Just Tab

Hey, I'm Back!

2012-01-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't go anywhere. I've just been AWOL for a really really long time. Honestly, about a month ago I spent about an hour on a new post and guess what? The damn thing wouldn't upload. Don't you just love technology?

So it's a new year and I decided to actually make a resolution this year. I mean really, who keeps those things anyway? Well this one is one I intend to follow through on. OK (deep breath) I joined Weight Watchers. Yep, I bit the bullet and decided it was time. I mean there's a point when you have to admit that it is no longer post-baby fat. It's just freakin' fat. That point came about 6 months ago but I had to come to grips with letting go of my beloved cupcake/pastry/frappacino obsession. The family is being supportive and encouraging. Except when Jim came home last weekend with a box of danishes 'for the kids' and I about lunged at him for one. Seriously, keep the danish away. You will get hurt. So far I've lost 2 lbs. I know, whoop-dee-frickin-doo but it's a start. Plus I started working out and started eating fruits and vegetables. *Gasp!* Yes even the green ones Mom. I really do like the WW plan but I swear, if I see Jennifer Hudson's skinny ass singing about how much weight she's lost one more time, I'm going to kick the TV in. OK we get it Jenn, you're skinny now. I'm still fat. Can you just give me some time?

This Christmas was by far the best Christmas we've had in YEARS. My brother was actually home for the first time in ages and we all spent the holiday together including my dad, step-mom AND my mother. It was amazing and nice to have everyone together. As always, his visit is never long enough but we are grateful he was home.

Vince is in his 3rd quarter at school now and doing fabulous. It is amazing to see you little boy turning into a man. I'm like, when did you start growing a moustache? It is so weird to see hair on his face! As for the wee ones, they run me ragged as always but they seem be growing out of their terror stages. Thank God for that! Seriously, you have 4 rambunctious boys and tell me the thought of selling one doesn't cross your mind. Can't do it huh? But honestly, they bring me so much joy.

When my brother was home we took a ride out to Napa to visit some wineries. What a bunch a fun!! We went to Robert Mondavi which was really pretty. Tasted some reds there and then drove down the road to the Berringer Winery which is my favorite. Joined their 'free' wine club. Not so free but totally worth it. So once a quarter I get 6 bottles of wines I like (the sweet white wines) for $36!!!! What a deal! Plus we get access to the 'exclusive' area of the main house and their special tasting room. Plus all of our tastings are FREE. Now who can say no to free booze? NOT ME!!!

This last weekend Jim and I drove out the get our first order. It was a beautiful day in Napa and we took the time to stroll downtown.

We stopped at this beautiful kitchen store I think it was called Olives. They had the most amazing stuff in there. These huge vats of different olive oils that you could sample, different dips. And really nice kitchen supplies and dishes.

Then we stopped in a shoe store called Footcandy. Now I've seen Laboutin's and Manolo's on TV but never in person. And lo and behold, right there on this table were a stunning pair of each. OMG. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a super girly girl. But what girl doesn't appreciate a beautiful pair of shoes? They literally beckoned to me from the sidewalk. 'Come on Tab. Look at how I'm sparkly and pretty. You can just come in and touch me. A touch is free." I couldn't resist. I dragged my poor husband in there, grabbed the shoe excitedly and shoved it in his face. "Look," I said enthusiastically. "Do you KNOW what these are? DO YOU?" And being the man he is, shakes his head not sure if he should be afraid or not. "These are freakin' LABOUTIN'S! Here, in the open for anyone to touch." He's like, "oooookay." I grab the next shoe. "And this," I say shoving it in his face. "This is a Manolo. They wear these on 'Sex and the City'." His eyes light at the one thing he does know. "Now, look at the bottom."

He takes the shoe from my hand and his eyes about pop out of his skull.

"What?" he exclaims. "What freakin' idiot would spend A THOUSAND DOLLARS ON SHOES????" I sheepishly look at the lady at the table across from us. The lady looking at another paid of Laboutins. Yes, that idiot over there. She's spending a thousand dollars on a pair of shoes. Needless to say, we left VERY soon after.
The moral of this story: NEVER bring a man who does not understand the concept of fancy shoes into a fancy shoe store. He WILL embarass you.

All in all, it was a fabulous day. I got a box of wine. And not the 'box' with the spout on the side. I spent a lovely day with my lobster AND I got to hold not only a pair of Laboutin's but also a pair of Manolo's.

And that's about it. I am looking forward to a wonderful, prosperous year. And a year where I will finally get a handle on being a healthier person, get back to creating more and spending some quality time with my family. Where does the time go? So what do you have planned for 2012? I hope this year is a blessed one for you and yours and as usual, I will try to post more. But don't hold your breath. Lord knows you could die if you do.

I Saw Jesus at BART Today

2011-10-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

No really, I did. I don't mean like, he descended from the clouds and appeared to me. I mean he came walking out of the train station and waited for his ride to pick him up. Guess Jesus doesn't have his own car. Someone picked him up in an Explorer. I guess I kind of expected him to be more of a Hybrid car type of guy but go figure.

Anyway, I'm 44. Turned 44 about 3 weeks ago. A long time ago I decided I would pick an age and just stick to that. I don't feel 44. I feel about 25 maybe 30. But then I started thinking this year. This 44 year old body has held up pretty well. I mean, I'm not as pretty and skinny as I was when I was 25 but dammit, a lot has happened. I've had several children, 3 husbands (that's another story), many jobs, 2 bouts with pneumonia in the last 4 years. Other than that, no major illnesses, no surgeries. I'd say I'm doing pretty damn good. Knock on wood. So yay 44!!! We'll see how I feel when I turn 50. I have a few years to adjust.

So we are gearing up for Halloween on Monday. I think I will dress up for the first time in a few years. Going to be a witch (what else?). Figure I have the name, got a pretty cool broom, why not use it? Kids are super excited as usual.

Been venturing out with the camera more and more. Got some fantastic photo ops while working at Brownstone Gardens in Oakley this season. Who knew weddings could be so crazy? The amount of money people shell out for these events is outrageous. I mean, I appreciate it's your special day and all but $8000 on flowers? FLOWERS? Really? Good lord. Who says we're in a recession? But a lot of the weddings were just beautiful. Even got to photograph their bridal faire which was really cool.

My friend Mary and I also did a craft faire at a local church. We didn't make squat but it was so much fun creating everything. I have been sewing like crazy and finished my third quilt and just started my fourth. The kids love them and I am happy giving them something that I hope will last them for many years to come.

This is one of my little tiered cake pincushions with a stamped cutout of the Farm Girl's series. So flippin' cute!!!! I made about a dozen different ones. Love it! I am a pincushion freak!!!!!

So enjoy the last days of somewhat warmth we have because I have a feeling it's gonna be a cold Winter. Thank God for all these quilts to keep us warm!!!! Have a wonderful Halloween and hope you get more treats than tricks!!!

xo
Tab

End of Summer

2011-09-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's the end of Summer. No more swimming, no more bbq's and time to pull out our warmer clothes. I am so glad it was a mild Summer. The kids had a blast with our new pool. I had fun just watching them and taking pictures. Summer came with lots of changes. The 3 youngest gained a year. Jamie turned 11, Kieran turned 10 and Gavin turned 7. Vincent graduated high school and started college. Still can't believe I have a college student!!! But it has been a fabulous Summer. Spent lots of time creating with Vanessa and Mary, lots of time with my lobster, Jim. And worked a cool new job at a local wedding location, Brownstone Gardens. Fun stuff.

So with that being said, what's in store for Fall? Working on my photography, sewing more, cooking and baking more. Summer, I just wanna laze around and enjoy the weather, not having to take kids to school everyday. Oh, and surfing on Pinterest. Have you jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet? OMG..... It is like HEAVEN. Go check it out. Now. Pinterest.Com. I'll wait........... SEE? Isn't it amazing??? Now don't blame me if you spend hours on end looking through pictures. That's my late night guilty pleasure. A little glass of moscato, a little Pinterest and mama is a happy girl. So many fabulous ideas.

Things I've learned the last few months: Just because people have money doesn't mean they have class. Lord, that was the big one. Oh, and there really ARE bridezillas. That shit ain't fake. On a happy note, there are some truly in love couples out there.

Sewing a quilt isn't as hard as I thought and soooo much fun and rewarding.

Getting sunburned still sucks. But it helps having a really cool husband who will put aloe on you every few hours so you don't tweek from the itching/burning combo going on.

I can bake the hell out of a cupcake. And cookies. Next feat: PIES!!!

I really REALLY missed having a truck and am so glad to have one again.

Getting up at 5:30am to take Vincent to BART is actually nice and relaxing. I get some Vin time and some me time.

Spending days on end with my husband was really nice and we grew so much closer. He is really an amazing guy and I am sooooo blessed to have him.

Having a nice big German sherpard rocks. Sam is the best dog EVER.

Last thing: I need entirely too much sleep. I mean, is 12 hours too much? How can I sleep that much and STILL be tired????

So there you have it. My Summer in a nutshell. Now aren't you glad you stopped by??

Oh and by the way, that crap music over there>>>>>>>that isn't my playlist. What the hell happened to my good music????? UGH! Technology!!!!!!!

OK, I'm officially a slacker

2011-07-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

How long has it been? Yes, I am a bad blogger. But you know how it is, life gets away from you and before you know it, it's been months since you posted. I know you are all dying to know what is going on in my exciting life.

Well my baby finally started college today. I can't believe it. Art Institute of SF ended up being his choice and the school is amazing. I cannot say enough about how great the school is and the staff is so amazing and helpful. I don't know who was more nervous, him or I. But it is an exciting time for Vincent and I look forward to seeing him grow into an amazing young man. He is majoring in Graphic Design and I am sure he will excel in this.

Life moves too damn fast. Summer is already almost over for all of us. Jim bought the kids a humongous pool for the backyard and we all love it. Gavin has taken to the water like a little fish. He even learned to swim on his own and has gotten so dark I hardly recognize him. Who knew? I thought he'd be the one to burn to a crisp since he's so fair.

I have been on a creative roll for awhile now. Mary and Vanessa inspire me constantly and we work well together. I have gotten more done in the last 6 months than I did all of last year. And I've branched out from the scrapbooking. I've been sewing, doing altered art, all kinds of new stuff that is out of the box for me. But is so fulfilling and gives me such joy to use my hands and all of these supplies that I have accumulated.

I a finally made my first quilt, made a few pincushions, a couple of dolls, and so much more. Began embroidering again and it is just so much fun.

So life is divine. Enjoying the last few weeks of Summer with the boys. Hope to make a trip to Santa Cruz in the next week or so to hit the boardwalk. It has been ages since I've been there and I think the kids will love it. I have been dying to go to the beach all Summer and with my mom working so close we are going to go.

I am also trying to spread my wings on the cooking front. Trying more recipes to actually get a 'menu' down if I ever decide to sell my goods. So far my favorite is the homemade caramel. Who knew that a bunch of butter and sugar could turn into such a fantastic thing? YUM!

This bewitching little goodie is a pincushion I made for Miss V. I love the colors and the little graphic on top. She is so pretty!!! Also been taking a ton of pics. FINALLY!!! There is just never enough time to do all the things I want.

I made these beautiful cupcakes for Mary's daughter's graduation from high school. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting and they came out delicious. I am starting to do everything from scratch now and it makes such a huge difference. Love it!!

So here's some of my goodies down below. Let me know what you think. Don't be shy. I could use all the input I can get. My next step is to start selling on Etsy. Wish me luck!

This is an Altoid tin I glittered with Martha Stewart glitter, lined with flocked paper from Anna Griffin, added a little potion jar and some hoo-hah and it came out pretty cute.

Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Summer!!!

March Already???

2011-03-07T21:17:00.001-08:00

What happened to February? DAMN!! It has been a whirlwind of activity in the McIntyre household. Kids are excited about Spring Break next week as are Jim & I. If all goes well, we might actually get to sleep in a day or two. No big plans except to spend some quality time together as a family. So what's up in my little world? Creating like a crazy person! I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a wonderful retreat called Queen of the Crop out in Stockton. Spent time with 2 of my favorite gals, Vanessa & Mary. And met 2 equally wonderful ladies, Diana & Angela. What a blast we had just scrapbooking & enjoying each other's company. And boy did we create!!

These are 2 of the cards I made. I also made some adorable altered clothespins. I have no idea what I will do with them but they are so damn cute I just love them. Made a ton of layouts & just basically had a lovely girl's weekend.

Vanessa has taken Mary & I on some fantastic field trips the last couple of months. Now I am the San Francisco girl but Vanessa is the Berkeley girl. She took us to so many places I couldn't even keep up!! This last weekend we went to the 50th White Elephant Sale in Oakland. They had everything & I mean literally EVERYTHING you could possibly imagine in this humongous warehouse. It was like a huge garage sale of everything. Sooooo much fun!!!

We also went to a huge used book sale at the Pleasant Hill library. Talk about fun. They had tons of books for ridiculously low prices. Mary & I snagged 2 boxes full of books.

After that, we headed to Danville where we hit a beautiful quilt store called Wooden Gate Quilts. The ladies there were so nice & helpful & the quilts there were just amazing. They even had Dr. Seuss fabric!! Definitely inspiring for all of us.

Then, off to Berkeley for lunch at Barney's! This place had the most phenomenal burgers! Everything was deeeeelish!! After a quick bite, we headed over to Market Hall which was an amazing grocery store with everything you could need. Bakery, meat counter, cheese counter, wine store & produce. Just fabulous!!

We also stopped at a cute little store across from the market called Maison d'Etre which had some amazing vintage stuff & some very eclectic items. After that, on to Scrapbook Territory. Because you know we can't go to Berkeley without stopping there! Then down the street to the always amazing Anthropology. That store is so fabulous & we are always greeted with the scent of their beautiful candles. And the clothes, oh the clothes! Quick pit stop at Paper Source & then back to our little town. Much as I adore San Francisco, I am starting to love Berkeley for the different feel there. There are so many different cultures & things to see & appreciate. You can go a million times & experience something different on each visit. Thanks so much Vanessa for showing me a new locale for adventure!!!

I am also excited to be starting my very first quilt! YAY! With the guidance of Mary & Vanessa I hope to have one completed by the end of the year (Just because I'm a newby).

As for the family, we are very excited to have added a new little member to our clan. NO I did NOT have another kid. We picked up this adorable little guy:

No not Jim. Welcome to the family Cooper Maris McIntyre. Cooper, well, Cooperstown where the Baseball Hall of Fame is located. But I couldn't very well name him Cooperstown. And Maris after my all time favorite Yankee player, Roger Maris. He is a teacup chihuahua mixed with Miniature Pincher. He is spunky as all hell so he fits right in with our brood.

Life is good, we are happy & I am filled with joy & inspiration by my friends. Spring break in less than a week!!! What will you be doing??? Have a great week!!

Lucky

2011-02-07T22:50:00.001-08:00

This guy right here makes me feel lucky. Lucky that we love each other even more now than we did the day we married. Lucky that our family is solid & healthy. There are just those days when you sit back & are like, Damn, I have it pretty good. No, we're not rich in money but we are rich in love. Not everybody finds that. I'm one of the lucky ones.

In addition to being lucky with the killer spouse, I have these little buggers to drive me wild. No, seriously. They drive me NUTS. But I don't know what my life would be without them. See the little pixie on the left? He's the instigator. I swear, the kid could talk the Pope into stealing a bike. And the attitude in front? Oh, he's the mouth. Never knows when to quit. Now the one on the right, he's the tattle tail. If you're doing something you shouldn't be doing, don't let him catch you. He WILL tell. And the big boy in back, what can I say about him? He is more like his mom than I'd like to admit. Stubborn, always right and ALWAYS has to have the last word. But you know what? I wake up every morning grateful to have them. Wake me up in the middle of the night because you had a nightmare, holler for me when you're fighting, cry when you don't get what you want. But then there's the best part. Gavin giving me my special 'cuddle time', Kieran hugging me everyday and telling me he loves me, Jamie leaning his head on my shoulder while I cook, Vincent (who is now taller than me) giving me a bear hug. That makes it all worth it. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

OK, so yeah, life is good. On another note, I am getting to know two very wonderful women. Vanessa and Mary have been such a joy to be around. It is so invigorating to spend time with such very wonderful and creative women. I feel so inspired and fulfilled when I am with them. Vanessa took us on a little field trip to Berkeley to show us the cool crafty spots. It was so much fun. We went to Anthropology, Paper Source, Scrapbook Territory (of course!),Castle in the Air, Sur Le Table, Stone Mountain & Daughter's Fabric Store, Berkeley Bowl and Zachary's Pizza. All fantastic places and ideas galore.

This window display at Castle in the Air was to die for. And all made of paper. So incredibly beautiful. The store had so many great art supplies. Big beautiful sheets of paper, various inks and an amazing classroom upstairs.

Anthropology was my favorite. Their displays were so incredible and I was just blown away by their presentation. Check out this dress. Again, all made of paper. Who thinks of this stuff?

I came home all ready to start making some goodies. Love that feeling of just wanting to dive into your supplies and create!

Also loving this Spring-like weather. It has been beautiful here the last few days. But alas, the wind is kicking up something fierce here now and I think Spring will be put on hold for a little longer. I am definitely ready to venture beyond my little area here and start taking some pictures. Soon enough!!

Take a minute and think about what makes you happy. Be grateful for what you have. And don't let life get you down. Trust me, it does get better. I'm proof.

May the Force Be With You

2011-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

So at about 4am my sweet Bella Rue is barking her butt off in the living room. Bella NEVER barks. So I wake Jim up to investigate. I throw on my Cal sweatshirt and search for the nearest weapon. Do I grab a gun, a baseball bat, a knife? Oh no. Mama grabbed.....the light saber. Whoever was in my house was in for it. I was gonna go all Luke Skywalker on their ass. Jim looks at me and goes, what are you gonna do with that?' I say, bash their freakin' head in. Feeling brave, I walk out first and am confronted with my 18 year old Vincent. He looks at me, looks at the light saber and says, what the hell are you gonna do with that?" The force is weak with this one. So light saber in hand, I boldly walk into the living room to find....Bella barking at a deflated balloon. Good thing it was a balloon because I can swing the crap out of light saber. All those years of playing 'Star Wars' with my brother using a gift wrapping tube with a flash light jammed in the end paid off. Yes, we were poor so we couldn't afford a 'real' saber. But we adapted. This is a warning for those who are thinking about robbing my humble abode. You will die. And it will be painful. Have you seen what can be done with a light saber? It ain't pretty. I'm just saying, Luke got his hand whacked off with one and it looked pretty painful.

On a happier note, I have been on a roll in the kitchen. I have been whipping up some fantastic goodies in the kitchen. Case in point: I made this delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup last night courtesy of the oh so talented Martha Stewart or who I so affectionately refer to as, Mawthah.

This was so so good and the perfect comfort food in this cold foggy weather. Love me some Mawthah.

Last weekend it was homemade minestrone which was amazingly simple to make.

So I have ventured off the path of just making baked goods and moved into actual food. And I am in HEAVEN. It is so rewarding to put something together and have it come out absolutely delicious and have my family like it.

Now these delightful little things are homemade cinnamon rolls. And I don't mean that Pillsbury crap you bang on the counter to open. I mean real, honest to goodness homemade cinnamon rolls. O h m y G O D. It just isn't right that I learned to make these. And they are to DIE for.

This recipe came from my new favorite cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. Seriously the best $25 I have EVER spent. Ree is on the premier issue of Where Women Cook Magazine and she is truly amazing. She has a ton of fabulous recipes with step by step illustrations of how to do each recipe. This is great because you can actually see how it is supposed to look. Check out her website at ThePioneerWoman.Com. She also has some of her recipes on her site. Amazing stuff.

Another excellent magazine is the Food Network Magazine. It has some great recipes and no outlandish ingredients that you wouldn't be able to get at your local supermarket.

And yes, I am still crafting. I have gotten together weekly for the last few weeks with the gals and we have been creating like crazy. So much fun. Friday night we were at Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley which is the BEST scrapbook store in the Bay Area. They truly have anything you could think of. Stamps, paper, altered art. Just a scrapper's heaven.

Alright, now go get your light saber, put on your apron and start cooking!!!! If you want any of these recipes, drop me a line and I'll shoot them to ya! Bon apetit!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-21T21:04:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again. How did 2010 fly by so quickly? Maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe it's the kids. But nonetheless, another year has gone by and the kids are growing faster by the minute. My darling DeAnne of Precious Moments Photography hooked me up with Santa pictures this year. For the first time, we got all of the kids on Santa's lap. Actually, DeAnne got them on Santa's lap. It was truly a Christmas miracle. Vincent is now officially 'too old' for Santa. I, of course, will never be too old for Santa.

With Scrap Diva officially closed, I am off to explore new worlds. If all goes well, I will be assisting DeAnne with the studio in 2011 and I can't wait. While I love the scrapbooking, I truly love the creativity of photography. I love taking tons of pictures and uploading them to see the results. I can't get enough of it.

And moments like this make my heart sing. Having the flexibility of being a stay-at-home mom is a luxury I am very fortunate to have. Thank you my darling Jim!!!

So what's new in the world of Tab? Well, Vincent is officially an adult. 18 years old!! I can't believe I have an 18 year old. I also can't believe how quick it went by. And not only that, he just completed high school a whole 6 months EARLY!! Can I get a woot woot?!!!

So to celebrate his birthday, Britt and I took him on the grand tour of San Francisco, his favorite place. We went to AT&T Park (of course) and went to the Giant's store. Got some cool stuff for him. Then to Lucca's for an early lunch.

Can I just say, there is nothing better than a prosciutto, hot coppa and monterey jack cheese sandwich on a soft roll. And it MUST be from Lucca's. It is the most amazing delicatessen I have ever been to. Love it.

Next, we drove to the Golden Gate Bridge to enjoy said sandwiches and watch this lovely surfer catch some waves. We also took a trip down Lombard Street, went to Ghiradelli Square and then headed back to Concord where we went to the batting cages what Vincent used to go to when he played baseball. All in all, it was a fabulous day and we all had fun. I am so proud of my boy and I feel so blessed to have him. He is an amazing young man and I adore him beyond measure. I am a very lucky mom to have such a great kid. I mean, adult.

Well here's to another fabulous year for my little family. We may not be rich in money but we are rich in love and blessings. If I don't get back here before the end of the year, have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a very very happy new year. May the coming year be a happy and prosperous one for you and yours.

tab

Marital Bliss

2010-11-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the extreme pleasure of watching this beautiful young lady get married. I have known Nicole for about ten years. Her mom is my best friend, Nancie. When I met Nicole, she was just out of high school. She is truly an amazing young woman. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, the is a beautiful person on the inside. And her new husband, Cory is lucky to have her. What was amazing about their wedding is it was so wonderful to see two people so sure about their decision to spend the rest of their lives together. They were both literally glowing at the aspect of becoming husband and wife. The best part of the wedding was when Nicole was asked if she would take Cory as her husband, she enthusiastically said, I DO!! Everyone laughed and she said, I'm excited!' That warmed my heart so much to know that she has found someone she truly loves. I wish them both a long and happy life. And I am grateful to have been a part of their celebration.

So last week I had a shoot up at Chabot Space & Science Center for the new Bill Nye the Science Guy Exhibit. It was an amazing exhibit and lots of interactive stuff for kids to get excited about 'going green'. Lots of information about using renewable energy, recycling and whatnot. The cool part is, I got the meet the man himself.

Bill was really cool and funny and it was a lot of fun seeing everything they have there. Jim came and was my assistant for the first time. Our first time working together!!! All went well and it was beautiful up there as always. If you haven't had a chance to go up there, do so. It is a really cool center and the view up there is amazing.

Halloween was a blast. We went trick or treating with DeAnne and her family in their new neighborhood. Vince, of course, is now too old to go so he stayed home to watch the WORLD CHAMPION GIANTS. (It had to be said) We had a ton of fun walking around and checking out everyone's costumes and all of the decorated houses. The kids got a TON of candy and a good time was had by all. Even the adults!! Jamie was a Giant's Fan (he refused to wear a hat), Gavin was Venom Spiderman and Kieran was a vampire. DeAnne and I reminisced about the days of homemade costumes and staying out until the last light went out. Our kids were wiped by 8 and we were like, WHAT?? Let's keep going!!! Ah, I miss the old days.

Last but not least, we are preparing to bid adieu to Scrap Diva. My home away from home. DeAnne has decided to devote her time to the studio full-time and spend more time with her family. It's a good thing because she is so good at the photography and that really is where her passion lies. I am very excited for her too. I have spent many an hour there laughing with her and Brittany and all of the wonderful people I have met through her. I was truly blessed to have met DeAnne and she is an amazing person. I wish you all the luck in the world my friend!!! I love ya!!

That's it for now. Off to bed and the start of a new week tomorrow. Baking, school, photo editing and much more!!! I love it!! Have a wonderful week!!!

11/43

2010-09-30T23:53:00.001-07:00

Cryptic huh? So what do those numbers mean? Well the first is this: 11 years. 4015 days. 96,360 hours. You get the idea. That's how long I've been married to this man. My lobster. Why lobster? Friends moment: Phoebe explaining that lobsters stay with the same mate for life. Well it took me 2 husbands and quite a few broken hearts to find my lobster. I'm his butter. Get it? Haha! Anyway, through the ups and downs, ins and outs, joys and sorrows, we managed to hang in there and have a better marriage now than I ever thought we would. Now don't get me wrong. This man drives me NUTS. And I don't mean in like a mad passionate way. I mean, he makes me INSANE. But he also balances me out. When I am stressed he knows how to calm me down. When I need a hug, he sees that. He is the bread to my butter and the breath to my life. This darling Irish boy. And I adore him. So that being said, happy 11th anniversary my adorable McFly.

Now on to the 43. Well I'm sure you can guess. I turned 43 this year. I must be getting old because I actually forgot it was my birthday this month. Sad I know. So I look in the mirror and I see this girl (Yes I still see a girl) and think, I look tired, I look out of shape. But I don't look 43. Do I? And while I stand there picking my 43 year old ass apart I stop. And I think, hey dammit, this 43 year old body has been through A LOT! I've been married 3 times. This lovely body has given birth to not one but TWO sets of twins and 3 single births. 6 Boys and one girl. This body has ran, bungee jumped twice, suffered many spills on my dirt bike with my brother (ah the life of a tomboy), been hit by a line drive by the biggest 10 year old girl I've ever seen. This heart has been broken more times than I care to count. I've survived on little or no sleep and managed to function. This body kept me going when my diet was crappy and I got little or no exercise. And I realize at 43, that maybe I need to give myself a break. I look damn good considering. And hey, I'm still alive and kicking. Still got some get up and go in me. I'm funny as hell, I have a wonderful family, great friends that fill my life with joy and laughter. All in all, 43 is OK. Plus if I can still give my 17 year old son a piggy back ride, I think I'm doing great.
Anyway, enough about me. We were very happy to have my brother return safely from overseas and even happier that he was able to come home again for a longer visit. As always, he looked fantastic and we were able to spend some great family time together. We all had a great cooking lesson from my step-mother Licia on how to make papusas from her native Guatemala. Yummy!!

Vincent got a lesson on self-defense courtesy of my brother. And the kids got a kick out of seeing Uncle Beto take their big brother down. And some great family pictures. I can't believe how much my dad and brother look alike. I am so proud of all that my brother has accomplished and what an amazing guy he has turned out to be. I also had to opportunity to introduce him to a group of ladies at Scrap Diva who regularly organize care packages shipped to soldiers overseas. I couldn't be prouder to introduce this man as my younger brother who now towers over me.School is back in and we are enjoying our first break of the year. Yes, we have one of those wacky school districts where we get breaks every couple of months. But I love having some time off with these boys. It has been unbearably hot and we are all anxious for Autumn to arrive. 105 in the end of September? Seriously? UGH!

Looking forward to a productive weekend. Pictures, sewing, crafting. Anything to keep my hands busy and the creative juices flowing. It's been too long since I took my camera out and I need to hit the city again soon. Maybe Chinatown, maybe North Beach. But I am headed over the bridge to some hopefully cooler weather. Wish me luck! Have a great weekend!!

August???

2010-08-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Good Lordy I am lagging!! But there's a good reason. Really. Well, Summer flew by. Since we live in a school district with a year round schedule we get a shorter Summer. But wow, this year's went quick. Before I knew it I was buying school clothes and supplies. With this new year, all my little men go to school around the same time and I actually have more time to get stuff done while they're gone. It's was amazing to walk into the house that first day and realize I had no kids for not 1, not 2 but 6 whole hours!!! What's a girl to do???

Well, of course, there's crafting. Did some of that. Also getting this photography thing going. I was very fortunate to have gotten a few jobs shooting up at the Chabot Space & Science Center. I had never been there before and my wonderful friend Sharon hooked me up. It is just beautiful up there. Who knew the Oakland hills were so beautiful? Not me. So along with my lovely assistant, Brittany, we made a few trips up there to take some pictures. It was so much fun and I am thrilled to finally be getting this off the ground.

I also have become completely obsessed with baking. It's seriously ridiculous. Jim was like, isn't the photography enough? Sadly, no. My most favorite thing to bake are cupcakes. I am on a quest for the perfect cupcake recipe. Now I thought I was good. I even learned how to use a piping bag and I have to say I was pretty impressed with myself. See?

Yummy French vanilla cake with Swiss buttercream frosting topped with fresh blackberries. Amazing. Then I finally got a chance to try a Cupkate. Ever heard of her? She is amazing. First off, she buys this used mail truck, converts it into a roach coach and sells cupcakes out of it. She goes to several locations in the Berkeley area and sells a variety of cupcakes everyday. Her name is Kate, hence the name CupKates. ANYWAY, I have been hearing about her for months. So Vincent, Britt & I were in the area about a month ago when she was by Scrapbook Territory and I had to try one. Ok, two. First, here's her cupkates. Cute right. Very simple, straight forward cupcakes. Flavors? Oh my, there was Creme Brulee, Key Lime Pie, double vanilla, double chocolate, smores, red velvet, lemon raspberry, and salted caramel. Drooling yet?

I mean look at them. So I got the double vanilla and a salted caramel and Vincent got the smores and the double chocolate. Can I just say they were like HEAVEN. I mean, seriously the best thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. I can't even describe how incredibly moist the cake was. And the frosting was like chocolate mousse. Just so delicious. I was shamed. My cupcakes were no longer so fabulous. I was just a mom who bakes cupcakes. Not cupkates. But fear not, I did not let this get me down. At least not for too long.

So I came home, jumped on the wonderful world wide web and began the furious search for the perfect cupcake. I printed a ton of recipes and today tackled one. Guiness cupcakes. I admit, I was aprehensive about pouring my beloved Guiness into a mixing bowl. For those of you who have drank Guiness, you know how incredibly bitter the Irish Stout is. It is definitely an aquired taste. And not in the least bit cupcake like. But throw in some Ghiradelli cocoa, some sugar, eggs and make a yummy chocolate ganache. I have to say they weren't half bad. Jim insisted he got a buzz eating them. I wish. Now they weren't even slightly moist. But they were very dense and I loved them. But I will keep plugging away. When I find the perfect recipe, watch out.

OK, that was my long cupcake story. I have also mastered the perfect lemon bar. I had never had lemon bars before but had heard everyone rave about them. So I found a recipe in one of the lovely Paula Deen recipe books I had and made them. They are so delicious!!

On one final note, I have to say I am incredibly grateful for my lovely husband of over 10 years. I have been begging him from day one to make me a large work table for my crafting. Nagging him is actually more like it. Well it took 10 years but he finally made my table and I am so giddy I can't stop looking at it. I haven't taken a picture yet but I will. I look forward to creating some great things on this table. He thinks I'm nuts because I just walk by it and giggle because I am so happy. So Jim, you are truly the best. You're my lobster and I adore you.

Have a great week!!!

Accountable

2010-06-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm chubby. Oh, who am I kidding? I've been chubby. But when I hit the dreaded scale yesterday and saw that I had surpassed the 2oo (yes, that's 200 POUNDS), I realized something had to be done. Now I admit, I am one of those people that thinks if I eat once a day, I won't gain weight. AND I also have a husband who has told me for YEARS that if I eat 5 small meals instead of one big fat pigfest of a meal I will lose weight. With that in mind, I am doing a MAJOR shift in my diet. And excercise. Apparently chasing kids all day and running them back and forth to school is not considered excercise. Or I have the slowest metabolism in the world because it just ain't cutting it anymore. So I decided the best way I can push myself to lose this chubbiness is to tell you, my meager audience, my progress. My thinking is, if I have to share my piggishness with you I will be less likely to pork down on that last cupcake because I don't want it to go to waste. I figure, if Cathy Zielske can show her progress, why can't I? Heck, she even has before pictures is shorts and a tank top. It's late and I look like hell so I won't subject your poor eyes to that. But I will divulge: as of today, I weigh 221. I need to lost like 70lbs. I don't want to look anorexic, mind you. Just thinner. So there it is. Me in all my 221lb. glory. I am bound and determined. So if you see me stuffing a donut in my mouth, smack that damn thing out of my chubby little hand (is that an oxymoron?). I promise, I won't hit back. OK, I'm off to catch some z's. Tomorrow is a new day and my butt is losing some weight. Wish me luck!!

Summertime!!!!!

2010-06-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is my favorite time of year. When the clothes get smaller, the weather gets warmer and I get to barbeque to my heart's content. Kids wrapped up school yesterday so today was our first official 'lazy' day. So I now have a first grader, a third grader, a fifth grader and a high school senior. And while I did cry that my last baby finished kindergarten, I look forward to the longer days so I can actually get some stuff done. This running around at all hours dropping kids off and picking them up is exhausting. I actually have to set my alarm so I don't forget to pick anyone up. But this is what I live for. Taking care of these boys and doing the best I can to ensure they are educated and safe. As I listen to Kieran yell, 'You suck Jamie.' Ahhhh, parenthood.

Last week DeAnne and I took our brood out to San Francisco for a little day trip. The best thing is it was on a Friday so there were less tourists and more parking spaces.

First stop:

Treasure Island.

Not the hotbed of activity and when we stopped at the convenience store there it was pretty scary. But the view of the city was amazing.
Next stop:
Lombard Street

DeAnne, Britt, Vincent and I have taken SEVERAL trips to the city and everytime we go to Lombard Street it is packed and the line to go down is a mile long. The key: go on a weekday! We sailed right through to the delight of dear Britt.

Then it was on to the Palace of Fine Arts:

It was just breathtaking here. Unfortunately, the Palace part is closed for construction but we walked around the lake and got some great pictures. It was a gorgeous day and the weather turned out to be perfect.

We also walked by the Expolratorium and did you know that the first Wednesday of every month is FREE? Go check it out.Then we went to the beach at Crissy Fields. My first time there and it was beautiful. There were dogs running in the water, a few guys windsailing which was really cool to watch. I had no idea how fast they went. And the kids had a blast digging in the sand. It was incredibly relaxing and I am now determined to go running out there.

After hanging at the beach we went on to Ghiradelli Square. We walked through Kara's Cupcakes and surprisingly, did not purchase any. Then had lunch at Lori's Diner. Now, I have been to Lori's a bunch of times and have always loved it but this time, I was sooooo disappointed. First of all, it cost a freakin' arm and a leg there. Yeah, I know. It's a tourist area. Bu $9 for an OK burger?? And no kid's menu? Then the service was horrible!! Let me just say, we will not be going to Lori's again.

After the Square, we took a little walk down towards Fisherman's Wharf until the kid's looked like they were about to drop. Then we headed back to our cars. This was the amazing view we were treated with on the way back:

So after a long day of sight seeing, we pile into our respective cars and just as we start the engines, all these bicyclists start flying by. Me, not being a city girl, assume it's a tour group. But oh no baby. It was:

CRITICAL MASS!!!

What the?????????

HUH???

OMG WHY????

Now I am all for people expressing themselves. But what does Critical Mass have to do with you riding your naked freaky ass down San Francisco streets? And why oh why were my children subjected to this? Try explaining to an elementary school child why that big ugly man is riding his bike down the street NAKED. Not fun. Now if they were Calvin Klein underwear models, well that's an entirely different story. And I would have gotten many more pictures. But alas, they were not Calvin models. Just old men with their junk flopping around. Gross.

As you can see, it was an eventful day. So much fun, so many different things we saw. That is why I adore the city. You can do so many things in one day. LOVE me some San Francisco. Next trip: hopefully Santa Cruz. Enjoy the beginning of these Summer Days!!!

Heavenly Honeysuckle

2010-05-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

I love the smell of honeysuckle. Ever since I was little I have loved it. I think it was the first flower my mom showed me and I remember taking in the scent and just loving it. So I was pleasantly surprised when we moved to Brentwood and during the first days of Spring it sprouted up everywhere. The best is the main road we drive down in our neighborhood is lined on both sides with the stuff. I roll down all the windows in the car and drive down the road, the scent filling my car and taking me back to my childhood. Isn't it amazing how a smell can bring back so many memories?

I have been on a real creative kick lately. I swear, my brain was stagnant for so long and now I am having so much fun making stuff again. This lovely thing is a pincushion I made from a video tutorial on DIYDish.Com. Every week they post a new project and show you step by step how to create it. Soooo cool. So I added my own little touches, flowers, the Eiffel Tower and Voila! A work of art

I also love working with canvas. I have a really hard time with them but once I am finished, I love the end result. I made this one using Kaiser Craft paint, Glimmer Mist, this fabulous glittered paper from Die Cuts with a View and a little bling. Perfect for the pictures I took last Summer of the boys on China Beach in San Francisco.

Only a little over a week left of school and we are so excited. Can't wait to start traveling and taking the kids out. Going to hit the beach, do some cherry picking in the orchards out here, and just spend time as a family. My Vincent will be 18 in November so this will be our last Summer with him still being 'a kid'. I am savoring it.

Also took a quick field trip with Gavin to the Children's Museum in Stockton. It was a great little place for the kids to play. Gavin decided he needed a moustache for this trip so I obliged him.

He is such a sassy little guy. I swear, he is going to be an actor when he grows up. He is such the little performer and is not the least bit shy when it comes to dancing and singing in front of strangers.

Well, gotta catch some z's. Long week ahead of me and gotta get these boys to bed. Have a wonderful week!

Allergies Suck

2010-05-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Those of you who suffer from this seasonal malady know what I mean. It's awful. Doesn't help that I live across the street from this HUMONGOUS FIELD and at the end of my street are orchards teeming with pollen. So I suffer along with my sweet little 5 year old who doesn't understand why his eyes are swollen and he looks like a bug. Poor kid.

But the McIntyre's are trucking along. Last few weeks of school and looking forward to taking a few short trips with the boys and my mom. My mom is dying to go to Santa Cruz and ride the Round-Up. She is by far the coolest mom EVER. Unlike her friends that are her age, she still loves to get up and go, always looking for an adventure. Guess who inherited that trait? Also going to try to make it up to Yosemite. Shame on me, I have never been and am looking forward to showing my boys this wonderful part of California. The best part of this Summer is my brother will finally be home from overseas. It is hell knowing he's out there and we are relieved that his time there is almost complete. YAY!!!

So what's up in my world? Went to SF with DeAnne and the Brit's a few weeks ago. I love going on a weekday because it's such a different feel than on the weekends when the tourists are all over like ants. Plus we went off the beaten path into the Marina District and walked around and it was so cool. We found a lovely little Irish pub, which I forgot to get the name of. Anyway, tons of old pictures around from the 40's and 50's. So being me, I wandered around looking and lo and behold I found this little gem:

Oh yeah baby. That's the boys. From left to right: Roger Maris, Yogi Berra and the one and only, Mickey Mantle. My 2 favorite players are Roger and the Mick. Seen the movie *61? It's all about the year Maris and the Mick were trying to beat Babe Ruth's home run record. FANTASTIC movie. Especially if you're a baseball fan. Even better if you're a Yankees fan. I wanted to rip this picture off the wall but I settled for taking a picture. Needless to say, this is getting blown up and placed in a very prominent place on my wall. Where Jim and Vinnie can't reach it. Damn Yankee haters.

I have been a creating fool lately. I was in a funk for so long and then this weekend I pounded out like 5 projects. Shocked myself. I haven't taken pics yet but I will.

Very excited that the local Farmer's Market has opened for the season. They have the best stuff and the kids love walking around and picking the fruit. Going to try to take them to a U-Pick farm this weekend. I'll be the one wearing the Michael Jackson mask wheezing. No offense. Jim told me to wear a bandana over my face and I was like, ok so I'll look like a bank robber? Men.

Life is great and I am looking forward to lots of fun activities. More trips to the city and hopefully checking out new places in California. So bust out that camera, start taking some pictures and enjoy this lovely weather. It's gonna be a beautiful Summer!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

2010-03-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

What a fine St. Paddy's Day we had in the McIntyre house!! Plenty of corned beef and cabbage, green was worn by almost all (Vinnie boycotted claiming Italians don't celebrate. What's up with that??) and aside from my forgetting to pick up the Guinness, it was a lovely evening.

I have been a baking fool for the last couple of weeks. I found a great recipe for these WONDERFUL treats called Cake Balls. Sounds kinda nasty, huh? Well, they are DE LISH US!!! Now I have to admit, my first batch was definitely NOT pretty but they tasted amazing. And aside from being messy, they were simple to make. OK, I bet you're dying to know how right? Bake a sheet cake using whatever flavor you want. Just follow the directions on the box and bake that puppy. Then let it cool. Now if you have a house full of boys, HIDE THE CAKE! Mine dug into the first one before I could even get it cooled and I had to start all over. UGH!! So let the cake cool and then crumble up the cake. You might want to do this with your bare hands because it is much easier. You want to crumble it until it is literally a bowl full of cake crumbs. Then add a 16 oz. can of your favorite frosting and mix it all together. Roll mixture into golf ball sized balls (redundunt much?) and place on a cookie sheet. You can use a cookie dough scooper but I found it much easier to just use my hands. Once the sheet is full, place it in the refrigerator for a few hours until they are firm. You can speed up the process by placing them in the freezer for an hour which I did. Yes, I'm impatient. You want the balls to be pretty firm for this next part. (get your mind out of the gutter!) Melt one package of white chocolate or milk chocolate bark following instructions on the package. Once melted, remove balls from freezer and dip them one at a time in the melted chocolate and then place them on waxed paper. It is much easier for this process if the chocolate is very well melted. The chocolate hardens quickly so you may want to melt only a small amount at a time. Once the chocolate hardens you can dig in!! Here's a picture of what they should look like when you become a pro at this:

Obviously, these aren't mine. Mine looked like crap but tasted WONDERFUL!!! OK, so run your butt in that kitchen and make some balls!!!

On a sober note, it is once again that time of year when I have to give my little speech about the tragedy which is SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). I know it isn't a happy subject but I feel the responsibility to keep people informed.

For those of you who don't know, my Vinnie had a twin brother named Giancarlo. We lost Gino when he was 4 months old to SIDS on March 14th, 1993. At the time, it wasn't really discussed and other than a handout that was given to me along with a ton of other handouts when I left the hospital, I never really thought about it. In the 17 years since we lost Gino, the rate of SIDS deaths has dropped dramatically but unfortunately, they do still occur. The year after Gino passed away, the SIDS Alliance (Now First Candle) started the Back To Sleep Campaign encouraging parents to place their infants on their backs to sleep. This greatly reduced the incidents of SIDS deaths. So what else can you do to prevent SIDS?

Of course, ALWAYS place your baby to sleep on his back. Side and tummy positions are NOT SAFE.
Use a crib that meets current safety standards. The mattress should be firm and fit snuggly in the crib. Cover the mattress with ONLY a tight-fitting crib sheet. Portable cribs and play yard style cribs are also good choices.
Do not put anything soft, loose or fluffy in your baby's sleep space. This includes pillows, blankets, comforters, soft or pillow-like bumpers, stuffed animals and other soft items.
Use a sleep sack or other type of sleeper instead of blankets to keep your baby warm and safe.
Never place your baby to sleep on top of any soft surface. This includes adult beds, waterbeds, pillows, cushions, comforters or sheepskins.
Do not use wedges or positioners to prop your baby up or keep him on his back.

Make sure your baby doesn't get too warm during sleep. Use light sleep clothing and keep room temperature at what would be comfortable for a lightly-clothed adult.

Offer your baby a pacifier every time you place her down to sleep. If you are breastfeeding, wait until nursing is well established before using a pacifier (usually around 1 month)

Do not smoke while you are pregnant! Do not allow anyone to smoke around your baby after he is born!

Educate everyone who cares for your baby about these safe sleep rules!!

If you or someone you know has lost a child to SIDS, there are support groups that are wonderful in helping you get through this awful tragedy. For more information, visit FirstCandle.ORG or Call 1-800-221-7437

Alright, have a wonderful week! Enjoy this beautiful Sprin weather and hug your kids! They need it and so do you!!!

March Already?

2010-03-03T18:26:00.001-08:00

Wow! Time is sure flying by! And I am in my creative mode! I have been on a roll the last couple of weeks and even took pictures of my projects. Yay me! The lovely lady above (or wherever she ends up when I finish this) is, of course, the one and only Marilyn. When we went to CHA I had the pleasure of watching Suze Weinberg create some fabulous things using melted beeswax and perfect pearls. So darn pretty and I am obsessed now. I've made about 6 now but I am trying to branch out and move on. The other one is a vintage pin-up girl. I am loving the old pin-ups.

So at CHA I took the Donna Downey canvas album class and I actually finished most of it. A miracle since I am famous for starting projects and never finishing them. The end result was so amazing. At least to me! But that's what counts right?

This is the first time I've actaully scrapbooked on a canvas and it was a lot easier than I expected. Same concept but a different medium. And I felt so artistic working on this!

I used Lumiere paint, Glimmer Mist, Distress Ink and the Donna Downey Iron-ons. I love the way the album turned out. If you haven't seen Donna's other new products, check out her site, DonnaDowney.Com, and see all of the awesome things she has. I was also able to use rub-ons on the canvas. Sooooo cool!

So my next goal is to create one project from the fabulous Donna's Yes! It's a Scrapbook! Series Fabric Scrapbooking. This book is so amazing and has some really great projects in it. The cool thing about it is she gives you step-by-step directions on how to complete each project, supplies you'll need, dimensions and pictures. Can you tell I worship the Donna? Uh, just a little.

And she's not the only fabulously creative lady I admire. Another fantastic talent that I just know is about to become famous in the scrapbook world is my friend, Daniela Costa of TheArtLifeShop.Com. She has some beautiful stuff in her shop and also teaches classes at local scrapbook stores. AND she is also teaching at Donna's Inspired Artist Workshop in North Carolina. I am so excited for her!! So head over to her shop, take a peek at her goodies and if you have a chance, take one of her classes. She is an amazing lady and I am honored to call her my friend.

OK, that's it for now. Last note, get out there and try something new. Whether it is some new crafty technique or something out of your 'box'. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish!!

Cha Cha Cha

2010-02-01T21:12:00.001-08:00

I had the amazingly good fortune to travel to Anaheim for the Craft & Hobby Assoc. Trade Show with these wonderful ladies. The wonderful and superbly talented Daniela Costa of The Art Life, my favorite lady Nancie and my new friend Lora. It was a whirlwind 4 days of so much crafty goodness we couldn't take it all in. But you can bet we tried!!!

We started of the trip with a great dinner at Buca di Bepo to celebrate Lora's birthday. Dinner was amazing and the birthday cake was to die for. So good and pretty you know I took a picture of it:

It tasted as good as it looked. Gotta love a cake that looks like an Italian flag.

Following morning we headed to our first day of the show. Unlike the Bay Area, the weather in Los Angeles was gorgeous. Blue skies and sun made the trip even better. And there were

so many awesome things to take in at the show. Tons of new product, cool ideas and scrapbook celebrities.

We got to meet the very talentd Teresa Collins. And Elizabeth Kartchner who created the Dear Lizzy line for American Crafts. Soooo stinkin' cute and she was super nice.

And got to take a class with my most favorite designer in the whole world, the ultra fabulous, Donna Downey. This was the first time I got to take a class with her and I was so excited. She was really sweet and very down to earth. What a great class!!

I also got the chance to see my friends, Frank & Jim and their adorable twins. We had lunch at Ralph Brown's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney and it was delish. So good to see them and the kids are so darn cute!

But after 4 days, I was dying to get home. Missin' my men. And I was so grateful to come home to this:

And I was back where I belong. With my brood. Vinnie was at his dad's so he wasn't there for the pic. But I was so happy when I came home after driving 9 (yes N I N E) hours at 12:30AM to find all of my boys up and waiting for me. It is so nice to be missed. Even my Vinnie who is too cool to tell his mom he likes her told me it wasn't the same without me here. Maybe I should go away more often?

Happy 2010!!!!

2010-01-05T23:10:00.000-08:00

Has 2009 gone already? How is that possible? Time is just going by entirely too fast. With that being said, life is a whirlwind as always. We moved Christmas weekend into a new house. Apparently my illnesses coincide with us moving. Last time it was pneumonia this time it was a horrible horrible flu that would not go away. Needless to say, this made our move miserable. But Jim and Vinnie were troopers and picked up the slack while I slept for hours on end. And here we are in a lovely new home with a larger backyard which equals happier children and pets. They are having a blast running in the backyard. And they don't even mind the cold. Remember when you were a kid and it could be 40 below but you still wanted to go outside to play? Yeah, that's them. Me, I'm nice and warm in the house unpacking. One thing that you realize when you move is how much crap you have accumulated. I mean seriously, do I really need that many craft supplies? I could easily scrapbook for the next 3 years and not have to buy a thing with the amount of stuff I have. Jim was like, really? I mean do you REALLY need all of this crap? Of course, my answer was yes. But I am purging. I am going through all of my stuff and letting go. UGH! I hate it when Jim is right. Lucky for me, it isn't that often.

We are looking forward to 2010 being a better year. Just to get us all on track and for life to be good. We have so much to be grateful for and my goal is to see all of my blessings and not concentrate on my burdens. My kids are healthy, my husband is a gem I wouldn't trade for anything in the world and I have a wonderful family that supports me.

So, have you seen Julie & Julia? Fabulous-o. I am a cooking fool since I saw that (thank you Nancie for hooking me up). It has renewed my passion for cooking and the family is happy to have some new stuff added to our menu. If you haven't seen it, check it out. But be warned, you will be starving through the whole movie.

Heading to Los Angeles for the Craft & Hobby Show in a couple of weeks. Driving down with my favorite traveling companion, Miss Nancie Fancy Pants. Looking forward to 5 hours of 70's music and some much need gal time. Meeting Daniela and some other gals down there to pimp Daniela's new store. So excited for her. She is so talented and I am hoping this works out well for her.

And last but not least, a sad good-bye to Remember When.... in Pleasant Hill. This was the first scrapbook store I'd ever been to 14 years ago and I am very sad to see it close. While this hobby is not a dying fad, it is hard with this economy for these brick and mortar stores to compete with the low prices on the web. We do still have 2 fabulous stores in our area, Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley and Scrap Diva in Brentwood. Support your local scrapbook stores!!! We don't want to lose them to this economy.

Have a blessed 2010!!!!

Blustery Week

2009-10-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a windy week in the Bay Area. Leaves all over the streets, branches falling off the trees. The darn wind even blew Boney's hand off. It cause Gavin a great deal of distress but I assured him we would be able to reattach the severed limb.

Of course, this weather calls for some serious cookin' and bakin'. I have been in the kitchen all week whipping up some goodies for the family. I made brownies yesterday and today a lovely pasta fagiole and pumpkin bread. The house smells fantastic and the kids are munching away. I was a complete dork when I made the bread and doubled the recipe (which I usually do) but I used a different recipe. Of course, I didn't realize until I had already mixed part of the ingredients together. When I got to the 3 1/2 cups of sugar I was like, oh crap. Yep, 7 cups of sugar, 6 cups of flour, 8 eggs. My Kitchenaid was smokin'. Needless to say, I ended up having to transfer everything into a much larger bowl and mix the remaining ingredients by hand. The end result was fabulous but I ended up baking for over 3 hours. I think I'm done baking for a couple of days.

Halloween is just a few days ok and the kids are so excited. I'm looking forward to it too. Our neighborhood is fantastic when it comes to Halloween. It's such a safe, family friendly area and I love the opportunity to take the kids out.

I had the amazing opportunity to see Donna Downey teach at Scrapbook Territory a couple of weeks ago. This lady is so amazingly talented and I love all of her work. She was a kick to watch and so very nice. And her work is incredible. As for Scrapbook Territory, if you haven't had a chance to venture out, it's in Berkeley and it is a fantastic store. If you want it, she has it. The store literally has just about everything you could think of.

I replaced my dead camera and am gearing up for some shoots. I took pictures at Miss Pickle's Pilates class last week and it was so much fun. Never been to a pilates class before but guess where I'm going tomorrow night? You got it. My butt is getting back in shape and who better to help me than the lovely Miss Pickle? Isn't she freakin' adorable?? Check her out at: MissPicklePilatesAndFitness.Blogspot.Com

OK, well I'm updating at Starbuck's and Vinnie is bugging me because the Warriors game is on. WHY?? So I better go before he bites my leg off. Stay warm, don't blow away in this wind and I hope you don't have to take the Bay Bridge because it looks like it will be closed tomorrow also. Have a great one!!

Surprise!

2009-10-12T11:34:00.001-07:00

See, I said I'd keep on top of this and I am trying!! Well we had a very busy 2 week Fall break. It was fun spending time with my boys and being a mom. Took Kieran to his first SF Giant's game. He was thrilled and excited to be at AT&T Park for the first time. Had to get him the big giant finger and he wore all of his Giant's garb, some inherited from his big brother, Vinnie. I was so happy to take him to his first major league game and at such a beautiful stadium made it all the better. And to top it off, the Giant's totally kicked butt so it was great all around.

Next up: baking and cooking. I went to see Julie & Julia with the fabulous Nancie Fancy Pants a few weeks ago and it inspired me to pull out all those cookbooks and whip up some good fixins. If you are like me, I have like 40 cookbooks that I just HAD to have yet have not made one thing out of them. Hey, they look super fancy sitting on my counter. I LOOK like I cook. Fooled ya' huh? Well, my family has been fat and happy because I have been whipping it up for 2 weeks. Made chicken with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms, portabella mushroom risotto (first attempt at risotto was successful thanks to Jim), Bobby's Goulash from Paula Deen's sons' cookbook, and the list goes on. For dessert, Jim's fabulous cookie bar with chocolate chips, coconut, walnuts, graham cracker crust and sweetened condensed milk. Heaven. Can I just say, homemade is so much better and more satisfying than take out. And with the holidays coming up I will be a baking fool. Be prepared for our favorite pumpkin bread. I can smell it now. YUM!

Made a trip out to Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was much cooler there than in our neck of the woods so it was very refreshing. The kids loved seeing all of the different animals there and even got to touch a stingray!! Pardon the crappy picture. My camera is out of commission but a new one should be here shortly and I will be back in business. In the meantime, I am stuck using a crappy little Olympus point and shoot. Literally just point and shoot me because it SUCKS!!!

But just look at those faces! These boys love the ocean. We took them on 17 Mile Drive which was amazing as always. It is so beautiful out there.

And we actually decorated for Halloween this year. The house is all creepy and we have lights up and a lovely full sized skeleton on the porch that we scored at a garage sale for $10!!

So that's it for now. Interested in any recipes, let me know. I'd be happy to post them with pictures!!! Enjoy this fabulous Fall weather!!

Really? Has it been that long?

2009-09-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Apparently, yes. I know, I say it all the time. I'll write more, I'll do better. But seriously, I suck. But I have a perfectly good excuse for not posting. Ok, let's see um........ OK, I went to 2 Giant's games with my boy Vinnie. Yes, I still love the Yankees but home, I love the Giants. Vinnie has converted me. Besides having an amazing stadium, they have some great players and they are so much fun to watch. See? Lincecum, the boy pitches his heart out. And the food. Remember when you used to go to a game and they had the standards: hot dogs, pop, beer, Cracker Jacks, peanuts. The basics. Now: garlic fries, Doggie Diner, chowder bowls, hot chocolate. The list goes on and on. Needless to say, I'm hooked.

Enough about the Giants. I did have the busy schedule of keeping the kids busy during Summer break. Of course, it was a billion degrees out here and I am the menopausal mom so going outside was un-freakin-bearable. Thank God for air conditioning. I mean, can you imagine what it was like when there was no AC? UGH!!

OK, so what's going on in my little corner of the world now? Well, I am back to being a full-time mom and loving it. No more spreading myself too thin (as if that's possible). All of the boys are in school now so I have a solid 3 hours on my own daily. Bliss. But that also means I am forced to go to the gym now. Which is actually good because I'm pretty sure I was pushing maximum density. It ain't pretty. So I'm sore but I feel good.

I am trying (still) to get this photography thing going. I swear, a big thing is my lack of confidence. I don't know why but I get that whole 'I'm not good enough' crap in my head and it drags me down. So I have no excuses now. I need to quit being a big baby and just bite the bullet and put myself out there. What's the worst that could happen? And when I see pictures like this:

I just KNOW I'm ready for the big time. Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE that my husband is as dorky as I am? He's the best. By the way, he is demonstrating that bling is not just for paper. Oh no baby, just add that to your grill and you're lookin' real fine. Don't steal him, he's mine and I'll fight ya' for him.

Soooooo, I will try to be a better blogger. I WILL. Seriously. Oh my, just realized my Patrick is on. YAY!!! I have waited so long. And can I just say how much it totally SUCKS that we already know George is dead and Izzie survives? What the hell happened to a good cliffhanger? Like Dynasty and stuff. I mean, you literally didn't know for MONTHS if Fallon died or not. Now THAT'S a cliffhanger. Alas, no more Aaron Spelling so we are stuck with lame cliffhangers. By the way, I loved George.

I must go watch my man. It has been too long and I am missing him in that lovely white coat even if he is with Meredith. Have a great weekend!!

OHHHH! Thanks for the blog plug by my awesome friend Daniela. YOU ROCK GIRL!!!!

Big BIG Slacker!!

2009-06-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

Wow has it been that long? Darn Facebook! I swear, it's like crack. Not that I've smoked crack. But I imagine if I did, Facebook would be like that.

So what's going on? Well, the McIntyre boys and Gigli boy are getting the school year wrapped up. Last week and it is Summertime! Woohoo! Granted, it's a short one but it's Summertime nonetheless.

I have been a picture taking fool and loving it. Last weekend Vinnie, Brittany, DeAnne and I took a drive out to San Francisco and walked around North Beach, Chinatown and Ghiradelli Square. I just can't get enough of the city. There are so many amazing things to take pictures of and I was so happy that Vinnie finally agreed to get in front of the camera. Thanks to some coaxing from Brit!! Aren't they cute? Just friends, so don't get any ideas!

This was a really cool art gallery we found down an alley that was in a basement. San Francisco has so many amazing places like this.

Me and my boy. Can you believe he's 16??

Still working part-time at the Diva. Life is just so busy now that I can't devote as much time as I'd like but I am happy to still be a part of the store. I am on this massive creative kick now and have been making cards for the boys' teacher's for the end of the year.

One thing we are all looking forward to is my brother coming home for a visit in August. Then he's off to Iraq AGAIN. Prayers are needed for his safe return. God willing, this will be over soon. It is just scary how long this has dragged on and how many young men and women we have lost.

On a local note, if you live in the Brentwood area, please stop by and eat at Lumpy's Diner. This family owner restaurant is fabulous and all 50's. The food and service is great and my kid's love this place. Address? 5891 Lone Tree Way, Suite A in Antioch. And on Saturday, June 6th they're having a car show from 10am until 2pm. Gotta love it!

Hug Your Kids

2009-04-14T13:15:00.001-07:00

If you haven't heard, there was an 8 year old girl named Sandra Cantu that was kidnapped a couple of weeks ago. She was subsequently found dead and the suspect is a Sunday school teacher who lived just 5 doors away. This is so incredibly disturbing on so many levels. The little girl was my Jamie's age. I look at my boys and wonder how anyone could hurt a child in such a horrible way. It was late at night when I heard she'd been found and I went upstairs and looked at my boys, grateful that they were home safe and sound. And prayed for that little girl and her family. Having lost a child, I understand the grief they must be going through. However, losing them to such violence is unimaginable. So take a moment today to hug your children. Keep an extra eye on them, thell them when they do well, don't forget to tell them you love them every chance you get.

We had a very nice Spring break, spending lots of quality time with the boys. Vinnie went to Oahu with my mom to see my brother and they had a great time. My brother will be heading for his 3rd tour in Iraq mid-August and while we are not thrilled, we are grateful he isn't going to Afghanistan. If all goes according to plan, this will be his last tour and he will be retiring in the next few years. We are anxious to have him closer to home or at least not being sent into a warzone.

I am finally starting to create again. It seems like I've been stuck in this funk for months now. Oh sure, I'm still accumulating stuff at record pace but using it? Heck no. I have piles and piles of paper and more embellishments than a scrapper should be allowed. But last week I pulled out a pile of pictures, a box of supplies and miraculously created 4 layouts. Woohoo! Now if I can just keep up the momentum....

I'll keep it short. Just take a minute to hug your kids. Go on. If they're not home, do it when they get home. I'm going to hug mine right now. If they're lucky, I'll let them go.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

2009-03-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful St. Paddy's Day we had here in the McIntyre house. Unfortunately, Jim had to work. At least until they make it a national holiday! But the kids and I had fun. They are trying to learn to skateboard. I, of course, am useless as I haven't been on a board in like 25 years. But I get a kick out of watching them.

Vince and my mom left for Hawaii yesterday to visit my brother. They were so excited especially Vince. He is very close to Beto and loves to spend as much time as possible with him. Before he left, we took a day trip out to San Francisco with Brittany and had so much fun. We hit every spot we could get to including the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, Golden Gate Golf Course, Ghiradelli Square and Pier 39. It was fun showing Brittany all of our favorite spots. We even got lucky and found our favorite, Lucca's Delicatessen. So yummy!

After lunch at Lucca's, we headed to Ghiradelli Square and found a fantastic cupcake shop called Kara's Cupcakes. They had the most beautiful, delicious cupcakes I have ever had. And after tasting these I don't think I will ever make cupcakes out of a box again. What a difference between scratch and boxed cake! What have I been missing out on all these years?? Heaven I tell you. Sheer Heaven. And look at how pretty they are!!

So I was inspired to run out and gather all the supplies needed for good, homemade cupcakes from scratch. Did you know that they make Madagascar vanilla? And it is REALLY hard to find? I went to 4 stores before I found it. I told you I was on a mission. Oh, in case you're looking, Raley's/Nob Hill carries it. It's pricey at $9.99 but I think it will be worth it.

So this is the newest addition to our family. Pip was a Christmas present for the kids but he is definitely MY dog. He is the sweetest thing and so smart. We got him at the local animal shelter and he is about a year old. He is attached at my hip most of the time. Now, I love dogs but I am not one of those my-dog-is-my-life people (no offense) but this little pup stole my heart. And he is wonderful with the kids. And isn't he gorgeous? He's a long haired chihuahua mix.

Work is keeping me busy and I still love working at the Diva. So much fun working at a place I love and get to be creative. At least when I have time. With mom gone for the next couple of weeks I am off and it feels weird not to be there. Plus with Jim working so much I don't spend as much time there as I used to.

So whether you're Irish or not, celebrate this fine holiday and be happy. Take some time out to tell the ones you love you appreciate them and have a great week!!

Content

2009-02-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

So Jim and I just joined a local gym to start working out and we love it. It's been literally ten years since we worked out together. In fact, when we first started dating we joined a gym together but once I got pregnant with Jamie we quit. Then came the fifty other kids (just kidding) and of course, the gym has been non-existent for all this time. ANYWAY, they set us up with a trainer and he was interviewing us about our lifestyle. So he asks, on a scale of one to ten, what is your stress level? And I sat there thinking and realized for the first time in our marriage our stress level is almost zero. Amazing. A moment of clarity at a gym. Who'da thunk?

So I'm on track to get my butt back in shape. Now I'm not aiming for bikini shape because, let's face it, I will NEVER squeeze my lumpy butt into a bikini ever again. Not that I ever did before. I was more of a one piece type of girl. But I want to at least to be able to wear the cute clothes I have from my somewhat skinny days. And Jim looks fantastic when he's in shape plus it just ain't right looking like this. Plus I am feeling great since I started working out. Hopefully next time you see me there will be less of me.

So I'm sure I blogged about CHA but can I just say how much fun it is getting all the new goodies at the store? This Saturday we are having our second 3rd Anniversary crop. The first one filled up so quickly we had to add a second one. So we will packed with over 30 crazy scrapbookers and 16 hours of fun. I can't wait.

Spring break is in a couple of weeks so the kids are excited about getting 2 weeks off. I am loving the schedule out here because we get these little breaks to spend time together. And with them growing so darn quick we need that time. I can't believe my Gavin is starting kindergarten this year. Time just flies by way to fast. Vinnie is at career day at school today. Career day! I'm like, he's 16 already? Where did the time go? And he is growing like a weed. Everyday I look at him and see him looking more like a man than a boy and it is scary.

So all in all, life is good. I am loving life and my family and my awesome job. Ok, I'll stop. But get out there and find your happiness. Do something today that puts a smile on your face and a leap in your heart.

CHA CHA CHA!

2009-02-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

DeAnne, Brit and I made the long drive down to Anaheim for the Craft & Hobby Assoc. trade show a little over a week ago. And what fun we had!!! It was so much fun to see all the new product for the comng year. There was so much to see we didn't even make it to every booth there. DeAnne had been before but I never had so I was blown away by the largesse of it. Hundreds of booths and vendors to see. Everything from fabric to yarn to (of course) scrapbooking supplies. We were on overload from all the creativity and beautiful stuff on display. Needless to say, we have returned with hundreds of ideas and ready to create some fabulous stuff.

We met Tim Holtz and he was very nice. He did a demo of a bunch of his products and they were awesome as usual. We also met Heidi Swapp, Melissa Frances, Jenni Bowlin and a few more industry 'celebrities'.

It was 4 days of walking, taking tons of pictures and absorbing as much as we could. The best part was I got to see the twins. And they are soooo beautiful. Frank and Jim are amazing parents and they all look so happy. That was definitely the highlight of my trip.

As much fun as we had, I am so glad to be home though because I couldn't stand being away from my boys. They were actually good while I was gone but that is the longest I've ever gone without seeing the little knuckleheads.

Vinnie just took the high school exit exam. It is so nerve wracking because you just want to get it done and over with. Now we just wait for the results. As for the other boys, they're a handful as always.

Can I just say how excited I am that Nip/Tuck is back on? AND Lost? The best. Nip/Tuck is weird like it always is and Lost, well can they confuse me any more? But I love it. Besides General Hospital & Grey's Anatomy there's not a lot I watch but these two are fabulous.

So tonight DeAnne and I are going to do a 14 day trial membership at a local gym. I have been running moderately and walking a lot but it just doesn't do a darn thing. So I am stepping it up because I am just way too darn chubby. I wanna wear cute clothes again and not feel like I'm gonna keel over if I walk a flight of stairs. I'm on a mission! Wish me luck!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-16T13:14:00.001-08:00

Look who was at the Diva this weekend! We had a very special visit from Santa who obliged us by taking some pictures with the kids. It was a very fun and exciting day for us and we had so many adorable kids come by to see the big guy. Including Nancie's sweet little grandchildren.

Kieran was the only one of my boys brave enough to sit on Santa's lap and he was so thrilled that he took the time to listen to him. So sweet.

And in between the crowd we got this great shot of DeAnne and I telling Santa what we wanted for Christmas.

Busy as usual. Between work and taking care of the boys there's not much time left to post on here but I am really trying. Unsuccessfully as you can see. But life is good, the kid's are great, I love my job and our homelife is fantastic. Of course, if we came into a fat amount of cash that would be great but otherwise, we're happy as clams.

Kieran had a music recital at school and I was so thrilled. He memorized 12 songs! I was so impressed. Afterwards his teacher had hot chocolate and cookies in their classroom. Jim and I were so proud.

So what's going on in my world? Work is great and busy and everyday I walk in there I am grateful. The customers are wonderful and so is my boss who has become so much more than that. She is a great friend and so smart. This job has also put a fire under my butt to start creating again. I didn't know how much I missed it until I actually sat down and started scrapbooking. I've also been taking a lot more pictures and trying to venture outside my box and try new things.

We actually made it out to the Alameda Antique Show a couple of weekends ago. It was freezing but so much fun and HUGE. We were there for almost 4 hours and barely made it halfway through. So much fun and unique stuff.

We saw a ton of vintage dressforms. This was one of my favorites. It had all of these vintage looking tags on it. It was so pretty. And then there was this: All kinds of ugly. I mean, when was this ever a fashion must? And what freakin' backwoods hillbilly was sitting at home while her husband swilled Pabst Blue Ribbon and thought, I could make a fine hat outta that there can.' I can only guess.

Overall, there was some cool stuff but it was pricey and then there was downright c r a p. But well worth traipsing through the freezing cold.

Ok, I'll leave you with this little angel. This is Lily, Nancie's sweet little granddaughter. She has the sweetest little face and the teeniest voice. Love that girl. Gabriel was there also but Gabriel was having nothing to do with Santa because he 'already saw Santa twice'.

Last but certainly not leaset, little Miss Kelsey who is the perfect image of her pretty mommy. This was one of the funnest (is that a word??) days I've had working at the Diva. Seeing their little faces light up and so sweet. Makes you forget all the bad in the world.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and everything else that is celebrated. Enjoy your family, be grateful for all you have and don't waste a minute because it's over before you know it.

Slacker

2008-10-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a slacker. But not in every part of my life. Just posting on my blog. It's bad, I know. But it was all for a good reason. Like this. Up there. That's me and some of the gals from the new store I'm working at. We had a huge Breast Cancer Benefit Crop a few weeks ago and it was a blast. Throw 30+ women in a room to scrap for 16 hours and see what you get: lunacy. By 1AM we were getting punchy and silly but we had so much fun.

That being said, I have been completely consumed with expansion and move of the store. And it was well worth it because we are all moved in and I have to say, it looks fab-u-lous. It's all pink and black and just so warm and comfy. We added the photography studio and it is all coming together. I am completely in my space with this job. I am so in my element and that makes a huge difference in my life.

So we took the kids out to the Liberty Homecoming Parade last night and then trick-or-treating. The got a TON of candy. And they had so much fun they passed out in the living room. And check out the fancy pumpkin Jim and the boys carved. Love it.

The 2 Batman's are mine and the little lion is Bradley, DeAnne's son. Kieran was doing his best Sean Penn imitation and running from the camera. He was Batman also. Original aren't they? And can I just ask, what the heck happened to making your own Halloween costumes? We spent $60 on costumes! I remember when we used to rummage around my mom's closet and put a costume together. Boy have times changed.

Speaking of times changing, check out my boy:

DeAnne talked him into getting in front of the camera and he looks so handsome and big. I couldn't be any prouder.

OK I will do my best not to let this go for so long again. Really. Have a great weekend and stay dry!!

Busy Little Bee

2008-08-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

I have been busy busy busy buy it's all good. I started my new job at Scrap Diva last month (was it only last month??) and I am loving it. The owner is a sweetheart and I just love the people who come in there. Plus it's like 2 minutes from my house so that is great.

Between the new job and the kids starting school I've been running like crazy. They started at the end of July and I am still trying to get used to their schedule. And for the first time, my Jamie is taking the bus home. He has been bugging me for the last couple of years to take the bus but I'm overprotective and kept telling him that mommy is home to taxi his butt back and forth. But this year Jamie and Kie got out of school at different times and it was just impossible for me to pick both of them up. So this little yellow bus is what I wait for everyday. Enzo the bus driver is sweet as heck but if he ever forgets my kid I will go postal. Yes, I am officially psycho mom. But am trying to let go. Just a little.

This little gem is my newest vintage aquisition. It's a fantastic Underwood typewriter that I bought for $5 at a garage sale. FIVE BUCKS! SCORE! And the cool thing is a couple of days later my mom saw one at an antique store for $65! But I'm hanging onto this puppy.

Jim had his company barbeque a couple of weeks ago at this great place called Boomers in Livermore. The kids had a blast riding the go-carts, playing video games and just being kids. They also had mini-golf, bumper boats and laser-tag but there was so much we couldn't do everything. We have been trying to get out and do family stuff every weekend and it is so nice.

We walked to the Farmer's Market this last weekend and the kids loved it. Luckily we went early enough that it wasn't blazing hot. They had a great jazz band playing and tons of local vendors. Check out these grapes. Beautiful! I am on this kick of photographing food and am just loving the various colors and the vibrancy.

Have I told you lately how much I LOVE Brentwood? I swear, it is the best town I have ever lived in. The people are just so nice and it has a great family feel to it. It's a drive out here but so totally worth it.

And have I mentioned the parks? Oh my, we have like a hundred parks out here. This one is called Dino Dig Park. Totally the most awesome park for boys. They have a huge sand pit and if you dig they have fake dinosaur bones buried. The kids loved it because not only did they get to dig for bones but they had permission to get downright dirty. The 5 cups of sand in the van afterwards was proof of the fun they had.

OK peeps, if you haven't come out yet (and you know who you are!) drag your butt out here! Check out my neck of the woods. Call before you come and I'll whip up something for us to munch and drink and then I'll give you the grand tour. We might be small but there's tons to see out here. Plus we have farms galore where you can purchase fresh fruit for a great price.

One for the road....

I hope all your wishes come true baby....

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane.......

2008-07-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

My boy left for Hawaii a little over a week ago. Now I know he's 15 & he's not a baby anymore, but he's my baby. And I put MY baby on a plane by himself to fly across the OCEAN. He was walking to get on the plane & I'm all, 'Don't talk to strangers, don't drink too many energy drinks, don't go too far into the ocean,' & I'm sure all he heard was, 'blah, blah, blah'. Poor kid, he was so scared I was going to cry in front of everyone in the airport. Then I had to watch to make sure the plane took off ok & then sit on pins & needles until I heard from him. So now he's in beautiful Oahu enjoying some much needed time with his uncle. I am so glad he went because he usually has to share his uncle with everyone here.

On the home front, I got a new job here in town. I am so excited but sad to be leaving the cool people I met at MDW (My Daughter's Wish). But it is way closer & a great opportunity for me. It's at Scrap Diva & it's a great store here in Brentwood. Jim & the kids are excited to have me closer to home.

I've finally had some time on my hands so I have made a point of going to some of the local stores here. And what treasures I found! First up is this fantastic store called Maria Neu Interiors & Boutique. This place was amazing to say the least. Her sign alone has been calling my name for months. The owner was really nice & gave me a lot of information about her inventory. She not only has fabulous stuff in her boutique but she also does interior decorating. Just some yummy beautiful stuff. It was very French & had some unique handmade items. Clothes, furniture, art. So here's a peek:

This is a beautiful vintage looking chair. Love it!!!

This was the infant area that had furniture & some beautiful handmade outfits that the owner's friend makes. The designs are called Pixie Bleu Vintage & the designer actually uses vintage lace that she orders from her friend in Paris. Love it!!

I saved the best for last. This picture was stunning to say the least. It was just breathtaking & I fell in love with it. So if you're in the area or even if you're not, stop by, check it out. Drool. It's Maria Neu Interiors & Boutique at 220 Oak Street in Brentwood. She also has a website, MariaNeuInteriors.Com. Good stuff. Oh and look at her window:

Also took a little drive out to the Lafayette reservoir to take the kids for a walk. It was so nice & the weather has been great. Not incredibly hot, just the way we like it. Afterwards we stopped at a little thrift shop nearby & Gavin latched onto the oddest thing. The kid is definitely unique.

We had a great 4th. Spent the day with the kidlets, bbq'd & then we took a drive out to Concord to watch the fireworks. The weather was perfect, just cool enough & a nice breeze. The kids had a lot of fun & so did Jim & I. We did some good family bonding.

Well, I'm off to pack for a crop. God Bless America & remember to thank our service men & women for protecting our country & our freedom.

I'm On A Roll

2008-06-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

OK so I've been in a creative funk for like, months. MONTHS. How that's possible is beyond me with all the crap I own. But sometimes you just get funky. Well the funk is gone & I have been a creatin' fool for the last couple of weeks. I have also been taking lots of pictures so I have a ton of goodies to post.

I know I dragged my butt on this but here is the lovely frock I bought at The Vintage House. Isn't it beautiful? And only $14!! I couldn't believe it. It doesn't fit now but it will. I promise!!

I was stumped for a Father's Day gift & was sitting there looking at these little men when it came upon me that they will never be this little again. Someday they will be big, brooding teenagers (right Vinnie?). So I painted a canvas, got their little hands all painted up & made this for Jim. He loved it. I tacked on the most recent pictures I had of them & voila! A work of art.

Anyone who knows me know I can't plant crap. Everything I plant dies. But I am trying to break the cycle & teach the kids to grow stuff. Hopefully they will be more successful than I. Here's a pic of Gavin planting some sunflowers. He was so cute patting the soil down.

I also purchased these cool model kits for $1 at Michael's. Great time killer for the kids on a day too hot to go outside. Like today. They helicopters, tanks, race cars. All kinds of cool stuff just for boys & they had a blast creating their own little projects.

I also got this little gem at The Vintage House. It's an old Kodak Brownie camera & I just love it. It is so cute & while I won't use it, I just love the vintage look of it.

My brother brought this beautiful little perfume bottle back from Kuwait. It is made of brass & the detail is amazing. He is still in Hawaii & we're hoping he'll stay there for a good long time. Vinnie is flying out to visit him next week. He'll be staying there for a couple of weeks & he is so excited to be spending time with his uncle. Plus, he won't have to share him with any of us! When Beto comes home everyone is always competing for his time so now he can spend time exclusively with Vinnie.

And this little beauty is actually a bottle of sake. Jim & I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant for dinner a few weeks ago when I spied this lovely pink bottle perched on top of the sushi bar. I've never had sake but it wasn't bad & we only drank it because I wanted the bottle. It is just such a beautiful soft shade of pink & I loved the name, Sayuri, which means Lily in Japanese. For anyone who has seen 'Memoirs of a Geisha', the lead's name was Sayuri. So pretty.

Last but not least, I scored this pretty at Safeway (Yes, Safeway!) for just $3!! I couldn't pass it up. Not sure what I'll do with it but I'll figure something out.

Stay cool, drink lots of water & spare the air!! It's blazing out there & won't cool off for a couple of days.

Summertime!

2008-06-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well, almost. Today is the last day of school & I have to admit, I am excited. And aprehensive. Having the boys home all day for the next 45 days will be a lot of work but I am looking forward to sleeping in, going on some outings & just enjoying some time with these little men. My boys are growing faster & faster & I am trying to slow down & savor these moments. On that note, my young man, Vincenzo, just enrolled in some college courses. COLLEGE. Of course, he was kicking & screaming but his dad checked into him getting some extra credits over the Summer & so he's going. Oh, & we're doing this to 'ruin his Summer'. You know, cutting into his sleep, XBox time, whatnot. The important stuff.

So a couple of weeks ago my darling husband talks me into going to a tailgate party at an A's game with his co-workers. Now I've never met these guys & I didn't want to be the only female there but Jim insists, other wives will be there. Right. So we get there & this is what I'm greeted by:

That's a Boston Red Sox shirt. And he wasn't the only one. There were hundreds. The problem? I'm a Yankees fan. I'm wearing a Yankees hat. The Red Sox hate the Yankees. Yes, it's a man thing but this grudge goes waaaaaay back. Like Babe Ruth way back. So I am getting glares, jeers, wiseass remarks from these psycho Boston fans. Then we get to the tailgate & guess what? NO WIVES. Just this:

A bunch of drunken pipefitters. I admit, we had a blast. He works with some very nice guys & I was happy to see Jim in his element. By the way, the A's won. Sorry Boston.

I must brag though. My sweet Kieran received student of the month for May. I am sooooo proud of this boy. This is the boy who cried everyday the first week of school who has blossomed into a boy who loves school. He was so excited & we are so proud of him. We were very lucky that he had an awesome teacher & she was so patient with him. Good job Kie!!

Last note, Gavin is into this show on Nickelodeon called Go Gabba Gabba. One word: SCARY. I mean freaky scary. Like one of those shows that has songs that you just KNOW send subliminal messages. And I just saw Biz Markie on here singing. For those of you youngins' you won't know who he is but for you old folks like me, he was the big fat guy back in the 80's who dressed like Beethoven & sat at a piano singing, Just A Friend. YouTube it. It's so worth the laugh.

GO YANKS!

The Clouds Parted....

2008-05-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

and the Angels sang. For on the 18th of May my children actually slept in their beds ALL NIGHT and didn't wake me up! For the first time in EIGHT STINKIN' YEARS I actually slept in my bed all night!!! Yes, I am one of those mothers who gets up when her kids cry in the middle of the night and go sleep in their room. Usually it's Gavin who wakes me up. Or if Jim is snoring like a bear I am like, I need my sleep, and bail out. But 8 years??? Who knew?

Maybe it's a coincidence but on the same day, these two knuckleheads had a birthday:

Jamie turned the ripe old age of 8 and Gavin is now a strapping 4 years old. To celebrate we took them to the dreaded Chuck E. Cheese. And surprisingly, we all had fun including Jim & I. The kids had a blast playing games & even got to see the giant rat do the chicken dance. I can't believe how fast these years have flown by. So we won a bunch of tickets & the kids picked these lovely things:

and the kids had a blast with them. Even got Nana in on the action:

If I had known a cheap pair of Groucho glasses would have provided so much entertainment, I would have bought ten pair.

I am still drooling over the pictures I took at The Vintage House. So have you made the trek out here yet?? Well what are you waiting for???? Time's a wastin'! Jim laughs because everytime we drive by I am craning my neck to see if there's anything new in the window. He calls me the stalker. But it is just such a beautiful store I can't resist.

I loved this red wire dress form but resisted the urge to buy it.

Ain't it perty?

I am in create mode now. I just finished making 22 albums for Kieran's entire kindergarten class. Nothing fancy but it was time consuming as heck. But do you think that stopped me from hording more projects to complete? Heck no! I managed to purchase a dress pattern, an apron pattern and some beautiful fabric to work with. Yes, I am going to try to sew on a sewing machine. So if you see my fingers bandaged up, you'll know why. I am also trying to learn to knit. My mom is showing me & being so patient because she knows I'm the type to get frustrated & give up. And of course, the camera & I are becoming very good friends. Jim is drawing the line at me bringing it to bed (get your mind out of the gutter!) but I am dragging that thing everywhere I go. Which is how I managed to catch this little bugger showing me his muscles wearing Vinnie's old Superman pajamas. I swear, this could would live in pajamas if he could. The best outfit is the Buzz Lightyear pj's with his black cowboy boots. Ya' gotta love it.

Summer is almost here & we can't wait. Jim & the boys are installing the sprinkler system in the backyard & then we can lay the seed for grass. I am praying for a nice backyard by July but we'll see.

I also posted some new blogs on the side. Check 'em out. I am the total blog stalker & have found some amazing sites with beautiful things. Have a great week!!

P.S.

My deepest apologies to those who hated the blasting Bubbly song that came on everytime you visited my blog. I admit, initially I was tickled that I figured out how to do that but then it just got plain irritating. And why was it posted 3x you ask? Well because I am technically challenged and it took me 3x to figure it out & then a day to figure out it posted 3x. DUH! So I have successfully removed the all too cheerful Bubbly song and am now songless. Until I find something else that doesn't make you want to stick an ice pick in your ear.

The Vintage House

2008-05-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my GOD. I have been waiting a few weeks for this place to open down the street from me. There are a couple of antique places out here but this one caught my eye because it is my favorite color of aqua inside. I have literally been stopping in front of this place a couple of times a week and just looking in the window to see what they have. Drool, drool, drool. Practically licking the glass in anticipation of all the loveliness. And today was the day they finally opened and it was well worth the wait. Absolutely beautiful inside and so many goodies!!

I was in heaven just browsing through the store. The owners were super sweet and I scored some cute stuff. I will post pics of those later but in the meantime, here is the beauty of The Vintage House:

It is a beautiful store and the prices were amazing. I can't say enough but I will definitely be returning. So if you're in my neck of the woods, the address is on the door in the picture below. Ignore the reflection of me. I was just so excited I didn't even realize not only was I in the reflection but also that a man was walking out the door as I shot it. I'm sure he was thinking, what is this crazy woman doing and why does she have drool on her chin???

Last weekend was National Scrapbook Day and I was lucky enough to be able to participate with my pals. I haven't cropped in awhile so I had a lot of fun and was so excited to be able to spend the day with Nancie!! It was a long weekend but fun.

This is the super cute wallhanging she made for a class at MDW (My Daughter's Wish). Love it! Her stuff is so amazing.

Busy wrapping up the end of the school year. Less than a month of school and I am busy busy. Love the weather lately because it has been warmer and just beautiful out here. And I have been taking my camera everywhere and getting so many pictures. I would love to post them all but it would be just too boring of a blog. Maybe I should break down and create a Flickr account? If I do, I'll post it if anyone is interested. Have a great weekend!!

What the...???

2008-05-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

When Nance & I went to LA a couple of years ago, I got totally hooked on this place called Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. You know how there's like a Starbuck's every block up here? Well down in LA it's the opposite. CB & TL is everywhere. Our friend Frank bought me a yummy green tea & Japanese cherry latte. Heaven in a cardboard cup. ANYWAY, up here in Starbuck's country, there's only 2. And they're both in San Francisco where I hardly go anymore. So a couple of weeks ago I had a shoot in Mill Valley. And early shoot. So I purposely left earlier to take the loooong way to Mill Valley so I could make a pit stop at the CB & TL in Ghiradelli square. I'm all excited, thinking about it all week. I pull up, gleefully plop my coins into the meter and turn around. And this is what I see:

WHAT THE HELL??? Where is my Coffee Bean??? I swear, I was sooooooo mad!! It's 7 in the morning, I have been waiting all week for this & IT'S GONE!!! I stood in the middle of the street, cursing to myself which in SF is not uncommon since there's whackos on every corner. I stomp back to my car & unfortunately, had to resort to the evil, bad

Yep, the Devil's den. UGH!! Nonetheless, it ended up being a good day. Mill Valley is goreous & the weather ended up being beautiful. I was too busy working so I didn't get any personal pictures but it was a nice day.

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to go on Kieran's fieldtrip last week. Mom watched Gavin while I went to the Stockton Children's Museum with 20 kindergarteners. How his teacher does it is beyond me. The kids were amazing & so sweet. She actually has a great group of kids. The bus was 45 minutes late & she kept the kids occupied by singing & it was such a kick.

It was my first field trip with Kieran so I really got to see him interact with his classmates. I had 3 kids in my group, Kie, Andrew & Esmeralda. Kie & Andrew are friends I was so tickled to see this as we walked out to wait for the bus:

I love this age where you don't care about who sees you or what people think. You are just YOU. I hope they never lose that. There are so many people that lose that 'realness' when they get older. It's like you have to put on a front for certain people or certain environments. I'm guilty of it too though not so much now as when I was younger. I am soooo not the people pleaser I was. Call me what you will but I am all about keeping it real now. I don't have the time or energy to be fake anymore. I have 4 kids for pete's sake. I don't even have time to sleep!

ANYWAY, keep it real baby!!! By the way, it's National Scrapbook Day on Saturday. Or in our case, Nat'l SB WEEKEND. Because one day just isn't enough. So scrap something, create something. Do it up!

Who knew?

2008-04-15T19:43:00.001-07:00

That the lighting in our local Jamba Juice was amazing? I have given up my daily Starbuck's and taken up the Jamba. Sooooo yummy. After school last week I was there with the boys with their super cool new sunglasses and took a glance down this little space between the window and the wall and the light was just beautiful. People in the place thought I was nuts but who doesn't already?

I have been really good about taking my camera everywhere with me now. It's great because I have caught some really good stuff. Everything has been so nice and green around here and the weather has been gorgeous. I am trying to take the kids to the park once a week and we even got Vinnie out there last week.

Look at this bunch of roughnecks. They had so much fun batting the ball around and they even talked me into hitting a few with them. It has been way too long and I was rusty but the kids got a kick out of seeing mom hit a baseball.

I have also begun to take pictures of inanimate objects. My dad bought us a crate of these beautiful strawberries and I couldn't resist. I am not a big fruit eater but I am trying to eat better with the marathon coming up. Jim on the other hand....

Eats stuff like this. I know you probably don't recognize it under all that butter and sugar. That's French toast under there. MY French toast. The French toast I make with French vanilla cream (fattening) that he adds about half a cube of butter to and then pours on about half a cup of sugar. That's right, HALF A CUP OF SUGAR. It's a miracle his teeth don't rot out of his head.

And then there's this. How freakin' cute is this? Gavin just adores his daddy and I got this cute shot of them last weekend while we were out. Love it. Things have been great and we are happier than we've been in a long time. We are much more relaxed and I can't believe how much better things are. I am truly blessed and having Jim by my side makes all the difference in the world. I am feeling creative again and am working on a few projects that I hope to post in the next few days. Back to normal. Actually, better than normal. I am at peace and how wonderful that is.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-31T15:03:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Nancie!

2008-03-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

It was my girl's birthday yesterday! Daniela whipped up a 'surprise' crop party for her and we had a blast. Maya Road has these great 'people' albums in the shapes of either a man or woman made out of chipboard. So crafty Daniela whipped one up of herself and Nancie and I got scrapper's envy and made one of ourselves. And of course, Saturday night everyone made one of themselves and it was so much fun. I have had scrapper's block for months so it was nice to actually complete something. And being the kooks that we are, Nancie and I pulled together some background props courtesy of Claudine Helmuth's great paper and jazzed it up.

Nancie insists we do this immature stuff because we didn't grow up together so we're making up for lost time. I agree! I met lots of new people. Great, creative ladies who I haven't had the opportunity to meet with my hiding out the last few months. I just don't get out enough because being around these ladies really revived my creative side.

So the first picture of me & Nancie is at the coffee house. Next pic is the two of us joined by Daniela for a little shopping trip (note the little shopping bag contributed by Sawna).

Last is most us at Nancie's party. Not everyone was done when I took this but I had to skeedaddle early as I had a shoot on Sunday morning. But left to right are: Liz, Daniela, Shawna, the guest of honor, Nancie, Meredith, Tristan and myself. Background paper is the party paper.

Had 2 shoots this weekend that went well even though it was freezing outside. I love my job but the cold just kills me because I am such a big baby. I'll take the heat any day over the cold. Next weekend we're shooting in Sonoma and I am soooo looking forward to it. It is so beautiful out there and it's an indoor shoot so the cold won't matter. Plus we're done early so if I wanna hang out afterwards I can. Fun stuff.

Lazy Blogger

2008-03-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am awful. I admit it. I'd say I have a good excuse like I've been vacationing in Fiji or touring Europe but alas, I have been simply vegetating in lovely, serene Brentwood. Not exactly the height of excitement but I have been getting out with the camera. And loving this beautiful weather. Apparently it has revitalized the kids also because they are actually allowing me to catch them. So here we go:

Jamie is the helper in the family. You need to clean,vacuum, wash dishes, cook, he's your man. So I had to buy this when I saw it. So stinkin' cute.

My brother finally made it home at the end of January. We were all very happy and excited to have him back. Praying that he doesn't get sent back to Iraq. Vinnie was in Heaven for 3 weeks with his idol and I even managed to get him in front of the camera for pics with his Uncle and grandfather.

Gavin finally let us cut his hair. And it only cost me $40. $15 for the haircut and $25 for the toy I had to bribe him with. His hair was seriously getting bushy and then he wouldn't let me comb it and of course, Jim who is almost bald is complaining that he looks like a girl. He didn't

but it was worrying his dad. I loved it but started to worry about the things he could hide in that hair.

So everything is beautiful and green around here and I am so loving it. While I am not thrilled with California being so darn expensive and the school system falling apart, I do love the scenery. Absolutely breathtaking.

Lastly, if anyone is into photography, they are having an exhibit at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco of celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz's work. She has done some amazing stuff including a recent photo shoot with Queen Elizabeth. Details are here: http://www.famsf.org/legion/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?exhibitionkey=818

It runs from March 1st thru May 25th.

Get out there and take some pictures in this beautiful weather. Gotta love it!!

Trials & Tribulations

2008-02-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys. Long time no post but for those close to me, you know I've been going through a rough patch with my neareast & dearest husband. Things are smoothing out now but it has been a rough couple of months & I just didn't have it in me to write. I do have to say though, it is times like these when you realize who your true friends are. Nancie, you have been my rock through all of this & your words of encouragement mean so much to me. And the support from my family has been amazing. Sometimes it takes a crisis to realize how truly lucky you are.

That being said, on a good note, my brother finally made it home for the first time since he came back from Iraq. YAY! We were all so excited to see him & the kids ate up every second with their favorite uncle. He is honestly the most awesome guy in the world & the greatest uncle. And I'm not just saying that because he's my brother. The kids adore him & he is so good with them, taking them to the park & stuff. They had a blast. He was home for 3 weeks this time but as usual, the time flew by. We took a walk to a nearby park & the kids had so much fun running relays with him.

On his way back from Iraq, they had a layover in Ireland & he grabbed a bunch of souveniers there. My favorite being this awesome rugby shirt he got for Gavin.

Yes Gavin's hair is quite long. Kinda gives me an idea of what my daughter would look like. Jim has been bugging me for months to cut it but Gavin freaks out anytime we get a pair of scissors near him. But I finally bribed him the other day & he looks like a boy again.

As for the boys, Vinnie is doing great in school. It took awhile but he is finally adjusting to the new area & actually likes it. Jamie & Kieran too. Jamie is in the process of gearing up for braces. It's going to take awhile to get him there but we started by removing 2 teeth last week. God love him, he was a trooper & didn't complain once. I was so proud of him. And Kieran has firmly established himself as the class clown. His teacher now sets aside a few minutes at the end of the day for him to tell a joke or do something funny.

As for me, I've been a slug. I haven't scrapped in months & am finally getting that creative urge again. I recently started taking more pictures & am trying to get my motivation going. Sooner or later I will get out of this rut & get back to normal. Hopefully sooner because this sucks!! One good thing is the kids keep me going & give me a reason to smile everyday. I am so fortunate to have these little people (and one big Vinnie) to love me & feel special. I am truly blessed more than I ever realized.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy/Merry Everything

2007-12-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

I seem to have missed the holidays & so with 2008 looming just 2 days away, I've pondered some resolutions for the coming year. So here we go!!

1) I will be more patient & kind. Even to people who are idiots (you know who you are). I can't stop being sarcastic because, come on, that's who I am. If I weren't sarcastic I just wouldn't be funny. And who wants to be around un-funny Tab? Yeah, not me either. Patience I can do, sarcasm I can't live without.

2) I will not, WILL NOT hoard my scrapbook supplies. It really is a sickness. You buy that super cute rub-on, paper, whatever & then it sits & gathers dust until that super special project comes up. That never comes up. I hoard, hoard, hoard. Well hoard no more. I'm using it all!!

3) I will be patient & kind. Did I already say that?

4) I will get this photography thing off the ground. One way or another. No excuses.

5) I will keep in touch with people. I will email, call, write letters, reconnect. Yes, I'm busy but I need to make time to keep in touch with my peeps.

6) I'm chubby. The chubby has got to go. NOW. I want to wear cute clothes again & maybe buy a bra that doesn't look like something Norbit's girlfriend would wear. (If you didn't see it, don't bother. It was horrible.) And this one I already started. Got my run on a few times this week & I am trying really hard to stick to it.

7) BE PATIENT & KIND. Ugh. Maybe I should scratch this one??

I tried to get the kids to take a nice family picture. Of course, Vinnie was pulling his best Sean Penn impersonation & refused to cooperate. And the wee ones wanted to screw around more than take pics. So I would get 2 of the 3 to cooperate at different times. However, through the gift of bribery, I did manage to get one decent picture of the 3 little ones.

I haven't scrapped in almost 2 months but I did manage to venture out last night. Went to MDW, glued one picture to a sheet of paper & then stared at it for an hour before I finally gave up. My lack of inspiration is making me crazy. Which is completely pathetic because I have more product than anyone will ever need. I could probably scrap everyday for a year & still have a ton of stuff left over.

One last resolution:

8) I will blog more often. Really I will!!! Have a wonderful New Year!!

lagging

2007-11-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, I admit, I lag. Especially when it comes to blogging. So I was running into the local Target and ran into my friend Dawn who prompltly said, UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!! OK Dawn, here's the update!!!

The best news of all is my boy Gavin is getting potty trained. Any mom who goes through this knows what a chore it is. But so totally worth it because after this boy, I am done with diapers!! At least until I get some grandchildren which, God willing, won't be for years to come.

Vinnie turned 15 a couple of weeks ago and I finally met some of his friends from school. He is at that age where he is petrified that I will embarass him. But I held back. Lord knows I wanted to whip out the pictures of him and his friend Anthony in the bathtub when they were 2 but I restrained myself. He is growing entirely too fast. I'd post a picture of the birthday boy but lately, this is all I can get out of him:

Lovely huh? Yeah, I am hating this age but he seems to be growing out of it. And just think, I get to go through this 3 more stinkin' times! Oh joy!!

And lately I have taken to creating at home. It is just such a chore to drag all my stuff to the store and I have plenty of room here to do it. So I've been spending my Saturday nights here and scrapping while Jim does his thing.

I bought this lovely little gem at Target on clearance for $4!! I thought it was just the 4 letters in a cardboard box but when I got home I realized the box was actually made of wood so I inked it up, smacked some paper on there with the Podge and added some ribbon and stickers to the letter. Love it!

I've made more but haven't had a chance to take pics yet.

And finally, some things I've been pondering. While the kids were on Thanksgiving break I watched entirely too much television and here's what's bugging me:

1. Why does Diane Keaton wear white in all her movies? And what's up with the gloves and the scarves on her neck? Does she have old lady chicken neck she's trying to hide?

2. Has Marie Osmond made it this far on Dancing w/the Stars because of the sympathy vote? I love watching her but lord, last night with the whole doll thing, one word: HORRIFYING.

3. Reality TV: ok come on, you want some reality? Come to my house for a week and I'll give you some reality. Kids hanging off the banisters, husband who can't retain anything I tell him unless it has to do with sports or TV, getting by on 6 hours sleep on a daily basis yet still managing to get kids to school, do homework, clean house, cook, do laundry, etc. and yet I am not an alcoholic or surviving on some substance to keep me going. Of course, I'm bitchy but wouldn't that be the good part of the show? I mean, who hasn't heard me yell at Jim, 'WHICH PHONE ARE YOU ON?' Now THAT is funny. And real. OK, enough.

Alright peoples, that's it for now. Bundle up, stay warm and love each other. Even if they can't retain anything.

Go Wong Kie

2007-10-12T23:55:00.001-07:00

So the kids have all been on vacation for the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately it wasn't much of a vacation as they all caught pretty bad colds. So much of it was spent indoors. But just before the sickness hit, we had a fun day outside playing with the boys. It is so nice to be able to take them out front & let them play. All of them are such boys so it is inevitable that they will be playing baseball, football or cops & robbers. With the exception of Vinnie who is usually hiding in the 'Bat Cave' which I affectionately call his room. Ah, the life of a 14 year old boy. How many days can you actually live without sunlight? Apparently that is the experiment he's been conducting on vacation.

Once they all got sick they were relegated to playing football in the house with a foam ball. Hence, the title. Jamie, God love him, has the worst time pronouncing his L's. So the other night as I was cooking dinner, I hear him shout from the living room, Go Wong Kie. Now, I am not a cruel mother but I do have a twisted sense of humor so of course, I am trying not to die laughing because I take it for what is sounds like. Go Wong. Get it? Ok, maybe it's just me.

Scored this shirt at the local Target.

Could it BE any more appropriate? He has got his daddy wrapped around his little finger. For which, I of course, am paying for. Jim spoils him rotten while I'm gone & then when I have him at home during the week he is a holy terror. It doesn't help that he is cute as heck & knows it. And see that hair? Hasn't been cut since MARCH. I don't want to make some poor person have to deal with him screaming while they cut it & we're too scared to cut it because he's so darn stubborn he'd sooner cut his leg off than cut his hair. I figure he's making up for all the other men in this family sporting the military cut.

Speaking of military, my brother should be back stateside (at least, Hawaiian-side) any day now. Thank God. Most of his unit made it back last weekend & he should be home hopefully sometime this weekend. Can't WAIT.

Jim had his cochlear turned on Monday however there is still too much scar tissue for it to work effectively. However, when they turned it on, he could hear. Woohoo! In no time at all he will realize how funny his wife really is. Do you know how many perfectly good jokes & witty responses I've wasted on him? So we wait 2 more weeks for a bit more healing & then try again. But the good thing is it worked so far. Yay!

Alrighty then, enjoy this wonderful Autumn weather. Take some pictures of the changing colors, bake some pumpkin bread, light a fire at night & cuddle up watching movies. And remember,

Go Wong

Busy, busy, busy

2007-09-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

But never too busy to take a picture with my boys. And who is the photographer behind this lens? My very own Kieran. He has taken an interest in the camera & check this out, no cropping or anything. He did this all by himself. I'm impresed. But not to be outdone...

Jamie got in on the action too. I am so loving that they are interested in what I do when I leave them for the weekends. And this weekend was a long one. Spent all day Sunday helping with the store move & yesterday at a loooooong shoot in Clayton. I am definitely feeling my age. Or maybe it's because I'm out of shape. But I'm on the road to skinny again. OK, let's not go crazy here, at least less chubby. I've been hitting the Bowflex a few times a week & walking more. It makes a difference but it's slow going.

That's my girl Nancie & Miss Mallory. Very excited for Mal because she is off to start a new adventure in her young life. She is leaving us to continue her education at UC Davis. Ah, to be young again. We had a great little party for her & gave her a big send off. Luckily she won't be too far away so we will see her still but it's not like it was. Such a smarty girl!! The party was awesome & our pal Wendy taught everyone this very cute project that her & Nance created. Those crafty girls!

Haven't had a lot of time to crop since life is keeping me hopping. Between the kids, helping my dad with his business & work I am just wiped. But luckily the next few days will be mellow. Jim is going in for his surgery on Thursday & while I am sure everything will be fine, the whole 'surgery' thing is scary. But the end result will be so worth it. If you haven't heard, he's going to get the cochlear implant so we are very excited. Imagine being able to hear after 40+ years! The surgery has a 95% success rate (or so I'm told) & we are both anxious to get this done.

And we are literally counting the days until my brother gets home. If all goes well & there aren't any delays he should be home either the 1st or 2nd week of October. And we can't wait. He has been gone way too long & we will all breathe easier with him home & safe.

Last 2 pics for now. I love Jamie's glasses with the transitions lenses. They're cute & I love that they tint when he's outside because his eyes are a little sensitive. And Kie found Uncle Beto's old Army Ranger hat in the garage & I got some beautiful pictures of him. Can't wait to show them to my brother.

Have a wonderful week & God willing, I will blog more!!!

Kieran 2 Kindergarten 4

2007-08-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

So school started last week. And of course, Kieran decided he didn't want to go. Needless to say, the last week has been very exhausting. First day, I stayed at the school for over an hour before I snuck out. Then 20 minutes later the assistan principal called & had Kie in his office crying. Picked him up, brought him him, everyone had a long talk with him about how fun school is, etc. Next day, he is not going to school. End up having a one on one meeting with the assistant principal & then is wonderful kindergarten teacher. That woman is a saint. I have spent the first hour of school with her everyday & I honestly don't know how she handles 20 kids at a time. I have a hard enough time with my 4. But she is just the cutest thing. Looks just like Reese Witherspoon, whom I love, so that made leaving him there easier. So today, FINALLY, he went to school & tells me, Mom, you don't have to stay with me today. I'll be ok with my friends.' And the clouds parted, the angels sang & all was right in my world. My little man is growing up. And while one part of me is happy, another part is sad because he is growing so darn fast. But lucky me, I have one more!!

So I have been the creative fool the last few weeks & I feel soooo good to finally be back in the swing of things. This lovely thing was a huge cork board we had at our old place. Jim, of course, was like, throw it away. But oh no momma, I looked at that & thought PROJECT! After staring at it sitting in my room for 4 months I pulled it out last weekend while we watched a movie, grabbed my bag of scrap paper (ok, not bag, BOX) & started adhering. Piece after piece & two hours later this was the result. Looks like a quilt but add some pics of my favorite people and..

I just love the heck out of it. Plus I was able to fit a bunch of pictures on it so that made it even better. THEN I finally got on the acrylic bandwagon & created some goodies. I'll post them at the end but I have to say, I am loving it.

So the kidlets are in school & finally life is calming down. Crossing my fingers this keeps up because I could so use a break from hectic! Have a great week!

I'm on Fire

2007-07-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Not literally, but creatively. It's been months since I actually didn't have to scraplift something but I am finally being more creative on my own. WHEW! Like writer's block, scrapper's block can be a scary thing. You have hundreds of dollars worth of scrapbook stuff sitting there looking at you yelling, USE ME!!! And you're looking back going, HUH? So I finally decided I have sucked long enough (Get your mind out of the gutter), put the pen (or in this case, rub-on, sticker, ink) to paper.

And since I was feeling creative, why not make the kids create too? We put up the table & they painted some little wooden trays & had a lot of fun choosing which paints to use. Jamie opted to ride his bike in the driveway. So proud of him & how well he's doing.

So 1 more day until school & now Kieran is pulling the 'I'm not going to school' bit. I am so not looking forward to Tuesday. I can see it now: me being the awful mother dragging my kicking & screaming son to kindergarten. I'm sure the teacher is going to LOVE that. Hey, in the next few years, Gavin will have a reputation to uphold. He will be one of those 'wild McIntyre boys'. Which explains this picture:

This kid turns everything into a gun. His Mickey Mouse Lightsaber, a toilet paper roll, anything. Then the other day he points to the Army sticker on our refrigerator & says, 'What's that say Mom?' and I say, 'It says Army'. And he says, 'Oh. I wanna be in the Army like Uncle Beto.' So maybe we'll have another military man in the family. Or a police officer. As long as he's not out whacking people for the Sopranos I'll be happy. But the more I watch him, the more convinced I am that he'll be a performer. Tonight while Jim & I were watching a movie he kept trying to get Jim's attention by dancing in front of him & Jim wasn't paying attention. So he climbs onto the table next to the TV & really starts dancing. We were cracking up.

So that's about it. Life's about the same, crazy, busy, hot. And anxious about the new school year ahead of us. How did I end up with a teenager in high school so quick? That's just not right. And guess what? 40 is right around the corner. What a year I'm having! Have a great week!

Ick, yuck, gag, Blah

2007-07-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

What a C r a p p y week I had! You know the saying, when it rains it pours? Well it was a freakin' flood here. My washing machine broke, the brakes on the Jetta went out (thank God not when I was driving) & it was just an all around overwhelming week of EW. So here's hoping this week will be better. Once good thing is Jim is a whiz at fixing stuff so he saved us about $500 by fixing everything himself. What would I do without him?

But then on Saturday things started looking up. I went out to my mailbox & found this little beauty in there. Can I just say, the mailman in Brentwood kicks ass compared to the hobos they had delivering mail in Pittsburg. I mean seriously, why did I not get my mail until 4 or 5pm in Pittsburg & get it by noon in Brentwood??

I've only read the first page but the boys started going nuts & I really want to absorb every last bit of the final installment of this series. I am soooooo sad it's the last one but I did get a little ray of hope when J.K. Rowling's publicist hinted that it may not be the last one afterall. One can only hope. But then again, you saw what happened to The Sopranos. And that's a whole other can of worms I can't even begin to open.

So it's the last week of Summer vacation. Kids start school next week &amp;amp;amp; while Jamie & Kieran are excited, Vinnie & I are not. Vinnie, of course, is complaining that his Summer was too short. And I am just sooooo not ready for Kieran to start school yet. I can't believe he is already starting school & I am being the overprotective, clingy mom & just dying for an excuse to keep him home. Horrible huh? But I will do the right thing & take my baby to school & know he will shine like he always does at home. It will be a new adventure for all of us & I am excited to see how much this new world will change my boy.

We did manage to make it to the Cornfest last weekend. Yee-frickin-haw. It was blazing hot & being the paranoid mother I am, I didn't trust the rinky-dink carnival rides enough to put the kids on. But we did manage to get some pictures of me with the kids. Vinnie opted out. Country livin' ain't for him.

And this is how excited Gavin is about being the last kid at home with me.

Aren't I the luckiest mommy in the world? You know I am. Have a great week!

Weapon of Choice

2007-07-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

So at 4:30am Saturday morning, the smoke alarm goes off. Just for a few seconds but nonetheless, I get up to inspect the house. Walk to the hallway, smell no smoke whatsoever. So me being paranoid, I go wake up Jim (who would rather let me get attacked than him so he complains about being woken up) and we head downstairs. But what if there's someone down there waiting for us to come down? So what do I do? I grab the closest weapon I can find.

That's right. The Wiggles guitar. Not only is it heavy, but used correctly I can beat the crap of you but actually do it to the beat of 'Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy'. Jim looks at me like, what the hell are you going to do with that? I was like, 'Hey, if someone's down there, they're going to get the ass whoopin' off a lifetime and imagine that story on the news: Man (or woman) gets beaten down by crazy mother with a Wiggles guitar'. That person will NEVER be able to show their face in public again.' Yes, I am crazy. But I'm protecting my family so that makes it ok right?

So, obviously, no fire. No intruder. Just a 6 foot tall redneck in his Fruit of the Looms & a crazy mom holding a Wiggles guitar. After our little adventure, we went back to sleep for a bit & then went to the Remember When grand re-opening. They have a new owner & I know we are all praying the store will be better. It's a shame that scrapbook store owners are having such a hard time keeping their stores afloat nowadays. Damn big box stores. Cuz you know a Target will never be as cute as a personally owned & decorated scrapbook store. Speaking of, have you seen the new store in Texas?

Here's the link to their blog: http://tracykeith.typepad.com/tracy_keith/ I'm sure everyone has seen it by now. Big thanks to Miss Corinne for the hook up. This store looks amazing & really, is Houston THAT far away? I think not. I am DYING for that frame on the wall. Beeaaaauuutiful. Anyway, hope they are successful. And we need more of these out this way.

After the visit to RW we headed to the Concannon Vineyards in Livermore for the Sports Section picnic. Lots of fun & who knew there was such a beautiful vineyard smack dab in the middle of Livermore? Of course, that's not the only one, there are several. Apparently Livermore is becoming the new wine country. Go figure. Luckily, we got a break from the heatwave so it was very nice out there. Here's some pics:

Helene wearing her Audrey Hepburn sunglasses & looking so cute. This girl is bubbly!

This is where we had lunch. It was really pretty with the grapevines growing over this & grapes hanging down. Definitely want to do this again with the girls.

Lucky me got to crop at Young Play in Tracy with Nancie, Wendy, Daniela & Diana (great getting to know her!). I am itching to get in there & do some creative stuff but it is so hard finding the time.

Last but not least, I found this on another blog (http://withsprinklesontop.blogspot.com/) & liked the idea so here it is. Don't what all this 'I've been tagged' stuff is because I'm still new to this blog thing but if you read this, PLEASE explain to my lamo-butt what 'tagged' is & also YOU'RE TAGGED. Fill this out & let us know about you ok?

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Bewitched of course. And please, enough with the, can you wiggle your nose? crap. I've heard it a million times & it just isn't funny anymore.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last week when an old friend of mine called that I hadn't heard from in months.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes. Usually when I'm NOT scrapbooking my writing is fabulous. Then when I am scrapping it looks like crap.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? Prosciutto & hot coppa

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 4 lovely, rambunctious, destructive boys

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Hella yeah. I'm helluv funny

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? On a daily basis. I would not be me if I weren't sarcastic. It's my charm

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yeppers

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Does the Great America bungee thing count? Did that twice & it was AWESOME.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Cocoa Puffs

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Depends on how tired I am. Mostly no

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? When I have to be I am

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla Gelato from Trader Joe's

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes

15. RED OR PINK? RED

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My tummy.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Hanging out with my little brother

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? uh YEAH!

19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Charcoal shorts

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Egg salad sandwich & spicy Doritos. Breakfast of champions

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The kidlets playing & a movie called 'Chumscrubber' that is very weird

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? Crimson

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS? Gavin's toes, Jim's cologne, vanilla & jasmine

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Vinnie

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I don't know this person, I stole it off of her blog.

26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Baseball GO YANKS!

27. HAIR COLOUR? Addison Red (Grey's Anatomy)

28. EYE COLOUR? Black like frying pans

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No

30. FAVOURITE FOOD? Italian

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? This crappy depressing Chumscrubber

33. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? charcoal

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? A really good big hug & sweet butterfly kisses from my Gavin are the bestest

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Whoever isn't busy

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Whoever IS busy

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Expressions:Taking Extraordinary Photos for Your Scrapbooks & Memory Art

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I'm on my laptop so there's just this finger mouse thingy

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Law & Order

42. FAVOURITE SOUND? Gavin singing, Jamie laughing, Kieran talking to himself & Vinnie acting like a dork

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Old Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Washington DC loved it

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I take good pictures & I'm funny as heck

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Walnut Creek, California

47. WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE? Flying or being invisible whenever I want.

Yep, it's long but interesting ain't it? Kids are ready to kill me for taking so long so I'm off to jam on the Wiggles guitar. Rock on!

Back From Fantasyland!

2007-06-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

And Tomorrowland, and all the other wondeful places in Disneyland. We had a blast & I can't wait to go back again. However, the next trip may be sans family because OMG these guys were a bunch of poopers! Vinnie complained about walking, Jamie was afraid of the rides that went through tunnels & Jim was just flat out impatient when I wanted to take pics. Don't get me wrong, the entire trip wasn't like that but enough for me to go, yeah, next time I'm coming solo. Kieran & Gavin were fine, adventurous & anxious to ride everything. I swear, if I put Gavin on a rollercoaster that kid would have loved it. Talk about no fear. Kieran had a blast but they were all a bit aprehensive about meeting the characters. Which, of course, left me to have to go up to everyone for autographs. Not that I complained, it gave me an excuse to act like a kid. But at Disneyland, do you really need an excuse to act like a kid? Vinnie is at that age where anything your mom does is embarassing. Which just made me want to embarass him more. I am beginning to hate this age. What happened to the kid who thought I was cool? I mean, I'm still cool, right? RIGHT??

So look at these little beauties. Ain't they somethin'? I was so thrilled to see them & their daddies. Everyone looked wonderful & happy. The twins are absolutely amazing & just so beautiful. Very rewarding to have been blessed to be a part of bringing them into the world.

The kids have been bugging me for like, a year, to take them on a bus. What is with the male fascination & transportation? So we got to kill two birds with one stone. Took a shuttle both days to Disneyland which made it a lot easier. Dropped us off right in front of the park & in front of the hotel so we didn't have to make the long trek back & forth. And when it says on a hotel website, '2 blocks from Disneyland' it isn't like 2 REGULAR blocks. It's like 2 bigass city blocks. The kids would have killed me if I made them walk. Notice Vinnie? Yeah, acting like he doesn't know who this crazy family is with all the boys or the lady with the red hair & the camera growing out of her face. This was the theme of the weekend.

I just love the giant letters between the parks. They make great props for pictures. And see how well I taught Jim? You can actually tell who the people are in the picture. When we first met & I would have him take pics I would look teeny tiny because he would stand a mile away to get the background. I learnt him good huh?? And yes, that is Vinnie on the far left.

This was the best traffic we experinced in LA. Of course, it was like 9pm so everyone was already home. Seriously, how do people live there & travel? OMG It was THE worst traffic I have ever seen. When Frank told me that it was bad after 5pm I thought, I've driven in SF traffic. How much worse could it be? Believe me, MUCH WORSE. Luckily the kids were so excited about going to Disneyland that they didn't complain about the traffic too much.

All in all, it was a great trip. Alas, my 5th trip to Disneyland and I STILL haven't ridden Pirates of the Caribbean. What's up with that? But I did get lucky and saw the one and only hottest man alive.......

He hasn't replaced my Patrick but every once in awhile you need a little dirty in your life.

Love Me Some Dollar Store

2007-06-15T13:34:00.001-07:00

Hit the Dollar Store the other day & found these great glass frames. I was like, hmmmm I could do something with these. And oh my, was I right! I only bought 2 but you know I'm going back to buy like 20! Super simple to do & they worked great with rub-ons. It was a little difficult doing the rub-ons on the bottom curved part but the result was beautiful. Don't you just get that giddy feeling when you create something?

I also made a few altered clipboards for Jamie's teacher's.

They loved them & they came out soooo cute! I am starting to get out of my creative slump so that is good. Like writer's block, scrapper's block sucks!!

Thank God school is finally over! That drive over the hill everyday was killing me. I know the kids are grateful that they won't have to get up at 6am anymore. Between that & the 2 hour round-trip drive, they were hatin' me. And it's official, Vinnie is now a high schooler. Oh joy of joys. How is that possible? I mean, just yesterday this kid was hanging all over me because he adored me & now I have a moody 14 year old who thinks I'm a dork. And I'm not. Hey, you KNOW I'm funny. But I guess at 14, it's a rule that your parents can't be cool. And just think, I get to go through this moody crap 3 more times. Can you say CUERVO?? I'm sure by the time Gavin hits his teens I'll be headed to Betty Ford.

Next week we are finally heading to Disneyland. The kids are so excited & so are Jim & I. I can't wait to see the twins again. They are getting big & just absolutely beautiful. I can't believe it's already been over 3 months since they were born.

On a sad note, our friend, Michael, did not make it. Thank you for your prayers, they were much appreciated. He was a great guy & will be missed. And not to be depressing but on a side note, don't take life for granted. Mike was a healthy, young & vibrant man & in the blink of an eye he was taken from us. I wish we had one last chance to talk to him & tell him what he meant to us. So don't waste a moment. Tell your family & friends what they mean to you. Life is too short to let it pass us by & way to short to stay upset about trivial things. In the grand scheme of things, all that matters is that you love & are loved in return.

Prayers

2007-06-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Just wanted to ask if you all could say some prayers for our good friend Michael Pugh. He suffered a severe brain anuerism last week & was taken off life support & we don't expect him to make it. He has been Jim's friend for a long time & is just a great guy. Please pray for a peaceful passing for him. Thanks.

On a happier note, we took the kids to the Brentwood Farmer's Market on Saturday & I have to say, it was the smallest farmer's market I've ever been to. I know Brentwood is small but with all the stuff I saw in the newspaper I expected more. Literally it was one block & about 10 booths & not one farmer from our area like I expected. After all, I drive by farms on my way to the boys' school everyday. But all of the booths there were from produce farms in Watsonville which is way the heck out by Santa Cruz. ANYWAY, I've taken to getting us out for a walk at least once a week now that the weather is nice. And walking around the neighborhood definitely gives you some insight into how your neighbors are. I thought this was hilarious:

Now I'm sure it was a joke but in Pittsburg, you would literally have to tell them not to take the tree. Haha! But we are enjoying our new environment a lot & so are the kids. There are so many parks around here but so far we've only been to 2.

Kids are gearing up for the end of the school year & our big trip to Disneyland. They are all so excited as am I. We are just hoping it won't be unbearably hot when we go.

Got to crop with Corinne & Nance on Friday which is always fun. However, we went to a place I prefer not to name specifically (sounds like December Den) & without fail, the freak of the week was there. God love her, but there is this one lady who is there usually on Friday nights & of course, she was there last Friday. She is one of those people who just does not shut up. She has to say every little thing that pops into her head & it goes on ALL FREAKIN' NIGHT. And for our added pleasure, she knows every single stinkin' song that comes on the radio. And has to sing it loudly for everyone. Don't know the words? Hell, she'll make 'em up. The sad thing is everyone feels the same way but doesn't have the heart to tell her to clam up. And she is completely clueless. What to do? With the variety of scrapbook stores dwindling, it's slim pickins when it comes to crop spots. Thank God I had Corinne & Nance there to ease the pain.

We let the boys ride their bikes in the driveway yesterday. We're both paranoid about taking them out for an actual ride until they're a little better at it so the driveway is it for now. Gavin loves putting all of his gear but will only sit on his bike but not ride. For a fearless kid he is awful cautious about riding his bike.

I just adore that little face. And that cut is fading fast thank God. Have a great week!

When It Rains, It Pours

2007-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Quite an eventful week in the McIntyre house. We will start with this:

Yep, those are stitches on that beautiful little face. Of course, people remind me that since I have boys I should be used to it by now. Maybe I should. After all, they've all had stitches at least once with the exception of Jamie. But nothing is easy about holding your baby (Yes, he's still my baby!) while someone stitches them up. This was no exception. Long story short, we all know my boys are wild. Crazy, rambunctiously WILD. So Kieran & Gavin were fighting over the computer last week when Gavin grabs this big car that Grandpa got him for his birthday. Holding it over his head, ready to launch it at his tormentor, Kieran takes defensive action & throws a plastic wastebasket at him. NOT GOOD. The minute he realizes he not only hurt Gavin but made him bleed, that kid made a beeline for his room & proceeded to wail for the next hour. All while I am trying to stop the bleeding, email Jim so he can meet me at the emergency room, & get them both into the car to go. I was in emergency mode, flying down the street trying the fastest way to get to the freeway. And really, out here, there is no such thing as fast way. A freakin' horse would have probably been faster. So here is the result of yet another McIntyre dispute. It's like the freakin' Hatfield's & McCoy's in this house. Except minus the shotguns. I mean, they are toddlers after all.

Next adventure is Jamie was kind enough to bring the flu home from school. Which is always such a joy. I mean, who doesn't like a good flu? Yeah. So far only Jamie & Gavin have gotten in so I am sending big prayers that no one else gets it. I have had enough blood, barf & (pardon me) diarrhea to last me a lifetime.

On a happy note, Jim went to get his CAT Scan yesterday in preperation for his surgery. We should be hearing from the surgeon sometime next week & scheduling the surgery for this summer. Very exciting though the thought of Jim getting a hole drilled in his head doesn't sound too thrilling to me.

Also, I managed to get 4, yes FOUR layouts done last weekend. Nancie, Corinne & I went to crop at the new & SOOOO not improved Stamper's Warehouse. One word: FREAKVILLE. Oh my, the girl working there was like Lurch from the Munster's (or was it the Adam's Family?). Barely said a word. And the people there were totally stuck up & just plain rude. Which, of course, made me seem even more loud & offensive than usual. Needless to say, we will not be going there again unless it is an extremely desperate situtaion. But I guess the icky environment made me creative so here's some of my stuff:

And I finally took the plunge & signed up for some photography classes at Wolf Camera. Don't know how useful they'll be but what can it hurt? Also, if you haven't heard, Big Picture Scrapbooking is offering their photography class online again. Registration starts on Monday, June 4th & the class is $150. The last one filled up fast so I'm thinking this one will too. If you want to check it out go to http://www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com/photo101.php

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Happy Birthday Jamie & Gavin!!

2007-05-21T19:30:00.001-07:00

I can't believe another year has gone by. Jamie turned 7 & Gavin turned 3 on Friday & they are the sweetest kids. Completely different personalities. Jamie is sweet, loving & cautious while Gavin is sweet, loving & absolutely fearless. That kid isn't afraid of anything. Which, in turn, terrifies me & his father. He is still going through his 'don't take pictures of me' phase which frustrates me to no end. Jamie on the other hand, loves to have his picture taken. Just look at that sweet smile. So another year down & here's hoping that they, like a fine wine, grow more mellow with time. But I ain't counting on it.

All 3 of the little ones got bikes. We didn't want Kieran to feel left out with Jamie & Gavin learning to ride so they all started to learn to ride yesterday. And they had so much fun. Of course, Kieran the daredevil wanted nothing to do with the helmet until we told him no helmet, no bike. But they had a blast riding in the driveway for now. Maybe I'll be bold & venture beyond next weekend but at least if I have the cars blocking the end of the driveway they're safe. For now.

I did manage to go crop last weekend with Corinne. I am so rusty that I have resorted to scraplifting which is pathetic but at least I'm getting some ideas & layouts are being done. I know once I get back into a regular schedule I'll be more creative. I have been so busy since leaving the hospital that I feel like I've barely caught my breath. I know once school lets out things will get easier. The drive over the hill to the schools is a pain but I didn't want Vinnie or James to have to leave with the end of the year being so close. Good thing is that the schools out here are awesome & within walking distance. I love it!!!! Our new environment is so nice & peaceful & it makes a world of difference in my attitude. I do feel more relaxed (when I DO get a chance to relax) so that's good.

And who would I be if I didn't mention my wonderful Grey's Anatomy season finale? OK, is Meredith the DUMBEST broad in the world? OMG, I didn't get to see it until last night & I was DYING. We got a new DVR box last weekend & my dumbass didn't set it correctly so it didn't record GA so I had to watch it online while Jim was watching the Sopranos. Another OMG show. So he's watching Sopranos & I'm watching GA on the laptop next to him & we both keep pausing respective shows to see what's going on. Just crazy. Waaaaayyyy to involved in my shows. So I am dying because I won't get to see my beautiful man except for in reruns until what, September?? Thank God for the internet.

OH one last thing. I was looking at Jenni Bowlin's blog (http://www.jennibowlin.blogspot.com/) & she posted a link to this new website http://www.scrapinstyletv.com/ & it looks pretty cool. So go check it out & get some inspiration. Have a great week!!!

Back on Track

2007-05-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY got to scrapbook over the last week. It has been way too long & I have a fat stack of pictures to work on. While I didn't get as much done as I'd like I did get some stuff done. Since I am dry on creativity, I scraplifted this lovely idea from the cover of a new book, Perfectly Clear by Autumn Leaves.

I never do 2 page layouts anymore because it's hard enough coming up with an idea for one page let alone 2. But I took a series of pictures of Gavin running around at Six Flags during lunch. He ate 2 bites before the big empty space between the tables called his name. I only wish I had that much energy. I loved every picture but how do you fit 10 pictures onto a layout? You cram them in!! I think it came out nice & not too busy.

My computer decided to take a header a little over a week ago but it definitely pays to have an ex-husband who is a computer technician. He had it for a week, added a part & I'm as good as new. I never realized how heavily I relied on my computer until it was gone. Ever tried to find a place without Mapquest? It's a pain!! Map? OMG I couldn't pinpoint an exact location if my life depended on it. And of course, I had a shoot in San Lorenzo. Ever been there? Yeah, no me neither. Luckily Jim's little crappy Sidekick decided to work for once & I was able to get directions. But by day 4 without a computer I was going nuts. Needless to say, as soon as I got it back, I hopped online & ordered a laptop to ensure that the web is never far from me. How sad is that? Sad & frightening now that I think about it.

Last thing, has anyone checked out the new Martha Stewart line at Michael's? One word: AMAZING! I am hearing mixed reviews but Nance & I saw it & loved EVERYTHING! Yes, the 18x18 album is a bit excessive (add legs to it & it's a coffee table. Yes, it's THAT BIG!!!) But if Martha is attaching her name to it, you know it's good quality stuff. Alas, reports are abundant that you can't use the 40% off coupon on her line but I thought it was reasonably priced. And it includes a lot of the stuff in her signature robin's egg blue which I prefer to call Tiffany's Blue. Gorgeous.

Kids found Jim's box of hats & bandanas yesterday & I got some great shots of the little knuckleheads. Enjoy!

Don't you just love the cowboy hat & pull-up? He's going to love these when he gets older!

Prayers for VA Tech

2007-04-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

"Peace and war begin at home. If we truly want peace in the world, let us begin by loving one another in our own families. If we want to spread joy, we need for every family to have joy"
Mother Teresa

In the wake of this weeks tragedy at Virginia Tech, I thought this quote I found appropriate. When I saw the grieving parents and shell shocked students on television, I couldn't help but think of my own children. I think of how I'll feel in a few years when Vinnie graduates from high school and heads of to college (Look kid, I don't care what you say. You ARE going to college!) You send your kids to college, or even regular school, thinking they'll be safe. And then something like this happens. I think of all the hopes and dreams these students had that will never be fulfilled. The emptiness these families must feel knowing their loved ones were taken away by a senseless violent act. It makes me want to pull my children close and just home school them. Of course, they wouldn't know how to do anything but scrapbook and take a good picture but at least I'd know they were safe. And I have to mention that it was in extremely poor taste that NBC decided to air the videotape that this lunatic sent to them. He got exactly what he wanted: publicity for the crime he was about to commit. Imagine how those families feel having to see that footage. And shame on the other news outlets who continue to show it. I have seen it on no less than 5 stations and seen clips of the footage about ten times. Is this what our nation thrives on? Seeing this guy spewing his anger and hatred on tv just before he goes and murders over 30 people? We know what he did and reading about it in the paper is enough. But having to see him spouting off on just about every station is ridiculous. OK, I'll get off of my soapbox now.

On a happy note, I love love LOVE this picture of Kieran. I took it when we were at Six Flags and he just looks so darn happy. He has been a handful lately. Just acting out & not listening. What do you do? I just tell myself, he's 5. That's him pushing the boundries. Lord help me.

Gavin gave me a little surprise this morning. Apparently last night while Jim was distracted watching American Idol (thank GOD Sanjaya got the boot), Gavin decided to take off his Pull-Up and put on his big boy underwear then put on his pajama pants over them. So I wake up this morning, in a hurry as usual, and get him dress not realizing he had underwear on until we get to the car and his pants are wet. I was like, what the heck? So obviously this child is on the road to potty training. It's been spotty since we moved to the new house, I got sick, etc. but we have been doing a half-hearted job of getting him trained. So now we are putting the training into high gear. Having big brothers who are all in underwear is definitely making him envious. I am sooooo excited to almost be done with diapers. I can't wait!! And just think, I won't have to change another diaper until I have grandchildren!

I just had to post this picture of Jim. The kids wanted to get on this jeep ride at Six Flags and needless to say, my hubby was a little big to fit in the back but he was a good sport. Kie and I rode in the front & Jim, Jamie and Gavin rode in the jeep behind us. He was looking like he wanted to kill me until I shot this picture. Gotta love a guy who will cram himself into a little car to make his kids happy.

If all goes well this weekend will be a good one. I have 2 shoots, one is Marin (weather permitting) and one in Antioch. We also have Geek Squad coming out to fix our lovely Alienware computer. Word of advice, just because it costs more doesn't necessarily mean it's better. This computer has given us nothing but trouble since we got it and now it is finally crapping out. So I am biting the bullet and having a geek (no offense) come out to fix it before I lose everything. Yes, I tried transferring everything to CD's but it keeps hanging so I am praying that the geek will be able to fix it. And maybe, just MAYBE I will be able to scrapbook at some point this weekend. I have over 100 new pictures to work on and lots of new stuff that is calling my name. And I must heed the call. Sooner or later. Have a good weekend!!!!

What is normal?

2007-04-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Is normal being able to leap out of bed & have a day's full of energy? Or is normal just being able to function without passing out? For me, it's the latter. I can't remember the last time I leapt out of bed full of boundless energy, ready to greet the day head-on. When was that? Like 1985? Yeah, probably. Nonetheless, life is returning to relative normalcy for me. The kids are on Spring Break this week so I was able to sleep in a couple of hours all week. And after the pneumonia, sleep is all I want to do. It seems like no matter how much I sleep I still wake up tired. Or maybe that's because I have 4 boys who run me ragged. Speaking of 4 boys, we took all of them to Six Flags Marine World last weekend. Yeah, I know it's 'Discovery Kingdom' now but it's been Marine World since I was a kid & that it shall remain. Vinnie opted to spend the weekend with his dad. He's at that age where his little brothers are embarassing so he doesn't want to go anywhere with them. Nice. But I did manage to get some great pictures of the animals. I mean real animals, not my kids. Haha!

We ran into Newman's ex-wife. Apparently she moved back from Brazil & found a great job performing at the park. Ok, that was evil but how could I resist? The kids got a kick out of the show but we took seats away from the splash zone because it wasn't quite warm enough to enjoy a good bath.

I managed to get all of them in front of the camera for a group picture. This is the only one Gavin cooperated for. He was basically carried on Jim's shoulders the whole day because he didn't want to walk. But he had fun & the boys loved all the rides. It was nice because there wasn't a ton of people there & because Jim & I weren't riding anything I was able to take the good camera. Have I said lately how much I LOVE my camera? The color & the quality of my pictures is AMAZING.

As for the twins, they are doing amazing. They went home with daddies last week in time for Easter. They are growing like crazy & absolutely beautiful. Here's the latest, taken on Easter.

Are they cute or what? So sweet. Everyone is doing well & I am still amazed everytime I look at them.

On the creative front, I haven't scrapbooked in weeks & I am seriously fiending a good crop. Hopefully I can get some work done with weekend because I just had a ton of pictures printed through Snapfish, who I must say does a great job of printing digital pics. Example: I had some pictures printeds at Sam's photo center. Downloaded them online, picked them up a few days later. And I was wondering why all the boys looked like they were wearing cherry red lipstick. So I sent the same pics to Snapfish for printing & it was well worth the extra money. So take my advice, spend the extra dough & get the pictures developed from a company that cares. No offense Sam's.

Okey doke, hope everyone is doing well. I swear, I will try my darndest to post more. Really. No seriously, I will. No excuses. Oh, and one thing hasn't changed:

I still love Patrick. I could just eat him up.

14 Years

2007-03-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Giancarlo & Vincenzo

January 1993

14 Years ago today we lost our little Gino to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). So every year I try to get the word out there that SIDS deaths still occur & what things we can do to prevent SIDS. Because SIDS is still basically the death of an infant under 1 years old for unknown causes, there is no 100% cure for these occurances. However, there are preventative measures you can take. Never place an infant to sleep on their stomach(edited. Thanks for the heads up Frank!!). Do not overdress your baby. Blanket sleepers are great and keep baby warm all night. Do not allow ANYONE to smoke around your baby. Second hand smoke can not only cause SIDS but numerous other health problems. This includes people smoking around you when you are pregnant. If you'd like more information on the research & other information regarding SIDS & their Back To Sleep Campaign, check out the SIDS Alliance website at http://www.sidsalliance.org/.

While the incidents of SIDS deaths has dropped dramatically in the years since we lost Gino, no cure has been found. Just a couple of weeks ago I read in the newspaper about a 5 month old boy whose parents were both EMT's & the baby died from SIDS. So this can happen to anyone. I long for the day when we finally find a cure for this & parents can comfortably put their babies to sleep without any worries.

On a happy note, the twins are doing great & actually taking bottles now. I can't believe just 8 days ago I was still pregnant. It is amazing how quickly & unexpectedly life changes. My kids are adjusting to a mom who is mobile now. The pneumonia had me laid out for a few days so Jim was taking care of them & I must say, he was quite the trooper. It truly made me realize how very much I need him & proved that when the going gets tough I can count on him to take care of all of us. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a big whiner but can I just say, pneumonia brought out a side of me Jim has never seen. Being married 8 years, this guy has rarely seen me vulnerable but boy, he knew something was wrong when all I could do was cry about how I felt like I was dying. Obviously not your everyday run of the mill cold makes you feel like death warmed over. Word of advice: if you ever get a cold & you DO feel like you're dying, go to the doctor. Immediately. Because that is exactly how you feel with pneumonia. Horrible worst thing I've ever had. Giving birth was actually a piece of cake compared to having that. Seriously.

Ok, wahhwahhwahh I had pneumonia. And I haven't cropped in weeks so I am suffering some serious withdrawals. Hopefully I can crop this weekend. I need to create something!!!

And on an even happier note, Jim went to the audiologist today & they said he is a candidate for the cochlear implant! We are very excited & I am soooo looking forward to him being able to hear better. The technology has improved a lot since they first introduced the cochlear so there is a higher rate of success. This is something we have been talking about for years & it looks like it might finally happen. Yay! No more yelling, no more of my friends hearing me say 'Which phone are you on???' because he doesn't use the 'deaf' phone that he can actually hear on because he's stubborn. Ain't technology great??

Alrighty, I know it's only Wednesday but it's looking like this is going to be a gorgeous weekend AND St. Patty's Day. So go out, enjoy that weather, put on your bit of green & have a Guiness for ol' St. Pat.

Special Delivery!

2007-03-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yes I know it's been weeks since I've posted but I have a perfectly good excuse. Two, to be exact.

Welcome to the world Milo Holden and his beautiful sister............

Kaylee Dietrich!

These sweet little angels arrived a little earlier than we expected. I managed to make it to 32 1/2 weeks but they came out perfect. It was a helluva whirlwind but we are all grateful that they were healthy. Make a long story short, I got that horrible cold that everyone has & it lasted about a week, went away for a few days & then came back with a vengence. I was literally like, oh my God I am dying. But typical me, I thought it was just a really bad cold until Monday, March 5th when Jim was like, yeah something isn't right because I've never seen you this sick. So I went to my regular prenatal appointment where they promptly sent me to the hospital. An hour later I was told that we were delivering babies that night & guess what? I had pneumonia!!! Needless to say, I was in shock. And worried about how this all was affecting the babies. So I called Daddies & Nancie & before I knew it everyone was here & we were waiting for those babies to join us. The staff at John Muir was beyond amazing. Everything went quickly & smoothly & I had an extremely comfortable labor & delivery. Milo was born at 10:39pm & Kaylee was born at 10:45pm. I am still amazed at how perfectly beautiful they are & that they are healthy being born so early. Truly a blessing.

On the home front, we finally moved. We are getting settled into our new house & love the extra space. The boys love all the extra room & Gavin has taken to running around the huge island in the kitchen doing laps before bed. The move went pretty smoothly & Jim was a real trooper with me basically telling him where to put stuff. This will be our first weekend without having to do anything so we are going to just relax & enjoy the new house.

So life will slowly get back to normal. I'm going to get my butt back in shape, get aquainted with our new locale & enjoy this beautiful weather. Who could believe it was snowing & raining out here a couple of weeks ago? I love this weather & am dying to get the kids out to the park.

Hope everyone is doing well & having a great week. Go outside & enjoy this Spring weather!

I'm Illin'

2007-01-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

UGH. That's exactly how I feel. I got this lovely cold yesterday morning & felt like hell by last night. Sleep? What's that? So I'm a little fuzzy, forgive the poor pregnant lady with the sniffles.

It's been a crazy busy 2 weeks. My brother was home from Iraq & my sister made it home from Hawaii so we were all here enjoying some family time. It's usually a whirlwind of activity when my brother is home anyway but with my sister relocated to Hawaii we had a houseful. And I loved it. There is nothing like having them both home & being able to spend time with my brother is always the best. Hated to see him go back to that hell hole but the good thing is we're at the halfway point. 6 more months & hopefully he'll be home. The kids always have a blast when he's here. He is really a great uncle, always willing to take them outside to play or take them to grab a bite to eat. And Vinnie absolutely worships him.

So they both went to their respective areas on Wednesday morning. My brother back to Iraq, my sister back to Hawaii. And while my house is by no means quiet, it is definitely a different vibe here since they left. Of course, I'm worried about my brother going back to Iraq considering it's getting bad there again. Bad or good, it doesn't ease my mind with him being in a region where a majority of the people hate Americans. And having my sister here gave us time to spend some time together & talk about things we've never discussed before. And it made me realize how much I value having my family around me. We're a small one so it makes a difference.

OK So, Nancie, Corinne & I went on our lovely retreat to Aptos with Scrappin' By the Sea. Amazing. It was so much fun & I am looking forward to going again later this year. Wanna check it out? Go to ScrappingByTheSea.COM. Tiffany is the owner & she was a sweetheart. The accomodations were comfortable, we had a couple of classes & there were drawings through the entire weekend. And the food was amazing. Just a great little getaway.

Here's us the first night there. Everyone attending was super nice & very talented. And I even managed to get a bunch of pages done so that made it even better. Lord knows with the thousands of pictures I have, every little dent in it helps.

I also got to have a mini-shoot with those adorable Gilmore kids. I seem to forget that my children aren't the only adorable ones in the world. DJ is such a little charmer & that sweet Gracie has such an amazing, outgoing personality. How precious is this?

So stinkin' cute. I am still getting used to this fancy schmancy camera but I love it. The results I've gotten are fantastic & I am sooooo loving it.

OK, gonna go try to lay down & pray for this cold to go away. Have a great week & I swear, I will try to post more!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't get Patrick for Christmas but he's just so darn pretty I had to put him on here. No offense Jim. But a girl can dream right?

So welcome 2007, good-bye 2006. How did that year fly by so fast? Amazing but maybe it's just age that makes the years go by so quickly. We are looking forward to having a happy & prosperous year & I hope everyone else is as well.

The year is starting off great so far with news that my brother will be home for 2 weeks. He will be here sometime on Monday & we are all excited & can't wait to see him. He sounds well & anxious to get out of Iraq. With recent events it has been crazy there & I think he is just looking to get the hell out of there even if it is for just 2 weeks. Couldn't ask for a better way to start the new year.

Life is moving along as usual. Kids are back in school & I am trying to get back into my routine. Growing bigger by the minute (literally) & feeling more & more pregnant as the days go by. Luckily things are still going very smoothly & hoping they stay that way.

I did receive a lovely present from F & J, Nancie & I got to go to see Dancing with the Stars in San Jose & it was amazing! Loved it & unbeknown st to Jim, we are taking dancing lessons as soon as I have these twins. It was a fabulous show & got me all geared up to take some classes. Won't he be surprised?

Kids had a great Christmas & it is always such a joy to see their little faces light up on Christmas morning. That makes Christmas that much more enjoyable. I know if I didn't have them, I'd probably just sleep in & laze around all day. But I love the anticipation of seeing their faces when they wake up & see that Santa has been here. If your kids are like mine, they are obsessed with the vacuum cleaner. I have no idea why but if I pull out that vacuum they are fighting over who is going to vacuum. Needless to say, I let them fight it out. So Gavin was very excited to see that Santa brought him his very own Dirt Devil. That kid dragged that darn thing everywhere for days until we finally had to take it away & hide it in the garage. He even tried to sleep with it. Guess he'll have a future in housekeeping.

I am really loving the new camera & getting used to all it's functions. I have gotten some really cool shots but know I've been taking too many when Gavin sees it & says, No picture Mommy.' Guess he's not used to it yet. Kieran & James on the, other hand, love to ham it up. I did manage to get a few shots of them all including Vinnie being a cool big brother, kicking back with Gavin to watch some cartoons.

Yes, I have New Year's Resolutions but it's late & I will post them later. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday & has a great & prosperous New Year's. And when life gets too busy & you feel like the days are rushing by, stop & take a minute to take a deep breath & just enjoy what you have. Like these little blessings up here. They make it all worth it.

All I Want For Christmas Is....

2006-12-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Well, you get the gist of it. Jamie lost 2 teeth in one week & scored $10 from the toothfairy. I am just loving this new smile. So cute. Of course, those teeth couldn't have waited to fall out until AFTER the Christmas pictures right? Such is life.

Spent a lovely day in the Sierras yesterday. Absolutely beautiful. Kieran & Gavin have never seen snow & Jamie was just a baby the last time we went so they were all very excited. We were supposed to stay the whole weekend but the kids just were not cooperating at the place we stayed at so we spent just one night & had a nice long drive home. It was actually very nice because we were able to take our time driving home & stopped at a few places I've always wanted to but never had the time to. It was freezing up there but so pretty with all of the snow. 18 degrees when we woke up yesterday. I would so never survive living in a cold climate. I am such a wuss I'd be crying in a half hour from being cold. But visiting is just fine with me. It was nice because this gave us an idea of what we'll have to deal with when we go to Disneyland next Summer. My mistake was not bringing enough activities for the kids to amuse themselves with while we were in the room. But live & learn.

Did get one ok family picture. Jamie was NOT cooperating so he is hiding behind my head. And I didn't realize that I got some sun glare on my lens because I was in a hurry to get the pic before the kids took a swim in the ice cold lake. I wanted to take more pictures but the kids were freezing & dying to get in the car so I only got 2. Trust me, the second one was worse than this.

While my family was not cooperating, thankfully, the environment was. I plan on going up again sometime & getting more pictures. I hate being on a schedule or rushed when I am in the mood to take pics. It just ain't fun. I can easily shoot a hundred pictures by myself but throw some person who's in a hurry in the mix & I'm lucky to get 20 shots.

This is the pier that was by the condo. You could see the entire lake from the beach & it was breathtaking. Got to Donner Lake & Jamie & Kie actually stood still long enough for me to get 2 really cute pictures of them.

All in all, it was a nice weekend & I am really glad they were able to enjoy the snow. Hopefully our trip to Disneyland will go smoother.

And of course, Christmas is 8 days away. Where did this year go??? Maybe it's because I'm older or maybe it's because I have kids now but the years seem to be flying by now. Seems like just yesterday the boys were babies & now Gavin is yammering away non-stop. And in just a couple of months Jim & I will be celebrating 8 years together. It's a miracle the poor guy tolerated me for this long. What a lucky gal I am. Really. No REALLY. I am very lucky. Just look at those faces. Makes it all worth it. Have a great week & if you haven't done it yet, throw that family in front of a camera & take some pictures. Even if you get uncooperative kids, it'll be a worth the memories.

Sad Day

2006-12-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Not sure if all of you have heard but if you live in the Bay Area this story has been all over the news. A couple from San Francisco and their 2 daughters, aged 4 and 7 months (I think) got lost on their way home from Oregon the day after Thanksgiving. Thankfully, rescuers found the wife and daughters 2 days ago but the other day they found the husband and unfortunately he did not survive. I feel so sorry for this family and cannot begin to imagine what they must be going through right now. So please take a moment and say a quick prayer for them to make it through this rough time. And take an even longer moment to hug your family and let them know how much you love them and how grateful you are to have them.

On the homefront, life is hectic as always but we're trucking right along. The twins are very active and kicking like crazy which is so exciting. The only problem I am having is daily migraines but so far I am managing. Even though the doctors say it's safe to take some meds I just worry about that slight chance of something going wrong. If I could make it through 4 pregnancies with no meds then I can make it through #5 the same way. It is so worth it in the long run.

We are prepping for our little weekend trip to Tahoe next weekend. The kids are so excited about going up to the snow and I am anxious to really try out the camera. If you are into the whole driving around & checking out the holiday lights, a must see is a house on Cortsen street in Pleasant Hill. This is right off of Gregory Lane & absolutely amazing. I haven't downloaded the pictures I took last night but I felt like a little kid when I drove up. Santa is there to take pictures with the kids. There's a $5 donation & you have to bring your own camera & all of the proceeds are donated to children's charities. Amazing & so wonderful that there are still people out there who do stuff like this.

So here are a couple of pictures I took on my venture into the city a couple of weeks ago. We dropped my sister off at SFO at 7:15AM & decided to take a quick drive through the wharf, the Presidio & Golden Gate Bridge.

If you've been to the LA are these are everywhere. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf blows Starbuck's out of the water. OMG thanks to F & J for hooking me up while I was down there but alas, there are only TWO in our area & both are in San Francisco. Yet there is a stinkin' Starbuck's every 20 feet. So needless to say when we were driving by Ghiradelli Square & I saw this place AND noticed that there were several parking spaces right in front, we whipped around & I had the yummiest drink I've had in months. Green tea & Japanese Cherry latte. Heaven in a little cardboard cup.

Next stop was the always beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. Kieran has been bugging to see this for a couple of months so he was very excited to see it in person. Rain or shine it is still an amazing sight.

Alrighty, I'm off to do some Christmas baking. Jim is sure to gain 10 pounds before the season is over. Have a wonderful weekend & stay warm! It's cold out there!!

2006-11-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

How could I forget?

2006-11-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

The guys flew up last week for the 'big' sonogram. We were all very anxious to know what they're expecting & if the babies are still doing well. For those of you who haven't found out yet it's: A BOY & A GIRL!! We are all very excited & I have to say, she is gorgeous. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of the boy but here she is:

Of course, the next question is names but they haven't been chosen yet. Doc says they look fantastic & healthy & I feel great. This has been the smoothest pregnancy I've ever had so that's good.

Loving the new camera still. Today is picture day for the kids. If I can get them to cooperate! We are in the process of potty training Gavin which is just an absolute joy. God love him but the kid tells me just as he's going that he has to go potty. Needless to say I have about 20 pairs of pants & underwear for back up. I am praying for success by this weekend but that may be wishful thinking. But I can't wait until I don't have to look at another diaper! At least not until I have grandchildren!

Well, gotta get crackin' on some Thanksgiving preperations. Jim makes THE best turkey gravy in the whole world. Last year he decided to do something different & used CORNSTARCH instead of flour even though I told him not to. But I'm just a woman so what would I know about cooking right? Mind you, I wait all freakin' year for his gravy. So what happens? It turns into a big lumpy disgusting mess & guess what? NO FREAKIN' GRAVY! I didn't even want to eat. So this year I reminded him, you screw up the gravy, I'm making another turkey on Friday & you are making my fat pregnant butt some gravy!! I doubt that he'll screw it up this year. Poor guy.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you're traveling, drive safe, leave early & enjoy your trip. Happy holidays!!

Happy Birthday to Vinnie & Gino!

2006-11-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's been 14 years! Vinnie is actually about an inch taller than me and has had the shadow of a moustache for a year. We had a slumber party for him at his dad's and he had a lot of fun. Vinnie, Clayton, Ben & Suzanna played foosball while I took pictures with my lovely new camera. Yep, I finally got it. But not the D20 like I had planned. I was gagging on spending $1500 on a camera even though it did come with a lot of stuff. But I decided to get the Digital Rebel XT instead & I am very happy with it. So I am all set to start taking those professional shots! Kids are all geared up for having a camera in their face 24/7. Gavin is the only one that doesn't cooperate but since it's a lot faster than my small digital that kid can run all he wants, I can still get him.
So I have to admit, I am quite the baker. I cook pretty good but I kick ass at baking. So Vinnie asked me to make his cake. This kid will not eat a store bought cake but he'll eat mine. So it must be good. Saturday morning I pull out the old Kitchen Aid and whip out a beautiful devil's food cake. And I decided instead of taking a chance and driving with it in the cake dome in the car, I would put the cake together at Ben's. And here is the end result:

This is by far, the UGLIEST cake I have ever made. When I put the cake on the plate, I put the flat side on the bottom. Then I forgot to trip the dome off the top & tried to put the second layer on. Here is the result. We were cracking up. I joked that it was the California Earthquake cake, fault line included. And while it looked hideous it actually tasted really good. Poor kid, mom gives him an ugly cake for his birthday.

Friday night I had my second Designing Memories party at Miss Corinne's. And I have to say my album came out darn cute. And everyone liked it or at least said they did. I am so loving this & I realize now I have to put myself out there more & start marketing this venture of mine. I had a lot of fun & Nancie was a sweetheart & came & helped me after a long day at work. I was so glad to have her there because she knew all these little tricks that I didn't so I got to learn some stuff too. That smartie girl! If you want to check out the album, I created a blog for the business and it's DesigningMemories.Blogspot.COM. And please feel free to give me some input! I'd appreciate it.

Last but not least, it is Thanksgiving vacation. The kiddies are all home to drive me crazy. Luckily I am only solo for 3 days because Jim is off on Thursday & Friday. So I am trying to plan some activities so they don't get stir crazy. It's foggy & freezing outside but being boys, they want out! They are going to have to settle for going for a ride because the last thing we need is 4 sick kids on Thanksgiving. And I am so excited because my sister is flying in on Wednesday night for the rest of the week. We haven't seen her since July & I can't wait. Just wish my brother could have made it too but hopefully he will be home in January. We are praying. So everyone, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, eat lots of turkey & hug your families even if they drive you nuts. Happy holidays!!

Sleep...Need sleep

2006-11-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

So Gavin has decided he really doesn't need to go to sleep at 8:30 with everyone else. Which is just a joy to me because I love watching him run around like he's had a pot of coffee at 10pm. Here's how it goes: we put the kids to bed and 5 minutes later Mr. Sunshine is up and in the living room. Yes, we've tried putting him back to bed but short of strapping him to the bed, it ain't happenin'. Then at 9:45: It's Showtime at the Apollo. Gavin will stand in front of the television and just dance, sing, make a total fool of himself while Jim & I are at our wits end. Usually he'll do that until he collapses on the couch, exhausted with lots of dollar bills in his waistband. Now Jamie is the complete opposite. We're lucky if that kid stays up past 7pm. Then wakes up at 6am. And last night I had a shoot so Jim was watching the kids. Disaster. Jamie fell asleep at 6 and do you think he woke him up?? Heck no. He was thinking, one less kid to chase and let him sleep. So guess who woke up at 5 freakin' 30am??? JAMIE. Singing, laughing, basically waking the whole house up. Never mind that it's still dark. This kid walks in my room and says, mom, mom. It's time to get up.' And I'm like, 'It's still DARK! Go back to sleep!' Too late. He's up and ready to go. Needless to say, by 1pm I'll be passed out on the couch. Ahhh the joys of parenthood.
And then there are the true joys of parenthood. Like this:

And even though Vinnie is too big to go trick or treating, he managed to put a mask on for our amusement:

Took the kids to SunValley for trick or treating and then went to Haagen Das for ice cream. YUM! Gavin stole my Bailey's shake and gave me his mini cup of chocolate ice cream. Isn't that sweet? All in all we had fun and the kids got some candy. And now we're gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If all goes well, my brother will be home in less than 2 weeks. We can't wait and pray all goes well and he gets the leave still.

The twins are doing great and moving more every day. I finally got a little pooch and if you look closely you can see the first signs of babies. Other than the kids keeping me up, this is the smoothest pregnancy I've had (knock on wood) and I am feeling great. We're doing the big ultrasound on the 16th and hopefully we'll find out what they are. Looking forward to seeing the guys again and very excited about the ultrasound.

Last but not least, did a shoot in Brentwood last night for a basketball league. And can I just say I rock? Yes, I am normally modest but I shot over 200 kids in less than 3 hours. And we are supposed to shoot each team in 10 minutes and I was timed at 8 minutes per team. I was very proud of myself and finally feeling very comfortable doing this. I am also learning a lot on the big fancy digital we use and it's not so intimidating anymore. When I first started using the digital at work I was petrified to touch any of the buttons fearing I would screw something up.

Alrighty, that's it for now. Hope everyone is staying warm & dry. Drive safely out there! It's wet!!

Tag Team 'Em

2006-10-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

When you can't get them to do what you want. So Kieran has been insitent on not going Trick or Treating which is just freaky for a 5 year old. I've been bringing it up to him on a daily basis trying my best to talk him into it. Even my friend Corinne tried to talk him into it with no success. So yesterday morning we're all sitting there having breakfast and Jim and I are telling him how we're dressing up for Halloween. And he's all, really? What's daddy gonna be?' And Jim's looking at me like, ok now what the hell do I say? And I say, Daddy's gonna be a big pirate. And he looks at Jim and goes, 'OK, I'll be Woody' and goes back to eating. SUCCESS!! So all is well in the McIntyre house.
Saturday night I had a Body Shop party and the girls all came by for pedicures. Thanks to Eunice for being such an awesome rep and providing us a night of pampering. And a HUMONGOUS thanks to my wonderful husband who not only helped make all the hors d'ourves but didn't say a word when he walked into the living room and saw 5 women with their feet soaking in tubs. What a great guy. As for the Body Shop, I can't say enough about their products. Everything is awesome and smells soooo yummy. And having them come to your home now is great.
Got Kieran in front of the camera on Friday and he was actually cooperative. I am dying to get my new camera because Gavin won't sit still for nothing so my little nickel ninety-nine digital is out with him. But here's the end result of great window lighting, a white comforter and one adorable little 5 year old who is now going Trick or Treating. Gotta love that.

It's That Time of Year

2006-10-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween and I am so excited that the kids decided to NOT dress up like Buzz & Woody for the first time in 2 years. The Disney store had all of the costumes for 50% off. Notice Kie? This kid decided he doesn't want to go trick or treating this year. What's up with that? He wants to stay home with Vinnie and hand out candy. I bought him the Pirates of the Caribbean telescope, eye patch, pirate ring set in hopes that he will change his mind. Crossing my fingers. He is walking around with the eye patch so there's hope for him yet!

Meanwhile, babies are doing great. I felt my first kicks 2 days ago and we're very excited. That was one thing I really missed about being pregnant. Just feeling that life inside of you growing and moving. It's amazing.

And it looks like my brother may be home for Thanksgiving. Nothing definite yet but he says it looks like he'll be home for 2 weeks. We'll know closer to the date since the Army is good about telling these guys at the absolute LAST minute. But we don't care, as long as he's home. I just can't wait for all of this to be over so they can all come home.

Last but not least, I am finally taking the plunge and getting this photography thing off the ground. Going to start building my portfolio over the next couple of months, set up a website and whatnot. I am so excited to get this going. And my new camera should be here sometime beginning November. Big thanks to Miss Corinne for helping me with my decision.

Alrighty people, get out there and get those costumes ready for all hallows eve!! Enjoy this wonderful Autumn weather!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-09-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

That's me at 39. The tired looking one on the right not the beautiful, fresh looking one on the left. It was actually the nicest birthday I've had in a really long time thanks to some great great friends and a wonderful family. Jim and I took the boys out to dinner at Chili's. Dinner out is an adventure because we never know how the kids are going to act. Trust me, if it wasn't for my insistence, we would never go out to dinner with the kids. Jim gets that deer in the headlights look everytime I suggest it. And since it was MY birthday, I decided to take advantage of that and say I wanted dinner out. In a RESTAURANT. Where I would get served. And surprisingly, the kids were great. With the exception of Gavin spitting water on the floor once, they were really good. It was nice to get out as a family and the kids had fun too.
Today was a different story. Awhile back a friend of ours gave the boys this cool dinosaur game. It's like Operation but it's a dinosaur's body. Cool right? It was until Gavin snuck it out of my room and decided to give himself a home perm by sticking the tweezers into a light socket. Oh sure, the sockets are covered but these kids are shifty, they know how to pull them off. So here I am working away and all of a sudden big hum and everything in my bedroom goes off. And then I hear Gavin crying and realize immediately what this kid did. Luckily he was ok just scared. In the meantime, I have no electricity in half of my house because he blew a circuit. Soooooo, I get to venture out to the garage, search for the circuit breaker and reset everything. This takes 40 minutes because my garage is like an obstacle course right now. Now I sit here, grateful that he's ok but rattled nonetheless. Another medical emergency diverted. The key here is NO GAMES THAT INVOLVE TWEEZERS AND ELECTRICITY. I never liked Operation as a kid. What kind of sadistic game is that anyway? You get SHOCKED if you screw up???? Nice.
This weekend we are going to venture out to the city. I've been wanting to take the kids to the zoo for awhile and also to the beach. I figure if we leave early enough we can do both. Good photo ops! Looking forward to a day in SF especially since it's been so long since we've been there. The kids will get a kick out of it too.
So that's my crazy week so far. Crossing my fingers we have no more mishaps with electricity or broken bones or blood. Have I told you lately how fun it is to have boys????

THis is them freakin' out because they couldn't go inside Nancie's with me. Ain't it great to be loved????

Good food, good friends, great movie

2006-09-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

These are two of the five amazing women I had the pleasure of having dinner with last night. Nancie, Corinne, Katherine, Laura, Daniela and I all went to dinner to celebrate September birthdays (Corinne, Daniela & I). We ate at Tahoe Joe's and it was super yummy. Nothing I love better than a good steak. And fantastic cheesecake. After dinner, Nancie, Corinne, Katherine and I went to see 'Little Miss Sunshine' which was an amazing movie. Definitely one of those feel good ones. Laughed like I haven't laughed in a long time and it was so much fun to share it with these ladies that bring so much joy to my life. If you haven't seen the movie, go see it. Definitely worth my money. Just ask Nance, she's seen it FOUR TIMES!!!
Happy to report the twins are doing very well. Had another sonogram on Friday and the doctor says all looks well. And I still feel great aside from being sleepy. Lately I've been going to bed at 8:30. I feel like a little kid but I am just so wiped out that as soon as the kids are in bed, I am too. That means lucky Jim can watch all the boring man shows he likes without me complaining. So we're both happy, he gets to watch television in peace and I get a little more sleep.
Now that we're in the swing of things with school life is getting back to normal. It seems like the first 3 weeks are a whirlwind of activities, PTA, open house, ugh. But looks like this week begins the calming, less activities and maybe I can be home for dinner a few times this week. And maybe even have time for doing more scrapbooking and completing projects like this:

And this

Loves that football.......

Never Forget

2006-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been 5 years. It flew by. 5 years since I woke up with my 2 month old son next to me, turned on the television and realized something horrible happened. 5 years since my brother called me and said point blank, 'we're at war now'. It's mind numbing to believe how quickly things changed in these 5 years. Not just for me but for every American, every person, living in America. We were now targets. Our children, our families, our country. Anyone who knows me knows I am extremely patriotic. I've always been proud to call myself an American and proud of the opportunities this country provides for not only it's citizens but people who come from other countries and want to call America home. That day, I sat glued to the television, intermittently crying and waiting. Waiting to hear it was all a mistake. This couldn't have happened here. Not in the U.S. Who would have the nerve to do this? Like many other Americans, I had grown comfortable, thinking no one would have the gall to attack us, one of the strongest if not THE strongest nation in the world. Now, 5 years later, I realize we are not invulnerable. If someone wants to get to us, they will do their damnedest. So we have to be prepared for the worst and just pray it never happens again. We keep our children a little closer, tell our families we love them more often. My brother is in Iraq and will be for the next year. He's been in the Army for 18 years and the thought of ever losing him to a war never crossed my mind. Now the thought is there. Lurking there in the back of mind though I try to ignore it. I pray more often, I'm more cautious out in public. I avoid going to San Francisco especially on major holidays. What better time to strike than when there's people gathered to celebrate?
So on this, the 5 year anniversary of 9/11, I am still grateful and immensely proud to be an American. I pray that this war will be over soon and ALL of our service men and women will come home safe and sound. And that they will be honored as the heroes they are. That we will never forget why we are there. I pray that we will never forget what happened on that awful day 5 years ago. And that we will always remember that it is because our men and women volunteer to serve our country that we remain free and safe.

I HATE HP

2006-09-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know the horror story with my HP digital camera, you know that I am none to pleased with their company. However, I did have a few remaining HP products including my lovely printer. So today when I finally go to start my circle journal, I go to print what I need and get this stupid error message. I go to the HP website, do everything it tells me to do and still get the message. So I break down and get a tech online and after doing the same thing the troubleshooting guide tells me to do, the tech tells me, well your printer is past warranty but we can offer you an upgrade at a discount. Yeah HP, you can bite my discount. I'm switching to Epson. So now I'm shopping for another stinkin' printer. Oh the joys of computers.
Had a wonderful weekend. It all started on Friday when we finally got the confirmation that it's twins! We are all thrilled and things have been good so far. Hopefully the entire pregnancy will go smoothly and I'll give birth to 2 healthy babies. And they are so lucky because their daddies are such awesome guys. It has been truly a joy getting to know them and see how excited they are about becoming parents.
Saturday I had a pretty easy shoot in Campbell. Then came home and spent some time with the family, ran some errands. And then the guys came by last night to meet the kids. They were typical boys, wrestling, showing off and basically being goofy.
Today we just relaxed and had a nice family day, hanging out and just being lazy. Tomorrow we might take a drive out to Donner Lake just to get away for the day. It's been a couple of years since we drove out there and the kids will love it.
Well, my Little House on the Prairie marathon is on so I'm going to kick back a little longer and enjoy that. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. And if you get a chance, say a quick prayer for all of our brave men and women serving around the world. Let them all be safe and come home soon.

Summer is Almost Over

2006-08-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

And I just can't believe it. Every year I start the Summer saying we're going to do this, we're going to go there and somehow it never pans out. Of course, the kids were totally content playing on the Slip n' Slide and in the pool but I really wanted to take them places this Summer. BUT I do have plans over the next few months. This weekend is Muir Heritage weekend so we are taking the kids to the John Muir House in Martinez. And if all goes well Jim and Vinnie will be going to Six Flags this weekend. No roller coasters for me so I'll stay home with the kiddies and do fun stuff in the backyard. Also planning an outing to the zoo sometime in September. The kids haven't been in a couple of years but now with them being older I think they'll appreciate it more. So we have a few things lined up. I think I'm more bugged about not doing much than the kids are. That's those old insecurities about being a good mom creeping up on me. But look at those faces up there. Aren't they the sweetest? And do you think they care that we didn't go to the zoo? They are honestly the best kids. I know, I'm prejudiced but they are so patient when I walk out that door every Saturday night to go crop. And they try so hard to sit still while mom takes the 1,089,492 picture of them.
ANYWAY, enough about my kids!! I actually did a really cool project this week. I made a planner for my sister and it came out great.

I'll be shipping it to her this week. I hope she likes it. Pregnancy is progressing pretty well. No morning sickness so far! We go for the sonogram next week to see if it's twins. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is but as long as they're healthy that'll be a blessing.
OK Kids have registration for school today. Can I just say how convenient it is that they scheduled Vinnie and Jamie's at the SAME freakin' time?? So I have to go to Vinnie's school, get him set up and then fly to Jamie's school to get him set up before they close. Oh joy! But thankfully their school schedules worked out perfect so it won't be too crazy. I can't believe Vinnie is going to be in 8th grade already. Next year, high school! Where does the time go??

Sluggish

2006-08-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

I have been dragging my butt allllll week. But today I am determined to accomplish some stuff that I have to get done. SO this is my first task. Been bad about updating this thing but life has been a whirlwind of activity starting with my trip to LA.
The trip was FANTASTIC and made even better by the fact that I had my wonderful Nancie with me. She was an awesome field trip companion and we had so much fun driving, being the total tourists and just relaxing when we had the time. We stayed at the Bel Age in West Hollywood and get this, the hotel was PINK! How perfect is that? The room was beautiful and the roof had a swimming pool & jacuzzi with palm trees all around it and the most beautiful view of Los Angeles. We were lucky enough to have lunch up there on a chaise lounge in the sun and we felt like royalty.

Anytime I've gone to LA it was strictly to go to Disneyland and nothing else. This time, I actually went sight seeing. Well, if looking for scrapbook stores qualifies as sight seeing. Of course, along the way we got to see some sights of interest. We drove through Beverly Hills and guess what? They have homeless people sleeping on the park benches too. Guess even the rich aren't immune to poverty. So the first store we went to was Scrap Session. Interesting little store. And when I say little, I mean little. This was the tiniest scrapbook store I've ever been too but this girl maximized her space. That store was PACKED with stuff. 2 little rooms with tons of stuff, wall to wall embellishments, paper, stickers. She also had the Cricut which Nancie and I have decided we HAVE to have. Waiting for that 50% Michael's coupon for that though.
The next store was AMAZING. The best most awesome beautiful scrapbook store I've ever been to. It was called Sweetpeas and Snapshots-A Paperie.
Now this was no ordinary scrapbook store. They not only had scrapbook supplies but also vintage baby clothes, furniture and toys. It was truly amazing. They had a lot of unique stuff that we had never seen before including some of the new Chatterbox which was lovely. We actually had to tear ourselves away from the store and decided we need to make a trip specifially to spend more time there.
OK So my real reason for going to LA was for the transfer. Which was incredible. It never ceases to amaze me the advances in medicine we have made over the years. I was both anxious and excited at the prospect of what I was doing. These people were entrusting me to carry their children. What an amazing thing. OK I know I keep saying beautiful, amazing, incredible but I just can't get over everything that we did that weekend. F & J were amazing hosts. They were there for the transfer and we even got to see the embryos before they did the transfer. If all goes well, I'll be having twins in May of next year.
F & J were super sweet and I am really glad I had the opportunity to spend more time with them. They took us to dinner at a beautiful Italian restaurant in a shopping area called The Grove. We sat on the balcony and the weather was perfect. Down below they had a man made pond with a water show that shot water up in the air to the beat of the music. There was a live band that played in the center of the Grove and the food was divine.

Then they took us to Man's Chinese Theatre and we got to check out the handprints and signatures in the cement. Got to see some of the stars on the walk of fame, the El Capitan Theatre and then they took us for ice cream and this Disney store that had an ice cream parlor inside. So as we're walking inside I peek in and who's sitting there having ice cream? None other than Leonard Maltin. I know, who the heck is Leonard Maltin. So to refresh your memory:

That's the man. Does the movie reviews on Entertainment Tonight. It figures the one celebrity we see is someone who no one knows unless they see his picture. Couldn't have run into Patrick Dempsey or maybe even Matthew McConnaughey could we? But nonetheless, we saw a celebrity.
After our wonderful little sight seeing trip with the guys we went back to the hotel to 'sleep' but we were restless. So we went back to the roof and stuck our feet in the hot tub under the cool starless LA sky.

Got up bright & early the next morning and Nancie finally got to have that fancy French toast she was eyeing on the room service menu. Let me just say, everyone and everything there was beautiful. Even the stinkin' food. Not like here where they pretty much smack it on a plate and you eat it figuring it's gonna get mixed up in your stomach anyway. It was P R E T T Y food.

See what I mean? Even the lunch we had a California Adventure was pretty. All arranged nicely. SOOOO enough about the food (but you know that's what we love) after a lovely leisurely breakfast the guys picked us up and took us to California Adventure. It was an hour's drive so we got to chat a lot more and really learned a lot about them. They have traveled and experienced so much and it made me realize how much I HAVEN'T done. Yes, I'm a mom, that's my job and I love it. But that doesn't mean I can't travel with them. So that's my new goal. After this pregnancy I am going to make it my goal to take these kids more places, experience more things. Believe it or not, these kids have never been to the beach. That's me being paranoid. I have this fear of open water and the thought of losing one of my kids out there terrifies me. But why should they miss out on the sight of the beautiful open sea because their mom is a big chicken?

Anyway, California Adventure was great. Since F works for Disney they go there pretty frequently so they knew all the neat little facts and small details that we never would have noticed had they not been with us. I'm your typical amusement park hound: hit as many rides as you can before the park closes. But this time we walked around and took in everything. We went to some shows and we had so much fun listening to the stories of how certain things came to be and the work that went into different attractions. It was a wonderful day.

Alas, we had to leave but it was a wonderful weekend . So my 10 favorite things about this trip:

1. The opportunity to give someone something they want and the amazement that I can do that

2. Listening to Nancie sing Don McClean's 'American Pie' as we drove over the Grapevine

3. Spending time getting to know F & J. What great and interesting guys!

4. Having lunch by the pool with Nance and both of us marveling at how special we felt

5. Sweetpeas & Snapshots and getting to go with my best bud

6. Seeing the amazing sights of Los Angeles. Who knew there were places besides Disneyland to see????

7. The hotel. Amazing, beautiful and more than a small town girl like me expected.

8. California Adventure. Also, Disney's California Grand Hotel. If you haven't been inside, go. It's is beautiful.

9. Just relaxing and dipping our tootsies in the hot tub.

10. The Grove. I want to go again and walk around, take more pictures and shop, shop, shop!!

Oh, and one last thing (that makes it 11)

We got to meet Woody!!!! Whew! This was a long one but I think we're caught up!

One Year

2006-07-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well today is the day. My brother is leaving for Iraq today. I am trying not to freak out but the thought of him going back there makes me so sick to my stomach. He is honestly the most courageous, selfless person I know and I am so blessed to be able to say he is my brother. So he flies out of paradise today (Hawaii) and back into hell. I am soooo ready for this war to be over. In the meantime, I will pray every single day that God will watch over him, keep him safe and bring him home to us as soon possible. So prayers from you guys will help and be greatly appreciated!
On the home front, Vinnie is in Santa Cruz with his dad for the week and will be home on Sunday. Which is entirely too long for me to be away from my boy. I love that he is spending more time with his dad because I think it is helping them rebuild their relationship. Plus he loves his dad so much. But I hate being away from him just like I hate being away from all my boys. I wonder if I'll still feel like this when they get older? Probably.
Went for coffee with Miss Nance last night. A couple of other people were supposed to come but it ended up being just us two and we had a nice time chatting. Wandered over to FatBurger and shared some chili cheese fries and onion rings. We've been spending a lot of time together and I just love her company. There's just a certain kismet about my relationship with Nance. Love that girl like crazy! And tomorrow night we're going cropping with the gals including Miss Mallory. Went to see her at MDW and she looked gorgeous. All young and glowing making me miss my glory days. Ah to be young again. But right now, life is good. I feel like I'm where I belong, taking care of my boys, being creative and just enjoying the simple things: time with my family, my friends and taking in some sun. It doesn't get better than that. Unless you throw Patrick Dempsey in the mix. And then it does get better. Considerably. Hey, a girl can dream can't she????

Slippin' n Slidin'

2006-07-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Whoever created the Slip n' Slide is a freakin' genius. The kids love this thing and spend a couple hours a day running back and forth. This serves 3 purposes: they get some excercise, some sun and mom gets to relax and read. So nice for all of us. I love Summer and while this one has been hotter than most, the Slip n' Slide has made it more bearable. The kids play so well together and it gives me tons of photo ops. And lord knows I don't have enough pictures of these boys right? And check it out, even the big one gets in on the action:

Things are progressing nicely with my little venture. I'm looking forward to my trip to Los Angeles which should be either next Thursday or the week after. Nancie is going with me and we are anxiously anticipating our mini vacation. She gets to meet the guys and it makes such a huge difference having her support through all of this. Of course, having Jim's support means the most but it's not the same as having your best friend holding your hand (literally) through this process. I'm so excited!!
Made a nice little bundle selling my unused scrapbook stuff at the Stamper's flea market last weekend. $169!!! And Nance made $89!! Can you say, S H O P P I N G??? We're cropping there Saturday night and Nancie and I are going to be shopping fools. I can't wait! What more could a gal ask for? A little shoppin', a little croppin' and some time with my gals!
Last but not least, gotta give a big CONGRATS to my oldest pal Lisa. She had a sweet baby boy on July 7th. Blake was born with a full head of dark hair and I can't wait to go take a peek at him.
Hope everyone is having a great week and enjoying their Summer. And if you haven't already, go buy a darn Slip n' Slide! The kids will thank you!!

Patience is a virtue

2006-07-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

See this guy? That's my husband. My man. My buddy. Yeah, I piss and moan a lot about him and Lord knows I give this guy a hard time. But he's has to be the most patient guy I know. Especially when it comes to me. And I have been a pain lately. Between me running around constantly and my sister moving suddenly to Hawaii, I have been pretty grouchy. And that's putting it mildly. How he tolerates me is beyond me. Ahhhh, it must be love.
Life has been a bit hectic. As I mentioned before, my sister left for Hawaii. Today. Actually this morning. Loaded up the kiddies at 5am and took the quick drive to the airport. All was fine until I got out to help her unload her luggage and then I realized, my little sister is leaving. I don't know if she's coming back. I know if I went to Hawaii I probably wouldn't want to come back. And sure, we've had our misunderstandings. Even if she is 33 years old, she's my little sister. And I love her and I'll miss her. But I hope this is a great new beginning and opens up a whole new world for her.
OK So my goal this week is to R E L A X. Take a deep breath and not stress about things that are beyond my control. Nancie has been the most awesome, most understanding, most loving friend I have ever had in my entire life. I don't know what I'd do without her. And she has been the best nurse in the world giving me the most pain-free shots I've ever had. Crossing my fingers that the next round are just as pain-free. I'm off to kick up my feet, watch some cartoons with the kids and think happy thoughts!!!

Five

2006-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

This boy is five today. I can't believe it. He is an amazing jumble of emotions on a daily basis. Once minute happy, the next minute mad. Funny, crazy, daring. This is my heart attack. The one who climbs to the highest point and then jumps. The daredevil. But oh how I love that face. Wouldn't change that personality for anything in the world. I love that he is so confident and unafraid. So different from me at that age.
Summer is moving along a lot faster than I thought it would. Doesn't it always? Finally got the Slip n' Slide out this weekend and the kids had a blast. Thanks Nancie!!! Of course, they tried to get mom to do it but I wasn't trying to break any bones this weekend. Jim got a hefty dose of my world when we took the kids to the park. I love that he thinks it's so easy amd then I get to show him how it so ISN'T! 3 toddlers at a public park is excercise. It's constant running to make sure they don't fall off anything tall, don't hit or get hit by another kid, no don't put sand in your mouth! And stop taking toys from the other kids. Yeah, fun for them, exhausting for me. But with my trusty back-up, all was well. Kids got to play, Daddy got a reality check. I know Jim appreciates all I do but he really has no idea how MUCH I do on a daily basis. I love being home with the boys but it's a lot of work keeping this house running. And I'd like to end that with 'like the well oiled machine it is' but well oiled it ain't. It's like the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz, just getting that first taste of oil and starting to move around. But I do my best. As long as the kids are happy and provided for, it's all good.

All Tuckered Out

2006-06-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

So my dad bought Jamie these cowboy boots when he was about Gavin's age. Beautiful, shiny black cowboy boots. We had them hidden away and when Gavin found them, they were his. Doesn't matter what he's wearing, he wants those boots on. In his shorts, even in just his underwear, that kid is a true cowboy at heart. And the other thing that goes with this lovely ensemble is his mitten. Only one. Michael Jackson style. Which is frightening but he's too little to know Michael Jackson is scary. I have to literally wait until he's asleep to get this mitten
off of him. And yes we have back-ups. I have to say, boys are the funniest creatures. Sure, I was a tomboy but that's not the same as being an actual boy.
OK so I am fiending a creative night. I have been itching to crop but it's been crazy busy the last couple of weeks so I haven't gotten a darn thing done. So finally I'll get some creative time tomorrow night at Remember When with Corinne. I soooo need this.
On that note, if you haven't done something creative for YOU lately, take some time for yourself, pull out those artsy supplies and whip up something pretty. I don't know about you but that definitely relaxes me and being with my gals makes it even better. Have a great weekend!

What a Week!

2006-06-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

It's been crazy around here and I haven't had time to post but here I am! Vinnie left on Saturday to go to DisneyWorld with Ben. Now I totally trust Ben but regardless, I am a nervous wreck whenever he takes Vinnie far away. And of course, he takes off and Sunday I'm flicking past CNN and what do I see? A freakin' tropical storm barrelling towards Orlando. Where my child is. 13 or not, he's still my child. Needless to say I've been on the phone with him several times a day to make sure he's ok. And I won't wrest until he's home safely. Which isn't for another 5 days. UGH! Isn't it fun being a parent? Actually, it's a blast. I don't mind the continual worrying, praying, holding my breath everytime they trip, slip or fall. It was funny because I was talking to someone I met the other day and he asked, what's your job? And I pointed to the boys. That's my job. To take care of them. To make sure they are fed, clothed, bathed (OK relatively clean and not smelly) and loved every single second of their lives. And I love love LOVE my job. It doesn't pay in money but in MOMENTS. The moments when I hear my sweet Jamie exclaiming, 'I'm getting bigger!' or when Kieran can sit there and tell me a story that completely cracks him up. Gavin starting to actually form words we understand. And Vinnie proudly giving me his baseball pictures and seeing the shadow of moustache on my growing son. It's the best and most rewarding job in the world.
OK so I found this on another blog but it's a cool challenge. Copy, paste & add your own answers. Love it!! Have a great day!!

I AM: a happy mom & wife
I WANT: good health and happiness for family and friends.
I HAVE: a very full, busy life with 4 boys (5 if you count Jim)that keep me running
I WISH: to find the perfect house in the perfect location for our little family to settle
I HATE: rude people, reality TV (Is it reality???)
I MISS: VINNIE!
I HEAR: my loud ass AlienWare Harddrive and Kie playing XBox
I WONDER: what my life will be like in a year
I REGRET: Not pursuing a career in law enforcement
I AM NOT: Tired for once!!
I DANCE: with the kids all the time
I SING: only to my kids.
I CRY: when I am alone & frustrated
I AM NOT ALWAYS: As strong as my friends think
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: Scrapbooks and food (my passions!)
I WRITE: Cheesy romance novels that will never get published
I CONFUSE: Jim a lot because I talk too fast
I NEED: to work out, relax, spend more quality time with the kids, not let little things bug me
I SHOULD: go to church more often
I START: new projects all the time and have a hard time finishing them.
I FINISH: my important projects

Simply Adorable

2006-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Corinne's daughter Grace & my sweet Jamie at his 6th birthday party. They've only met each other twice before but as soon as she arrived Jamie was stuck to her like glue. She is just the sweetest thing and has the tiniest little voice. She is 100% girl and I love it.
We had a great time and the best part was that my brother was actually here for a birthday party. Being in the Army and gone a lot he has missed almost every birthday so we were so excited to have him here. Seeing pictures just isn't the same as being here to celebrate. We had planned on going to the local kid's amusement park, Pixieland, for the party but 2 days before the news was saying it was going to rain. A few last minute adjustments and we ended up here at our house and the kids had a blast playing in the backyard. It turned out perfect.
9 days left before school is out and the kids are free for the summer. Jamie has summer school for a month starting the end of June but that's only for a few hours a day. But for the most part, we'll be relaxing and enjoying the sun. Vinnie leaves Saturday morning for Florida with Ben. He hasn't flown since 9/11 and I know he's scared even though he doesn't say so. Hopefully the excitement of spending a week at DisneyWorld will ease his mind. I, on the other had, will be missing him like crazy. It doesn't matter that he's 13 and that his dad and I are getting along great. I'm a mom, I worry. That's my job.
Going to get some cleaning done so my house is in order before I go to baseball tonight. Last game of the season already and Vinnie has the scrapes and bruises to show it. Thankfully there's still the major league season so I won't be totally deprived of baseball. GO YANKS!! Woohoo!

Look out Roger Clemens!

2006-06-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

That's my boy. #1. The first of 5 and ain't he something? 13 years old and full of confidence and talent. His whole life is ahead of him. I can't believe how quickly he grew up. People always tell you how fast they grow up but you never really believe them until one day you wake up and that baby you held just a few years ago is now as tall as you and growing a moustache. Scary. He is an incredible kid though. Awesome big brother and I love that he has the confidence I didn't have as a kid.
So we are at the end of another school year. Very exciting. Vinnie will be going to 8th grade, Jamie to first and Kieran to kindergarten kicking and screaming. This kid does not want to go to school. I think it's a little separation anxiety combined with not knowing what to expect. But we have until the end of August to prepare him.
Gavin is just the talking fool now. He is becoming quite the character, doing little dances and stunts to make us laugh. The latest is copying Bruce Lee with judo chops. They truly are like little sponges.
Looking forward to a trip to Berkeley with the girls. We're going to hit Scrapbook Territory for their anniversary sale and go see Nicole at her new job. Fun stuff and I definitely need some girl time. And tonight a last minute photo shoot to get me back on track. It's been 3 weeks and that's just too long.
Enjoy your weekend and get out in that beautiful sunny weather!!

Salute Our Servicemen & Women

2006-05-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

This is my brother. Most of you know I adore him. Nicest guy you could meet and really, I'm not just saying this because he's my brother. He has been in the service of over 18 years and traveled all over the world. He has sacrificed a lot, mostly being away from his family for long periods of time. This is the first time he's been home in almost 2 years. Being in the service is not like having a regular job. You can't just quit when you don't like it. You're stuck. And you can't just go wherever you want, you are tied to your unit for anywhere from 2-4 or more years. Which means where your unit goes, you go. And if you have a family, you're leaving them behind everytime you're deployed. And now it's even scarier than ever. Because you're not getting deployed to do peacekeeping missions, now it's a war in an extremely hostile country where you're not wanted. And these people do this voluntarily. They voluntarily enlist to protect our country and it's citizens and even non-citizens. So that we can be free, we can live where we want, we have free speech and our children, regardless of race, religion or sex, get a FREE education. How fortunate are we? And how often do we take these things for granted? So today, take a moment and pray for our soldiers who are fighting in a far away country. Pray for them to be warm, safe and protected. And be grateful for all these blessings we enjoy in this great country because people like my brother protect us. God Bless America.

Welcome to Sunny California!

2006-05-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

NOT! Where the heck did this rain come from? It is absolutely pouring right now when just a week ago it was sunny & warm. Let's hope this is the last of it.
Been super busy because my brother is finally home. YAY! We are all so happy to have him here & it's like he was never gone. He'll be here until the 29th & the time is flying by as usual. Never enough time but we are grateful for what we get. He is doing great & all prepared to go back to Iraq. He should be there for a year but he does get a 2 week leave mid-tour so we will be looking forward to that. I pray that he is safe there & comes home safe & sound.
Spent some time with the gals last night & realize how very much these great ladies mean to me. I can share anything with them & know I will get an honest answer or opinion. And right now their support means so much to me.
So here's the pic for the week.

Future hall of famer? All natural, no steroids like it hopefully will be in the future. Lookin' forward to seeing that MCINTYRE on the back of a jersey. That's my boy.