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Fun Family Fotos: 1st Installment

I was going through my digital picture library and found this little gem of my three older sisters.
This one made me laugh because I could practically see the story behind it. Laura (far right) is already in her slipper jammies, probably partly because she is going to bed soon, partly because she had a weird infatuation with those things. Leanne (far left) is sporting a new ring she probably got out of the 25 cent machine at Save Mart that day and wanted to make sure that little beauty was captured on camera. Mary (middle) stands all smiles, because she knows just how dang cute she is.
And the backdrop--the hideous rug with the picture of the mushrooms that my mom probably still has in the garage somewhere...

More to come for the photo diary series...

Me & My Scrilla

We were sooo happy to have Laura for 48 whole hours!! We had so much fun.

Here we are on the glorious waterfront. This sad little picture is the only one of the three of us together.

Fashion show! Fashion show! Fashion show at lunch!
Sporting the Clovis High gym shorts.



Here we are at our favorite burger trailer...

I need 'ja like a heart needs a beat, baby. Come back to me.

P O R T L A N D

Last weekend McKay's parents were in town, so we decided to go out on the Willamette for our own little version of a dinner cruise (Quiznos and my brother-in-law's boat, to be more precise), and it was probably one off the best things that I've been able to do since we moved here.
I've decided I like boats. And Quiznos.

Date Night

These are the kinds of things I subject myself to for my husband's schooling. This is a project for his camera and lighting class that we collaborated on.  

The other day I was folding laundry and this book popped into my mind. I LOVED this book. I remembered with perfect clarity my dad reading it to me when I was little in his uncanny, spot-on Grover voice.

I don't know why I thought of it, but I'm glad I did.

Newfound Weakness

Last week I was working in my little hole in the wall used bookstore, chatting it up with a regular customer when a young guy in a suit and tie moseyed in. I knew when he walked in without the slightest interest in looking around that he was looking to sell me something. For some reason, the salesey type people flock to this little bookstore. Food, trinkets, and in this case--coupons. As soon as my customer left he started chatting me up, as the salesies do. I was giving my typical responses. Hi. I'm fine, thanks. I'm poor, before you waste anymore of your time on me. But then he asked me the question that, for some reason, was what got me.

"Do you like baseball?"

Yes...yes, I do like baseball. In fact, I had just been thinking about how much I missed baseball games. I usually went to one or two in San Fran and my summer was feeling a little empty without them.

"Don't you just love being in a ballpark?"

Yes!! I do love being in the ballpark!

We proceeded to talk baseball and teams and hot dogs and finally, the Seattle Mariners. Just three hours way, their park is. Same distance from Fresno to SF. And according to this guy, the parks were comparable. The M's play right on the water too. I would have to look over the fact that they play for the American league, but still--baseball is baseball, right?

Suddenly, I was caught up in this little fantasy of a perfect little baseball-filled weekend, where we could enjoy the city and a great game, and it would be amazingly cheaper with these coupons!! The greatest idea. Ever.

It was the weirdest thing. Five minutes later, when this guy was gone and the haze subsided I realized, that idiot just suckered me out of $30 bucks worth of Mariners "2 for the price of 1" coupons. I attribute this to the aforementioned longing to see a game, and also the fact that I was going on about my 49th hour of work that week when Mr. Coupon caught up with me. I immediately felt sick and called McKay who was bewildered.
He said, "You never do things like that!"
"I know!," I said, equally bewildered.
"When are we going to be able to get to Seattle?," he asked.
"I...don't know!," I answered.

That's when I freaked out on him and told him I was tired when I bought them and I wasn't thinking straight and I like baseball and I'm sorry and it was dumb I know and he didn't have to rub it in and in a nutshell totally overreacted due to my own feelings of stupidity over the whole thing.

Now that the money is spent and I have the coupons in-hand I am determined to use them. Fantasy weekend or no. If I have to camp overnight in the parking lot of the stadium, so be it. I am getting my 30 dollars worth. And if you happen to be interested in catching a Mariners game this season and will be in the Seattle area, you let me know.

Ken and Ally's Wedding Weekend

My sister in law got married, and we were lucky enough to join in on the festivities. In Kauai, no less! It was a quick trip-- I had to get back for work and McKay for school, so we didn't have a whole lot of time, but we stayed long enough for me to enjoy some shave ice (which didn't compare to Matsimotos), a full rainbow at sunset, island music (including Three Plus' "Undercover Lover" in F-Land, Laura!), snorkeling, unexpected yet wonderfully warm rain showers, pineapple from a local farmers market and carmacs. Oh, and a lovely wedding. We had a great time.

While I was there I thought a lot about the summer I spent on Oahu 5 years back. The music and the smells and the stickiness and the lounging on lanais... all I had money to do that summer was sit on the beach, much like this summer, and it was still just as fabulous. I thought of the short walk from my practically condemned, being held together by cinder blocks shack to Hukilau beach--the shack I shared with 5 other girls. The Laie temple just around the corner. The bus rides to the north shore with the Ukulele player singing and playing his heart out in the back. Watching the filming of Blue Crush, walking back and forth in front of Surf N Sea hoping I'd see myself on the big screen. Dinners with Laura at pizza bob's, banana pancakes with coconut syrup, halpea ice cream on campus, shopping trips to Food land, hoping and praying that Laura's 1974 Buick dinosaur would get us there and back, despite the fact that 1st gear was the only one that worked.
These are some of my most favorite memories and I am SO glad that I took that opportunity. To quit my job, grab my camera, and just let life pass me by for a while.

Anyway--a few pictures from the wedding trip a couple of weeks ago.

My favorite flower girl, Maddie Anne...




















The Bride's tropical bouquet...










Notice the hawaiian garden hose behind us...

The Big 4!

Four years! Way to go us. We were talking the other day and decided that the longer you're married, the better it gets. I used to think that when I was no longer a "newlywed" marraige would get a little mundane and we would become boring. And perhaps from the outside that's the way it looks. This year for our anniversary we're getting an air conditioner and packing boxes for our move next Saturday, but that really is okay. I won't say that every anniversary would be okay that way, but this year, I'm fine with it.

I can honestly say that I love my husband more as I sit here in our partially packed apartment, dirt poor, neck deep in responsibility and reality than I did on our beautiful wedding day. The everydays have proven him to be the man I was waiting for. We're a good balance. He makes me laugh. I make him wear clean shirts. He calms me. I cheer him on. We have had our share of hardship, and while I would never want to go back there, I know I am better for it. I know we are better together for it.

Marriage is kind of like kayaking . Once you get past the breakers, the highs, the lows, and you're in smoother territory, you can look behind you and remember the good times fondly, smile at the ridiculous arguments, and be glad that the future looks a bit more predictable.

Many thanks...

to dearest Laura for her gift this week. I am currently sitting listening to the music of P&P and thinking it was MUCH needed. Listening to "Your Hands are Cold" and thinking about how much I like that part in this movie. And how this Darcy was THE Darcy, for me. Totally the way I imagined him.

I hosted a book club about a month ago where we discussed Pride and Prejudice. I've read this book a million times-- and it shows. The spine of my copy is broken, the cover was ripped off sometime in high school, it has been chewed on, water stained, food stained, sun stained, etc. But I can't get rid of it! It holds too many memories--parts I'd outlined, pages folded over of my favorite parts. I have to keep it forever.

Anyway, getting off track here. Hosting this book club I really came to realize that I am not the only one with such strong feelings about this story. It actually kind of amazed me how intense, and almost heated, the discussion got regarding the characters in this story. EVERYONE who has read Elizabeth Bennet KNOWS Elizabeth Bennet. She (or he) knows what she's like, how she moves, how she says things, what her relationship is with others...you do not mess with someone's ideals about Elizabeth Bennet, that is what I learned from that book club.

I do not exclude myself from this group of all-knowing Elizabeth Bennet fans. I love her because she is so incredibly real. I love that she is flawed and beautiful. Awkward and poised. Insecure and courageous. Honest and sarcastic. She was the first character in a book that I wanted as my friend. One of the greatest literary characters ever, in my humble opinion.

Kudos to you, Jane Austen. And kudos to Laura, for the lovely gift that has conjured my gratitude for good music and good books.

Good Grief

I read this book a while ago, and I have yet to find a new book to read that entertained me as much as this one did. This is Lolly Winston's first book, and I was really impressed. I laughed out loud reading it, which sounds a little morbid, since the book is about dealing with grief. it was very human and honest and totally enjoyable. I was just thinking about this book and thought I would put it out there as a suggestion to anyone looking for something good to read...

19 Days and Counting...

Ah, sweet escape.

Seriously??

Should I be alarmed?

I LOVE...

1. falling asleep in clean sheets.
2. Easter egg hunts.
3. my zany sisters.
4. listening to McKay play Gershwin.
5. a bookshelf full of new books to read.
6. hearing my whole family laugh at the same time.
7. a good hug.
8. Paul McCartney.
9. watching Sammy and Winston run wild and free in the field across from our apartment complex.
10. 711 hot chocolate.
11. waking up and having no place to be.
12. DISNEYLAND.
13. looking at pictures.
14. taking pictures.
15. (and miss) SF baseball games at PacBell park.
16. an entire box of See's chocolate especially for me.
17. Oregon trees.
18. having a husband who makes me laugh daily.
19. shoes without shoelaces.
20. laminating.
21. thick,warm socks.
22. Tsing Tao's chinese food that is above and beyond all other chinese food.
23. accents.
24. Paulito's big, beautiful eyes.
25. making a new friend.
26. surprises.
27. that Ikea is coming to Portland.
28. Trader Joe's rasberry strudel.
29. seashells.
30. that I got a chance to really know my grandparents.
31. changing my hair color.
32. phase 10 marathons.
33. baby anythings.
34. finding a perfect flower.
35. cute old people.
36. a good pair of sweats.
37. long talks.
38. autumn leaves.
39. waking up in the middle of the night and hearing the rain.
40. free stuff.
41. hearing my dad play the horn.
42. singing in the car.
43. watching house hunters and dreaming of a house of my own...
44. history.
45. a good movie.
46. a clean bathroom.
47. that I own all seasons Seinfeld.
48. my new body shop face wash.
49. our annual family picture in our new pajamas on Christmas Eve.
50. starry nights.

Happy Valentines Day...

So as I mentioned, I sort of gifted myself a trip to visit Leanne in Maui for Christmas. Of course, it was a joint gift to myself, from myself and my husband, but it was Leanne who found the can't-pass-it-up/such-a-great-deal plane ticket. These elements combined made it happen. And after I bought the ticket I totally freaked out and felt like an irresponsible jerk leaving poor McKay home alone while I went off to enjoy a week of rest and relaxation. But I got over that. And then, for some reason, I was convinced that I was going to die in a plane crash...or get bitten by a shark while snorkeling...because apparently if I don't have something rational to completely stress over, I'll settle for ridiculous hypotheticals.
The plane ride over totally sucked. I hate flying alone. And it's even worse when you're in the dead center of the plane, middle section, middle row, middle seat. It made for a nice little obstacle course getting to the bathroom. And SO embarrassing when you fall asleep and your head keeps lolling about. I finally turned to the people next to me and told them never to buy a ticket for the middle seat in a row. They laughed politely and shifted further away from me in their seats. Fine by me.
I then proceeded to eat an entire bag of goldfish crackers. Which is not all that hard to do, because those things aren't ver big. I didn't feel silly so much about eating the entire bag as I did about the ridiculous amount of goldfish cracker crumbs that ended up all over my shirt. The crumbs I didn't happen to notice until about 2 hours later. Nice.
Yadda yadda yadda, I arrived in Maui, Leanne and I had a glorious reunion...
The next day we went snorkeling which was absolutely fabulous. We were two of about 14 people on a boat that could fit about 150. It felt like a private charter. We inadvertantly made fun of some of the Canadians on board (Leanne and I have a tendancy to insult people without meaning to when we are together...this was one such occasion), so it was a little tricky trying to avoid them with such a small group. Creepy 1st mate Bob was also on board--Bob whose feet looked like Frodo Baggins', and who had a rather annoying staring problem. Bob was also a sidler. Leanne and I would be chatting and all of the sudden Bob would pop out of nowhere with his sociopathic little grin and say something strange like, "Would you ladies like a beeeeeeeeeer?" or, "Isn't it a beautiful daaaaaaaaay?" Hmm...yes, Bob. Please don't hurt me. Avoiding Bob and the Canadians was an adventure of its own.
We snorkeled right off the island of Molokini. So I swam, I saw fish and beautiful coral, and of course, kept an eye out for any sharks who might want to bite me and prove my fits of paranoia completely legitimate. There is always that possibility. But it didn't happen. All appendages in tact.
Saturday night Mom, Dad and Jennie arrived. We went to a mexican joint that had the best ginger ale I've ever had in my life. I am now on a ginger ale kick, and yet, nothing I've tried comes close to what I had at that there mexican joint. This was the same restaurant with the lady at the bar who was totally flirting with my oblivious dad while we waited for a table. One of the weirdest things I've ever experienced in my life. There is a sick, twisty feeling in one's stomach when one witnesses one's parent being offered drinks, buffalo wings, and conversation by a drunken woman in a slinky dress.
Anyhoo, good ginger ale.
We went to the beach where I got the worst sunburn of my life. I NEVER, neeehhhverrrr get sunburned, so this was weird. I was reading my book when I realized all of the sudden that my legs really really really hurt. I'm still recovering.
Jennie and I stayed up late one night with my camera trying to out-do each other on who could make the ugliest face. It was a close call. Always a fun activity that never seems to get old in the Webster household.
We went whale watching on my brother-in-law's boat and saw some amazing things. Little baby humpback whales breaching like their mamas and showing off for the boats. It was so amazing.
So five days later I got back on a plane, back to the middle row in the middle of the plane, but this time I had the whole row to myself. The flight was half empty, so it was a much more pleasant experience.
In a nutshell I'm so glad that I went and it was a very fun trip. And I have the pictures to prove it.

Maui Madness

Alright, so, my real Christmas present this year was a trip to see my sister Leanne in Maui. It was amazing. We partied. I went on my very first ever snorkeling trip, and I must say, I was pretty darn...okay at it.
I keep trying to write interesting things, but is someone else's vacation all that interesting to others?? I don't know. Plus, I'm really hungry and I have haagen dazs in the freezer calling my name. Perhaps I will make this a TO BE CONTINUED post. Yes....

A Few of my favorites...

A long day of shopping...


An afternoon on Captn' Carlos' boat watching the whales do their thing...


A super cute sea turtle...

Sometimes it's hard to believe that a place like this exists...

Dogs in Snow

The cutest.

Guess what I got for Christmas?!?

Not this pony, if that's what you were thinking. Although, Strawberry and I shared a deep connection at the christmas tree farm.