.com
b. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
c. Using ONLY the first page, pick an image.
d. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions :
1. What is your first name? Heather
2. What is your favorite food? Mashed Potatoes (baked...french fries...I like it all)
3. What high school did you go to? Yucaipa High School
4. What is your favorite color? Red
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Patrick Dempsey
6. Favorite drink? Diet Coke
7. Dream vacation? Bora Bora
8. Favorite dessert? Brownies and Ice Cream
9. What you want to be when you grow up? A Teacher
10. What do you love most in life? Love
11. One Word to describe you. Compassionate
12. Your flickr name. Buckeye fan

Here are Jeff's:

1. What is your first name? Jeff
2. What is your favorite food? Pasta
3. What high school did you go to? El Dorado High School
4. What is your favorite color? Blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Will Ferrell
6. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
7. Dream vacation? Ireland
8. Favorite dessert? German Chocolate Cake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? A dad
10. What do you love most in life? Learning
11. One Word to describe you. Funny
12. Your flickr name. Luckyboots

Ohio Trip

2008-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I got to go back to Ohio to spend time with family, but more importantly, see my cousin get married. It was SO great to see everyone, I just can't get enough of Ohio!! Nothing like being at Grandma and Grandpa's beautiful house with all of us together. We don't get the chance to see each other a lot but when we do, it is so much fun. Plus, I laugh a lot!!

It was a little crazy the first night as storms delayed my brother and sister-in-law in Chicago. There's a joke now that if you want to go anywhere, don't travel with my sister-in-law. For some reason, when she travels there is always something that goes wrong and it typically is delayed or cancelled flights. This vacation was no different as there flight was cancelled coming into Ohio and flying back home (there flight was cancelled keeping them in Denver for the night). Anyways, there was a huge storm in Ohio the night we got in. All night long we listened to rain and thunder and saw tons of lightning.

I apologize in advance for all the pictures :). Here's a few pictures of G and G's house:

The front of the house

The pond, looking toward their neighbors house

The good ol' tire swing

The backside of the house

Just part of the backyard

Some pics of the wedding:

The happy couple

The wedding cupcakes

Jeff and I (one of the MANY weddings we've been to in the last year)

Before the wedding, my brother wanted to visit a few grave sites of my Grandma's family...since he hadn't been in awhile. This particular grave site is my Grandma's brother who fought in World War II. He died about 2 weeks after his 20th birthday.

So, my cousin's daughter Ava is super cute and is a Buckeye fan in training. Seriously, every time she comes in the house, she seeks out Brutus the Buckeye. This one plays music, which she just loves to the point that she cries when it stops. Oh, and the family is training her on giving Brutus a high five and kissing Brutus the Buckeye...which she does. We're so proud!!

What can I say.....priceless!

One Word.....SICK!!!!

2008-05-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

So, I was finishing the last post about Arizona and I walked into the bathroom to see this!!! What the heck is this? This is sick! Jeff's got a mustache?!?! Or "pimpstache" as he calls it.

So, I guess he's actually going to go out in public like this. No pleading is going to change that apparently...I've tried. Soooo, hope you all enjoy!!

Mom turns 60!!!

2008-05-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

We recently just got back from a surprise trip to Arizona. Surprise....for my mom, that is. It was my mom's 60th birthday, so Jeff and I flew out there to surprise her. Friday night, my brother, sister-in-law, Jeff and I drove to pick her up. She knew nothing of what was going on. So when she opened the car door, she was excited to see Jeff and I. We then drove to a murder mystery dinner theatre, which was a little shady, but fun. We each got characters; I was Mona Ballad, my brother was Hugh Mongous, Jeff was Lou Zerr and I can't remember what my mom and Barby were. Anyways, Jeff was the only "lucky" one to go up on stage. The rest of the trip was very relaxing; filled with swimming, movie watching, Mother's Day dinner making, and a little bowling. I of course had the higher score for both games against Jeff :).... It's always fun to get to see the family...I don't get to do that much.

I know, I know....

2008-05-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

I am WAY behind on updating the blog (obviously) and I guess I don't have good excuses. But, now that the camera is found I will try to update it as often as I can. It may not be as interesting as others since we don't have any cute kids of our own running around...but Jeff and I are still cute, so I'll try to put up more posts. :)

Do you ever have one of those nights?.....

2008-02-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

Those nights where you go to bed early but still take forever to go to sleep cause you're thinking about your day (what you did, what you still need to do, etc., etc.)? Then you get frustrated because you're not falling asleep yet you should be asleep. Well, that's a typical night for me but this one was a little different.

I finally fell asleep around midnight but woke up to a loud noise 15 minutes later along with a very bright light coming into the bedroom window. Now, i'm fairly used to the search helicopter flying around and shining it's bright lights, after all I went to school in Riverside. :) This was almost an every night occurrence there, so I wasn't immediately alarmed. Once I came to, I heard some more noises beneath our window, not to mention a few cuss words followed by fast cars screeching into our alley. When I got up to look, I saw 4 cop cars with 8 police....as the search helicopter slipped away in the night after locating the men who tried to steal a car.

Apparently, after straining to hear the cops talk...outside our window...a neighbor saw the men and called the police. The men went running and chose to hide down our alley. Such a safe feeling! Not sure how many guys, but definitely more than one. And I'm not sure whose car they were trying to steal but all I could think about was how these men were outside our window and being pushed up against our garage to be handcuffed. The night before, a car alarm went off twice, sounding it's alarm FOREVER at 4:00 in the morning. Hmmm....I wonder if there's any connection. I thought I moved away from the IE...

Poor Jeff missed all the action...didn't see the bright lights or hear the loud noises. He woke up when I got up to check to see if all our windows were shut and locked. Needless to say, it now took me even longer to fall asleep and I was a little tired teaching the next day.

I guess it could have been worse, I could have waken up, not fully cloathed to the S.W.A.T team banging down our door with guns pointing at me insisting I was someone I wasn't. Right Nathan and Kristy?

The Mission Inn!!

2008-01-30T13:48:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that a few things went wrong at our wedding :( so we got a few things in return for some of those mistakes. The Mission Inn gave us an expensive Sunday brunch, along with an overnight stay for free for the two of us and a 50 minute massage of our choice. So, we thought it was a good time to go a couple of weeks ago, as it was our 6 month anniversary and Jeff's birthday. I can't believe it's been 6 months already!! And they've been a great 6 months! When we got there, they had informed us that they upgraded us to a Presidential suite, which was nice. I included some pictures of it which was a 2 story hotel room, with a big porch overlooking the courtyard. The two story was nice but somewhat annoying as the bathroom was downstairs and the stairs were steep so forget about any middle of the night bathroom trips.

We walked around on Friday night taking more pics of the beautiful hotel, as well as going to the courtyard where we got married. Saturday was the massage at Kelly's Spa at the hotel which is soooo nice. The massage was great and relaxing and well worth it! Nothing like a nice free massage!

It's New Years....and it's almost February!

2008-01-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

So I was told by my brother-in-law that I need to update my post...and seeing that my last one was before Christmas, I guess it's about time. So here goes.

It's becoming a tradition for Kristy, her parents and I to decorate the floats for the Rose Parade. Ever since I was little I have always wanted to volunteer and decorate but just never did until recently. This was my second year and I already feel like a "pro." It's really fun and would love to continue the tradition for years to come. We did a lot this year which included some persistence on my part as our float manager doesn't always seem to be on top of it. :)

This year, our main float was the Manger scene; which included putting in carnation flowers all over. (Note to self: must bring gloves for next year, who knew poking carnation flowers into the float could hurt so bad). We worked a little bit on the silver leaf portion of another float (the submarine), as well as tacking on Christmas tree pieces on the back of the gigantic Indian float (for those of you that saw it this year).

I look forward to the many years to volunteer for the beautiful parade...who knows, as Kristy says, I should be the next float manager. :)

Our First Little Christmas Tree

2007-12-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

So, being the newlyweds that we are, we wanted to get a tree but thought that with our little place and the fact that we wanted to save money we got our first little Christmas tree. Yay for cheap trees at Home Depot! It pretty much has all my ornaments on it from when I was little and throughout the years (of course, including Ohio State ornaments along with all my Coca Cola collections. Jeff has none but I think he's ok with it.

We got our little tree following our time in Arizona with the fam. We got to see both the Haidet"s and the Cowell's living in the beautiful state of Arizona. It was a great time...the Haidet clan got to go to the "North Pole" via the Polar Express. We got to sing Christmas carols, eat cookies and drink hot chocolate while Santa got on board and gave each child a bell from his sleigh. All of this was in Flagstaff, so needless to say it was cold, rainy, windy and snowy (you can see Kristine outside in the snow)...which all made for a "wonderful" drive home.

Ashlee and I did a little bit of Christmas shopping followed up by my yummy dinner and birthday cake and awesome Buckeye scarf made with love from Ashlee. Thanks Ashlee! The kids got to open up our Christmas gifts to them simply because there's nothing like seeing there faces light up when they open there gifts. I hate to miss that so I'm glad I got to see that this year (even though it wasn't officially Christmas). All in all, Jeff and I had a great time with family and always love to visit.

IT'S GOOD TO BE A BUCKEYE!!

2007-11-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

Buckeyes go to the Rose Bowl....well, that's the least they'll get unless drastic changes happen in front of them, they can still go to the National Championship game! Most likely they go to the Rose Bowl, and I for one, am super excited! A Rose Bowl, a possible championship game and Big Ten Champions...all from what's suppose to be a rebuilding year. I love college football, and I love the Buckeyes! O-H-I-O

Go Buckeyes!

2007-11-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I recently went to Ohio to hang out with my Grandparents. It was a great time with G and G! We got to visit Columbus and the University, as well as where my Grandma grew up. We also got to go to an Ohio State game which is always a highlight for me. Gramps, Jeff and I got to see a huge pumpkin weighing in at about 15oo pounds at a pumpkin festival in a neighboring town. This pumpkin festival is an annual thing where they make everything with pumpkins...including pumpkin pizza, and so on. It was a great time to get away and relax with G and G. This video is a little video of the Ohio State Buckeyes running in to start the game against Michigan State. The pictures are, obviously, us at the game with Uncle Dave who works at the stadium. He gets paid to see all the home games which makes me a little jealous.

Pumpkin Carving Time

2007-11-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

So, Jeff and I wanted to go back to the good old days and carve pumpkins. I have to admit, mine was probably the best and you can't beat the yummy pumpkin seeds. Because of my love for Ohio State Buckeyes I wanted to do something dealing with that. I ended up carving Brutus the Buckeye and it turned out ok. Poor Jeff's plan didn't work out as well as he thought. We still had fun anyways! Jeff's fell apart before I could take a picture of it. This picture isn't good but you get the idea.

ARUBA!!

2007-11-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Our honeymoon was great! Aruba was the destination and between the Resort, snorkeling, Baby Beach, Butterfly Farm, and driving around the small island in our Yaris, we had such a great time!

It was nice to get away and enjoy each other without any stress or timeline. Minus the late flight into LAX and our bags missing from JFK, it was an awesome time! :)

We're married!!

2007-11-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

We got married on July 22, 2007 at the beautiful Mission Inn in Riverside, CA. It was such a beautiful day that involved great friends and family. Heather's brother performed the Ceremony without a glitch and Heather's Grandpa got to walk her down the isle. It was perfect!

Both families traveled long distances to be a big part of our special day and were so helpful with the preparation involved before, during, and after the Wedding. For that, we are forever grateful!