Identity Revealed

You've probably heard of the Blue Man Group, but did you know that there's also a Blue Man? That's right! That is why Gabe shaved his head last night. He didn't think that the fleshy caps would work good enough, so he decided to be the real deal! He woke up earlier than I ever remember him doing, and started doing his makeup. We bought it at a costume store, went to Goodwill for the black shirt, Hobby Lobby for brushes to apply the makeup with, and then on his way to work this morning, he stopped by CVS to pick up some blue medical gloves. That's my guy! Isn't he creative? He wasn't even planning on dressing up until yesterday afternoon. Now let's just hope that he wins the contest at work for a free paid day off of work, and gift cards to dinner and the movies for two.

Do you have any fun photos of you in your costume that you'd like to link up here? We'd love to see them!

Some Habits Die Hard

...and his habits seem to have something to do with his hair. I am sad. Remember these photos from last Halloween? Well, this is what he was up to tonight:




Yes, I am sad, but when you see why he did it tomorrow, you'll think it's cool like I did! He's a creative guy- What can I say?

Dropping In

*Photos stolen from Erin


Ok...I don't really have anything really exciting or thought provoking to share, but I did want to show photos of the tutu that Erin and I made for Kinley. I started it with Erin on Friday evening, and then she finished it Saturday, and it is just TOO cute!

My Sister Party Part Three

We got up VERY early on Saturday morning. So early, in fact, that it was actually necessary to get Starbucks to drink on our way to the mass ascension. Jill wasn't feeling well, so Gabe and Em and I went, met my mother-in-law, and headed out into the crisp weather early on, before the sun was up. We arrived at the park, and it was crazy busy! I think that there were more people there at that event than at any of the other events for the entire festival. Anyway, the mass ascension is really cool- There are over 600 hot air balloons going up around the same time. It's really amazing to watch! We had a great time, met up with some friends, stood in a LONG line to use the bathroom, and then were ready to head back and get some breakfast. Gabe, Em, and I went to Flying Star for breakfast (along with a ton of other people), and enjoyed some yummy food(again!). Afterward, we drove home to get Jill, and my body decided to come to a halt. You see, I was still getting over the flu, and was exhausted- especially after getting up as early as we had. We decided to drive the girls around for a bit and show them where we each work, as well as the first apartment that we lived in here in Albuquerque, then got ready for an early dinner at my favorite restaurant, St. Clair Winery and Bistro, and then we planned to come home and watch the wedding episodes of The Office and have a nice relaxing evening at home and watch a chick flick: My Life in Ruins. I was asleep in the first 15 minutes of the movie, but it was so nice to be snuggled up on my sofa in my living room with my sisters- something that had never happened before in my life! We didn't last for long- Jill went to bed and I attempted to, but then woke up and finished the cheesy movie with Em. We went to bed after that, but it was so great to have that time with her.

Sunday morning, we went to church, but not before they both came and laid in bed with me and just hung out for a bit. After church, we went to lunch with several friends, then we headed out to ride the tram up the mountain. Yes, Em was ecstatic. :)She borrowed our friends camera that afternoon because she had used up all of Jill's rechargeable battery, and took over 200 photos that afternoon. It was pretty chilly up there, and us girls did not dress for it, but we still had a wonderful time, took tons of fun photos, and got to do make a wonderful memory together. We met up with our friend Chris afterward for dinner at Saggio's, then came home and started to wind down so they could get packing, as their flight left Monday morning, sadly.

Monday, Gabe and I both went into work a little late so we could both be there at the airport to say goodbye, and, amazingly, I wasn't the main crier. In fact, Emily told me later on that she was offended that I wasn't crying at the airport until after I saw her and Jill crying, and even then, it wasn't much. If you know me at all, you know that I cry at everything. But I didn't that day. I'm not sure why. It was probably due to the craziness going on in my body- still recovering and all. After we dropped them off, Gabe and I went to work, and I kept looking at the clock and trying to figure out which airport they were at, blah, blah, blah...When I arrived home that afternoon to an empty apartment, where my sisters had both been less than eight hours ago, I lost it. I cried and cried. I guess I had been looking forward to the quiet and rest I knew I'd get once they were gone, but once they were gone, quiet and rest were not what I wanted. I missed my girls, my sisters, and I'd gladly give up all the quiet and rest in the world to get to spend more time with them again- to have them here in my home where we can hug and sprawl out on the sofa together, where they can completely take over both of our bathrooms with their stuff, and eat whatever they'd like from my refrigerator. In the end, those things are not what matter. It's the sad quiet of my home until they come back again. And until that time, you'll find me quiet and resting, and taking it all in, but missing the 2 girls I love most.



To read part two, go here.

My Sister Party Part Two

Well, Friday was a fun day. We slept in, and Gabe and I woke to Emily finishing up breakfast for us all. She made coffee and pumpkin pancakes from Joy The Baker's blog and had a gift basket waiting for us. It was super sweet! Breakfast was fabulous, and we all just took our time(perhaps a bit too much) getting ready for the day. We went to a local place called Dion's for lunch, and on the way, the girls(Em in particular) fell in love with the mountains, and she proceeded to steal Jill's camera for almost the entire weekend, much to Jill's chagrin. :) We went to Anthropologie for a bit, because what would a sister weekend be without a trip to The Greatest Shop on Earth?We went home to get ready for the balloon glow at the Balloon Fiesta, and then were on our way! A balloon glow is when the balloons are blown up, but still anchored to the ground, and then when it starts to get dark, they are filled with heat (from fire- so they light up) so they'll stand up and light up the park. It's way awesome, and I advise you all to see it at least once in your lifetime. Anyway, after the glow, we went to dinner and then came home and went to bed, because *drumroll*.....Saturday morning, we needed to get up very early to head out the to Mass Ascension at the Balloon Fiesta....
*Part Three will be continued tomorrow, and if you missed Part One, you can read it here.

**And I'm really sorry, but I don't have any photos from the balloon glow when it was dark out because I was using my Flip, and I have yet to upload my videos...OOPS!

My Sister Party- Part One

Amber, who writes at The Run A Muck, has challenged her readers (that would be ME!) to get together with their real life friends. If you're a blogger, you probably know that a lot of us are gaga over our online friends and don't always make time to be with our real, in-the-skin friends, the people that we really do need for those rough times in life when a hug or a meal is necessary. It can be a lot harder to make and stay friends with real people when we let things like insecurities and business talk us out of getting together and living life together. SO, Amber challenged us to get together and have a Sister Party, and since my REAL LIFE SISTERS were just here, I decided to write my post about our monumental weekend. You see, I moved to Albuquerque in June of 2006, after getting married, from Muskegon, MI, and this was the first time that my sisters had come to visit! You can probably understand now, why this was such a big deal! We had a great time and it all went by way too fast! They arrived Thursday evening, pretty late, and I was still getting over the flu, so I tried to rest while Gabe was finishing up cleaning. Their flight was delayed a bit, so Gabe wanted to play a little joke on them. He suggested that we make silly signs like chauffeurs do, only making them goofy. While we were at the store getting out supplies, he walked down the Halloween aisle and found a wig that he thought I should wear and goofy glasses for him.

I agreed to wear the wig, and Gabe could not believe that I not only agreed to wear it, but I actually wore it all throughout the airport and people were staring at me. I guess at that point, I was happy to be out of the house! Needless to say, we were a huge hit, and the girls thought we were pretty funny. It was fabulous meeting them at the airport, and Gabe and I kept saying to each other, "I can't believe they're really here- in New Mexico." It was surreal, to say the least. We stayed up pretty late(which was even later for them, coming from two time zones ahead of us, but it was great! Just snuggled and talked and ate nachos and tortillas and queso from Taco Cabana way too late for what was good for us! It was a great way to start our weekend!

*I'll be back tomorrow with part two to My Sister Party!

The Pioneer Woman and Miracles

Have you heard of the magical lady called The Pioneer Woman? I'd heard of her a couple months ago, and tried to be interested, but I guess the timing was just off. Well, since then, my mom and sister have both become her followers, and tried to get me to like her. I tried again, and whaddoyouknow? I looked at her blog last week and found this: her Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes. I sent Gabe a link right away, and he was very interested, too. That night, I went out and bought every single ingredient for the recipe, with intentions of making it Friday night. Then, we had to go get new tires on Friday, so i was going to make it Saturday. Saturday, we went to Fourth of July Canyon, and was too tired by the time we got back to Albuquerque, so we went out. Sunday. Well, Sundays, I don't like to cook(I don't really like to cook ever, to be honest), and we went out to lunch with my brother in law, then by the time we got home from church on Sunday evening, the only thing I had time to make was couscous with shredded rotisserie chicken(my own idea, and it was actually pretty good!). Anyway, sorry if I'm boring you with my rambling....let's get to Monday already. Monday- I felt like crap- really, really bad, but I wanted to do something nice for Gabe since I still haven't baked that pie for him(I have been sick for a month, though, people, so don't judge me too harshly). So, I slaved away while feeling nauseas, headachy, and other things I won't say here because that wouldn't be proper, and OK! I'll get to the point! The point is this: I had never made food that looked so beautfiul in my life, nor had I ever made food that Gabe has not only loved, but that he didn't even add one bit of seasoning to his portion after I finished before this miraculous event! This recipe has changed my life forever. It has made me feel good about myself, and my husband actually brought the leftovers to work not one day, but TWO DAYS, PEOPLE! This is a serious, Grade-A MIRACLE! And remember, I was not feeling very great that day, so don't judge the whole blotchy-face pictures! I was just so proud to make something SO yummy!

*The Pioneer Woman has a cookbook coming out in a few weeks, and you'd better believe I already pre-ordered mine! Here's the link to buy on Amazon, and no, I have not been compensated in any way to write about The Pioneer Woman. I just like her that much!

Vivi Reborn Giveaway on Grosgrain

Ok, friends. You really have to check out this giveaway at Grosgrain. It's for a $50 giftcard to Vivi Reborn, an online store with gorgeous jewelery such as the necklace above. Hop on over to Grosgrain and read more about it! You'll be glad you did!

More Pretties for Your Eyes

Fourth of July Canyon {Otherwise Known as a Great Day}

1. G@4th of July Canyon1, 2. G@4th of July Canyon2


He took me to Fourth of July Canyon, somewhere in New Mexico (I'm not quite sure, exactly, other than the fact that we drove south and east and through Tijeras from Albuquerque, and some scary, but beautiful, curvy, mountainous roads). We hiked, talked, laughed, kissed, and took about 150 photos in about an hour's time. It was a beautiful day, and I got to come home(after dinner and coffee/tea) to a hot bath and a new candle. This is all after a great 2.5 hour breakfast with my friend Dar. It's been a great day!

Hope yours has been, too!

What has the best part of your weekend been so far?




*More photos of our trip can be found here

Struggling...

...to say something clever.

I am tired- went to bed WAY too late last night and the night before, so when my alarm went off this morning, way too early, might I add, I did the smart thing: I hit snooze- a few times. It only seemed logical. So, then, I decided to just lay in bed and talk to Gabe while he got ready for work because I was in denial about being a working wife, with a job that requires me to actually show up. Yeah, it sucks sometimes, but I'm grateful that I have not only a job, but a place that I don't hate being at, where I actually like being around most of the people I work with. Plus, my friend Monica came back today from her 3 month long maternity leave, so today's not all bad. Honestly, it's more like all good, because not only is my friend back, and not only is it payday, and I got my raise on my check, but there's also a craft show going on here on our campus, and I've already visited twice! The part about today that is bad takes us back to where I told you that not only did I hit snooze a few times this morning, and then just pretend that I had nowhere to rush to, but I failed to mention that I decided to skip my shower this morning, with the intention of taking one as soon as I got home from work, nor did I wash my hair (I can't believe I'm admitting to this, but I am human, afterall), so I just threw the hair up in a little ponytail and stuck a cute headband in to disguise the dirty bangs. Um, fast forward to 9:30 this morning when Gabe calls me at work, and says,"I scheduled an appointment for us to get new tires put on the car after work this afternoon, at 5." Um, I believe that's my allotted shower-taking-time, but we really do need new tires, so I'm going to go, greasy hair and all, to get tires, and then probably dinner with my sweet guy. Ok, so I know that this is not riveting stuff, or even interesting, but what I mean to say by writing this lengthy letter to you, my friends, is that I think I'm back. I know I said here that I don't want to write just to write, that I want to be intentional with my words, but right now, I'm so tired that I'm not sure what I want more: a shower or a nap, and I think that means I should say goodbye, and I've missed you.

I think I'm back.



Have a great weekend!

Procrastinating

Can you tell I'm too tired to think or use my words over here?

I'm hoping to become inspired, or at east energized soon....until then, I'll keep posting pictures.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

To see more photos from our trip up the Tram to the mountains, click here

Wonderful

Hi friends!

Ok, I'm not totally back to my normal blogging yet, as I, no kidding, am still not feeling 100%. We had a fabulous weekdn with the girls, and you can view some of our photos from the weekend here. My sisters are on a plane right now headed back to freezing Michigan, while it's a pleasant 69 degrees here right now! I am really, really hoping to get back to normal life this week, so bear with me if I'm still quiet for a few days. I have a lot of rest to catch up on! I hope that your weekend was beautiful and meaningful like mine was! Have a great week!

Orange Poppy Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Orange Poppy Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! PLEASE go check these necklaces out! They're gorgeous! :)

Neglected

I am so sorry I haven't been around, but here's something that may put things in perspective: I have not worn makeup since 5 days ago. Um, yeah. I wear makeup every day, every day unless I'm on my deathbed, that is. So, I've missed two days of work, 1 day at church, and an entire weekend. The only places I went were the urgent care, CVS a few times(remind me to tell you about how much I love CVS later one), and the grocery store because I foolishly believed that my fever would not affect my usual 'sick time nesting syndrome.' Um, my fridge is still full with loads of uncooked food. That's ok, though, because in less than 48 hours, my two sisters will be here for a long weekend, so hopefully they can help out with that. Anyway, the whole reason I am writing this post is to say, Sorry. It'll probably be a little while longer before I'm really back with any substance. I should, at the very least, have some photos to share over the weekend for my mom, Gram, and aunts. :)

Thank you all for the well wishes over the weekend. I am beginning to feel better and have been fever free for about 30 hours, so will be going back to work tomorrow. I truly hope you all have a great week and a fabulous weekend!

5 Love Languages Giveaway Winner

Ok- here you go, people:

eliddel8 said...
Hm... If you're spending next weekend with her... Is it Emily or Jill? I'd love a free book... You should pick me ;)

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 1:59 PM

I'll be back (or not) later this week with my follow up to last weeks post on the 5 Love Languages. I've been sick in bed since yesterday morning with the exception of renting movies last night and going to the urgent care and pharmacy this morning. I've had a fever since yesterday, a bad cough, and my limbs feel as though they might break off if I stand for too long(about 2-3 minutes). So, I have not really felt like doing much of anything, and have not even been able to sleep very much. :( Anyway, I have to focus on getting better, and quick!, because my sisters are flying in on Thursday night to spend the weekend with us and attend the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, and I do not want to be sick while they're here! Have a great night, and I hope to be back soon!

Did I Miss Something Here?

Ok. Here's the thing: I have a really cute pair of glasses, but I hardly ever wear them. I know I should, but you see, I'm near-sighted, so I mostly just need them if I'm driving at night time, which rarely happens, or if I'm trying to order off of a menu that it only on the wall, in which case, it is handy to have a husband that can read nearby, and I usually have that, so I don't wear the glasses very often. Most of the time, I just forget which purse they are hiding from me in. Ok, now that we've cleared that, I need to tell you a story, a true story. I wore my cute glasses to work today, and after being there for a little while, walked into my boss's office and he gave me a funny look, so I gave him a funny look right back. He mentioned that I was wearing glasses, and the co-worker who was there talking to him said to leave me alone because the glasses were cute on me. My boss then states that it's not that they look funny, he just didn't realize that I wear contacts most of the time. Um, I don't wear contacts most of the time, or any time, for that matter. They creep me out so much I've never even tried. Anyway, I replied that I don't wear contacts, and do you want to know what he said? "That explains a lot....that explains so much about you." Ugh. I know I'm flighty some times, but seriously- what's my vision got to do with anything?

I thought you might get a kick out of that. Even though it was me being mocked, I have to admit that I was laughing so hard I started snorting. Yes, I am that girl- the kind who apparently needs to wear glasses everyday and who snorts in laughter at jokes made at her own expense.


What's something embarrassing that you do? Promise I won't tell.... ;)


******Don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a great book! I'll choose a winner Sunday!