January and stuff

The beginning of a new year and a new year it has been. At work, we had another round of layoffs. Yikes! It just keeps getting scarier and scarier. In life, things are good. We have our ups and downs and each day is a new day to learn more about each other.

This month we did a couple things. We went hiking in Sabino Canyon and later on in the month we had a little adventure downtown for Dillinger Days. Weather-wise we've had quite a wet January. Our mountain was dumped with snow and we got plenty of rain. Even today we had another rainy day. Even though we know we need this rain in our desert, I'm ready for the sun to come back.

This month also marked my nephew Saúl's 5th birthday! Saúl has been so excited to turn 5 and he's been telling me since Christmas that he was turning 5 soon. His birthday was held at Ft. Lowell park which also happens to be a historical park. Aside from statues, a museum, and ruins of old buildings there were plenty of soccer games being held.

Adrian and David are now huge Beatles fans. These kids can tell you stuff that just blows you away! They were so psyched to hold the style of guitar that Paul McCartney used.

February is proving to be a busy month already. A couple weeks ago I decided I needed a woman cave. So I moved my computer and desk into the second bedroom. I hope to work on the room to be my project room or a hidey hole from the world. Our one year anniversary is also coming up as well as our trip to Portland! In March Elyse will be spending Zac's spring break with us. In April I turn the big 3-0! Danielle has already told me she's flying in for my birthday and tentative plans as of right now are to go on a family camping trip or rent a cabin! I am looking forward to this year! But my biggest goal for this year is to buy new curtains for this house!

just sayin

want portland trip to happen now! need my voodoo doughnut!

zac wants the cock-n-balls donut. i think i'll stay safe with the dirt donut or triple chocolate penetration donut.

they say it's your birthday!

Today is Danielle's birthday!

So here is to a wonderful person and friend! Even though she is far far away in the snowy cold lands we still manage to talk to each other just about every single day.

I wish her the best birthday ever and an awesome year!

awesomeness and more

I don't think I could get this picture any bigger.

Darn it!!!

I saw this today while looking through a bible(a term we use at work). And I couldn't stop staring! The shirt in the middle says Proud to be Adorable and American!

It's awesome!

I tried to tell Danielle about it since her birthday is tomorrow but she said she'd kill me if I ever got her this shirt.

Whatever....

resolution-take more pictures

Sabino Canyon-1-3-2010

How did I do last year?

1. Get married. Check-got married February 7, 2009

2. Change everything so I can assume my new identity as Teresa Chapman.....weird!Half check-have a new social security card and changed my name at work for payroll and insurance but nothing else was changed.

3. Go on a honeymoon. Check-went to Disneyland and Las Vegas

4. Visit Mom's Chapman in Portland. No Check-but maybe next month?!

5. Use our passports somehow. No Check

6. Spend more time with nephews and niece!Half Check-I think I saw half of my nephews a bit more. Just need to work on the other 2.

7. Make higher payments on student loan. No Check-Paid the same amount.

8. Pay off debt accumulated from buying appliances and wedding stuff. No check-went down a bit but not how I wanted to see it.

9. Do a big project on the house...like paint, connect the studio to the rest of the house...something. No check. We did nothing.

10. Save more money. No check. Never enough money.

11. Dryer-Check

ho ho ho and a bottle of rum

Santa says that right?

This year was kind of a downer Christmas. Every year I really look forward to Christmas and every year it seems to lose its magic more and more. I love seeing the lights and decorations and wish I could buy every single decoration I see. It's really the same as Halloween. I want my place to be the crazy people house that go nuts on decorations. I think kids really make the holiday super special and I look forward to spending time with my niece and nephews. This year only one brother came over to my parents house and so Christmas was long and drawn out. Of course once the kids were there it was fun and the time went by too fast.

Next year there was discussion of going to Vegas. I'm up for that.

I guess one year I'd like to have the Christmas that other people write about or maybe I'm thinking of the Christmas I see in the movies....I'm not quite sure because my mind is so warped with stupid stuff. I'd love to once go to Winterhaven sipping hot chocolate and maybe take the hayride around. Once I'd like to go to the Holiday Parade and feel like a little kid when Santa comes around. For once I'd like to have holiday yummies, while watching nonstop Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music. Maybe this is all better with kids. Maybe it's time to adopt a little Asian kid. It's the same with every holiday. At Halloween I want to go crazy on decorations, I want to dress up, I want to go to the pumpkin patch and go through the corn maze. At Easter I want to color eggs and hide them and have an easter egg hunt. On President's Day I want to dress up as George Washington and read the constitution. (Maybe not the last one.)

I was thinking about stuff I used to hate getting as gifts but now wish I would get. Stuff like the following:

-Socks, I hate buying socks for myself. Mainly, I'd love winter socks or slipper socks that warm my feet during the winter. I'd also like fun colored/print socks. I can't seem to buy those for myself either. As I'm writing this I have 3 pairs of socks on and my feet are still cold.

-Slippers. I actually use slippers now. I'd like slippers for all occasions.

-Cheap jewelry. I used to get cheap jewelry all the time. My Dad would buy me some crazy earrings or a cutesy necklace and sometimes my aunt would give me Avon jewelry. Cheap jewelry is actually a lot cooler now. I still like to play dress up.

-Puzzles. I don't think I ever counted puzzles to be my favorite gift but I find that I like them more and more. There are even cool puzzles that are 3D. I've also always wanted a separate card table to do the puzzles on. Buying used puzzles at the bookstore or second hand store seems like a good idea but I've found these puzzles also seem to come with a lot of cat hair. Achoo!

-Clothes. My mom stopped buying me clothes in junior high. Sometimes I'd like simple sweatshirts or scarves or jackets. Gift cards work well too.

-Accessories. I like shoes and purses. I'm an 8 1/2. I also like perfume.

-Random stuff. I think some of the gifts that I remember the most were random things that I wasn't quite expecting. Once my dad bought me a ladies tool set. Which I still have. Oh and that snuggie was the best.

Maybe next year I'll learn and I'll do something like volunteer somewhere or donate to charity. Maybe next year everyone will get home made gifts....damn I better start them now if I expect anything to get done by next year.