She deserves the world!

Today is my mom's birthday and we were fortunate enough to be together over the weekend to celebrate. We are all so happy she is here. We are all so lucky to know her. 

My mom talks about being forgetful, but she never forgets other people's birthdays, their favorite bevs, and driving directions. Three very important things I must say!! She makes everyone feel special and takes care of things like no one else can. Hello, she went to the grocery store about 50 times over the weekend. Once, just for toilet paper. And scoured all of Lake Havasu for a giant cooking pot and came back with three!

Memorial day weekend was all about celebrating my cousin Melissa's high school graduation and my Grandpa's 80th birthday, but thankfully we had some time to squeeze in some love for her too. And last night, she got a special treat in Las Vegas with some live music and chocolate cake! She is loved.

My mom is beautiful inside and out. Her laugh is contagious, her cooking is divine, and her generosity is astounding. If you are reading this with a beer or glass of wine, or a cocktail in your hand, raise it up in the air and cheers to her!!! 

I love you, Mom! Thank you for a wonderful weekend!!!!

Sunshine Days

Our garden is starting to take off! Look at the size of this spinach leaf! It is bigger than my hand. We have some in the garden right now bigger than Steve's hands. Insane! We're back to eating the BEST crisp, fresh salads ever. Our snap beans are almost ready...so excited!

I made my first cheesecake for a Bachelorette Premiere Party last week. It turned out great. It was   a Butterfinger Cheesecake. The secret ingredient is half Marscapone cheese half cream cheese instead of all regular cream cheese. Yummy!! The only thing better than the entertainment of the Bachelorette is watching it with good friends and eating CHOCOLATE! :)

I went with my Leadership SLO friends to the annual Tip-A-Cop dinner at Madonna Expo Center a couple of weeks ago. One of our leadership buddies, Keith (aka the Green Lantern), is a local Lieutenant and did a wonderful job serving us our meal!! Fun time with my new friends :)

Lopez Lake

This was our Sunday morning. 

Happy Birthday to my oldest friend

"Try to capture what you can't bear to be without." -Rosie Thomas, Iris and Ruby

This picture was taken at the entrance to Disneyland what seems like many moons ago! My grandpa has (had?) a friend who designed Space Mountain and other rides at Disneyland and got us in free! Knowing the man responsible for the awesomeness that is Space Mountain was pretty cool, especially at the age of 12. I wish I was less shy back then, otherwise I would have picked his brain about what all went into making a roller coaster at Disneyland and the science behind it. He may have told me but my pre-teen mind wasn't interested in physics and engineering. I was interested in riding the damn thing.

Today is my Grandpa Roger's 80th birthday!! Born in 1932, he has lived such a rich life so far. Full of love, adventure, heartache, joy, and many, many good days. I called him today after work to wish him a happy birthday. He was out at a bar, hootin' and hollerin' with his best buddies. The perfect way to celebrate 80 years on this earth! Looking forward to seeing him in a few weeks to give him a big birthday hug and tell him how much he means to everyone.

Leisure Town

This is going to be a good month. May's goals are all about having FUN. How can that be bad?

May  - Leisure

• Throw a dinner party
• Go somewhere new in SLO County
• Have a picnic date
• Go to a music festival or concert (or at least plan to go to one)

I've wanted to throw a dinner party for awhile now. With the new couch, at least my party people will have a nice place to lounge!

Last night, I went to Art After Dark for the first time. I was by myself and didn't partake in any of the special features of the night (margaritas, wine, cheese!) but the whole time I kept thinking how this would be an awesome date or a fun night out with friends! If you don't know what Art After Dark is, it happens on the first Friday of every month from 6-9 downtown SLO. Downtown businesses showcase their art - jewelry, pottery, paintings, wood carvings, furniture, clothes, etc. Most of these businesses also provide cocktails, wine, and snacks for the patrons. If you like window shopping, this is for you!! You can browse stores, talk to local artists about their creations, get some gift ideas, and have a glass of wine while doing it! Sounds good to me! 

Another place I've been wanting to check out in SLO County is Paso Robles. The only time I've been to Paso is for the fair or to a winery. I want to check out their downtown area and some of their supposedly amazing restaurants! 

It is our 2-year anniversary this month! I think a picnic date is a good way to celebrate! 

I really need to get better at staying on top of local music events here in SLO. There are so many places offering live music - with both local and known artists. Loved going to see Peppino last year at Castoro Cellars. If you've never been to one of their outdoor concerts, you're missing out! 

At the end of the month, we're traveling to Lake Havasu for my grandpa's 80th birthday party and Cousin's high school graduation! It will be an extended weekend with the whole family and I am planning on doing a lot of relaxing and eating. 

Well, here's to a month filled with leisure!

Let's get horizontal!

Feelin' Light!

April was a great month. I focused hard on doing the things that make me truly happy and not a single day went by where I didn't feel lucky to have this life that I created for myself. 

April - Lighten Up

• Be a treasure house of happy memories - gather pictures and mementos and put them into one organized place
• Take time for hobbies
• Listen to music in the morning
• Be patient!
• Be easily impressed, entertained, and interested
• Resist planning

I really enjoyed digging through photo boxes and digital archives to find old photos to post and share with you all. It's so cool to learn about my past, my family, and how I got to be who I am today. I found so many cool photos and learned a lot more than I thought I would, so I am going to continue on sharing photos until I run out of good ones! :) 

I actually made my first sandwich wrap on the sewing machine and it didn't turn out too bad! Pictures to come!

I listened to music in the morning, day, and night and learned how to rock out to heavy metal with our friend Josh while he stayed with us last weekend. Let's just say my neck and shoulders were super sore the next day!! 

I am so pleased with my level of patience. Our bathroom is still gutted and the new bathtub is still in the living room. But,  I don't care one single bit! Steve has been working hard on installing the new shower valve, and turns out we got a defective valve, so now he has to start over. This lack of progress is not bothering me at all. 

I love my goal to be easily impressed, entertained, and interested. I think it's a good thing to think about in conversation and I will admit I sorta forgot about this one. To all of you who I talked to over the past month, I hope you felt I was interested in what you have to say! If not, I am working on it!!!

By 'resist planning' I really meant resist trying to plan out every day, every free moment, every weekend. Instead, soak in the free time, the quiet moments, and be spontaneous! I am still working on this one too, but I think I did a good job of going with the flow and taking a minute to relax after such a busy few months!

It's already May, so stay tuned for my May goals!

Life Happens

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."         -Kevin Arnold

My best friend since the third grade had her first baby last weekend. McKinlee Renee Coffelt. She is the sweetest, prettiest looking baby girl and I cannot wait to meet her! Jillian was in labor 30 hours (yeah, more than a whole day!!!) and then opted to have a C-section last minute. She is so brave and strong!! I was able to talk to her briefly while she was still in the hospital and I am just so impressed with her calmness. Jillian is the type of person who has everything planned out to the T.  I am so proud of her for keeping her cool when things didn't go quite as planned. Her strength and peace is inspiring!

It is hard to believe that someone I knew as a wee child now has one of her own!  This photo was taken on my 21st birthday before a night out in Sacramento. Almost 9 years ago!! Insane! Speaking of being brave and strong, my mom told me that she had all of us kids without an epidural or any other medication! It is hard to imagine going through something like that without pain medication because I am the biggest wimp in the world as you all know. But, really?! Three babies, all natural?! I can't even wrap my head around that. Like I said, my mom is awesome. 

My Namesake

"He used to say that we exist as long as somebody remembers us." -Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

My middle name comes from my mom's mom Lois. I never met her because she died just before I was born. But, I feel lucky to be named after her because if she was anything like my mom and my Aunt Cathy, she must have been a wonderful person. My grandparents met while my grandpa was in the Coast Guard stationed in Washington. She was visiting the states from Canada and I can only imagine their meeting. Maybe during a a night out on the town. Young love. Soon after, they moved to Los Angeles together to start their new life - just a sweet canadian gal and a strong, kind-hearted military man. What a lovely couple! This photo was taken at their Cerritos home in southern California where I visited as a child years after she passed.

Just Pal'n Around

"We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten."     -Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand: Diaries, 1935-1950

Lovin' the coordinating pink sneakers and Ryan's Mickey Mouse hat. My mom is awesome.