Sigh

Well the rush of Christmas is over, the houseguests have gone, and I feel like I haven't stopped cleaning in days!

Christmas Eve's bread project went over well. I had an abundance of food (fishes & loves miracle if I ever saw one), and I heard several compliments. Elijah enjoyed the music, so I think he's ready to check out KidStuf at church. It's a family service with singing and dancing.

Christmas was a blast. Santa brought us a Wii, which everyone enjoyed. Grampy left wanting to get one fro their place! The boys got so many toys (please, none for their birthdays!!!), and we've eaten so much yummy food and treats. Thankfully I've only put on a few pounds, so once I get back to the gym, I'll be okay. Pictures are up on shutterfly, under Holidays 2007.

We had plans to take Grampy to Boulder, as he's never been, but the snow we got last week cancelled that. We'd have to take 2 cars there, and Gary doesn't do so great with snow (he's a summer car). Maybe next visit. We mostly hung out around here, and played Wii, and more Wii.

The plan for New Year's Eve is the same as always, try and stay awake! New Year's day we'll have a ham dinner and possibly have Kevin & Ali over.

I've finally seen some movies I have wanted to see all year, thanks to Christmas gifts. Ratatouille and Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End. Both very enjoyable.

I'll close with a quote from Ratatouille.

Larousse: Oh, look who it is! Alfredo Linguini! His mother's an old flame of Gusteau's.
Skinner: Ah, yes. How is Renata?
Linguini: She's good... well, not good, she's been better. She's, uh... she's -...
Horst: She died.
Skinner: Oh, I'm sorry
Linguini: Oh, no, don't be. She believed in Heaven, so she's covered... after-life speaking.

Merry Christmas!

Elijah, Daddy, Grampy, Miles, Nana, Melissa & Honey Cat

Been very busy, but will try to blog again soon. Needless to say, this Christmas has been filled with abundant blessings, family, snow, and a Wii from Santa.

Christmas Quiz

Thanks Kristen! Hope my other online friends will do this too.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper & gift bags. I reuse gift bags from years past.

2. Real tree or artificial? We have one of each. I love the smell of a real tree in the house.

3. When do you put up the tree? The fake one goes up the first weekend in December. The real one maybe two weeks before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends on when the mood strikes me. Around New Year's.

5. Do you like eggnog? No way Jose.

6. What about Fruitcake? Not a fan of fruit.

7. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my doll. I had this one doll, and she was as big as me. I'd pretend she was my little sister.

8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a few of them. I love them. Got one this year for the kids.

9. Hardest person to buy for? Grampy (my father-in-law)

10. Easiest person to buy for? Either my kids, or Dawn.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Oh, the infamous jar of mints.

12. Mail or email Christmas cards? I love mailing Christmas cards, and I like to get them out just after Thanksgiving.

13. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story, Elf, and The Ref.

14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In the summer.

15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I should at some point.

16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Holiday M&M's

17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored, for sure.

18. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night (traditional) and Last Christmas (non-traditional)

19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Stay home, but I sometimes miss the hustle of Christmas past going from one set of relatives to another (Uncle Kim's, the farm, Doug's)

20. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen.

21. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel (Insert my FIL saying "Santy Claus where do you want me to put the tree?")

22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We usually open one gift Christmas Eve, then the rest wait for the morning. Not sure we'll do that with the boys this year.

23. What is the one present you want most this year? Don't laugh... long underwear. Seriously.

24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The greediness. "That's all I'm getting?"

25. What I love most about Christmas? The lights, the music, public celebrating of Christ's birth, the excitement the kids have. It's also the one time a year I can count on hearing hubby play his violin.

Waiting, And Waiting...

This is the longest month ever! I want it to be Christmas now! Thankfully the urge to shop is gone, mostly because everything has been wrapped, and I don't want to wrap anymore. Now I can be bothered by whether or not shipped gifts arrive on time.

We've had a little snow come in this week (Tuesday & Friday) , and we might get a little more on Friday. Nana & Grampy arrive Thursday night. So we're all looking forward to that.

Friday night Ali & Kevin came over. Ali needed a sous-chef for her Christmas baking project. No, not me, Geoff. Let me tell you, it was pretty hard to let her leave with that treat, especially since the whole house now smelled like it. Since I don't know if it's a surprise to her family, I won't say what it was publicly.

Oh, also on Friday night, we had Jim 'N Nick's. Let me say again how much they rock! Our loyalty there has never been more rewarded. We did drive-thru, and when we got home, we discovered part of our order was missing. We did check the bag before we drove off, but all we did was count the boxes. It was snowing, and we didn't really want to go back out in it. So I called them, thinking they'd offer to credit my credit card. Instead, they sent a chef to our door with the food, plus some extra food. And they kept apologizing. This company sure goes above & beyond let me tell you. I wish JNN were everywhere so you could all enjoy it.

Yesterday we went out to get a real tree, and wow it sure looks awesome.


Then we decorated it (more pics are on shutterfly). Eliajh pretty much hung all the ornaments I gave him on one little section of the tree. It's kind of cute. We have put a few presents that have come in the mail under the fake tree. Elijah has organized them by wrapping paper.

I'll close with a quote from Scrooged.

Props man: I can't get the antlers glued to this little guy. We tried Crazy Glue, but it don't work.
Frank Cross: Did you try staples?

Merry Christmas!

Thought I'd post the Armstrong Christmas letter online, in case you didn't get a hard copy (all you have to do is ask for one). I'm looking forward to reading my friends' letters now. :)

TGIF

Is it Christmas yet? How can an impatient woman teach her children to be patient for Christmas?

I have a few stocking stuffers to pick up, one Santa gift for a little boy, and I am done. But I can't buy that gift in the presence of his older brother, so I need to find time to get away and do it. It's at the really cool toy store in Cherry Creek North.

Took the boys to see Santa at Southlands (pic on Miles' blog). I love that my kids aren't the ones crying and screaming, so Santa is happy to have them come back anytime. And there was no line, which was even better.

The bread adventure for church is going okay. I'm not totally worried. But check with me next week.

Went to the dentist yesterday and Jane said my teeth look great. Yay!

I'm gonna close with a quote from Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.

Yukon Cornelius: Fog's as thick as peanut butter.
Hermey: You mean pea soup.
Yukon Cornelius: You eat what you like and I'll eat what I'll like.

Let's Eat

I am warning you up front, this post is about food. So if you are hungry, don't read it.

Last night Geoff and I went out to dinner while the boys spent time with Kevin & Ali. We opted for someplace new, so we went to Ted's Montana Grill. We thought it would be fancier than it was, nonetheless it was a very tasty meal. We both tried bison burgers. I would recommend Ted's to someone looking for a good meal.

A few weeks ago we were looking to get some lunch after shopping and tried Dickey's Barbeque. Now you all know how we love Jim 'N Nick's, so we thought maybe we ought to compare. Well, a bbq lunch is pretty good, but Dickey's had nothing on JNN. No comparison, JNN is far superior. We are happy to know our loyalty has not been in vain.

I've undertaken the task of trying to organize people to help bake bread for Creekside's Christmas Eve service. It's a big job, but I am feeling encouraged by the willingness of some of the bakers, and by the support of my friends and family. If I can do a small thing like this to make Christmas Eve special, then it makes me happy.

I'll close with a quote from How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

The Grinch: Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant.

Birthday Wishes (Belated & Current)

I in no way meant to slight the November birthdays, rather some of my favorite people have November birthdays. I just plum forgot.

November birthday wishes went out to Chad, Kelly, Dylan, & Dawn.

December birthday wishes are going out to Colin, Kirsty & Josh.

Hoping you have a great year.

Cousin Doug

If you live in Edmonton, perhaps you read about my cousin Doug in the paper. He was involved in an accident at work, where he sustained some burns. He's okay, he has been released from the hospital, but will be off work for several weeks while he recovers. Please pray for a smooth recovery for him. Also that he will be open to my brother getting him a job at his work, which is less dangerous.

Get well soon Dougie!

I Didn't Mean To

I didn't mean to go so long without posting, I just got busy.

Thanksgiving dinner was awesome. Geoff put a lot of work into preparing a feast for us all. We had...
turkey
stuffing
mashed potatoes
bourbon smashed sweet potatoes
cranberry-orange relish
gravy
*green bean casserole
*cream corn
*crescent rolls
*greek salad
*2 pecan pies
pumpkin pie
(asterisk represents what Ali made)

Kevin, Ali, Kevin's mom Cindy, and us four and there was a ton of food leftover. But we're nearly through the leftovers now. Here's some pics.

The bird


Elijah's plate


Daddy's plate


Thanksgiving with friends

I wanted badly to go out and brave the crowds on Black Friday, but it was snowy, and without knowing if it would be worth it, I stayed home. We planned to go to Southlands to see the tree lighting, but again, it was too chilly to drag the boys out, especially since Miles doesn't really have the right clothes. But our previous night's guests did, and said it was a little disappointing. They didn't stick around there, rather they came back over for more pie, and they brought their espresso machine. Ali made us all the yummiest mochas. We gotta get one of those!

Saturday & Sunday we did a little bit of shopping. Had some naps. Just kinda hung out.

In Christmas-y news: I'm anxiously awaiting Saturday, when we will decorate and put up our fake tree Cornelius (we're gonna get a real one when our Christmas company gets here). Of the Christmas presents I have to ship to Canada, there is only one left. I signed up to help with the church's Christmas Eve service planning. Now I guess I wait for them to call me and tell me what's next. I mailed all my Christmas cards today. There are a few still to go out, but I'm waiting on updated addresses.

Dinner is ready. I'll close with a quote from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Linus Van Pelt: Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you are the Charlie Browniest.

The Christmas Letter

My mother in law, Diane, sends out a Christmas letter every year. I don't know when she started hers, but I was inspired to do it the first year we moved to California (I think). So it's something I do, I write it, Geoff edits it.

I think it must have been the second or third year, my friend Cate asked for a copy. Wow, I'd never thought to send one locally. Now she sends one out too. Our letter goes out to family and friends, as well as work associates.

Ah, the art of Christmas letter writing. I wish I could say my letter is brilliant. But it probably reads a lot like my blog. I make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors, and I used to print a picture right on it. Now I send a picture Christmas card (yes, I'm one of those people. You would be too if your kids were this cute!)

Every year I browse online for tips on how to send out a letter that won't suck. Didja know there are do's and don't's? Well, there are. Here are some tips I've learned:

* keep it short
* don't brag
* write about you & your immediate family (the exception is parents, who are allowed to write about their grown kids & grandkids)

This website has a lot of good stuff on it.

Anyways, our letter is nearly done, just need the editor to look it over. If you send out a letter, I'd like to read it. If you get my letter, and you'd rather not, I won't be offended, let me know. It'll save me some postage.

I'll close with a quote from The Santa Clause.

Dr. Pete Novos: I don't know, Scott. You're as healthy as a horse.
Scott Calvin: Yeah! Clydesdale!
Dr. Pete Novos: So what? You put on a little weight.
Scott Calvin: Weight? Does this look like a little weight to you?
Dr. Pete Novos: Weight can fluctuate from year to year.
Dr. Pete Novos: Fluctuate? You make it sound like I'm retaining water. I've gained 45 pounds in a week. Pete, what's happening to me?
Dr. Pete Novos: Well, what's your diet like?
Scott Calvin: Milk and cookies.
Dr. Pete Novos: Really?
Scott Calvin: But I don't finish all the milk.
Dr. Pete Novos: Well then there is your problem. Just try to cut back on the sweets, okay?

Confession

I broke the rules.

I bought myself a present before Christmas. It's a rule I usually try to abide by, so as to make it easier for those who shop for me.

I bought Ocean's Thirteen last week and we watched it on Saturday night. Such a good movie, all three of them are. But I'm not breaking the rules again before Christmas, so you are all safe to shop off my wishlist. This is where it sucks to have a January birthday, because I have to wait until after that to buy myself anything I might want.

My cold is either going away slowly, or the drugs are masking it enough that I'm not bothered by it too much. I have to be better by Thursday (Thanksgiving)!

We're getting a snow storm from Canada tomorrow. Elijah will be happy, he's been dying to wear his new boots and use his shovel.

I'm getting ready for Christmas, meaning I've narrowed down what I'm buying most everyone. Now I need to wait for December to start shopping and shipping. Elijah keeps asking to put up the tree, but that likely won't happen until December either. We're hoping to do two trees again this year (as we have done it the past), one real, one fake.

Anyways, I have some planning to do while I have a quiet moment. I'll close with a quote from Ocean's Thirteen.

Rusty Ryan: Relationships can be...
Danny Ocean: Sure.
Rusty Ryan: But they're also...
Danny Ocean: That's right.

Cough Cough

I'm sick. Miles is sick. Elijah is still coughing. This just sucks eggs. The saddest thing I will probably recover and Elijah will still have his cough. I don't really want to take him to the doctor and spend the time getting there, and the money on the appointment for them to say he's fine, the cough is just hanging on. Duh! I know that.

So we're trying to take it easy, but it's making mom a little stir crazy. At least Miles is sleeping well. But I'm starting to get movied-out.

Last night, I went to a women's dessert social at church. Yes, I am sick and I went out. But I didn't cough too much, and I didn't touch anyone. Anyway, it was fun. I have heard this guest speaker before, she's funny. And I met some new people. Ali came with me, and the boys went out for ice cream. So everyone enjoyed dessert.

Well, those movies aren't going to watch themselves (what? does that even make sense?), so I better sign off. Yesterday we watched Chicken Little, so I'll close with a quote from that.

Chicken Little: I put on five ounces this year. I've really bulked up.

When Life Is Good

Life has been pretty S-W-E-E-T the last couple of days. I wanted to blog about it, so when things look sour, I can go back and read this.

I'm caught up on my blogs and I uploaded pictures from our visit with Nana & Great Grandma Joyce.

Miles has slept through the night the last two nights!

Geoff and I went on a date! For real! Geoff, Kevin, Ali and I went out to dinner at Bonefish Grill. Free meal! Yeah, I went to a seafood restaurant, and no I did not eat seafood. We laughed, we ate, we had a blast. Marian came over and babysat. We came home to two very tired but awake kids. They were asleep within ten minutes of us getting home.

I'm getting in Christmas mode. I have my first draft of the Christmas letter ready. We need to work on taking a family picture, and shopping still has to be done. Geoff says he's not ready for Christmas music yet, so I listen to it when he's not here. :) Elijah asks every week when we can put up the tree.

I'm going to close with a quote from Elf.

Emily: We can't just throw him out in the snow.
Walter: Why not? He loves the snow. He's told me 15 times.

I'm Not Ignoring You

I haven't blogged much because...
a) there isn't much to say or
b) I don't have time or
c) a little of both.

Since my last real post, Miles' sleep patterns have been unpredictable. But he's back to being hard to love in the middle of the night. Nana got a taste of that during her visit. In any case, we're gonna try and fix his problem, whatever it may be.

Yep, this last week we had the boys' Nana & Great Grandma come out for a visit. I'll probably write more of that on their blogs. But it was nice to have company.

Kevin & Ali are out here and settling in. They met us at Southlands on Halloween to see the boys, and take in the chilly Fall air.

I'm trying to get my Christmas shopping done, but it's hard to do with little ones. And I have not forgotten how frustrated I was last Christmas and how I vowed to buy everyone gift certificates. But I started some of my shopping early this year, so hopefully I won't feel so stressed. Really it's my own fault, because I moved to the U.S. and had to forevermore ship my gifts to Canada.

Well, I gotta get a jump on my errands. I know I just recently quoted Arrested Development, but Lisa liked this quote, so I had to use it.

Gob: Michael, I'm your big brother. I'll never be impressed with you.

Happy Halloween!

Train Engineers

My Love Life (Stolen From Amy)

Your Love Life is Like Pretty Woman

"I want the fairy tale" You believe that love is truly blind, unpredictable, and surprising. Two very different people can easily find true love. At least, that is how it will happen when you marry a gorgeous billionaire someday ;-) Your love style: Sensual and flirty Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Surprisingly happy

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Excitement Wearing Off

Geoff is almost off his runner's high from his great race (see his blog for more details). He's still quick to point out places he's run past. We're so super proud of him. I don't think I would have run in the rain.

My D.C. high is slowly fading, but I'm sure it will resume once I get my books out of the library. I'm going to try to pack as much in as I can into a weekend, fully realizing, I won't see it all. But Geoff is anxious to see Washington too, so perhaps we'll take a family trip out there. Kelly is just as excited as I am. January can't come soon enough.

Elijah has croup. It's been a long time since he had it, and it isn't so bad. The biggest bummer of all is staying inside and away from others. And trying to explain that to him. "You need to rest." "No." All the boys had colds on Monday, I'm the only one who got off scot-free. Miles is over his, Geoff is almost over his, and as I said, Elijah got croup.

Now for the best news of all.... Miles is sleeping like a normal kid again! Hallelujah! He's still waking up at night, but only once or twice. So I feel back to myself.

Well, Elijah wants to watch Mulan, again. So I have to go. I'll close with a quote from the movie.

Yao: I'll get that arrow, pretty boy, and I'll do it with my shirt *on*.

Mrs. Armstrong Goes To Washington

I'm going to Washington, D.C. baby! Going to see Kelly in January!

My Life (Stolen From Brody)

MY STORY.

Hi, my name is:
Melissa

but you can call me:
Melissa, Melissius, M

Never in my life have I:
eaten lobster

The one person who can drive me nuts is:
almost anyone has the possibility

My high school is:
far away

When I’m nervous:
I touch my face

The last song I listened to was:
Solsbury Hill

If I were to get married right now it would be to:
Geoff again, somewhere fun or warm

My hair is:
in need of a change

When I was 4:
I was smaller

Last Christmas:
was a hoot, despite the blizzard

I should be:
getting dressed

When I look down I see:
my warm robe

The happiest recent event was:
hanging out with the Gustafsons

If I were a character on ‘Friends’ :
I'd hope I'd be getting money from the reruns

By this time next year:
the kids will be older

My current gripe is:
too much coverage of the Rockies, not enough about the marathon

I have a hard time understanding:
Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize

There’s these girls:
and they have a reality show, why?

If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be:
Geoff, then Lisa or my mom (whoever answered their phone first)

I want to buy:
all my Christmas gifts now, so I can ship them off.

I plan to visit:
Washington, D.C. as soon as I can

If you spent the night at my house:
you might be cold, I need more blankets!

The world could do without:
a certain trashy company, who I won't give more press to. But you've probably heard me complain about them

Most recent thing I’ve bought myself:
my new Gap jeans. I love them

Most recent thing someone else bought me:
I don't even know. My MIL bought us an umbrella for our patio table, that would have to be it.

My middle name is:
June

In the morning I:
I ignore the sounds of kids waking, hoping Geoff will deal with it.

Last night I was:
cold

There’s this guy I know who:
is WAY into comics, it's Brody!

If I was an animal I’d be a:
cat, sleeping all day

A better name for me would be:
Melissa is okay

Tomorrow I am:
probably doing the same thing as today

Tonight I am:
hopefully going to the gym

My birthday is:
in 89 Days. What are you getting me?

Missing Papa

Papa & me


Geoff, Papa & me, 1999

I Don't Want To Talk About It

It's funny, you would think that having a blog, I'd want to share more than enough information with you. But frankly, there are some things I want to keep private, and the reason for that is bad information.

I don't want to share some things that are personal because people misinterpret them and then pass along this info wrong. And I don't want things getting twisted or shared with people who don't know me.

Anyways, that being said, I have some stuff going on, and I don't want to talk about it. I'm dealing with it.

Onto lighter things.

Kevin was here this week. We filled him up with yummy home cooked food, then Wednesday night, rather than the Bull & Bush, we opted for the closer (and still yummy) McCabe's Irish Pub. He & Elijah got even closer, and I think they both are looking forward to future playdates.

Did I mention I get to see Cindy this month? I couldn't be happier about that.

Tuesday we went to the zoo. It was pretty busy (free day), but we didn't notice the crowds until we got to Polar Bears (one of my favs) and we could barely move the stroller. At that point Miles was ready to leave, so we pushed through there, glanced at the giraffes on our way to the exit and drove home. I think we'll consider a yearly pass, then we can go whenever we want and it won't be so busy.

I'm already trying to practice getting pics of the boys for Christmas, here's my best attempt at getting them to sit near each other and smile.



Oh, and Geoff wanted me to post this picture of someone he found in the lawn two weeks ago.


Sunday is Geoff's big race. Go on his blog or his facebook wall and wish him good luck.

I'm gonna close with a quote from Arrested Development.

Lucille: The company is in danger.
Michael: What tipped you off? The falling profit margins or the fact that we're a regular feature on Bill O'Reilly's most ridiculous item of the day?

October

We've had a few days already where it feels like fall. Our tree in the backyard has nearly lost all its leaves. And Geoff has already bought a second snow shovel, since you never know.

I've been feeling really worn down the last two weeks. Miles hasn't been sleeping well, and it's taking a toll on me. Pray for me, and for Miles to start sleeping better. Thankfully last night he only woke once.

A busy week ahead. Tomorrow I'm taking the boys to the zoo, and Wednesday I have to take Honey Cat to the vet for her check-up. Kevin is working here this week, so he's crashing with us. We'll try to do a dinner out on Wednesday night, perhaps to the Bull & Bush Pub. Haven't been back there in probably two years, so it will be neat.

Geoff has his marathon on Sunday, and he's convinced it's going to snow. Snow I can deal with, if it rains, I'll be upset. In the event of rain, we might not make it to watch. I just can't wrangle kids, umbrellas, and a sign.

The end of the month with bring Diane & Grandma Joyce here. This will be the first time Grandma Joyce will meet her two great grandkids. I'm very happy for her, as who knows when we would make it up to Ottawa.

Also at the end of the month is Kevin & Alison's move. I am excited for that, and we've already welcomed them (and Kevin's mom) to join us for Thanksgiving.

Speaking of which, Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian family & friends.

I'm going to close with a quote from Anchorman.

Ron Burgundy: Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast.
Champ Kind: It jumped up a notch.
Ron Burgundy: It did, didn't it?
Brick Tamland: Yeah, I stabbed a man in the heart.
Ron Burgundy: I saw that. Brick killed a guy. Did you throw a trident?
Brick Tamland: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident.
Ron Burgundy: Brick, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safehouse or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.

October Birthdays

September had no birthdays (save for my girlfriend Amy), so here is October's list.

Birthday wishes to Jen & Kaisara! Have a great year!

September

Man this month has felt so long. I'm ready for a new one.

My cousin Rhonda says Grandpa is looking good. Praise God, because I was playing Worst Case Scenario in my head and it was no fun. Since the little one has no passport, the only option would be to drive to Canada. And a road trip just the two of us did not appeal to me at all!

Needless to say, it has given me the kick in the butt to finally apply for his passport. I've had the application sitting on my counter for a few months. We're going to go take the picture today.

Haven't done much this week. Worried about Grandpa, Elijah had a fever off and on for 2 days (probably tooth related), Miles got another tooth. Yesterday we went to Nature Center, and Elijah was not interested in paying attention at all. But he still likes gymnastics. Monday will be his last class, so we will have to talk about whether we will sign him up again.

Have I mentioned how excited I am that Twin Peaks is finally being released on DVD (October 30)? We're talking the whole series, plus pilot, plus extras! The only downside is the price. I gotta save my pennies. But in honor of that, I'll close with a quote from it.

Sheriff Truman: Jelly donuts?
Dale Cooper: Harry, that goes without saying.

In God's Hands

Okay, so here's the situation.

My Grandpa is in the hospital and had surgery today. As I understand it they couldn't do the surgery they wanted, so they had to go to plan B. He is currently trying to recover, but they don't have a room for him. There is someone else ahead of him waiting on a room. I picture an episode of House when the girl had to have a lumbar puncture in a hallway because there were no rooms.

This is the quality health care Michael Moore is trying to sell you. :)

Sigh. Just keep my Grandpa John, and the family in your prayers.

**Updated at 9pm**
Grandpa has a room in ICU and is recovery. Mom says his color looks okay, he was sleeping so she didn't speak with him. Keep praying.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Elijah must have Daddy's holiday spirit, because the last two weeks he's been asking when we can get a Christmas tree. Those who don't know, I'm married to a loony who sings Christmas songs year round. God bless him, he's a good man, I can't help but love him (looniness and all).

It's official, Kevin & Alison are moving here! They'll pack up their life in SoCal and move here in November.




A new store opened up at Southlands, The Cookie Company. So I went to check it out yesterday, buying 4 cookies in an attempt to get an idea of what they offer. The lady even threw in 3 day olds for free. They were all tasty, so I will definitely go back, as well as hype it to the locals. The store originated in Nebraska, this is it's first location outside of that state.

In tv news, Psych is done until January, Burn Notice isn't coming back until next summer, and House is back on Tuesday. The BN finale was really good, it's going to be a long wait. If you didn't see it this season, you should try and catch the show. I think Mike would like it, it co-stars an actor he likes, Bruce Campbell. But mostly people watch it for Jeffrey Donovon who is awesome (and easy on the eyes)


I'll close with a quote from Burn Notice.

Sam: Here ya go, Doug: my lucky vest.
Michael: It'll look great over my shirt.
Doug: Thanks.
Sam: It's a little worn, but it'll do the trick.
Doug: Are these bullet holes?
Sam: Yeah, I broke it in for ya

Man Survey (Stolen From Amy)

1. Who is your man?
Geoffrey

2. How long have you been together?
12 years

3. Dating/Engaged/Married?
Married 10 years

4. How old is your man?
Big 3-0

5. What’s his middle name?
Stuart

♥You or your man♥

1. Who eats more?
He does. I eat smaller meals.

2. Who said “I love you” first?
Eep, I don't remember. Maybe me.

3. Who weighs more?
He does, by about 30 lbs.

4. Who sings better?
Me, but he ain't too shabby.

5. Who’s older?
Me, by 3 months (to the day)

6. Who’s smarter?
which one has a PhD? You tell me. :)

DIFFERENT WAYS
7. Who’s temper is worse?
ha ha, I pick him.

8. Who does the laundry?
ha ha ha, lucky me.

9. Who does the dishes?
Usually me.

10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
How do you decide which is the right side? If you are looking at the bed, it's me.

11. Who’s feet are bigger?
Geoff's.

12. Who’s hair is longer?
Me, by a long shot.

13. Who’s better with the computer?
Geoff

14. Who mows the lawn?
Boy's work, Geoff does it.

15. Who pays the bills?
We pay bills? Geoff does.

16. Who cooks dinner?
We take turns.

17. Who drives when you are together?
We take turns with that too. Depends on where and how far we're going.

18. Who pays when you go out to dinner?
Geoff, unless he's holding the kids.

19. Who’s the most stubborn?
Me, I think.

20. Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong?
Me, I think.

21. Who’s parents do you see more?
Geoff's, but we only see our parents once or twice a year.

22. Who named your dog?
No dog yet, but Honey Cat already had a name and it suited her.

23. Who kissed who first?
He kissed me first.

24. Who asked who out?
I think I prompted him to ask me.

26. Who’s more sensitive?
He is, I'm a robot.

27. Who’s taller?
Geoff

28. Who has more friends?
Me!

29. Who has more siblings?
We each have one sibling.

30. Who wears the pants in the relationship?
He does, but like Amy says, girls pants are nicer.

Yay, and Ugh

Let's get the Ugh out of the way. I'm super tired, I have been for days. Haven't been getting enough good sleep. Miles has been waking up at 4am, and he's hungry. Add to that a few nights of not getting to bed before 11:30am, and it makes for a run down Mommy. Now I have a sore throat, and it's either

A) a result of not enough sleep or
B) allergies.

Let's talk about Yay. Kevin & Ali came out to visit this weekend. I had to keep that secret until they told their folks (a few days before they came). I think they had a great time. Reason for the trip? A possible job transfer for Kevin. So now we're praying the two of them take the plunge. Kevin was totally in love in Colorado (who wouldn't be), and Ali even got some possible job leads. Also, they have another friend who lives in Denver. Pretty exciting stuff.

Geoff needs lodging for his California trip next month. For dates or to offer him a spare bed, contact him. Or even if you want to join him for a night out to Vegas.

I'm hoping to add pictures on Shutterfly today or tomorrow. Amy & I are meeting up this week for alone time, no kids! And I have errands I want to do this week.

I'm going to close with a quote from 28 Days.

Betty: Tonight's lecture: "What's wrong with celebrating sobriety by getting drunk?"

Dee Dee Dee

That's the sound of life going along.

Last week, we went out to the Nature Center again. It's becoming a regular Thursday for us. On Saturday the boys and I walked up to Southlands, and Geoff met us there after his run. I was able to get a new pair of jeans, since I only own two pairs of pants. I'm down to my smallest size ever (as an adult). I can't explain it. Breastfeeding and exercise. I'm donating all my old clothes to the Denver Rescue Mission. I hope that I won't ever get that big again. I am holding onto my maternity clothes though. Just in case.

For lunch on Saturday, we attempted paninis. Yumm-o! Some chicken & provolone on french bread. All it needed would have been pesto to be divine.

This morning, Elijah had his first gymnastics class. I'll try to get some pictures next week. Wasn't sure how it would play out, and now that I know, I should be able to snap a few next time. He spent a lot of time running around, and we'll practice some of the things he learned. It's pretty laid back, only 8 kids in the class.

I'm going to close with a quote from A Bug's Life. I nearly have it memorized.

Rosie: So that's how my twelfth husband died. So, now I'm a widow. Well, I've always been a black widow, so now I'm a black widow widow.

How Are You?

We're okay. I was super angry the rest of that drive home, and maybe for 10 minutes after that. Mostly because I felt like there was nothing I could do to this guy's driving record. Geoff said even if we took him to small claims court, the only witness was a homeless girl, and the judge would say, "why would he be backing up when he's pulling a trailer?", and my answer would be "EXACTLY!"

So Steve McQueen has only sustained a bent license plate frame. It all happened so slowly. It was much scarier this winter when I drove Gary into a snowbank during the blizzard season.

Elijah has a cold, so we're trying to hang out here and keep his germs confined. If he's better by Thursday, we'll go to the Nature Center.

Geoff bought his ticket for Erich's wedding in October. I so wish I was going too, but there is no money for that. I know the family (i.e.- Kroliks) will take good care of him. Now will I survive 5 days as a single mom of two?

I'll close with a quote from Wild Wild West.

Artemus Gordon: Oh, look. My auxiliary tool kit, I forgot all about it. It must have fallen out of my pocket.
Capt. James West: Your pocket? Why wasn't it on some spring-loaded contraption that shoots out your ass?
Artemus Gordon: That's the first place Loveless would have looked.

Dear Idiot

An open letter to the idiot from Ohio who doesn't know how to drive.

Dear Sir,
Thanks for visiting Colorado. Did you have a nice visit? I can see you drove a distance to get here, going so far as to pull your trailer too. Did you know that you need special mirrors to see past your vehicle as well as your trailer? Did you know that you are to NEVER back up when you are pulling a trailer? Were you aware you were so caught up in your conversation/your radio/whatever that you didn't hear me blaring my horn at you?

Thank you so much for backing your trailer into my car. Thank you for startling myself and my children with your careless driving. But most of all, thank you for not even bothering to see what damage you did to my car. You just continued your trip on your merry way.

Incidentally, you have dented my front license plate, and I have recorded your license plate number. Not really sure what I'm going to do with it, perhaps send a letter to your state police letting them know you are out there driving, giving the people of Ohio a good reputation.

You suck.

Angrily Yours,
Melissa Armstrong

Slow

So I've been slacking on blogging because the home laptop died. So it cut my time on the computer by half. a good thing? maybe, but I feel like I'm missing things I was able to do before.

Anyways, here's what my week looked like. Monday was supposed to go to the dr, and having it get cancelled 45 minutes beforehand through off my whole schedule for the boys. Elijah didn't nap as planned, it took me 2 hours to convince him he had to. Kinds stressful. Wednesday we had Miles' dr appt and my rescheduled appt. Elijah spent Miles' appt at Marian's and had a blast. Thursday we went to Monkey Bizness with Amy & Caley, instead of the Nature Center. Monkey Bizness is like an indoor gym, a big room filled with inflatable obstacle courses and bounce houses.


Playing with Caley

This weekend we have no big plans, Geoff has to work on Monday. Otherwise, I'd love to get down to Colorado Springs or Manitou Springs. I may settle for a trip to Peet's in honor of Peet's founder, and Starbucks influencer, Alfred Peet who passed away this week.

I'm gonna close with a quote from Red Dwarf. In honor of Miles, who has given me the gift of a 4am wake up call two days in a row.

The Cat: You're thinking negative. Think of all the glorious and wonderful possibilities about having children.
Lister: Like?
The Cat: Like when they grow up and leave home.

What To Say?

Gee, not much to share. Thursday we made it back to the Nature Center. Friday we took a family trip up to Boulder to attend a going away party for someone Geoff knew. That was kinda fun, it was at the place where Geoff goes running in Boulder. He took the boys on a short hike. It was a picnic potluck. When we departed, we had a deer walk out in front of the car. It wasn't in any danger of us hitting it, thank goodness.

The weekend was pretty laidback. Saturday night, we had both boys in bed by 7pm. Crazy huh? We partied it up by watching a movie. Then once 10:30pm came, Miles was waking up twice an hour until 5am. I don't know what his issue was, but I fed him at 5, then the two of us slept until 8:30am.

I started working on Miles' stocking, and I'm making good progress.

On tap for this week, doctor appointments for Miles and myself. I'll likely aim to get out to the Nature Center again.

I'm going to close with a quote from Meet The Fockers.

Bernie Focker: Do you want me to be macho wacho?
Greg Focker: Dad, have I ever said the words macho wacho to you?

Whoo-hoo!

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, I started an REI wishlist. Friday I sent an email to family letting them know we are planning to take the boys camping next summer, but we lack several camping needs. I heard back from someone and they are buying us the tent and coordinating footprint. How cool is that? That was the biggest item we needed, so now it makes the rest of the stuff more obtainable with gift cards, me thinks. :)

We did go up into the mountains yesterday to check out the outlet stores in Silverthorne. Not many good buys to be found, but we did visit The Smiling Moose Deli, and had a delicious lunch. Funny thing is their only Denver location is right across from Geoff's old hospital. Maybe the sandwich was so good he'll get his buds together and they'll take the shuttle there for lunch.

Marian offered to babysit one night for us, so I hope to take her up on it soon. Really all she has to do is hang out here after the kids go to sleep, so she said she'd bring her books to read.

I'm gonna close with a quote from Psych. You're watching it, because it's an awesome show!

Shawn: He's not going to kill us, right? I mean people change. We haven't seen him since the 5th grade.
Gus: I don't need to see him Shawn! Some people are just born evil. The kid from the Omen, the Children from the Corn, Chad Michael Murray.

Yay! The Weekend Is Here

At the beginning of the week, I had some ideas of what I wanted to do. And amazingly enough I got to do them. I went to the gym a few times. Also, we went to the Morrison Nature Center.


outside the Nature Center


Elijah on the hike

It's a weekly thing, so I may try to get us there each week. If the timing works out. It's free, it's educational, why not right?

This weekend we are aiming to get out to Silverthorne. If I'm lucky I'll be able to get some early Christmas shopping done at the outlet mall. 131 days until Christmas! Ha ha ha.

I'm going to close with a quote from Peggy Sue Got Married.

Richard Norvik: I would be very careful about this if I were you. What if you fall into the hands of some madman with plans to manipulate your brain?
Peggy Sue: Well, that's why I was getting a divorce!

Don't Get Your Hopes Up...

But Geoff's friend Erich is getting married and extended an invite to us. The wedding is in La Jolla/San Diego, and it's in October. We'd love to go, but we're still trying to figure out if it is feasible. Obviously it would be a short trip, but the lure of being back in California has set our hearts a-flutter. As soon as something has been decided, I'll let you know. I do think Geoff will go, even if we all don't.

Our friend Roland is embarking on a road trip from Arizona, and is going to crash with us one night this week. It will be nice to have company. We haven't seen him since Chris & Ashley's wedding in 2004.

Friday I went to the gym and put both the boys in the daycare there. They seemed fine when I came to get them, so I'm thrilled to have that option during the day. Elijah wanted to play in the pool, so Sunday we went swimming as a family. It was surprisingly empty, which was wonderful.

Got some ideas of what I'd like to do this week and on the upcoming weekend but as always we'll see how it plays out. The boys are always better after they nap, so I have to be flexible.

Watched some Warren Miller film this weekend (I think it was Higher Ground), and Geoff thought this quote was funny, so I'll close with that.

"Warm beer is infinitely cooler than no beer"

Life, As I Know It

Not much is going on in MelissaWorld. Elijah is having more good days than bad days and Miles is growing bigger every day. Sunday afternoon Amy came over to babysit, and Geoff and I went out. We had planned to see a movie, but as Geoff pointed out, wouldn't it be nicer to be able to look at each other and talk, rather than stare at a screen? He still owes me a movie, it's been almost 3 years since we saw one in the theatre.

So we went to Park Meadows Mall, shopped a little and ate some cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. I've never been before, so I opted for the most chocolately one I could find. After smelling Geoff's espresso, I wished I had gotten a coffee too. We left the mall and went over to REI. I have set up a wishlist, and it's my hope we'll get enough gift cards/money to buy a tent for camping next summer. (If you missed this subtle hint, I'll be sending out an email about it soon).

I finished reading another book, The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold). It was good, but pretty depressing. It is slated to be made into a movie by Peter Jackson, and I'm not really sure how it's going to translate to the big screen. But they have a pretty good cast lined up.

I'll close with a quote from Elijah's current favorite movie, Monsters, Inc.

Mike: Look at the big jerk. He ruined my life, and for what? A STUPID KID! Because of you, I am stuck in this frozen wasteland!
Yeti: Wasteland? I think you mean "Wonderland"! I mean, how about all this fabulous snow, huh? Oh, and wait until you see the local village, cutest thing in the world. I haven't mentioned all the free yak's milk.
Sulley: Wh... What did you say?
Yeti: Yak's milk. Milking a yak isn't exactly a picnic; but once you pick the hairs out, it's very nutritious.

July-August Birthdays

Okay, so I missed July. But the beginning of the month was getting ready for vacation. So I'm covering July & August.

July birthday wishes go out to Trina, Ali, Sharon & Kristy!

August birthday wishes go out to my mom, Cate & Amy!

Happy Birthday everyone and have an awesome year!

That Thing I Do

Don't have much to say. Just letting you all know I'm just doing what I do, and nothing too exciting is going on. Trying to raise good kids, trying to be a good wife, and just taking care of every day things.

I'm glad July is over, I'm waiting for Fall and cooler weather. That will mean more walks. I've been able to get out to the gym once a week. I don't use that time to solve my problems, but rather to shut them out for a while and just think about me. I'm feeling pretty good (albeit tired) and my weight is excellent. Now I need to maintain and tone.

I've contacted Cate about helping me with a project. I won't reveal anything, you'll have to see the finished project once I post it. And I will probably start on Miles' stocking soon.

We watched The Pursuit Of Happyness last night. Geoff said it was depressing. True it was a sad movie, but I walked away from it feeling blessed, and thinking I need to appreciate how lucky I am.

I'm going to close with a quote from Hitch.

Hitch: When your wondering what to say, or how you look... just remember... she is already out with you. That means, she said yes, when she could've said no. That means she made a plan... when she could've just blown you off. So that means it is no longer you job to make her like you... It’s your job NOT TO MESS IT UP

Coney Island Hot Dog

If you checked out the photos from our daytrip to Breckenridge, you saw we had dinner at Coney Island, a hot dog stand along the side of the road. Here's the story behind the stand.

Phew

Ok, now that I'm done blogging the vacation, I can move on. I don't know how many people found it worth reading (thanks Sharon), but it was as much for me as it was for anyone else. And if anyone gleaned some new restaurants to try, then it was worth all the effort.

As mentioned, we got back from our trip and Elijah got sick, then me. This week it was Honey Cat and Geoff. Miles is the only one who escaped. Geoff didn't have what Elijah and I did, his was something far less painful.

On Saturday, we went to Whole Foods (in Aurora) and it's a much better store than Cherry Creek's. For one, it's at least twice the size. We picked up some satays and corn on the cob for dinner that night. Sunday after church we drove up to Breckenridge. It was supposed to be over 100 degrees down here, and comfortable 70s in the mountains. The drive reminded me of driving in the Canadian Rockies. Until you get to the high plains, which was weird to me. To be in the mountains, but it's farm land. Kind of odd, but beautiful. The town was just how I pictured it, and I can not wait to get back. So many shops, and no time to look at it all. It's hard to shop with two little ones.

Driving past Platte Canyon High was a little surreal. This was the school that suffered a tragedy this year with a shooter taking kids hostage, and one girl died. To see how small the community is, to see the school you've only seen on the news. It makes you sad. It made Geoff want to drive to the sheriff's office to thank him for the job he did, as hard as it was.

Our temps here have been very warm, and yesterday I finally got out Elijah's alligator pool for him to enjoy. I posted some pictures of that on shutterfly. The plans for this weekend are to go to a bbq, and if we're up to it, we might try to go back to the mountains. We'll see what transpires.

We watched For Your Consideration over the weekend, so I'll close with a quote from that.

Lane Iverson: You can't throw the baby out with the bathwater because then all you have is a wet, critically injured baby.

Vacation, Part Four (the end)

The hardest part of leaving the cottage was saying goodbye to my family, not knowing when I would see them again. There are no scheduled trips to Alberta on the books (visa issues), and they spent a lot of money to get to California. I may see them again next summer, but where has not been decided.

I think we were able to depart around 8am. The drive home went so much more smoothly. Miles slept in longer periods, thus were didn't have to stop as frequently. The goal was to stay in Richfield, UT for the night. We had packed a lunch, and we stopped to eat that in Primm, NV. That's right, we stopped inside the air conditioned outlet mall and ate our lunch. I also was able to sit on a couch to breastfeed Miles and watch classic ESPN. I almost got into the Old Navy outlet store but Elijah wasn't going for it. We stopped one more time, at a rest stop, then we made it Richfield in time for dinner. We went to a restaurant down the road from our hotel, JB's Restaurant. I loved it, I love diner food. It was what you'd expect. We checked into the hotel, and it was so much nicer than the place in St. George had been. Plus it had internet access! Geoff left to go check out the bakery he saw next door to JB's, and the boys and I got settled. He came back bearing yummy treats, a cookie for Elijah and a maple dip doughnut for me. It tasted like it came from Tim Horton's. The place was called Ideal Dairy. We had a hard time getting the boys to sleep. Miles was wide awake, and Elijah wanted to talk to me while I was trying to coax the baby to sleep. So I ended leaving the room and walking in the lobby to get Miles to fall asleep. Once I left the room, Geoff and Elijah fell asleep. 45 minutes later Miles was asleep.

Sunday morning we enjoyed the continental breakfast at the hotel (they had a waffle iron!) and then we were on the road. The hope was to be home by 4pm. We stopped for lunch in Fruita, CO at Pablo's Pizza. This was the best pizza (outside of Geoff's) that I've had in a long time. No joke, we're ready to drive the 4 hours just to eat there again! (We are planning on getting back out there, there are some cool things to do in Fruita). We then embarked on the drive home. Now we were on track to get home for 4pm, but hit yucky traffic. It added an extra 2 hours to our drive. We almost considered pulling into one of the mountain towns for dinner to let traffic ease up. But we got home at 6pm, and hit the drive thru at Jim N Nick's.

That was our vacation. Would I do it again? I probably wouldn't drive that far again with a breastfeeding baby. Or at least I'd spread out the drive more. I loved that we never ate at the same place twice (except In-N-Out). We explored new places, broke out of our box. We had some good laughs. I'm a pretty blessed gal.

Vacation, Part Three

Wednesday it was our day to spend together as Armstrongs and Torrances. We tried to organize a trip to main beach, but it just wasn't happening. Ryan desperately needed a nap, so they took a car drive to try and get him to sleep. No luck. But when they returned we had finally gotten the pack n play for him and Dawn coaxed him to sleep. Then Miles fell asleep before I could get him in the snugli. In the end, it was only Colin & Dylan taking the free shuttle to main beach. Geoff went to pick up more charcoal for the bbq, and to get side dishes for dinner. Elijah, Dawn & I hung out on the deck. Once we started dinner cooking, the boys got home from the beach. Got a long distance call on my phone (Hi Mom!) and just bragged about the weather and sights.

After dinner, Dawn & I walked down to main beach with the babies. I wanted to take Dawn to Wild Oats to see if we could find food for Ryan (he's lactose intolerant and also can't have egg whites). We did find some good stuff for him to try, and it encouraged Dawn to get to her own health food (Hippie) store. When we got back, there was a poker game going, and we jumped in, sending Dylan & Elijah off to bed. I think we played until after 10pm (party animals I know).

Thursday the Torrances ventured off to Disneyland for the day. We had made lunch plans with Rod & Diana, so I had to convince Elijah to have an early nap. Rod & Diana found the cottage easily enough and we all walked down to the restaurant I picked out, GG's Cafe. It describes itself as Turkish/Mediterranean food. It was a lovely lunch (I had a pannini, Geoff had a hot pita sandwich, Elijah had pita bread) and so nice to catch up with Rod & Diana. After lunch they took Geoff to UCI to meet with his old boss, and I took care of feeding Miles before I too went to Irvine. I went to WCC to see Julie (most of the old staff has left or is leaving), and also saw Marilyn and Erik. Elijah found some girl on the playground to play with. Once we were done, Elijah and I went to In-N-Out for milkshakes. Geoff wasn't done yet so I headed to Mason park (our old park we used to go to) to feed Miles. Elijah wanted to check out the lake, but we couldn't stay. We picked up Geoff and ultimately decided to go to the In-N-Out on campus for dinner. Geoff called up Ryan to meet us afterwards for dessert. We had brought the laptop and the coffee shop had access (yay!). Once Ryan arrived he treated us to gelati (a little messier than I envisioned Elijah would get). A short visit, and then back to the cottage. We didn't wait up for the Torrances to get home, we knew it would be late.

Friday. Our last day. We were all feeling sad. We tried to get some laundry done, and get organized. Colin & Dawn watched Elijah for us while Miles slept and Geoff & I ducked out for some alone time. We walked down to PCH and stopped in at Andree's. We got a treat (a muffin & a chocolate croissant) and did some shopping. I got a souvenir, a gift for Amy for watching Honey Cat, and I bought Dawn's birthday present (her birthday is in November). We talked about when we'd be able to come back again. Geoff wants to rent the house again. When we got back we made plans to hit the beach in the afternoon for tide pools. I waited all week for tide to be low, and it was scheduled for 2:20pm. We headed down to our beach, and then towards the keyhole. Walking along the tide, having it wash over my feet, I'm going to hold onto that feeling the next time the boys are driving me batty.

We broke into pairs, Geoff & Elijah, Colin & Dylan, Dawn & Ryan, Miles with me. At this point disaster struck. I was walking through the keyhole and had the sand swept from underneath me. I lost my balance, and with Miles strapped to my chest in the snugli, we fell into the ocean. I broke the fall with my hand on a rock, I cut my elbow and my feet. Miles slammed his back (padded by the snugli) into the rock I cut my hand on. He got sand all down his back, and the ordeal, while frightening to me, didn't even faze him. He barely blinked. This scared Dawn off coming in to tidepool, she & Ryan were right behind me. It took the fun out it for me too, and I didn't stay long. But it was teeming with life. A lot of crabs could be seen scrambling over the rocks. Once tidepooling was done, we set off to take our group pictures and to play in the water. This was the first day I actually got to get in the water. It was awesome. Too short was our time, we had dinner plans. We had to pack it up, get kids washed and go to Jake & Cindy's for Crab Fest.

Again, traffic was awful, we got there shortly after Colin & Dawn, and they left long before us. But there was lots of food and Kroliks to see. Everyone got to meet my family, Ryan got adopted by Abbie, Dylan hung out with some older kids, Elijah found his own friends to play with and Miles always had someone wanting to hold him. The 4 kids barely saw each other (refreshing for them I'm sure). Us parents loved it. Dawn said, we should have done this all week! Elijah and Dawn both had their first taste of crab, Colin & Dawn got to taste Jake's famous (and delicious) Lutzy Putz (I think that's what he calls it, Kroliks out there, help me out). It's a polish pork recipe he won't share.

We couldn't stay too long, we all had a busy day ahead. Many many sad eyes as we had to say goodbye.

Now all that's left is Saturday and Sunday.

Vacation, Part Two

Sunday morning, once we got the baby fed and everyone dressed, we headed down to PCH to find some breakfast. We'd seen several cafes the day before, so we knew we'd be okay. Some were packed and had no free tables, some just weren't for us. One place we wanted to go to, but was closed was Andree's Patisserie. We finally settled on Goko Cafe, a mostly organic cafe. I know you're wondering what did Melissa find to eat there? Well, I had a bacon and cheese bagel sandwich, with freshly squeezed apple juice. It was green, with foam on top. It tasted...like a freshly squeezed apple. Elijah had some yogurt, Geoff had granola and freshly squeezed orange juice. We then walked up a block to the Ralphs to get groceries for the house. On the way home, Elijah wanted to see the ocean, so he & Daddy went and Miles & I went to the house to feed again and put away the groceries.

The rest of the morning/early afternoon was spent with naps and running (you figure out who did what). Then Colin, Dawn, Dylan & Ryan arrived! I got the biggest hug from Dylan he was so happy to see me. More hugging, and then we went into the house and Elijah woke to 4 new faces staring at him. We all got reacquainted and met the new babies. Geoff returned from his run and we hung out. We had made arrangements for dinner with Cate & Kaisara, since they were leaving on an anniversary cruise that week. We headed towards them and found a new restaurant called Boneheads for dinner. I enjoyed the caesar salad with piri piri chicken, Geoff had shrimp, Elijah had chicken tenders. It was pretty tasty. Then we played in the fountains there for a bit before trying to get the kids to bed at a normal hour.

Monday the plan was to hit PCH and the beach with the Torrances. We headed down to check out the beach, which Ryan loved. He crawled along in the sand, wanted to be swept away by the ocean. Elijah got into playing in the water too.

The big boys were going to head back to the house, while the girls and babies went to Ralphs to get more provisions. The boys ended up finding us still shopping when they realized... I had the key to the house. Oops. On the walk home, we stopped in Andree's, and got some yummy pastries. It's a tiny bakery, just one guy. I had my first chocolate eclair. Fabulous! For dinner we had gotten burgers to bbq, but it didn't quite work out. Not enough charcoal. But we had a good time regardless.

Tuesday the Torrances went down to San Diego to do Sea World, and we spent the morning and early afternoon having kids nap. Once everyone was up, we went to the beach house the Kroliks were at and hung out on their beach. It was nice to just sit and have someone else amuse the boys. :) We took Lexi away with us for dinner. We walked down towards main beach and ended up eating at Greeter's Corner. On the walk back we picked up some Ben & Jerry's ice cream at Ralphs to eat at the house. Eventually Geoff took Lexi back to her beach house, and after he got back the Torrances got in from their day at Sea World. They said it was huge, you could spend two days doing everything there. And yes, Dylan got splashed by Shamu.

Alright there's a few more days for you.

Vacation, Part One

I'm trying to figure out the best way to blog about this trip.

We left early Friday morning, around 7am. We made some good time, but stopped near Edwards for our first break. Once Miles was fed, and Geoff and Elijah had explored the little creek there, we were back on the road. We had packed some sandwiches, and found a park by the welcome center in Fruita, CO. At this point I offered to drive the next leg into Utah. We wanted to make some good time, and we prayed Miles would make it past the 110 miles between Green River & Salina where there are no services. He did, but it was a little painful at times. We ended up stopping in Beaver, which was not a good rest stop. It was a concrete gas station. I was tired from my small amount of driving, I guess Utah wasn't enough to keep me awake. The plan was to stop for dinner in Cedar City, UT before heading to our hotel in St. George, UT. Cedar City looked like such a neat town, I'd love to go back and see more. Geoff had researched some places to eat, and we settled on Sullivan's Cafe. Service was okay, the food was yummy enough. It was a short drive to St. George, like maybe 20 minutes or so. Geoff had gotten himself a slice of pie to go, so I hoped I'd be able to find a Dairy Queen or something near our hotel. Even better, was Iceberg Drive In. (I just discovered on their website they are presently only found in UT, but are expanding to CA, NV, & AZ) For $2, I got the biggest chocolate dipped cone you ever saw! (Athena, I almost took a picture of it for you, but I started eating it because it was like 105 degrees outside) On their menu, they had 48 ( I counted) different milkshake flavors! Our hotel wasn't great, but the bed was so comfy. This was also the start of Miles not sleeping through the night again.

We were off again at 7am, since we did have a wedding to get to. The continental breakfast hadn't been set up yet, so we left and just snacked on the granola bars we had packed. We were making good time again, and had our next stop in Primm, NV. It was well over 100 degrees there by 9am, and made for unpleasant conditions to breastfeed in. Elijah & Daddy walked around the outlet mall there (in hindsight, I should have gone in there to feed). Once they got back, they were going to head to the McDonalds to get juice for everyone. The line was too long, so we went to the Carl's Jr. I got juice for everyone and some hashbrowns too. While Geoff ducked in to use the bathroom, I heard Miles needing to be changed. Thank God he did it before we got on the road. We blazed through to Barstow, CA for lunch at In-N-Out. We made more good time and arrived in Orange County by 2pm. Since we couldn't check into the house until 3pm, we went to visit a favorite haunt, Peet's in Newport Beach. Killed some time sitting on the patio and then headed down PCH to Laguna Beach. Elijah was pretty excited to see the ocean (picture him yelling OCEAN).

We found the cottage with no problems. It was built in the 1920s, just one bedroom, a kitchen, dining room, and living room. They built the other two bedrooms when they started having children. It had a lot of charm, it felt cozy, and in good ways. Geoff went for a quick run, and I took to looking around, taking pictures then feeding Miles. Should have spent more time getting ready for the wedding, because we ended up running late. Had to call Jen and ask her to meet us there to pick up Elijah for their playdate. We did not anticipate the traffic being so bad near main street Laguna, so we were really running late. We ended having time to spare. Elijah was happy enough to go play with Jen, Greg and their dogs.

The wedding was beautiful. The temperature was perfect, and the ceremony was lovely. Amy was a glowing bride, she looked perfect. Once the ceremony was over, I went to find a place to feed Miles. Found a couch in the ladies room, and Geoff took pictures and mingled. Had my friend Pat come talk with me while I fed the baby, and learned the exciting news that Erik & Becky (whose wedding I attended in December) are moving to Colorado Springs at the end of the month. Whoo-hoo! Once I was done, I was able to mingle, and show off the baby. I inquired to Cindy that I hadn't seen Jake's parents (his mom had been in the hospital weeks leading up to the wedding). While she had gotten out of the hospital days before, she didn't have the strength. So they had arranged to have the wedding streamed online for them. How cool is that?

The reception was very nice, and we got to catch up with Pastor Frank & Cynda. Miles slept through dinner and the speeches on Geoff's lap. We chatted a ton with the Kroliks. We couldn't stay for the dance, I wanted to get the kids to bed, and it had been a long day. We went to pick up Elijah and then we headed to the cottage. No traffic worries at that time of night.

Okay so there's Friday and Saturday. I think this post is long enough. Better break it up, or you'll stop reading. :)

Ugh

So we got home safely on Sunday night, drove right to Jim N Nicks for takeout. Monday morning Elijah woke up saying he had a tummy ache. All he had was some orange juice. Then after Daddy went to work, he said my tummy hurts, started to bounce and whine and then blah, he threw up on the loveseat. He ended up throwing up 3 or four times, but by the third time I could see the signs and tried to get him to go in the bucket. No luck. Tuesday he woke up with a fever. He came down for breakfast (oatmeal) and then when right back to bed for 2 hours. We vegged and watched movies all day, then he went down for a 3 hr nap in the afternoon. We had stirfry for dinner, and an hour later, I told Geoff I didn't feel so good.

Boom, I spent from 7:30pm until maybe 4:30am dashing to the bathroom every ten minutes. I spent a lot of time on our floor, whining and praying for death. I couldn't sit up without getting dizzy. Praise The Lord that the kids slept all night. What would we have done? In rotten timing, Geoff's magnet called him all night long wanting attention. So he was in and out of the house all night, getting maybe an hour or so sleep before his drama started.

Wednesday Geoff stayed home to take care of the kids and help me out. I wasn't sure I'd be able to feed Miles, so we tried to give him some formula. He wasn't crazy about that. I was able to feed him, but it was very draining. I was also able to nap twice, and I took some Tylenol to help with the pain. It wasn't until the afternoon that I was finally able to keep my water down.

Praise The Lord again that the kids went to bed early and slept the whole night! We went to bed at 8:15 and woke at 6. I am trying to take it easy, and not over-exert myself. Which is hard, because I see all theses things that need to be done. Pray for me to rest, for Geoff and I to catch up on sleep (as best as parents can), and for the kids to continue to be good boys.

I'll blog about vacation later.

Homeward Bound

Woods Cove, down the road from the cottage.

We're currently in Utah, and on our way home today. If today goes as well as yesterday, it won't be so bad. We'll probably get in tonight.

Gotta go, big day ahead. Here's another picture from our vacation.

No Time For Chit Chat

Hey, we're in California. Everyone got here safely (maybe not all sane...)

The wedding was lovely, but it was a long day for everyone.



Kiss the bride!



Mr. & Mrs. Hanson



Lexi & Me

We've eaten some pretty good food.

Hit the beach today.



Elijah & Daddy



Me & Dawn

I'll post more later, or at the end of the trip. The house has no signal (it's in a canyon). I'm sitting at a coffee shop along PCH. Weather is perfect.

Ju-ly

I feel like I've been waiting for July forever. Amy & Brody's wedding has been on my mind since they got engaged, and now it's two days away. I know it's weird to be an honorary Krolik and have never met Brody, but he lives in Reno, and we live here. But we've been invited to come out to Reno to see them, and they've been invited out here. So we'll get to know each other better soon enough. I'm super excited for the wedding. I am certain Amy will be a beautiful bride, and it will be a wonderful day.

We're not too stressed about the drive. We aren't setting up unrealistic goals, we just need to get to St. George tomorrow. We're bringing a laptop, so I hope to stay in touch with you all. Don't expect an update until Sunday. Saturday is busy with arriving, getting settled at the house, taking Elijah to his godparents' house and Miles, Geoff & I going to the wedding.

I have my checklist of everything I need to do today, and thankfully Geoff is working a half day so he can help tackle that list.

Keep us in your prayers for a safe drive.

I'm closing with a quote from The Rock.

Paul (hotel barber): Okay, I don't want to know nothing. I never saw you throw that gentleman off the balcony. All I care about is: are you happy with your haircut?

Time To Read?

Believe it or not, I read a book this week. Where did I find the time? Any spare moment, or while I was breastfeeding, I had my nose planted in The Prestige (Christopher Priest). I enjoyed the movie, so thought I'd get the book out of the library. And there was no wait on it, so I finished it in 2 days. A good read, and different enough from the movie to leave me wondering how it would end in its last pages. Would it end as I thought? I almost held my breath, half expecting the writer to go the other way. Now Geoff is going to tackle it, aiming to read it on on vacation. A good beach book I think. :)

Studio 60 ended this week. I was very sad, mostly because I had not heard it was officially canceled, rather that it was simply not renewed. That left me hope NBC would get their crap together and order more episodes. Such a waste, the cast is awesome (from leads to supporting), and the writing got better as it drew to a close. Sigh, such is fickle tv.

We may get into a new show, Burn Notice on USA. Starring Jeffrey Donovan, it's set in Miami, so you have to endure bikini shots like every 10 minutes. But he won me over in the USA-canceled Touching Evil (which I'm still mourning). You probably know him from Hitch, or the truly awful Blair Witch Project sequel. The pilot was pretty good, we'll see how long it lasts.

We went to Cherry Creek today, and I ogled an iPhone. I didn't touch, it would just hurt more to say goodbye.

I'll close with a quote from Burn Notice.

Michael: Covert intelligence involves a lot of waiting around. Know what it's like being a spy? Like sitting in your dentist's reception area twenty-four hours a day. You read magazines, you sip coffee, and every so often, someone tries to kill you.

Wildlife

Today while I was walking back from the store, I saw a deer run across the street. This was just off the main road, sort of near the ravine. It was pretty wild to see.

A two year old girl was bitten by a fox in Denver. Sure am glad we solved our fox problem. But the question I wonder, is what was a two year old doing outside at night when the foxes are out? Who knows.

Of all the movies we had on tap to watch, we only got to one, The Prestige. Excellent. It was all I could think of last night, when I was trying to sleep. Replaying it in my mind, trying to see all the clues. Definitely merits another viewing. Geoff thought the ending could have been cut shorter, not so much revealed.

Amy & I took the kids to Washington Park yesterday. When we lived in Denver, Geoff and I would go there for walks around the lake, or Geoff would run and then meet up with Elijah and I for his cool down. The weather was awesome, it was nice and cool. And Elijah went down the twirly slide by himself for the first time.

I'll close with a quote from The Prestige:

Robert Angier: I thought you said I'd have to get my hands dirty.
Cutter: Maybe someday you will; I just needed to know that you could

Will Captain Jack Do The Truffle Shuffle?

Some people clearly have too much time on their hands.

If You Can't Stand The Heat...

On Top Chef it was said, if you can cook eggs, you can cook. I guess I'm no cook, since a few days ago, a recipe called for me to hard boil an egg, and I had no idea how to do that. Geoff was nice enough to remind me when he got home the answers to most kitchen questions can be found in the Joy Of Cooking. We don't use it much for recipes, mostly for knowledge about stuff. I had totally forgotten I had that to turn to. It's always fun to cook at altitude. (Lisa, I forgot to mention it, but he loved it. So I'll probably use that recipe again. Thank you Rachael Ray)

This week's Studio 60 was so good, and it made me disappointed to think after next week it may never see light again. It's an awesome show! I was dying with the way they ended the episode, but I loved the Sports Night reference.

Had another couple good days with Elijah. I'll have to look back on my blog and remember this once that shoe falls.

The wedding is in two weeks! I can hardly wait to see our friends, and see my family. I've been thinking if it turns out well, we may do this meet-up-and-rent-a-house-thing again. If the drive works out, we may take a drive down to New Mexico sometime.

I'll close with a quote from Toy Story 2, it's Elijah's favorite movie. He likes Zurg.

Buzz Lightyear: Don't worry, Woody. In just a few hours you'll be sitting around a campfire with Andy making delicious hot Schmoes.
Woody: They're called "S'mores", Buzz.
Buzz Lightyear: Yes, yes. Of course.

Tee Hee

For K.

Good Boy

Yesterday was a great day (for the most part). Elijah was a good boy all day! It was such a rare treat to have him behave the whole day, with no fits, and excellent listening. Sigh. Couldn't every day be like that?

In case you didn't see it, Sunday night's Family Guy had a scene that echoed my life WAY too much. All you moms will agree.

Sucks Eggs

I'm sick. And this totally sucks eggs.

It started out as a sore throat, then progressed into my whole body aching. I have a sporadic cough, and I'm taking Tylenol to get through the day. I am not sleeping well, so I feel rotten. Elijah has had a runny nose for 2 days, so needless to say, we didn't make it to church this weekend.

Did a whole lot of resting, just trying to recoop. We watched The Good German, and it was alright. Being sick, I had a hard time following it at times, but it was visually appealing. The acting was good, and I have to agree with my movie critic, the ending left something to be desired.

We have a few more movies to watch in the coming days. Stranger Than Fiction, The Prestige, & The Departed. On tv, Top Chef has returned, and I was happy to read on Colicchio's blog that the cast selected this year was nominated by chefs they know and respect. I still have the hope of eating at one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants.

It's very hot here. We're in the 90s all week (that's 30s for you Canucks)

Well, I'll close with a quote from Wonder Boys.

James Leer: Now, that is a big trunk. It holds a tuba, a suitcase, a dead dog, and a garment bag almost perfectly.
Grady Tripp: That's just what they used to say in the ads.

Good Times

Friday our good friends (and one set of the boys' Godparents) Jen & Greg flew into town to see us. We did a trip to Pearl Street in Boulder, and we hung around talking. Geoff convinced Greg to be his dive buddy next month, and I convinced Jen & Greg to have a playdate with Elijah during Amy's wedding. Yeah, it was a really hard sell. (That's sarcasm)

The trip had to be fantastic for Jen. I'm going to post this here, in case you didn't hear Jen singing it, or Cate bragging by proxy. Jen whopped my sorry but at crib. It's true. We probably played 6 games, and I won once. I just couldn't get cards to make points. She even skunked me. Twice. I'm still licking my wounds. Maybe it's Colorado that weakens me. anyway, pictures from their visit are on Shutterfly, under Visiting Colorado.

25 Days until California! There is still a lot to be done before then, but I'm already super excited. Spending time with Dawn, Colin, Dylan & Ryan in Laguna Beach? Seeing our west coast friends? Does it get any better?

Nothing else to report. I'll close with a quote from Zoolander.

Hansel: So I'm repelling down Mount Vesuvius when suddenly I slip, and I start to fall. Just falling, ahh ahh, I'll never forget the terror. When suddenly I realize "Holy sh**, Hansel, haven't you been smoking Peyote for six straight days, and couldn't some of this maybe be in your head?"
Derek Zoolander: And?
Hansel: And it was. I was totally fine. I've never even been to Mount Vesuvius

June Birthdays

Birthday wishes go out to Laurel, Brooke, & Mike. Have a great year!

Movie Review

Hollywoodland, is the story about the mystery surrounding George Reeves' death. It has outstanding acting, from Ben Affleck, Adrien Brody & Diane Lane. I really felt Affleck's performance. The film covers all the theories circulating about Reeves death, and so as such I feel like the ending leaves things unresolved. I suppose that's better than picking one ending and upsetting people. I would venture to say if you liked L.A. Confidential, you'll like this.

To read a much better review of the movie, here's my favorite movie critic.

I don't get out to the movies (I hope to get out this summer), so I wait to get the ones I wanted to see from the library. The next movie I'm close to getting is The Good German.

Sly & Cunning

I don't think they were happy.



More pictures in the fox album on shutterfly.

Going To The Zoo

Took the boys to the zoo today with Amy & Caley. Man it was busy. We spent 3 hours there. Elijah liked the polar bears best I think. My favorite part? When a zoo worker instructed us to get inside the nearest shelter because an animal was on the loose. For ten to fifteen minutes we were holed up in a snack shop. The couple next to us could see there was a commotion, but couldn't see more than that. Once we were allowed to leave, we inquired, who broke out, and were told it was a giraffe. We later heard it was simply a drill, that they conduct them a few times a month. Well, it was exciting while I thought it was real. :)


Here's the group of zoo workers after the "incident". You can't see it in the picture, but some of them are holding guns.

The zoo is a 45 minute drive from our house, so we really only go on free days, or when someone is in town and wants to go. Today we just wanted to go, so I bought a ticket. Once Elijah stops being free (age 3) perhaps we'll look into getting passes.

I'm super stoked that Jen & Greg are going to be here in a few days. I know the boys will get a kick out of having them here.

Tomorrow night Top Chef returns to pit season one's final four (Harold, Tiffani, Dave & Stephen) against season two's (Ilan, Marcel, Elia, & Sam). I think it should be entertaining. Then next week, season three starts.

Watching The Soup a few weeks ago, Joel had a funny quote from Cameron Diaz, so I'll close with that.

"When Paris suffers, we all suffer."