Singing is not in our genes, but apparently dancing is

Picture taken by Jylare

What's a family gathering without family pictures? A missed opportunity apparently, which my dear mother wasn't about to let happen. Like I've said before, it's a miracle when we all get together. So, even with some groaning by some for having to be in family pictures, I'm pretty sure we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves far more than we thought we would. 

I just love this family of mine. 

The best part of family pictures is what goes on behind the scenes. Sometimes we've got to do what we've got to do to get the little ones to say "cheese". 

                        

Thanksgiving Miracle

It's not often my entire family gets to hang out for a week straight, all under one roof nonetheless. I love knowing my family is out exploring the world, but I miss the days when we all lived close together, especially my first year in DC when all of my siblings were in Virginia. It was heaven. Now, it's a complete miracle when we all get to be together. 

And that is why thanksgiving was awesome this year, I got to hang out with all of my siblings, PLUS my adorable niece and nephews, who I'm pretty sure think I'm the coolest aunt there is, or at least I like to pretend. 

Case in point:

I skateboard with them...

I play with them at the park, just to get smiles like that out of them...and because even at 26, I still think playgrounds are pretty cool...

I tried my hardest to entertained them daily, who knew technology is kids sugar these days? My iphone was only cool until the ipad showed up. Maybe one day I'll own one, but I'm not quite cool enough, or rich enough for that advancement just yet... 

 

I baked my nephew a birthday cake so we could celebrated his 2nd birthday. I wish I could say I was the good aunt who decorated the cake, too, but we all know my mom is far more talented in that area, so I leave those things to her...

However, I did let my nephew (not the birthday boy) stuff his face with cake, even against his parents will I'm sure. The little stinker ate my whole piece, too. But, what are good aunts for if we don't let them indulge...

And of course, as any good aunt would, I woke up far earlier than I would ever like just so I could cuddle with my niece and nephew every morning. It's called savoring the moments, or something like that...

Can we please get together like this every year?

Home

I'm not a huge fan of cold snowy weather, but apparently mother nature thought that was her way of welcoming us back to Utah for a few days. Thankfully, it was gone the next day, but not before we had a little fun in that wet cold stuff. With a little one to play with, it surprisingly becomes semi-bearable. Who knew?

Recipes Galore

Image found here

You're all obsessed with pinterest, right? Of course you are, it's only one of the greatest website ever invented, in my humble opinion anyway. I spend far too many of my waking hours on there browsing all of the crafts I want to do, homes I wish I owned, desserts I want to make, and dinners I wish I'd cook. Like I said, I'm obsessed.

And because I need yet another thing to become obsessed with, I recently discovered pasplore.com, a food website full of recipes from all over the web in ONE simple place. Not to mention a ton of other cool things this website has (and will have) to offer. It's still in the early stages of development, but I can already tell it's going to knock our socks off. That is, if you like food, and cooking for that matter.

But who are we kidding here, who doesn't...like food that is?

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, you can find  TONS of Thanksgiving recipes just intime for the holidays. Brilliant. See all of those images making that awesome mosaic turkey? They're all delicious looking recipes submitted from all over the web.

So, what makes this website really great? Well, as soon as it's fully developed, there will be a way to add something to your browser that will recognize recipes from all over the web. The pasplore website will recognize that you're viewing a recipe and allow you to add it to your own pasplore account. Sure, it's kind of simliar to pinterest in that regard, BUT does pinterest then create a consolidated grocery list or meal plans for us based on the recipes we like? Nope. And that is where this website is going to be amazing.

Seriously, go check it out. And then you can all thank my friend Chris for starting it up. It's kind of genius if you ask me.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go find some delicious recipes that our Thanksgiving dinner just won't be complete without.

Side note: I'd highly endorse this website even if we weren't friends...I just wanted to make that clear. 

Sleeping on the job

Today has been another one of those, nap in the car, kind of days.

You know, where I leave for lunch, sit in the back seat, curl up with a blanket, and in the midst of a crazy wind storm, I let the rocking of the car lure me to sleep.

It was needed.

I really think naps should be integrated into an eight hour work day. Sometimes catching a few zzz's, in the middle of the day, is just the thing I need to keep me going.

But an hour and a half nap probably means I love them too much. No?

11.11.11

11:11

"I'm not superstitious...I am a little stitious."

I really am a dork because whenever I look at the clock and it reads, 11:11

I always make a wish. 

Always.

And it almost always comes true.

So, here's to hoping today is a day full of wishes coming true...

or at least some good luck for that matter.

Also, happy Veterans Day to all of the veterans who have fought so diligently for our country. 

I'm wishing I still worked for the government so I had today off.
Or that I just had today off.

I'll start wishing for that right now.

And then maybe I'll go home early and pretend the wish came true! 

Can't do healthy

Lately I've been craving all things lettuce:

via

 via

Cafe Rio, need I say more?

via 

I know we're closer to soup season than salad season, but sometimes fresh goodness all in one bite is all I ever want. Having food allergies is really the pits, especially to lettuce. Who's allergic to healthy things, seriously?!

I can survive a weekend without my husband

If I learned two things over the weekend, it's that I do a really good job at embarrassing myself and I would never survive in a serious natural disaster.

Ok, maybe three things: I don't like spending weekends alone.

Lesson one:
While at dinner with some friends, we went around the table talking about our most embarrassing stores. Of course, the one that always comes to mind, although, I assure you, my life is like a walking embarrassment most of the time, was an experience from high school when I walked out of the Wendy's restroom with toiletpaper hanging from my pants. And yes, things like this really happen, and no, it's not just in the movies. The sick part was, it wasn't even my TP, it was the TP lining the toilet from the person who was in there before me. That's what happens when you try to hover, and we'll just leave it at that.

Moving on. After laughing harder than I have in a long while that night, I decided to be polite and help clean up. You know, put my manners to good use. And wouldn't you know it, of course I'd have to embarrass myself even further by knocking a glass to the floor and it shattering all over. Leave it to me to make a statement wherever I go.

And that's what happens when you don't get out too often.

Lesson two:
Around 2:10am Saturday morning, something woke me up, probably the strange noises outside and the rolling around in my bed. The house was shaking and I was kind of confused as to what was happening. I'm not always the brightest person first thing in the morning, especially at 2am, but I did hear the heater on, so my first thought was, we live in an old house, and the heater is shaking it. So, I got up, turned the heater off, and went back to sleep.

It was only moments later I realized it was probably an earthquake, not the heater. But I was tired, so I paid no more attention and fell back to sleep.

It was an earthquake, a 4.7 to be exact. No biggie.

Around 11pm that same night, just as I was crawling into bed, another earthquake happened. This time, it was a little stronger, and as I sat in my room, watching the fan swing back and forth above my head, I thought, I should probably go stand in a doorway or something, I think that's what they taught me in elementary school? But I was too tired and lazy to bother with moving. Instead, I just stood there watching everything in my room sway back and forth, just waiting to hear something shatter in the other rooms, until a minute later it finally ended.

This one was a 5.6, the largest earthquake Oklahoma has ever had.

And that's when I realized I don't take these kind of situations very seriously.

However, tornadoes, now those I take seriously, so, it's a good thing they're more frequent around here than earthquakes are, otherwise, I'd be doomed.

Lesson three:
Self-explanatory, I don't like spending weekends alone.

A lone weekend

What to do, what to do,

My library book is 32 years overdue.

I admit that it's mine, but I can't pay the fine

What to do what to do?

                                                    -Shel Silverstein

Whenever I'm trying to think of something to do, this poem always pops into my head. Mostly the first line, "what to do, what to do?" But then I can't help continue with, "my library book is 32 years overdue..."

I've known this poem for years, probably since I was three or four, when my sisters were in the third grade. They had to memorize it, not me, yet I still know it just the same, it's challenging memorization and all. Be impressed. I even have a German poem, from 10th grade, and the Preamble to the United States Constitution, from Mr. Shoemakers 7th grade class (or was it 8th grade?), still locked in my noggin, too. The things I've chosen to hold on to. 

Funny that I can't even remember what I did yesterday. 

So, what to do this weekend? Who knows? My husband has left me to entertain myself, which means shopping, mani/pedi's, and other non-essential things may be in order. That, or I'll curl up with a good book and bask in laziness all weekend.

Any recommendations?