Highlights

Highlights from the twins first trimester:

-First flight:  We flew to Chicago in early April to celebrate Braden's first birthday and Easter.
-First concert:  Saw Death Cab for Cutie (along with Magik Magik Orchestra) in Dallas.  Lucky babies--we'll be attending our next concert (Snow Patrol) tomorrow!
-First announcement:  After much trepidation, we made the "big announcement" on Facebook and the blog and were absolutely overwhelmed from all the love and support we received from friends and family.
-First maternity shopping spree:  Hello elastic waistband!
-First time with dad away:  Michael flew to Eagan, Minnesota to attend training for his new job.  The kiddos were nice enough to keep me company.
-First Wedding Shower:  We had a large group over to our house to celebrate Wes and Nathalia's upcoming nuptials!
-First meeting of potential new friends: baby Luca, baby Dalton, and baby Logan
-First self-administered shots:  That's right, this mama has been giving herself Lovenox injections (blood thinners) for several months now!  What used to be a huge fear is now no big deal.
 -First wedding and road trip:  We drove to Tulsa this past weekend to celebrate the marriage of two TU friends.  This also led to first wedding cake and first dance-off ("Lovely Lady Lumps" with my best friends pointing to my stomach was a true highlight)

These don't really qualify as "firsts" but are still noteworthy Tri-1 happenings:
-Michael started a new job and is really enjoying it!
-I turned 30!

Kreston & Kerri's Wedding (and my 30th birthday) in Tulsa

Few days shy of 14 weeks

Catching Up On The Last Few Months

Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your kind words.  I'll be honest--Michael and I figured we'd receive a polite response on Facebook and the blog but the comments went so far beyond a simple "Congratulations" and made us feel so loved.  People say they're praying for you and I've taken it for granted so many times as I just assumed it was a polite way to end a conversation.  Never again.  From the bottom of our hearts, we are so grateful for you, for your prayers, for your well wishes, and for your love.

8:30 on a Saturday morning and I've already started crying.  Par for the course.

On that note, let's catch up on the last few months.   I apologize now for the absurd amount of words that follow.

The pregnancy:  So far, it's been pretty awesome.  Sure I go to bed by 9 pm every night, but I've had it pretty easy.  Very limited nausea, zero throwing up, and no food aversions.  Actually, the only problem I've had with food is I can't stop eating it.  The few times I've felt "eh" were due to not eating something in the last hour.  I now feel like one of those celebrities who talk about their "5 small meals a day."  Except change "5" to "7" and "small" to "regular-sized" and we're there.

Let's see, what else?  One of my first symptoms was in the boobal region.  PAINFUL.  I've also experienced heartburn for the first time.  My only cravings have been lemonade and pancakes.  The pancakes have subsided a bit, the lemonade has not (I would be drinking some right now if I hadn't just brushed my teeth).  I get up at least twice every night to go to the bathroom and if it's between the hours of 2:30 and 4:00 then I'm up for at least an hour thinking about absolutely preposterous things that no one should ever think about.  Insomnia is not fun. 

I wore my first pair of maternity pants during week 10 or 11.  I was still able to fasten my regular pants but it was uncomfortable and looked even worse.  I am now all-maternity (pants) all the time and love it.

I cry.  A lot.  Sometimes it's three or four tears running down my face and I can usually hide them from Michael.  Other times it is the full-blown SOBBING that makes me question my intelligence.  Show me any sad/sweet commercial or youtube video and I'm done.  Play a song that is either reminiscent, talks about love, or just sounds pretty and I'm done.  I will share two embarrassing moments and then we'll move on.  1.  Michael's former co-workers gave him a very sweet card signed with well wishes.  Normally that would make me smile and give him a hug.  Oh no.  I was curled up in the fetal position BAWLING my eyes out for words borderline strangers said to my husband.  Michael's face was priceless.  2.  I was watching Glee last week and they're all getting close to graduating.  I was doing good, doing good, and then NOT GOOD.  I don't even like that show anymore and I was ugly crying.  Michael asked if I was sad for the characters and between hiccups I told him I missed high school.  Let's be honest, high school was awesome but hell no I don't miss it.  Give me a break.  The good news is I cry for happy things now, which is something I've never done before (see first few paragraphs).  I'm an equal opportunity crier.

The Babies:  The babies are doing great.  They are both BIG, which is fantastic.  At the last appointment one was a full week ahead of its due date and the other was 4 days ahead.  While that thought terrifies me once I hit the third trimester, I know it's a good thing.  We've also learned that they already have completely different personalities.   One was dancing and head-banging (literally) and the other was completely chill with its tiny little hands behind its head.  Just like their parents.  :)

Their heartbeats are both strong and typically in the 170s.  I got to hear them a few weeks ago and it just blew me away.  My next appointment is in 2.5 weeks and I'm so anxious to see them again.

I wish I could talk more about these two but as many of you know there isn't a whole lot to share/see in the first trimester.  They're almost the size of "medium shrimp," which is about the worst description one could ever give. 

Michael:  Oh, Michael.  He has been absolutely amazing throughout this entire experience (I'm not just talking about the last two months) and to see the joy on his face is a breath of fresh air.  For those of you who know Michael, he tends to be a somewhat quiet guy who would rather listen to what you have to say than garner all of the attention.  Not anymore.  He has shared our news with complete strangers.  After a recent ultrasound he took the pictures to work and showed any person who would look at a (let's be honest) white blob on a black background.   When we first saw the little arms and legs he squeezed my hand and I found myself watching him instead of the babies.   He is the main reason we shared our news this soon and after we decided to post at 5p, he sent an email at 3:30 and asked if we could go ahead and do it.  For me, I can't imagine anything (or anyone) better.  And on top of his excitement, he has completely taken over all chores, groceries, and errands while I remain a blob on the bed.

He will be an excellent father and I CAN'T WAIT to see him holding our babies.

Fear:  This has not been an easy few months.  While the pregnancy could not be more textbook perfect, my fear has kept right up with it.  Every time I go to the bathroom I panic.  Every tiny growing pain in my stomach I confuse for a cramp.  If my boobs don't hurt one day I know it's all over.  I wish, so badly, that I could say this fear has subsided but it hasn't.  Miscarriages are psychologically damaging and the memory holds so tightly to me that sometimes I'm unable to breathe.  I've memorized verses about fear and meditate on them when I'm up at night.  I've recited the 23rd Psalm hundreds of times.  I remember telling Michael I would feel better at 12 weeks and he held me and said "You won't feel better until you have those babies in your arms."  And he's right.  It breaks my heart that I cannot simply enjoy every single second of this pregnancy.   With that being said, I DON'T CARE.  I don't care that I'm filled with fear at least once a day. I don't care that I still have a long road ahead of me.  All I have to do is think about these two precious souls inside of me and I am filled to the brim with gratitude.

Thank you, Jesus, for these two miracles.  

Another Room Reveal!

Thank you so much for your comments on our living room! It was fun to put together and always makes me smile when I walk upstairs.

You’d think the living room would sustain me for a while but (of course) it did not so I have another room reveal to share! It’s quite small--comfortably fits two--but has taken months of planning and is still a work in progress. Strangely enough, for such a small room I can’t stop thinking about it.

I present to you....

The Babies' Room

(12.5 weeks)

The Haynes twins are set to arrive 10.30.12! We are absolutely thrilled and thank God every day for such an incredible blessing.

(This “room” may be quite small compared to the others, but it is by far my favorite...)

Living Room Reveal!

About time, right?  This room has been a work in progress for a very long time.  We had a wedding shower at our home this past weekend (more on that later!) so I figured I'd take some pictures while our house is clean! :) 

We wanted the living room to be fun and laidback.  I loved the idea of navy, chartreuse, and orange, but it's really turned into all colors thanks to our Deep Ellum movie posters, Penguin Classics collection, and the abacus.  Anywho, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves but I'm glad I finally get to share it with you!

 

 

And some "detail" pictures... :)

This cannister cracked me up.  I do love carbs.

I've had these Campbell's soup cans for 7 years.  They've never really gone with anything else I've owned but they work quite nicely in this room!

Nesting trays on nesting tables.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Hello April!

Someone reminded me the other day that I have a blog.  I've received a few texts and comments from some of you asking if everything is alright, which made me feel good and terrible at the same time.

In short, yes, everything is quite alright.  Thank you for asking. :)

In not so short, I just haven't felt like blogging much lately.  I can't blame it on work or a busy nightlife (haha), but the blog has lost a little of its luster and whether I intended to or not, I stepped away from it for a bit.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure this post is an "And I'm BACK!" post, it's more of an "I'm still alive" post.  I will fill you in on the past few weeks, which have had many great and and a few not-so-great moments.

GREAT MOMENTS:
- One of my best friends just had a gorgeous (& healthy) baby!  Meet Rhett Matthew and beautiful mom Leslie!
- Work has been rather calm lately.  Sure it's the calm before the storm (renewal season is upon us), but I appreciate the small stuff.
-  Last night we went to a FC Dallas game with some friends and had a great time.  It was my first outing in almost a week (see "Not-so-great moments" below) so it felt nice to put on make-up and regular clothes. 
- We went to Chicago last weekend to celebrate Easter and Braden's 1st birthday!  We hadn't seen everyone since Christmas so of course the boys looked like college students.  We had a wonderful time and were so glad we got to be with Braden when he turned the big ONE.  We probably won't see them again until Thanksgiving so we tried to make the days count with our nephews.  It was pretty good to see Justin & Michelle and my parents too.  :)

- Speaking of nephews, they're about to become BIG BROTHERS!  Michelle and Justin are expecting their third in late September!!  Mom and baby are both doing great and of course the waiting game begins as to whether they'll welcome another brother or baby sister.  :)
- One more surprise - Michael accepted a new position early last week!   You might be a bit confused because he started a new job a year ago (almost to the day).  Well, he wasn't looking for anything but was recommended for this position by a friend of his.  It's a big step up for him and was too good of an offer to pass up... and he begins next Wednesday!  I know it was hard for him to tell his current boss and team but they were all very understanding and supportive.  Yay Michael!

NOT-SO-GREAT MOMENTS:
- This isn't blog-worthy at all but I love throwing pity parties and inviting my closest internet buddies.  Monday morning I went to work and noticed my throat was a bit sore.  I figured it was the dreaded allergies and prepared myself for a a few days of misery.  Tuesday morning I woke up to my throat on FIRE and an excruciating headache.  I decided to stay home and around 3p I noticed I didn't have any typical allergy symptoms.  At 6p, I took my temp and it was over 100 so we drove to the walk-in clinic.  At the tender age of 29, I was diagnosed with strep.  The doc asked if I'd been around it and I told her my nephews both had it a while ago and that I was at a birthday party with 16 small kids.  That seemed to be enough for her and she told me to take the next few days off.  I had strep all the time when I was little and seemed to get over it fairly quickly.  Not this time.  And so in addition to Tues, I stayed home Wed, Thurs, and part of Friday.  Woke up Friday to a stuffy nose and cough.  Ah yes, the allergies.  Let me tell you, when your throat hurts from strep but you can't breathe through your nose because of allergies, your temperament is AMAZING.  Woke up this morning to what looks like pink eye but it seems to have calmed down a bit so I'm praying I won't have to add it to this week of awesomeness!  At the rate I'm going, I will have Lyme Disease by Wednesday.  :)

And there is your April update!  Where has the year gone?  For the record, I've missed you guys a lot.  Hope to be back to my old writing self very soon!

I AM The Crazy Cat Lady. Here's Proof.

The story I'm about to share is something so simple and silly I'm afraid you'll finish it and wonder if you missed the point.  However, it's one of those sweet moments I want to remember so on the blog it goes.

The only person (I use that term loosely) more selfish than myself is Thumbs McGee.  The girl lives for food, sleep, and attention.  She is very affectionate but that is because she wants you to pet her.  I'm ok with this because what I described above is the definition of most cats. 

Most mornings the alarm goes off and one of us gets out of bed to take the first shower.  This morning, however, we both stayed in bed and chatted for a bit.  I went out to dinner with friends last night so Michael and I didn't get a chance to catch up.  We shared a few funny stories and were both quietly laughing about something.  Once I stopped laughing I heard Thumbs purring loudly.  This is not unusual--the second one of us is awake she is right by our faces, purring and begging to be petted.  I thanked Michael for playing with her and he said, "I'm not touching her."  We both listened and sure enough, our little lady was purring like crazy from the foot of our bed.

I know this might mean absolutely nothing to you but I thought it was so dang cute.  Neither of us were paying attention to her and (for once) she was content to just listen to her parents happily chat away.  I called her named and she jumped up and joined us.  It was a sweet moment and made me realize that maybe, just maybe, this fat cat likes us as much as we like her.

Bullets

So this is just ridiculous. It’s been more than three weeks since my last post, which covered an event that happened in October. I really need to snap out of it.

What’s worse is stuff is actually happening in our world and I’m just too lazy to write about it. In a sad attempt to bring this beautiful blog up to speed, I bring you the bullet. (Pronounced: bull-LAY. It’s French I think. Oui oui.)

• Michael and I are still happily married (thought I’d get the obvious out of the way).
• We started the Haynes Family Budget of 2012 (HFBMMXII) and it is OBNOXIOUS. I’m kidding. Well no, I’m actually not, but it is great and very much needed. Michael created a pretty nifty spreadsheet, which is now a Google document and updated daily. We have a line item for everything. It’s been a pretty eye-opening experience thus far and while some line items are more difficult than others (e.g., Starbucks, personal spending, etc.) it will benefit us greatly in the long run. That savings account is about to get more love than it’s ever wanted.
• Michael gave up fast food and I gave up caffeine for Lent. This essentially means I also gave up fast food because it’s just RUDE to chow down on a big greasy cheeseburger while your husband eats tuna out of a can. I’m no martyr—I’ve definitely had Raising Cane’s at least once. Interesting story about caffeine: I really thought I’d get headaches when I cut out the caffeine but I didn’t. I was drinking two cups of decaf each day and decided my body rocked. Then one of my co-workers politely told me that decaf has caffeine. What the wha?? I checked and sure enough, there are trace amounts. Moral of the story: No more decaf coffee.
• I’m now part of a girls Bible Study that meets twice a month. The girls are incredibly sweet and we’ve bonded quite nicely. It all started thanks to Michael reaching out to one of his friends from high school so kudos to him for being awesome. I am THRILLED as my Dallas friend population practically doubled. We’re reading the book Crazy Love and so far I just love it like... crazy. Hardy har.
• I’m in the Wellness Committee at work and we just gave everyone pedometers. I have aged at least 35 years as I wear mine everywhere and am constantly checking my stats. Most everyone at work does the same so I don’t feel quite so nerdy. In case you’re curious, I walk an average of 2 miles at work each day, which burns off fewer calories than one caffeine-free coke.
• I haven’t picked up my camera in over a month and I miss it desperately.
• I haven’t picked up my side of the room in over a month and I just wish Mary Poppins would show up for crying out loud.
• Michael and I are traveling to Chicago in a few weeks to celebrate our nephew’s FIRST BIRTHDAY. Holy cow, where did the time go? I’m quite excited to get my hands on that (not so) little guy.

 Ok, that’s it for now.

San Francisco - Day 4

Let me start by saying I'm so mad at myself.  It's been almost four months since we visited San Francisco so I've lost a lot of specific memories I wish I would've captured.  Blerg.

Saturday, October 23, 2011

(Day 1)

(Day 2)

(Day 3)

One of Michael's only requests was to visit Alcatraz.  History, prison, and self-guided audio tours rank about as low as you can get in my book o' fun but I politely agreed.  We booked an early morning tour and I put a smile on my face.

As I mentioned before, the weather was ridiculously warm while we were there but I'd been told by numerous people that the boat ride would be frigid.  If you remember from a previous post, I'd purchased a cute ear warmer thingy (that is its official name) in wine country and it never left my suitcase.  I wore my leather coat for approximately 14 seconds and then the disrobing began. Again.

Now to the important stuff: Alcatraz was incredible.  The audio tour was fantastic and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip!  At one point the tour guide asks you to walk outside and look around.  He soon follows it up with, "Feel free to go back inside if you're too cold."  I looked over at Michael and saw beads of sweat on his forehead.  Made me laugh.

 I'm on a boat!

 It was really, really steep.  It doesn't look steep but ho boy!

It's impossible to look cool wearing circa 1985 headphones.  But he still looks cute.  :)

 Grody.

 Also grody: Stewed Fruit.  SICK!

 God Bless America.  And not being in prison.

I saw the following sign and thought, "Wow, their shirts are so 'in' right now!"  I'm special.

After the tour, we walked all around the Marina District.  Saw some beautiful homes, gorgeous views of the bridge, and many San Franciscans basking in the sun on the lawn.  We ate lunch at DelaRosa, where we split a strange pizza and drooled over our neighbor's order.  It was in a great location next to very cool shops.  To me, the neatest thing about San Francisco is how many different areas there are and how each of them has so much to offer.  I'm used to towns that have a few cool areas but several shoddy areas.  I'm sure San Fran has them but we didn't see much!

 

That night we had dinner at Pesce Seafood Bar, which was delicious!  Similar to a Tapas restaurant (minus the "Spanish" part)--we ordered several small plates and split everything.  This was one of the funniest/most awkward parts of our trip.  The tables were very narrow and we sat extremely close to the couples on either side of us.  It didn't take long to notice one couple was on their first or second date.  Two very bashful adults constantly saying, "Oh I don't know, you decide," jokes followed by unnecessarily long giggles, and then slowly, slowly, slowly, a hand hold across the table!  One point to the new couple!  We sat close enough to them that I will be hurt if we're not invited to their wedding. 

On the other side of us was a couple who (we guessed) had been together two-ish years.  They were not married/engaged and were very "meh" with one another.  He pulled out his phone every 5 minutes, she spent most of her time looking at our food, and neither felt the need to talk much. At one point I wanted to say, "You guys, it's time.  Let this be your last meal together."

Anyway, Michael and I carried on two different conversations throughout dinner.  One  with words, the other with our eyes.  It was a lot of fun.  :)

And so ends day 4.  Day 5 was a short one and I plan to write about it before we celebrate our 5th anniversary.

Strange Animals Make Me Happy

I realize most everyone has seen this video by now, but I wanted to share for those who haven't.  As someone who adores very strange animals (manatees and ostriches to name a few), I completely appreciated this.

And as a sidenote, I heard a radio interview with Kristen Bell a year or so ago and thought she was fantastic.  I actually called Michael once the interview was over and proclaimed my love for this girl.  I realize the following video might not portray it, but she is smart.  And very witty.  She's also on Michael's "Top 10 list" so I'm not the only one who's smitten.  :)

Enjoy!

Which One Is It?

Today's blog topic has been on my mind for a long time, but I never really thought about posting it until recently.  I'm hoping you'll respond, especially if you disagree with me, so I can learn more from the other side.

My parents raised us to be honest kids.  They also raised us to be polite.  And oftentimes, the two don't go hand in hand.  I think there are situations when being honest is absolutely the way to go, but other times I think being polite is the right answer.  I'm beating around the bush, aren't I?

When someone asks for my opinion on something, I (almost) always give them an honest answer.  If a friend tells me they're thinking about cutting their hair and asks if it's a good idea, I am very honest.  However, if someone just purchased a house and asks me if I like it, I could think it's the ugliest home in the world but I will smile and tell them it's beautiful.  The difference between the two is my opinion means absolutely nothing in the second scenario, and I don't think there is any reason to insult someone when there is nothing they can do to change the circumstance.  It's a done deal and they're happy.  In that situation, (to me) being polite is better than being honest.

What do you think?

Another instance is when someone doesn't ask for my opinion at all.  When that is the case, I absolutely don't think it's necessary to give my opinion unless it's positive.  If someone tells me they're naming their baby Mildred Zambonee, it's not my place to tell them I hate that name.  Even if I do. They didn't ask, therefore I don't need to blurt out my true feelings.  (Sidenote: This example is completely made up.  My friends' kiddos truly have the BEST names.  However, many of them have started keeping the name a secret because they've received such negative feedback, even when they didn't ask for it.)

I guess my point is, if you're going to hurt someone's feelings by giving your opinion on something that can't be changed, why do it?  Does this mean I have less integrity or can't be trusted?  I hope not. 

I've had my feelings hurt by people who were brutally honest when I just wish they'd smiled politely because whatever it was, I couldn't change it.  Or in other cases, I wish they hadn't said anything at all because I never asked. 

Let me also point out that I haven't always been like this and I still struggle with it.  If I've known you for more than five minutes, I've hurt your feelings by something I've said.  You've either told me you were hurt or I've seen it in your eyes as soon as I said the statement.  Over the last few years I've become more of the person I described above because I didn't like the opinionated person I'd always been (and still can be).  And now that I make a true effort to think before I speak, I notice how hurtful it can be when I'm on the receiving end.
 
So my question to you is this--Am I being ridiculous?  Is what I consider being polite actually just a lie?  If you ask my opinion on something you cannot change, do you really want it?

And,  I am asking for your opinion and I can change what I'm doing, so I want you to be honest.  :)   (If you don't feel comfortable commenting, send me an email!) 

Sneak Peek

Here is what I should be writing about:

1.  San Francisco - Day 4
2.  San Francisco - Day 5
3.  Pictures (can't write about these, but I can post them!)
4.  The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the DMA (if you live in the DFW area, you must go!)

But I can't.  Why?  Because I received a fun package in the mail on Friday and want to talk about it instead.  Most of you know one of my favorite things to do is decorate our home.  I don't mean holiday decorating (ew), but a complete room overhaul.  The past two rooms (living room, bedroom) were each done in a week.  The paint, the purchases, everything.  Not only did it make our budget fall to its knees, but I didn't have a chance to mull things over.  I purchased everything at once and regretted certain items later.  We decided to treat our upstairs room differently and took things slooooowly.  The first purchase was made two years ago (Penguin classics) and bit by bit we've added to the room.  It's given me a chance to sit back and think, "Do I truly love this or do I just need a side table and this one is on sale?"

I wanted the room to be three things: contemporary, clean, and FUN.  Jonathan Adler was my inspiration (the man LOVES color) and we're really pleased with how it's turning out.  We still need curtains and a side table so I'll save the full reveal for later, but I couldn't wait to share the pillows we received the other day via Etsy.  We've had the chartreuse pillows forever but decided they worked nicely in the room.  Main colors are navy, orange (looks red in pictures), and chartreuse but the room has a bit of everything.

I'm a huge fan of the F. Schumacher Chiang Mai print and was terrified Michael would hate it.  Luckily, he took one look at the picture online and said, "Is that a dragon?  Cool."

Heck yeah, it's a dragon.  Who knew a pillow could have street cred?

I thought it was fitting to share the pillows since I did the same sneak peek for our living room.  So without further adieu, a tiny piece of our new den:

And in case you're curious, yes, the walls are navy blue.  The guy at Ace Hardware tried talking me out of it three times but I wouldn't have it.  And for once in my life, I'd like to think my stubborn streak paid off.

Easier Than I Thought

Absolutely filled with gratitude: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brandigreer

(Thank you for the phone calls, texts, and messages today. Your prayers were absolutely felt and so appreciated.)

1.11.12

I was so thankful to start a new year.  At the same time, the second the clock struck midnight a tiny part of me ached. January has been on my mind since the last week in April.

Tomorrow is our baby's due date and I'm heartbroken.  I thought it might be easier the second time around but oh it's not.  I can't tell you how badly I wish this story had a happy ending. 

In my last post I talked about finding something each day that fills me to the brim with gratitude and I'm going to try so hard to do the same tomorrow.  I'll be very honest, a larger part of me wants to sleep the day away and not wake up until it's over.

If you have a chance, please say a prayer for us.  Michael puts up a good front but I know he's hurting too.  There have been two instances when I woke up feeling especially encouraged and only later learned someone specifically prayed for peace for me the night before.  I've been praying for peace all week.

Even though we will not meet him* tomorrow, we are so grateful for this sweet baby's life and can't wait to meet him in heaven.

*or her--but I always knew it was a boy

2012

Holy moly.

While most of you have compiled and shared a detailed list of resolutions, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it's 2012.  Last year absolutely flew.  When I stop to think about particular moments, some hit me so hard it might as well have happened yesterday.  Others I try to remember and am met with a cloudy haze.  Fortunately, the great moments are the ones I remember so well.  

2011, overall, was a pretty fantastic year.  If I made a list I'd say the "pros" column trumps the "cons" column 10 times over.  Over the past few months, I've made a conscious effort each day to find something that fills me to the brim with gratitude.  And you know what?  It's been quite easy.  I want to continue this in 2012 and hope it will become a part of who I am. I chose our Christmas card for a reason--I loved the simple phrase, "Be joyful."  Such a great mantra, and quite easy when you step back and take a look at your life, ya know?

I have so many pictures I want to share with you!  I have absolutely fallen in love with photography and wish I could do it every day.  Unfortunately, I need about fifteen years of practice and by that time I'm quite certain every person on the planet will have their own photography business.  It's been so much fun to capture fun moments of some of my favorite people.  I hope this passion of mine sticks around for a long time because I enjoy it so much!  Will do a picture post soon.

I've decided to make 2012 one of my favorite years of all time.  I know there are many things I can't control but there are so many more things I can.  And I will.  So if your plan is to stand in my way, I'll see you in 2013.  :)

Merry Christmas!

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Merry Christmas to you!

Trifecta

One to make you snap, one to make you laugh, and one to make you wish your pet had thumbs....

Tis the Season

Busy season started last Wednesday.

I have 454 unread blog posts in Google reader.  (I just shuddered.)

We were both sick for a week but are now feeling better.

We've watched 3 seasons of The Big Bang Theory in one week (see above).

I get my life back next Friday...

(Until then, here's two pictures I took yesterday of a co-worker and her fiance.  More later!)

San Francisco - Day 3

Saturday, October 22, 2011

(For Day 1, click here)

(For Day 2, click here)

There is a reason it's taken me a long time to write about this day.  Let me preface this by saying we loved San Francisco.  Loved the people.  Loved the sites.  

However.

We were told we needed to pack for cool, chilly weather.  We happily obliged. (Have I discussed the  Hotter Than Hell Summer of 2011?  I have?  Well then.)  We woke up early and I put on a long tank and leggings.  Covered said leggings with leg warmers and boots.  Covered said tank with a cute blazer and scarf.  Michael bundled up in jeans and a sweater.  

We walked outside.  And nearly died.

I said something along the lines of, "Oh we'll be fine.  Let's keep walking."  Famous last words.  It was SO HOT.  Let's also keep in mind the topography of San Francisco.  Hill after hill after gosh darn hill.  By the time we got where we were going, I was a wreck.  There are two things in life I absolutely hate and both immediately turn me into a 13-year-old brat:

1.  Being extremely cold.

2.  Being extremely hot.

Michael once said my comfortable temperature range is 77-82 degrees.  This?  Did not fall in that wide spectrum of comfort.  I wore my ensemble for approximately one hour and then removed the blazer and draped it over my purse.  Removed the scarf and draped it over my blazer.  As I was walking I saw my reflection and stopped cold.  I looked like Vivienne in Pretty Woman.  And not "Big Mistake. Big..." Vivienne.  Oh no.

Enough about that.  Saturday morning was spent in the Mission District!  We were told we must try Tartine Bakery so that was our first stop.  This place was amazing.  We had to wait in a short line but the food was completely worth it.  I haven't met a chocolate croissant I didn't love, but this guy put every other one to shame.  SHAME.  Let me make sure I also include my husband's tiny order: 2 Mexican wedding cookies, 2 shortbread cookies, and one gigantic orange roll.  They didn't even bat an eye.

Dolores Mission

Only picture of me in complete outfit.  Would not be worn in its entirety again.

 

After breakfast we toured the Mission District.   We were told it was "Hipster Central" so we knew what to expect.  Except we didn't.  This area was definitely rough around the edges.  It was a bit strange because a very nice building would be right next to something that was begging to be burned down.  And then, BAM! Tiny park in the middle of it all.

We walked by Dolores Park (large park) and took several pictures.  It was there I encountered my first rude homeless person.  As I was putting my camera back in its case I heard, "Hey take a picture of me and send it to my mom so she knows I'm not dead."  Uhhhh....

Took a break for iced coffee and tea

We ate a very late brunch at Foreign Cinema.  Very cool place.  Michael accidentally ordered an appetizer, which was enough food for a tiny kitten.  It was pretty funny.  My meal was much larger so we were able to split it.  And then I saw him.  Michael and (my friend) Kreston's love child.  It was spooky.  I spent the rest of the time trying to take pictures of this poor waiter (without him knowing) so I could send them to Kreston.  I'm not sure it was well-received by either parent but for those of you who know both, throw me a bone here.  Love child, am I right?

I ordered a coke.  This was the closest thing they had. Very cool.  (And delicious!)

'

As we left the Mission, a homeless guy walked next to me and said something in my ear.  I (obviously) jumped a bit.  As he walked past he looked back and started YELLING at me.  It was so bizarre.  People all around us turned to look at the receiver of wrath so I looked at Michael and said, "Man, that guy HATES me."  Got a few laughs from the group.  Thanks guys.

Next was one of my favorite areas in San Fran: Hayes Valley.  Loved this area.  It was quite eclectic and still had the hipster vibe of the Mission but it didn't make me nervous.   I was just happy not to have random people yelling at me.  We got some made-to-order ice cream from Smitten and people-watched for a bit.  

 

Afterward we browsed several of the boutiques in Hayes Valley before we continued walking to Haight-Ashbury.  This is one of those areas you just need to see for its history.  And then you need to leave.

At this point we headed back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner.  We'd taken the BART (subway system) a few times so we were feeling pretty confident.  When it was time to go to dinner at Blue Plate we hopped on the BART... and ended up in Oakland.  Not good.  If you're not familiar with the Bay area, grab a map.  Once we got to Oakland we immediately got on the next available BART to head back.  We were 30 minutes late and were a sweaty mess once we arrived.  Luckily, the restaurant was the size of our bathroom, had no air conditioning and an open kitchen.  There are few places in San Francisco that have air conditioning because it's (usually) so pleasant.  They set a carafe of water on our table and we went through three.  The food was absolutely delicious but it was a little tough to enjoy due to our ridiculously high body temperatures.

This was one of those days we will never forget.  Will I remember it as one of the best days of my life?  Absolutely not.  Will I laugh anytime I think of being screamed at by two homeless dudes, sweating through a gourmet dinner, all while looking like a prostitute?  Absolutely.