Safe in San Diego

It has been a crazy, scary few days here in San Diego with all the fires. Thankfully we never had to evacuate, but the fires got within a couple of miles of us, so we were packed and ready if needed. An experience like this really makes you take stock of what is important. If we would have only had time to get us and the kids out, that would have been fine. Hard, but everything in the house, and including the house, are just things. But since we were on the edge about evacuating for a few days, I had a lot of time to mull over what to pack. There are the obvious things like important documents, photo albums, diaries. But then there are the baby books - located in a different place that any album (which themselves are spread throughout the house). Or our wedding video. And how easy is it to fit a 20x24 framed picture in the van? The insane organizer in me is disappointed that it would have been hard for us to assemble all the "irreplaceables" throughout our house. I'm making a PowerPoint list of everything we would want to grab and sticking that list in our 72 hour kits, just in case there is a next time.

Thankfully no one we know lost their home in the fires. I do feel horrible for those who did. How misplaced they must feel! Our stake is having a meeting tonight trying to house displaced members. Since we have an extra bedroom, I'm sure we'll have some house guests for awhile. I'll let you know!

And since no post is truly complete without a picture, here is all the ash that is piled up outside of our garage. I'll be power-washing for a month as the ash continues to settle!

The 3rd Decade

So I'm 30 now. That age has always sounded so old to me. Officially settled down. Not like I haven't been "settled down" for the last few years...married, 2 kids, minivan, mortgage...but somehow I always took solace in the fact that I was still in my twenties. No longer. I am a 30 year old, minivan-driving, suburban, stay at home mom. Wow, that happened fast. Did I really graduate from high school 12 years ago? Freshman year at ASU doesn't seem like that long ago.

Well at least I've lived to see 30. I consider that an accomplishment in it's own right. But what have I really achieved in my 30 years on this earth? I have a college degree, that's good. I married a wonderful (and older!) man who puts up with my crap. That's even better. Plus I have 2 hilarious, loving kids. I've been to Hawaii 4 times, Europe once, Mexico too many times to count, and all over the continential U.S. I have dear friends near and far, and so much family that in the 4 1/2 years of marriage, Scott has only begun to meet them all. (scary, isn't it?) And I'm healthy. I have to list that, because even with all that this body has gone through, I can still get frustrated at it/me. I need to remind myself of where I could be instead of complaining about where I am. If only I could lay off the Dr. Pepper....

Turning 30 is supposed to be a milestone, but frankly I don't feel any different. I don't feel 30. And thankfully, I don't look it either. Vain, I know, but hey - there'd better be one advantage to having extremely oily skin! Besides, when I'm out with the kids, I get comments fairly often about how young I must have been when I started having kids. Ha - by Mormon standards, I started late at 27. Maybe it's the next decade that you feel it AND look it. I'll let you know in 10 years.

This weekend I went out with the Girlfriends for my birthday dinner. This time the conversation didn't seem so rushed to me. Maybe that's because we had just gone out last month and had talked for hours. With no kids to distract us, it always seems like we just talk and talk as fast as possible to get it all out until next time. Maybe we should just go out once a month - get all that "talk" out. One of the Girlfriends, Amy, is moving. I am sad."Only 30 minutes away," she says. I'm holding you to the occasional Tuesdays, Amy. That and beach playdates.

Here's a pix from Friday nite. Aren't the Girlfriends gorgeous! (And yes, that is 3 huge desserts we shared!) Thanks, girls!

New York City

Forgive my delay in posting about our fabulous trip. Let's get down to business.

We went to the Letterman show last Thursday. We sat in the front row and were even on TV....for a split second. Of course I noticed the camera on me, so I very nerdly (is that a word?) waved. If you'd like to see our Letterman debut, come to my house. I have it TiVo'ed. I really wish the second picture turned out. I'm posting it anyways. All around the city there are these guys selling bus tours. (I highly recommend doing the tour if you are going to NYC. Great and cheap way to see everything, and since it's hop-on, hop-off, you can use it in lieu of a taxi.) Scott and I bought our tickets from these 2 Jamaican gentlemen. They learned it was my birthday and insisted on singing to me. Loudly. With lots of movement - if you know what I mean. It was great!

This is Ground Zero. We poked the camera through a hole in the fence to get this picture. After 6 years, this is all that's happened.

We are huge Office fans, so I had to get Scott in front of the Dunder Mifflin sign. I should have bought him a Dwight bobblehead.

This is the view from our hotel room on the 42nd floor. We stayed right in Times Square. Had to be in all the action.
This is me doing what I do best. It's been so long since I've shopped without kids...I loved it. Why Scott took a picture of me shopping, I'm not sure. Maybe to document what I spent. Yes, I bought almost everything in my arms....and then some. ;->

Perfect Angels....Or Devils??

Tomorrow we leave early a.m. to go to New York. I am so excited! We are dropping the kids off at Scott's parent's house in Maryland, going to a Philly playoff game with a college friend of mine (the Phillies might be playing the Padres that day, depending on if the Padres win tonite. Go Padres! We want to cheer you on in Philly!) (Ok, I know it's sad that I know this much about baseball.), then onto the Big Apple. We will sleep in (maybe, depending on Scott...he hates sleeping in and I love it), go shopping (that is NOT a maybe!), go see Wicked, and, mark your calendars, go to the Dave Letterman show on Oct. 4th. Everyone TiVo Dave that nite, and keep your eyes out for Scott and I. I'm so excited....getting tickets is quite the process involving answering a Dave trivia question. Good thing my aunt and uncle went last month...I asked my aunt what her trivia question was...and I basically got the same one. Whew! I love Dave, but he's on too late here. Maybe in a few years when sleep isn't such a precious commodity we'll watch him and Leno more often.

Hopefully the kids will be good for Barry and Linda. Soleil is (of course!) getting her first tooth now. She slept through the night last night; I'm hoping that becomes a habit. Caden loves his grandparents so I have no worries about him.

Ok, Jen just stopped by with vacay goodies. How cute is she?? Thank you! I will enjoy it all immensely!! You are too awesome, girl!

I know everyone gets on to see pictures, so I added a couple of the kids. I actually like these pictures of Caden and Soleil. They are looking at the camera and smiling, which as all you parents know, is a feat unto itself. The last picture is what I do not want to come back too. I know we are just starting the sibling rivalry/teasing/physical tortue stuff and we have years of it to come, but maybe the kids will miss us so much, they'll be perfect angels. At least for the 5 hour plane ride home? A girl can dream....

Alright. Enough rambling. I have to continue the all-day process of packing. I will leave you with this thought (directed at the San Diego Girlfriends): my 30th birthday is next week. When and where are we going to dinner? Discuss.....