Tuesday, November 25, 2008

3 Down, 6 To Go

Months, that is.


Me - taken today!

Surprise!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Attempted Murder & New Kids on The Block

Ok - I am finally getting around to blogging about my oh so exciting Saturday night!
New Kids on the Block Concert! Oh, yeah!

It was a great girls' night out. My neighbor Jennie went with me and we met my cousin at The Old Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square for a yummylicious dinner before, then a little bit of browsing in stores that you wouldn't dare take kids into - stores where we would never buy anything because of the OUTRAGEOUS price tags! Seriously, who pays $1461 for a crib?! And one that doesn't even convert into any other size bed?!

Ok, but before I get into all the fun concert details, let me tell you that I about DIED as I was leaving for the concert. Someone whom I thot totally loves me, tried to kill me!! Luckily his attempt at murder failed (obviously, since I am here blogging the tale!)

Saturday afternoon, Rick, my dear, sweet, loving husband, was hoping to get a few hours of work at the office in. But the brakes on my van were sounding very odd, so I asked him to please play mechanic first. Well, "playing mechanic" led to being the mechanic and changing the front brakes - they were almost completely worn. (I am SO lucky that my hubby is able to do these kinds of things!) So anyways, he spent over 2 hours changing them, didn't make it to the office, and then it was time for me to leave. I thot I'd drive up to Jennie's (2 houses away) and get her - I was anxious and excited to be on our way! So I started the van, put it in reverse and gave it a little gas. And off I went, going way to fast to be backing down the driveway. So I hit the brake. Nothing. I step on it again. Nothing. And again and again and again - and again nothing, nada, zip, zilch! Panicking, I start yelling at my neighbor who was out mowing the lawn.

"MY BRAKES AREN'T WORKING!! HELLLPPP!!!"

He just gives me a funny look. By then I am hitting the pavement, hoping and praying that no cars are coming. And panicking even more. I am scared for my life! I then notice Jennie and her hubby on the sidewalk, heading my way, their kids trailing along. I yell some more, then realize that they probably can't hear me with the window rolled up! I seriously must have looked like a lunatic!

"MY BRAKES AREN'T WORKING! I CAN'T STOP!! HELP!" I yell at them. They stare at me blankly.

I am now rolling backwards UP a small hill. Frantically I have been trying to unlock the doors and jump out! But with the van in gear, that doesn't work.

Jennie hollers at me to put it in Drive. I do and then am able to kind of drive up on the curb across from house and it finally comes to a stop. I jumped out as fast as I could, my heart racing.

So apparently, when you change your brakes you have to pump them or something first. And
my dear, sweet, loving husband had forgotten to do that. And Jennie and her hubby thot I was joking - that I was just so excited and in such a hurry to leave for our night out. Rick did say that his plan was that the brakes would go out once we were on the highway. Too bad it failed.

Ok, so back to the concert!! :) Another friend, Mandy, met us there. When we got there, there was some psycho chic in a totally fake blond wig singing. She was horrible and scary, and a bit of a stripper. Definitely was not a G Rated show! I believe her name was Lady Gaga - Lady Gaggy would have been more appropriate, but whatever.

And then the REAL opening act - wow! This was ALMOST as good as New Kids themselves - almost! And something that none of us were expecting!

Natasha Bedingfield!


Ok, so I will say these are by far from the greatest videos! The sound quality is not that good, and especially on the ones of New Kids, they are pretty shaky - I couldn't help it - I was laughing, screaming, and jumping up and down! It was just like a bunch of 13 year old girls at their first concert, totally in love with the boys from the Block!

This is how it started:


And this is the best video of them singing - sadly, it isn't very long -
my memory card filled up way too fast from the videos!

The Right Stuff
(Rick calls this their "cowboy dance")


We really did have pretty good seats - for not being on the floor anyways, but we all decided we much rather would have been where we were then in the back on the floor. We were right smack in the middle so had a perfect front view. (and for being free tickets, we REALLY can't complain!)

About halfway thru the concert they came out one of the portals near us and went and sang on a little stage that was about halfway between us and the real stage - that was a nice little treat to get to see them even better!

I just kept thinking - these guys really are TOO old for this! Too old to be singing these songs that they sang back when they were teenagers and in their early 20s! And it was kinda funny that whenever a recent song came on, the crowd got a LOT quieter and most people would actually sit down!

Friday, November 14, 2008

A Few Random Things

You have got to check out this blog!!

www.seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com

It totally cracks me up! Just know that it is all totally made up, in a way I find it making fun of how a lot of people are. Start at the beginning, so you are not totally lost, like I was at first, and remember, it is all completely for fun! And have a good laugh!


Rick & I went to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory last nite - yummy! I am so in love with their chicken quesadilla appetizer! Try it - Love it - Crave it!


My kids are crazy. Good crazy. Make me laugh crazy. William and Tabitha lately love to play that they are getting married. He puts on a cape and she puts on a little white leotard with a tutu and calls it her "wedding dress" and then she wears it all day, wherever we go. It's cute - Gabriella and William used to play that they were getting married, and now that she is gone all the time, it is Tabitha's turn to be the little bride.


I am amazed at how much energy they have first thing in the morning. Watching them running around around the circle from the kitchen, thru the dining room and living room, first thing in the morning, laughing and screaming (good screams) makes me even more tired than I already am at 7 am - but I love that they are so happy and having so much fun together.


I think they have finally adjusted to the time change. Getting up at 6 was no fun at all.


I paid $69 yesterday to learn that we not only have hard water, but that we have VERY hard water, that is ruining my dishwasher. Wonderful. Thank you, Maytag Man.


Since we had a half hour wait at The Cheesecake Factory last nite (not bad at all, we've waited over an hour before!) we started wandering the mall. First we got free herbal drinks to help with weight loss. In 12 weeks it has shown to lower the weight in average sized men. Wonderful - what about the bigger than average sized man? Next I got one of my thumbnails partially buffed and shined by an amazing, magic buffer. And since I am SO CUTE (she was really a great salesgal!) I could have that magic buffer for only $10. Thanks. I'll think about it. And last of all, the best part - we played doubles tennis together! On a WII - and um, sadly, I think Rick might have beat me. We were on "Add-In" which means that it would be his game point (he was serving) and then he would have beat me by 2. But if I had won the serve, we would have gone back to "Deuce" and then had to battle it out all over again until someone beat the other by 2. But anyways, we had to go. Our 30 minutes to wait was about up and I did not want to miss our table! I was hungry. So we called it a tie. Fun stuff.


And one last thing - my husband likes to play "ironing beads" as we call them. Those little perler beads that you put on the little shapes and make some pretty thing, then you can iron them and have your nice, pretty shape. Anyways, Rick loves playing them. With the kids, or alone by himself - yes, it is true! And I had a picture to prove it, or him, playing ironing beads alone, but he stole my camera and deleted it. What a stinker!

This Makes Me Laugh

Guess where I am going Saturday night?!

Ok, ok, I'll give you a hint. A concert - a BIG concert! My 3rd ever concert (1 & 2 being Tim & Faith 2006 & 2007 - LOVE them, he is one sexy man - Love you too, Babe-alicious!)

So - any guesses? LOL - this seriously just makes me laugh thinking about it, talking about it - I just LAUGH!






NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!!

Ok, so yes, back in the day - like say um, 17 years ago, I was in LOVE with NKOTB. A huge poster hung at the top of bed. I had a t-shirt that had one hot pink sleeve and one neon orange sleeve. They were the coolest. The first band I had ever really gotten into. And now, tomorrow night, I am going to their concert! Ha HA Ha HA HA!

And so how did this all suddenly come about? Certainly not something I have been planning - I did not wait in line for hours to buy these awesome tickets! Just had a lucky little moment. I admit, I love entering contests, trying to win stuff (that's how I got to see Tim & Faith the 2nd time - lucky caller number 10). So when I got an email from a radio station listing their current contests and saw New Kids, I laughed and thot, Wouldn't that be hilarious?! So I entered, laughed about it when I told Rick and asked if he'd want to go with me if I won (not a chance!) and then forgot about it.

Until a couple nights ago when I got THE phone call. Laura, from the radio station, calling to so calmly tell me that I had just won tickets to see New Kids on The Block. I laughed. I couldn't help it!

SO - Anybody want to go with me? Seriously! I have 4 - count them - 1, 2, 3, 4 tickets! I think they are crappy seats, but hey, it will be way fun girls!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Because I have been given much . . .

I too must give.

As I sit here enjoying the quiet, no noise but the hum of the dishwasher (Rick & kids are at church, while I am on day 6 of being miserable), I want to share a blog with all my fellow blogging friends.

My new friend Taryn brought my attention to the plight of this family.

Since becoming a mother, any stories like this just tug at my heart. I always wonder, "What if this were us? What if everything was happy and fine in our life and then suddenly we were brought down with some horrific thing?" Rick, always the calm, nonworrier, just assures me, as he did last night as I was reading this blog and wondering the same thing aloud, "We'd get through it." Well, yes, somehow we would, for better or worse, as everyone who goes through these things does, but still.

So thank you to Taryn for posting this on your blog and letting me copy you (title and all!). And even though I feel as if my small donation really won't make any difference, in the end it will. All those little ones add up and that is how miracles can happen. So please everyone, check it out, post about it on your blog, donate what you can, and let's all hope and pray for the very best for sweet little baby Mia, that she gets her new heart soon - VERY soon.

And check out the awesome items you can purchase, with all proceeds going to this family! Taryn is the one doing the scrapbook pages - I have seen her scrapbooks and they are AMAZING!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Off to Neverland!

Our theme for Halloween this year was Peter Pan. A little over a year ago, the kids saw Peter Pan for the first time and totally fell in love with it. I think it was on Halloween day 2007 that Gabriella came up with the idea that for next Halloween we all needed to dress as Peter Pan characters. William loved the idea and they have stuck with it. I was excited, and even Rick was willing to play along. Rick & I have never in our married lives dressed up (I think the last time I dressed up was in Ecuador 1999 - I was a tree - brilliant, I know, but hey, people do crazy things in foreign countries, right?).

And I had great plans of getting a headstart on costumes and having them done weeks before Halloween. HA! I admit, I was still putting little finishing touches on Rick's costume, oh and yeah, I had to make his hat that morning, too! I have seriously done more sewing in the last 3 weeks than I have in the last 10 years! And you know what? It was actually fun! Stressful at times (like making up my own patterns for certain things, or doing lots of size adjusting), but fun.

So here is our sweet little Tinkerbell - ready to fly away. Originally, I'd had great thots of a fancy dress for her, but then I just wimped out and took the easy route. Made a simple skirt and put it over a tinkerbell green onesie she already had (thanks for the idea Joy!)

Tinkerbell

Peter Pan - he loved his costume!

Gabriella LOVES her new nightgown! Thanks to Nana for doing the buttons! (a skill I have, unfortunately, never learned!)

Wendy - ready to fly away

Being silly goofs

Pumpkins didn't officially get all done until AFTER Halloween - oh well.

And proof that Rick & I were indeed there, and dressed the part!
(Sorry it's so dark - but that's what happens at night! Rick even has a wig on)
Oh and I must say that Rick made his own hook - and was very proud of it!

Tiger Lily & Captain Hook
Wendy, Peter, & Tink
Halloween 2008