Baby G

Baby G will be joining the family in just a few short months, and there were 6 of us that got together to throw a shower to honor Megan. I have to say that I am thrilled with how it all turned out. I channeled my inner Andrea to make it all beautiful, and Megan was thrilled. Megan got a lot of great stuff-so many of her friends have baby's that are ages 3 and under so they all know what works and what doesn't!

Here are the 6 of us who puts our heads together to make it happen!
With 6 ladies working together, there is bound to be some drama-our drama revolved around the cupcakes. In the end it all worked out, and we met halfway with our opinions on what they should and should not be.
These baskets are a little find from TJ Max that I went a little crazy on with the "sunshine yellow" high gloss enamel spray paint. Yes they are a little bright, but I'm happy with how they turned out.

Anyone from Nevada County will know what those grey branches are...Manzanita branches! All the Texas girls thought they were expensive accessories, and when they found out it is like a "weed" in CA they were shocked.
One of the girls made these adorable cards which were a hoot to read back to everyone once they were completed.
This little signage (and the cupcake decor) was made my Megan's best friends mom in Grass Valley. It was awesome that she sent it!

The mom to be and her mother in law! Megan is doing great and is plugging along in her pregnancy like a champ. I never hear her complain about a thing. Baby G now has a fully stocked nursery, and we can't wait for the big day to arrive! I CAN'T WAIT!

Year 8

1. Paper

2. Cotton

3. Leather

4. Silk

5. Wood

6. Iron

7. Wool

8. Bronze

So today Rob & I are celebrating our 8th Wedding Anniversary! When I looked up what 8 years of marriage symbolizes in terms of "traditional" gift giving according to Wikipedia, I was a bit disappointed when I found out it was bronze. I was hoping for something a bit more sparkly. According to Wikipedia, I have to wait another 22 years for that!

All joking aside, this past year has been one of huge change and huge relief for us both. We headed into year 8 with a lot of stress and the fear of the unknown, and as always God has provided for us. I feel that we have hit a good "stride" in our marriage. We are laughing harder than we ever had, and we are feeling settled in Fort Worth. Up until this house, we have moved at least every 2 years, and I am thrilled that we now have lived here for 3. I love the home we have been blessed with and our life we have here.

I am so thankful for Rob and for the beautiful son we are raising together. I am blessed!

FYI: Watch out for year number 24! You are supposed to give musical instruments to each other. I laughed out loud when I saw that one. I decided that if Rob were a musical instrument he would be a trumpet. A trumpet can be rascally and funny when played for fun, but it can quiet a room and make people listen when played with purpose. Rob just informed me that I am his "French Horn." He said that it is a powerful instrument that provides the harmony to a song. He also said that it is an instrument that often has to harness its' power during the song, but it can belt it out during the crescendo when needed. I like the instrument he chose for me-it made me smile when I heard his description of why he chose it.

So cheers to the two horns making music together! He can be my melody, and I will be his harmony!

Catching Up

So it seems it has been a while since I have blogged. I did not post on the A Team SD trip or Easter. I can honestly say that no blog will do the SD trip justice. I am not the best person with words, so I will leave it at this. I loved every second of my time away with my two best friends. I am so thankful for them and love them more than they will ever know!

I will just skip Easter, because well...I only have a couple of minutes to get this one done! Last weekend Rob & I got away to Santa Barbara with my sister in law and her husband. I hold SB up on this pedestal after spending 4 of the best years on my life there, and I was a little nervous to go back and revisit it. Would it live up to what I have built it up to be in my mind? The answer is yes. SB is a little piece of heaven that God put here on earth for us to enjoy, and enjoy it we did!

We started our trip with a stop at the Reagan Presidential Library. I had no idea how much I would love this little museum! Reagan is my favorite president, and my-oh-my the museum did not disappoint. Next time you all are down in SoCal, PLEASE make a stop at this amazing place in Calabasas.

The picture below is an exact replica (dimensions and all) of the oval office and the decor when Reagan was in it.

Rob & I are geeking out on the statue of him. We were both giddy as we were walking in.
Here I am in front of the teleprompter practicing my public speaking. Recognize the famous faces in the background? (George H. Bush, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, and Jimmy Carter)

Here is an actual retired Air Force One in a 90,000 sq. foot room. We actually got to go in it. VERY COOL!

Yes...I paid $15 for a dorky picture of us entering Air Force One.

My sister in law happens to have an awesome job where she gets amazing rates at amazing hotels. We were fortunate enough to stay at the Fess Parker on Cabrillo. Below is a view from our room. Thank you Megan!

State street has changed drastically. Some good and some bad...this was the once place that you could see the slow economy's effect on the city.

The mission was perfect. There was a darling tea party for a little girls 4th birthday going on to the right in the rose garden. What a fantastic place to be raised?!?

The group was kind enough to take a detour to Westmont. Westmont is one of my happy places. I will always view Westmont as a place I was able to start to develop into the person I am now before real life hit me. It was such a safe and happy place for me, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to attend. I am still paying on my student loans, but it was worth every penny.

Drinking my coffee with my bag of goodies from the bookstore in hand while I am standing in front of the new buildings with the channel islands and the ocean in the background. I could not smile big enough!

The chapel was almost lost in the fire that roared through there last year. Everything around there was lost, but not the chapel. The trees in the front of the picture are completely charred.
Tacos anyone?
We took our taco dinners up to the hill at SBCC and enjoyed our final evening. I love SB!
Side note: We had multiple star sighting.

1. Marsha Cross

2. Eric Ripert (world famous chef who makes guest judge appearances on Top Chef)

3. Andrew Firestone with his wife and baby who was only weeks old

4. Robin Thicke

5. Merideth Baxter (the mom from Family Ties)

6. Last but not least...Steven Tyler at the LAX airport. He did not disappoint. He had sashes tied to his man bag-who am I kidding? He had sashes tied to the purse he was carrying! It was awesome!