Away We Go

Lately we've been spending our weekends at home relaxing. I'm getting bigger and slowing down quite a bit, and Pat is working his tail off. So renting a movie has become pretty exciting. Ha! We watched Away We Go this past weekend. We liked it. Quirky movie about two 30-somethings that are expecting their first baby. They are a little lost, but together they find their own way - which maybe is what being a family is all about.

Pat is now obsessed with Alexi Murdoch who does a lot of the music in the movie.

Two More Months To Go

Two more months to go until Baby D arrives. We are busy getting everything ready and so far so good. We have set aside some time right before the baby arrives to get some sleep, the biggest recommendation from all parents we know. My belly has been growing, the baby has been kicking and daddy has been doing a lot of hard work around our place. We are a happy family already. : )

Good Reads = Good Eats

Just finished these two books. They are both fascinating. I love learning about food and the impact it has on the environment, society and consumers. I recommend them if you are interested in where your food comes from and what is in it.

Pat and I also really liked the movie King Corn. It is about industrial farming in the United States, specifically corn. It is really scary how many chemicals supposedly go into corn syrup. Food buyer beware.

http://www.kingcorn.net/

Wedding Weekend

Pat and I spent the weekend up in the wine country for a fun filled wedding weekend. My friend Michelle and her new hubby Tom are the cutest couple and I could tell they had as much fun at their wedding as all their guests did! Friday night was a BBQ at DuMol winery and the reception on Saturday was at the Mayacama Golf Club - one of the most beautiful places ever! What a perfect wedding!

Hope you are enjoying your honeymoon Mr. and Mrs. McNeil!!

I heart my roomie!

Meeting my roommate in college was total fate. I joined a sorority my freshman year, but did not move into sorority housing until my sophomore year. After the first year, my group of close friends in the sorority all choose to drop out and opted to get an apartment. I decided to stick it out. Noelle called me and asked me to live with her - I honestly had to ask around to find out who she was, and I think she did the same. From move-in day on we both knew that we totally lucked out! We never once got in a fight or ever had an issue. We lived together for 3 years and were best friends.

Noelle came up for the baby shower and it was so fun to see her. Noelle is also pregnant and is due in January! It is so fun to be prego with such a close friend. I just wish she lived closer! Love you Noelle!

Out of Town Visitors

We had some wonderful out of town visitors for the baby shower. Pat's cousin Jamie, her husband Jacob and the amazing walking Ewan from LA. Pat's mom and step-dad from Arizona. My roommate from college, Noelle, also from Arizona. We had so much fun - wish the weekend was longer. Come back!

Beautiful Baby Shower

Last Saturday my friend Molly and her mom threw me the most beautiful baby shower ever. I honestly had the time of my life. It was amazing to have people so close to me all get together at one party. And to be showered with love and gifts for Baby D was the icing on the cake! Thanks for everything! Baby D loves you!

PS Sprinkles Cupcakes = Heaven

For My Children I'd Like Better

I've been going through some old stuff and I found this amongst some papers. I love it and hope these things for our kids.

Paul Harvey Wrote:
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand. These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.