Yikes!

I have no excuses for not blogging for the past few months...well, maybe just one...after staring at dual monitors all day at work, the last thing I want to do when I get home is play on my computer and I can't do any posting from work.

So, without further delay, here is the big ol' update:

The remainder of the summer consisted of:

Visiting Crater Lake with our friends.


We hiked down the trail and the boys took a swim and the girls stuck their feet in.


A visit from our friends, Erik and Allison and their 4 beautiful children.

Watching the Olymipics. I heart my DVR.

Our 4 year wedding anniversary.

Visiting my family for Labor Day Weekend.

A visit to Erik and Allison's at the end of September. Reunificaiton with my friend, Faith. Playing at a park in Newberg with Allison's kids and Aj's kids.

The UCLA vs. Oregon game.

An impromptu trip to the valley to participate in cider making! That was a great trip, there was lots of reunification with college friends and their spouses. It was nice to interact with my friends and thier kids, rather than watching the little ones grow up over their mama's blogs.

I think I'm now officially ready for fall. I've been drinking cider, making baked goods with apples, and buring my Pumpkin Spice candle.

Floating

Sunday afternoon was so nice that we decided to float part of the Deschutes near Sunriver. Seven of us packed up and headed out. The girls pumped up the rafts while the boys shuttled the cars to the take out point. There is a nice current going, so you don't have to paddle if you don't want to, and the river is still high and cold. There are no rapids to speak of where we were, but the float was nice and relaxing. Some of us are a nice shade of lobster, even though we bathed in sunscreen.

A side note: Curt's mom recently had a bone tumor removed and we just found out it is NOT cancerous! Praise the Lord!

Poor Maverick!

Last week I noticed a boo-boo on our cat, Maverick’s arm. He’d been licking away and was creating a nice bald spot. I thought it might be ring worm (although, he is an indoor cat, so I’m thinking one of the dogs must have brought it in…I’ve been washing everything!), so I made an appt with the vet for Saturday morning. She took a look at it under the special blacklight and figured it is a mild case, so we were given some antibiotics to give him and this lovely accessory:



Poor guy has to wear the collar because he won’t stop licking it. He is constantly running into the walls and just looks so pathetic. If you sneak up on him and call his name he gets all confused because he can’t see you. I’ve been giving him extra treats because he just looks so sad.

Man, I’m tired!

Where do I begin, I guess where I left off, eh?

I completely forgot to mention our celebrity sighting while we were at Belknap. Saturday night, we went to the Holiday Farm Resort for dinner. This restaurant/resort, as well as the local General Store, another restaurant, and an Inn are all owned in part by Kail Harbick, who just so happened to be on Big Brother 8 last summer. The bar tender/office manager called her to come over and meet us. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, which I seem to be doing a lot lately!

The weekend of June 21 and 22 we spent in Grants Pass at a cousin’s reunion. Many of my mom’s 18 cousins on her dad’s side got together. I think there were 10 or 11 of the 18, which is pretty good! Saturday morning Curtis and my dad went to a classic car show at my parent’s church while mom and I headed over to cousin Jill’s house on the river. My mom is #3 of 4 kids and we were only missing one of my 8 cousins. We now have standing invites to visit Marsha in Kauai, and my cousin Emily and her boyfriend Steve in NYC! Our camera and my parent’s camera failed to make appearances at the reunion, but I’m trying to get some from my aunt and cousins.
My great aunt Nita is the only one left of her 4 siblings and spouses, so it was a great treat to visit with her. I’d forgotten how much she likes to talk! I haven’t seen her in years, probably since high school or college. When we used to take trips to Southern California, we’d always stop by aunt Nita’s and uncle Charles’ place in Oceanside. Nita’s son, Neil has been working on our family tree. He’s discovered that we have an ancestor that was one of the minutemen during the Revolutionary War. Then, when it came time for the states to ratify the Constitution, he voted “no” because he thought it gave the government too much power. But, it was approved on Feb. 6, 1788 and Massachusetts became the 6th state. This stuff is so fascinating. I think he’s gone back about as far at the 1300s.
Good times were had by all and there was even a pig roast (I may never eat pork again after seeing the little piggy on a spit with his little hooves tucked up under his chin-y chin chin.)

Fourth of July: My parents came to town and we had a blast. Thursday night we took them to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Friday we went to town and watched the La Pine parade, then everyone came over to our house for a BBQ (Curtis is perfecting his Tri-Tip, so yummy!). One of Curt’s co-worker’s dad has box seats for the Bend Elks (a collegiate summer team), so we went to the game and then they let us out on the field so we could watch the fireworks from Pilot Butte.
Friday we got up early to go rafting, just a quick trip through some great rapids – the trip is called the Big Eddy Thriller. I can’t believe we’ve lived here 3 years and this is the first time we’ve gone rafting. I’ve discovered a couple other places to float, and we have plans to do that soon. After rafting, we took a much needed rest and then met up with Curt’s parents and headed for the Crooked River Dinner Train. It was enjoyable, and we saw lots of nice scenery.
Sunday we went to church and then met up with Curt’s parents and headed into Bend to eat at Pilot Butte Drive-In. My dad had wanted to go there all weekend, so we made a special trip into Bend just for him. On the way home, we stopped by Lava Butte and did a quick “hike” to Benham Falls. I use the term hike loosely as it is pretty much just a walk down a dirt path. When we were coming back, we met several Sherriffs and Forest Service personnel. I figured something was up, and unfortunately, I was right: a local ER Doc drowned in the falls.

I think that just about catches you up on the latest Bauman adventures. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but there is lots of linky love. :)

Belknap Hot Springs

Last year, Curtis and I spent the weekend at Belknap Hot Springs for our 4th anniversary. We loved it and had a blast. My parents surprised us at Christmas and gave us a gift certificate to go back, so we decided last minute to spend the weekend of my birthday there (my 29th birthday was on June 7th). Last year, we hiked up to the Blue Pool (as suggested by the firendly Forest Service man). We didn't make it up there this year, but a couple we met hiked up there and emailed us some pictures.

A little history: EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) diverted the McKenzie River about 6 miles above the Blue Pool for electricity for Eugene/Springfield. At the Blue Poole, the McKenzie popped up out of the ground and started running down it's old riverbed. Last year this is what the Blue Pool looked like:


Looking directly at where the waterfall should be.


Where people would come out after hiking OVER the waterfall.


The view from the top of the waterfall.

This year, we've had such a wet/snowy winter, this is what it looks like:





We had a very nice time, just relaxing. It rained part of the time, so we watched PS I Love You - I haven't cried that much during a movie since watching The Notebook.

May Recap

The first weekend of May, Curtis and I ventured over the mountains to Newberg/Dundee/Lafayette to visit two of my college roommates. The visit was a long time in coming, it was in celebration of one roommate’s insignificant, non-milestone birthday that was in January. Yes, it really did take us 3 and a half months to get together and we were literally in town for 23 hours. The girls ate at our favorite lunch spot, Rice Bowl in Tigard, and spent some quality time at Boarders in Bridgeport Village. The boys were in charge of watching the children and BBQ-ing. It was so nice to visit, I miss them lots!

Mother’s Day Weekend: Curtis and I hosted Mother’s Day at our home. Guests included Curt’s parents, Don and Martha; Curt’s cousins, Rick and Linda and their son, Ricky; friends Irv and Pat. The menu consisted of tri-tip, salmon, roasted veggies, salad, and pasta salad. We had to tear the boys away from the TV (obviously there was some sporting event on, basketball, maybe?).

We spent the next weekend fretting over the lawn…in 90+ degree heat. (Woo Hoo! for the warm weather – FINALLY). It isn’t coming back as quickly as someone would like...I think it is because we had a pretty harsh winter and this was the first winter that the grass had been planted, but that won’t stop him from obsessing over it. It’s looking a lot better now, but there are some patches that will have to be re-seeded. Thankfully, all our plants and trees have recovered and are blooming nicely.

On Friday before Memorial Day Weekend, we woke up to SNOW. GRRRR. Maybe I’ll never get used to the unpredictable weather here….anyway, after work, we packed up the dogs and headed for my parent’s home for the weekend.


Saturday morning we hung out for a while and then visited my grandma in her new home (she broke her hip a few months ago and her recovery hasn’t been that great, so she’s in a foster care home now, but she LOVES it). We drove through my brother’s work (Dutch Bros.) and made plans to see the new Indian Jones movie that night. For lunch, I got my second taste of Sonic (one just opened in Bend a couple weeks ago). We met up with my brother and his girlfriend, Carleigh for the movie. After, my dad had a hankering for Strawberry Pie from Sheri’s, so we went there for some dessert.

My dad took Sunday off from preaching and got a real taste of retirement will be like. He drank coffee and read the Sunday paper Sunday morning before church and kept saying, “Isn’t this nice?!” Sunday afternoon we went up to my aunt and uncle’s home for a BBQ. My cousins were in town from Tacoma and Portland, so it was great to see them and see how big their girls are getting.

Monday we visited Grandma one more time and headed to the river to watch the boat races. We took the dogs down to the river, too. They barked at all the other dogs and adults that walked past, but just wagged their tales at all the kids, wanting them to play. Overall, the weekend was lots of fun, but it went by way too quickly.

On Friday, May 30, the day before my 3 year anniversary at work (wow, that means we’ve been living here for 3 years), I received a promotion to Escrow Officer!

I leave you with this:

A Bad Day

Somedays my heart echos this author's thoughts.

Shout Out Time

Welcome to the world, little E!

Happy belated birthday to my hubby - he turned 32 on April 7. We BBQ'd in the snow!


Happy belated birthday to my grandma - she turned 87 on April 9!


We had friends over on Saturday before Curt's birthday....we had leftovers, so we invited our neighbors/friends across the street, and some neighbors/friends down the street over this last Saturday to finish up the food. This time, it was warm enough to pull out the patio furniture and eat outside. Somehow the mosquitos found us. I didn't think we'd been thawed out enough for mosquitos to have hatched yet, but I have several bites to prove it!

Bring on Spring!

Happy Easter!

We spent last weekend at my parent's home celebrating Easter and my mom's birthday (March 25). It was a fast weekend, but, as always, nice to get out of snow land for a little bit. Mom and I shopped on Saturday while Dad and Curtis planted roses (hee hee). We watched "I Am Legend" on Saturday night and dyed Easter eggs and made a carrot cake. We had dinner at the parent's house on Sunday with my aunt and uncle, cousin, and brother after church.

It's been snowing off and on for the past couple days...the Spring Breakers in Sunriver are loving it - as long as they ski or snowboard.

Two weekends ago, we got together with some neighbors down the street for an impromptu BBQ. The boys decided we needed a bonfire since it was pretty chilly (I was wearing several layers and a heavy winter coat). What is it with boys and fire? There was no couch burning this year, but this BBQ was with different neighbors. I love that we have friends so close!

Jesse and Chester have now been part of our family for a year! We adoped them on March 24, 2007. Weren't they cute when they were babies?!

It's All a Matter of Perspective

I mentioned that I went to a girls night this last weekend. While I had lots of fun, I did have a very enlightening conversation with one of my friends/co-workers. She and her hubby are trying to get pregnant and have been for a couple years. We were talking about all the stuff they're trying and how frustrating it all is. See, there isn't any medical reason she and her hubby can't get pregnant, they just simply aren't. She's given up her daily coffee, alcohol and made lots of other lifestyle changes. She's been poked and prodded and examined. He's been checked, too. We were talking about my PCOS and how I'm just not in a place, mentally, to subject myself to all this stuff that I know will come up when Curtis and I decide to start a family.

For the last 6 months or so, I've been in a funk....I think the reality of my condition finally was settling in. I look around me and see babies EVERYWHERE. I had a conversation with a very close friend last fall about my condition and the frustrations of wanting desperately to have a baby, but not being able to. She had suffered a miscarriage prior to having her two beautiful girls and she said something to me that really hit home. She said that even though she had suffered the extreme loss of a child, at least she had hope that she could get pregnant again. I don't even have that small hope. After my conversation this weekend with my friend, I realized how self-centered I've been. At least I have a medical reason I can't get pregnant, she has no reason she can't and it's devastating. So, thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes to my selfishness.

Catch Up Time

Let's see, what have we been up to the past 6 weeks or so?

Feb 9 we headed over to Milwaukie for a funeral for a friend/co-worker of Curtis'. As we started down the west side of Santiam Pass, a smallish avalanche happened right before our eyes! 12 feet deep and it blocked the entire road. We were stuck for about an hour and a half.

Feb 14 - we used my boss's reservations at Pine Tavern in Bend for dinner (he had to help his son study for a big test the next day.) We splurged and got Mud Pie for desert - yum!

Feb 16 was "seriously, we need to clean this house" day because it was my turn to host Bunco on Thursday, Feb 21.

Feb 21 - hosted Bunco!

Feb 22-24: took a quick trip to Portland to visit with friends. We were there for a surprise 30th birthday party for a friend's hubby....we tried to see as many people as we could because we don't often make it over to Portland. It felt like all we did was eat! I quenched my thirst for Chevy's margaritas (it was way too late to have fajitas, so a taco was second best). Thank you to everyone who agreed to meet up with us at the last minute - we had a blast visiting with all of you!

March 1 - Curtis dragged me to the Sportsman Show at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.....let's just say, um, NEVER AGAIN. So boring. Why do I want to pay good money to look at a bunch of stuff that doesn't interest me and that I could see for FREE at the places where the stuff is sold? Plus, they sell beer there, so you have a bunch of rednecks walking around drinking and looking at guns and other "sportsman" stuff.

March 8 - I went to a "girls night" at Eagle Crest with a bunch of my female co-workers. Ah, good times: booze and highly stressed out women. It was lots of fun, we played rounds and rounds of Catch Phrase (I was told many times, "You're SO good at this!) and even a game of Pictionary. I think things finally quieted down around 4am (that's taking into consideration that we lost an hour in there). I can't remember the last time I was up that late, but it was a much needed girl time.

I can hardly believe it's March already - we've been enjoying the fabulous weather we've been having. Don't worry, we still have plenty of snow in our yard - mostly because we had the snow pushed off our roof. Here are the piles that will probably be there until June:

So. Much. Snow.

Ok, ok, I know what you're thinking: "Great, another post of complaining about the snow!" But seriously, there is So. Much. Snow. 2 weeks ago we got just over a foot:




Then we had freezing temps (try MINUS 18 with a high of 12). It hurts to breathe when you go outside. Needless to say, the dogs couldn't stay in their kennel last week, so we left them in the house. My dear mother in law came over to let them out for a potty break once a day. They were so naughty. Let's just say it's a good thing the temps are back up and they can go back outside in their (sheltered) kennel.

It's been snowing pretty much all week, so now we have at least a foot on top of another foot, which is now ice on our roof. How much snow can these "snow-load" roofs hold? I don't think I want to find out.


I actually do like the snow - it's very pretty....until I have to go outside in it. Driving around here is terrible/horibble/no good/very bad. I know there is pavement under all that snow and ice...I used to be able to see it. Deschutes County - not so much with the plowing - I think they went over budget the week before Christmas. All this snow is giving me cabin fever, even though I leave my house every day. It just seems like the roads are getting narrower and narrower and the snow banks keep getting higher and higher. The poor dogs can hardly pee cuz the snow is as deep as they are tall. They're not very bright dogs - they haven't yet figured out if they go to where some trees are, the snow isn't as deep. But boy howdy, do they love to romp and play in it. It's kind of a wrestling/boxing free for all. Pretty hilarious.


Last weekend we went out with some friends. First stop, a charity event at the St. Francis McMenamins, then off to the Roadhouse for dinner. Finally, a stop by Sun Mountain Fun center for some bowling. It was the first time their kids had ever bowled (they are 6 and 3.5). I know you're wondering who won, don't worry - I won. I even beat Curtis who has his own bowling ball and used to bowl on a team! I'm not competitive at all :)

We're back in the land o' snow. First, I should go back to where I left off: Tuesday, one week before Christmas:
The snow that had been falling since Sunday melted. When I left for work Wednesday morning, it started snowing again....it snowed ALL DAY LONG - in fact, it snowed for about 24 hours straight. When I got home from work, I decided that I should probably do some snow removing so I could actually get out of the house. So, I shoveled the walk way and contemplated getting on our quad and trying to plow the driveway (Curtis was not due to be home until Thursday night and I was afraid I'd be snowed in or out of the house by then). So, I found the key and started her up. I've watched Curtis do this before so I figured I could do it. Bless our dear neighbor, Jason, who clued me in to the fact that I kept getting stuck because I wasn't in All-Wheel Drive, just 2 wheel drive. They also have a quad with a blade on front, so we gave it our best attempt at plowing (needless to say, Jason is much better than I am). His wife, Heidie, asked if I would be fighting Curtis for who gets to do the plowing from now on. Yeah, right, like I'm going to fight him to do that. I did have fun, but I was cold and wet by the time we finished.

We left for my parents' home on Saturday morning, got to town about noon, fueled up and mom and I went shopping. We did so much baking and shopping! It was great! The 5 days went by way to fast, but it is always wonderful to be home for Christmas. We woke up on the 26th to snow! Now, snow doesn't happen very often on "the other side" of the mountains, and even less in southern Oregon, and even less at Christmas (if it showes up at all, it's usually in Jan or Feb). So, we met up with Curt's parents for breakfast and headed out of town by about 10am. By that time, the snow was melting. It seems like it's been snowing ever since we got home - little bits here and there, but enough to keep Curtis busy on the quad! We probably have a foot and a half. Speaking of snow - it's snowing right now!

We got to spend lots of time with family - my brother and his girlfriend - Karleigh; cousins - David and Craig; Aunt Janet and (briefly cuz he's sick), Uncle Randy. My grandma also joined us (she's the only grandparent Curtis and I have between the two of us). For the third year in a row, we fondued on Christmas Eve, after church. It's a lot of work, but lots of fun.

I took the rest of the week off and have been trying to get things cleaned up and put away. I couldn't stand to put all of the Christmas stuff away, so a few things are still out - snowmen stuff mostly, but I figure they'll fit in for a few more months. The cats are very glad we're home and the dogs are happy to be back to a place where they can frolick in the snow. Seriously, they love it.

Snow

It's finally arrived. Sure, we've had a few days of snow here and there (like when that huge storm pummled the coast a couple weeks ago). But it's been snowing since Sunday night. We had about 4 inches until today when it suddenly got warm (and by warm I mean 37) and melted. I let the dogs out last night (cuz they go crazy when it snows):


I haven't been much in the Christmas spirit this year, but we do have lights on the house, a tree up, and my snowmen decor out (thanks to my wonderful hubby who'll do anything to cheer me up).



Speaking of the hubby, he's gone this week - in Grants Pass for work. He'll get back on Thursday and then we'll turn around and go back to Grants Pass on Saturday for Christmas.

Curtis and I did all our Christmas shopping in 6 hours on Saturday. Let me just say, there was extensive planning and a very detailed list. I had to be reminded several times to "stick to the list." It helps that we don't have lots of people to shop for.

Well, Christmas looks like it threw up in my living room, so I'm going to sign off and attempt to finish wrapping presents. Maybe putting in my favorite Christmas movie (Love Actually) will help inspire me to finish up.

Merry Christmas!

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

Happy December!

So, what's been going on for the last 6 weeks you ask?

We went to the beach (decided at the last minute not to take the doggies - maybe next time)




watched the Ducks beat ASU
Mom and my brother, Jeff:

my mom's brother, Bruce (joined us from Salem) and my dad

Curtis and me:


Hosted Thanksgiving at our home for 12 people (we used our china for the first time since it's spent much of the last 3 years in boxes). It was so nice to have a house full of family and friends.


Made fudge with my grandma while she was here with my parents for Thanksgiving. This was a special time for us since we always make a batch of fudge together at Christmas.



Now, the Christmas lights are up. We have a tree with lights on it and maybe one of these days we'll get motivated to put ornaments on it.

Here are some other random pictures:
What our yard looked like 2 days ago:


What it looks like now because the snow level went up to 8,000 feet:


Chester aka Mr. Hopeful:


Curtis playing with Jesse, who has his KONG toy in his mouth - he LOVES it:

Who Knew You'd Need WMD's to Carve a Pumpkin!

On Sunday afternoon Curtis and I set off with some friends to the Central Oregon Pumpkin Co. for an afternoon of fun! There is a corn maize, lots of yummy, sugary (ie off limits for Shara, but I did manage to find a fresh squeezed lemonade stand that made my lemonade with Splenda) treats, hay rides, pony rides, a pumpkin shooter, and, of course, the pumpkin patch. Here is Curtis and me after going through the pirate themed corn maize.


We got back pretty late, after what was supposed to be a quick stop at the new Super Walmart in Redmond, but ended up taking almost 2 hours! So, tonight we decided to carve our pumpkin.


Mr. Pumpkin has pretty thick skin, so Curtis gave up using a knife and pumpkin carver and broke out the recriprocating saw (I love my hubby - there is a power tool for everything in life and YES, I knew the name of the saw and didn't have to ask).


There was one casuality:


Pumpkin with the WMDs:


We're not very good carvers, but hey, you try carving through 6 inches of pumpkin! Here he is, all lit up with a Pumpkin Spice candle:

Storm's a Comin'

It seems like it was just yesterday that it was a lovely 70+ degrees outside and then, *POOF* in rolled the cold. Wait, it might have been last week that it was nearly 70 at the beginning of the week and then it snowed on Thursday (don't worry - God and I have a deal, the snow won't stick until Thanksgiving). The snow had melted by lunch, but it was still pretty. I'm posting this fact that the snow was pretty to me so in January, when I'm complaining and sick of the snow, I can look back and remember I liked the snow (at one point).

We had some fun tonight - a storm is rolling in and one of our trees decided to fall over. And land on our neighbor's garage. He wasn't mad (he just rents) and no damage was done because another tree softened our tree's fall. Ah, the joys of being a homeowner. Curtis has vowed to take out all the "stupid pine trees," which is what I've been saying since we bought our lot. But, I won't say "I told you so" because that's not nice. It is pretty tempting, though.

We've actually had a few storms roll through over the past week or so. Somehow, the storm clouds are comforting - I love the rain. Now, I don't love months and months of clouds with no break in sight and dreary winters. That's one thing I like about living over here - the sun comes out in the winter! Now, it is seriously cold, but hey, it's nice to see the sun come out in the winter.

Enough about the weather, from the way this blog is going, you'd think we live a pretty boring life. Well, we do have a pretty boring life, but sometimes that's a good thing.

The last weekend in September, my friend of 21 years, Brianne, her hubby, Tony and their 2 beautiful little girls, Camille (22 months) and Madilyn (6 weeks) came for a visit! We couldn't do much outside stuff because of all the rain, but we had lots of time to visit and play games. We did manage to drag the boys around Bend for a little shopping (the Carter's at the Bend Factory Stores was having a nifty sale - couldn't resist buying a couple things for the girls). Bre and I stayed up way too late on Sunday night just catching up on stuff (I think my head hit the pillow just before 1am). It was so nice to have them visit! I can't wait until the next time they come!

Last Friday I got to attend a 30th birthday party for my friend Hannah in Redmond. Her wonderful hubby, Ben, prepared a delightful selection of appetizers and played bartender. I know he was hoping we would do "girl talk," but how can that happen when there is a MAN in the room? We had a great time chatting and I met a few new people. I met Hannah through my friend Aj in college, so we got to tell funny Fox stories. I don't think everyone got them, but they were sure funny to Hannah and me!

While I'm thinking about it: most of the people who read my blog already know this, but I just wanted to put this out there. Please keep my friend Amy and her family in your prayers. Last Monday, October 1, Amy's dad died of a heart attack. My heart grieves for them and I think of them and pray for them often. I just can't seem to think of words that would accurately describe my feelings right now, so all I know to do is pray.

Well, the puppies won't leave me alone, so I guess it's time to take them outside for a potty break and then it's off to bed! And now the cat, Maverick, is trying to tell me it's time for bed.

TTFN

Status Update

Is it really already the end of September? It is just me, or does time seem to slip by faster the older I get? It seems like we haven't been up to much, but yet there is always something going on.
On the 8th I did a quick one day trip to Beaverton for a shower for Grace and Hannah. It was so much fun to get to visit will college roommates and see other Fox-ians (some I'm sure I haven't seen since I graduated!).
My dear friend, Allison, made a quick one day trip over here on the 15th, so we had lunch and I showed her our home and we visited for a while before she had to return to her family.
Last weekend was the first weekend since July that we either weren't out of town, or didn't have guests in town. It was so nice just to have a weekend around home. I did a little shopping and (at one store) actually saved more money than I spent! That's so gratifying...I love a good sale. Plus, I'm now wearing 2, almost 3 sizes smaller than I was in April. Since I was diagnosed with PCOS, I'm supposed to be very careful about what I'm eating...my body doesn't process sugar correctly. No (real) sugar for Shara...just lots of fresh veggies, lean protein, some fruits, and whole grains (mostly organic), ooh and vitamins.
This week I've been trying some new recipies: Parmsean Tilapia (so yummy), Pork Loin w/ Orange Sauce, Cheese crusted chicken. I'm not much of a seafood fan, but I'm going to try a Chipolte Shrimp recipe since Curtis loves seafood and I like spicy food.
This weekend, my friend since 2nd grade (yes, we've been friends for 21 years, in fact, we met and became friends amost exactly 21 years ago - I think it was some time in October), her husband and their 2 daughters are coming for a visit! I'm so excited for them to get here! We don't get to see each other often enough, but when we're together, it's like we've never been apart. I've found I have a few friends like this, and they are such a blessing in my life. Sometimes life happens and we don't speak for a month or so, but when we do get to talk, it's so great that we just pick up where we left off. I probably don't tell them often enough that their friendships mean so much to me, so thank you, Aj, Alli, and Bre for putting up with me for this long. I love you all dearly and I hope that I can be as much of a blessing to you all as you have been to me.
One last note, I'm pretty sure my doggies are certifiable. They bark at nothing, fight over chew bones (they can only chew on one at a time, even though I give them each their own bone, they fight over one), think the living room is thier personal wrestling ring, lick their food, and make strange noises like Chewie from Star Wars.

These are the Cliff Notes of my life...

Visited family in Southern Oregon over Labor Day weekend: visited with cousins, played with babies, confiscated keys from intoxicated cousin, was told by neighbor's mother at parent's church that we have the best lawn on the block, bbq, grower's market, picked blackberries in creek for fresh blackberry cobbler.

Back to work! Short week, yeah! Too much to do in short week, boo! Tried to recover from long weekend and do laundry and clean house.

Got up early Saturday morning, headed to Portland for celebration of birth. Visited Washington Square Mall, it's been far too long since visiting a "real" mall (note to self, visit real malls more often). Visited with college friends, ate Thanksgiving dinner, but food was "finger" food, catered by one of the hostess' hubby. Yum-o! Drove home.

Cleaned house on Sunday. Haven't been home or without guests on weekends since JULY.

Back to work, sigh. No more long weekends until Thanksgiving!

Nighty night!