Family

Dylan's Senior Year

2009-11-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

I can’t believe that Dylan is a senior. Where did time go? I think I was just getting used to this whole teenager thing, and now I have an 18 year old in his last year of school! I still look at him sometimes and see that dark headed little boy who made funny faces to make me laugh, played hard and built Legos all day. I am very proud of the responsible young man he has grown to be.

We are now looking at colleges, graduation caps and gowns and had his senior pictures made. Dylan, of course, would prefer not to get his photos taken, but I thought these turned out amazing. He did the regular yearbook picture with a dress shirt, and then did these to represent more of his personality and passion for wakeboarding. He went on Lake Sammamish and the photographer, Ellen Go of Beautiful You Portraits, got some really good shots on the lake. It was cloudy that day, but the clouds look cool in the photos.

We are in for quite a year!

Summer 2009

2009-08-30T22:55:00.008-04:00

I can’t believe summer is almost over. This was a wonderful summer. The weather was beautiful in Seattle, and we had an eventful summer with great memories. Here are some highlights:

We had several milestone birthdays. In June, I celebrated my 40^th Birthday Party. We had a party with friends and neighbors and it was great fun. Dylan celebrated his 18^th birthday in July, and Madison celebrated her 10^th birthday in August. It’s hard to believe the kids are that old! School starts on Wednesday. Dylan starts his senior year. Madison has enjoyed playing all summer and riding her bike.

In June, we spent 7 days in Hawaii to celebrate my birthday and Brian’s. The weather was so beautiful and it was so relaxing. Hawaii is my favorite vacation spot. We spent a lot of time on the beach enjoying beautiful views. We spent the day at the Kualoa Ranch in Oahu. We went horseback riding, went on a catamaran, Brian and Dylan rode ATVs while Madison and I hula danced. The northern half of the ranch is Ka'a'awa Valley which has movie locations sites, and the southern half that includes Hakipu`u Valley and an island. The ranch has been the site of TV shows & movies such as Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, 50 First Dates, Hawaii 5-0, Magnum P.I. and LOST. It was a fun day!

In July, Brian and I went to three concerts.We took Madison to see American Idols Live.She loved it!The following week, Brian and I went to the Steve Miller Band Concert at Chateau St. Michelle with our friends and neighbors.That was the most fun I’ve ever had a concert, and the venue was gorgeous.We went to the Daughtry Concert, and I got to meet Chris Daughtry again!This time I got pictures!It was a great concert and was filmed live for the Jimmy Kimmel show.

In July, we made a trip to Ohio to visit family. We also made a trip to Ohio University to celebrate 40^th Birthday Bash. It was a group of us from Ohio University who lived on the East Green and North Congress Street neighbors who just turned or are soon turning 40. It was a great excuse to get together at OU to see old friends. It was so much fun to see everyone again and be in Athens. I had so many wonderful memories from that place and this event made that many more

One of my favorite things about summer is lots of fun summer gatherings at Dahlia Park. We had lots of impromptu gatherings on the patio with our neighbors and friends. We had several neighborhood functions, July 4^th celebration on Dahlia Park and a Steel Drum Band yesterday. We love our neighborhood, have great friends and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

I’m sad to see summer end. It’s been a blast.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T04:26:00.020-05:00

November was busy. I went to Costa Rica for work and it’s been super busy at work. Holidays are fast paced but fun. At home, we also hosted Thanksgiving at our house with our neighbors. We have a great neighborhood and we’ve made good friends. We feel very fortunate to be surrounded by people we enjoy. Brian enjoyed cooking and we had a great time.

December has brought snow in Seattle. Winter Break started a few days early for the kids. Everyone enjoyed playing in it, but I don’t like driving in it! It’s different than Ohio when it snows here, because people are not prepared for it.

Madison and I were snowed in, so we entertained ourselves by taking PhotoBooth pics on the iMac. Look how much Rufus is cooperating, until he discovered that Madison had on Mommy’s scented lip gloss. Then he wanted to take a taste, which made Madison go into a giggle fit! We entertained ourselves indoors!

Wishing all of our friends and family a happy holiday season! 2008 was a good year.

Fall Events: Halloween and Homecoming

2008-11-02T22:44:00.004-05:00

How is it November already? October was a very busy month for us.

Dylan went to homecoming at the beginning of the month. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo. It’s a strange feeling seeing your 17 year old drive off to pick up his date. We took plenty of photos, and he actually let me before the dance.

We had a wonderful Halloween on Friday. Madison dressed up as Wonder Woman! She loved the costume and the weather was actually warm enough to cooperate. Madison had a blast walking around with her friends. Dylan, of course, was too cool to dress up this year but he did stop for pictures with Madison. Our neighborhood had a nice trick or treating event that contributed to the festive atmosphere on Halloween night in Dahlia Park. There were carved jack-o-lanterns lit up in the park and the neighbors volunteered to serve refreshments during and after trick or treat. There was hot chocolate and hot cider as well as 'Smores station and marshmallow roasting for snacking.

Best Healthy Places to Retire: Issaquah, Washington

2008-09-18T22:11:00.007-04:00

US News & World Report rated Issaquah Highlands the Best Healthy Places to Retire. Something to look forward to in 26 years! :)

I love Hawaii

2008-09-05T20:35:00.000-04:00

We had such a good time on our vacation to Hawaii in February, that we went back to Oahu for a family vacation the week before school started the week of Labor Day. I am so happy that we did. We planned our time better this time, and let everyone have a planned day.

On my day, we went to the beach, did some shopping and went on a Catamaran Dinner Cruise with a luau. There were double rainbows that evening, and the sky and water was so beautiful.
On Brian's day, he talked us into to climbing Diamond Head. The entire hike took 1 hour and a half. We walked a mile long trail on unpaved and uneven rock, then climbed 271 steps (up then back) down a spiral staircase. Once we got to the top, it was totally worth it. the views were beautiful.
On Dylan's day, we wanted to surf, chill on the beach, and go to a restaurant called Coconut Willie's.
On Madison's day, she wanted to swim with the dolphins! She got to get in the water and kiss the dolphin. She was thrilled.
On our 5th day, we enjoyed a day of sun and watched the sunset on the beach. It was a perfect way to end a fantastic vacation.

We had such a wonderful time. I was sad to go and can't wait to go back sometime.

My girl is 9 today

2008-08-10T20:03:00.004-04:00

Today is Madison's 9th birthday. It's hard to believe my little girl is getting so big! She was excited to have her Granny and Pops visit from Ohio, as well as her Aunt Terri and cousin Chaz from Florida. Madison had a busy day when her neighborhood friends came over. I decorated out in the park only to come in to find it rained. My table cloth blew off, the party hats got wet, and I was running around the park catching the paper plates and treat bags in the wind. so, we had to make a last minute adjustment. :) She had a great day.

Idols Live Concert

2008-07-13T00:11:00.006-04:00

Madison’s been counting down the days until we went to see Idols live this year. She made a poster, and I took her to Libby Lu for her rocker hair with glitter (with hot pink microphone).

We had fun. It was a good show. My favorite was Michael Johns. He did my favorite song from the show (the Dolly Parton remix of “It’s all Wrong, but it’s all Right”). He was fantastic. I still can’t believe that he finished 8^th.

Madison loved David Archuleta! She cried because a guard wanted her to put her sign down, then Brian got her upfront to see her idol. She was thrilled.

As much as I hate to admit it, I actually liked David Cook in concert. I thought he was arrogant on the show, but he rocked in concert. He played the Foo Fighters “Hero” and it was great.

My voice is raw from screaming with Madison. She was so funny and she had a blast. I had a blast watching her.

I admit it, I'm obsessed...

2008-05-25T21:53:00.002-04:00

I found a matching Coach Tattersall coat for Rufus. I couldn't resist, and look how cute he looks! This matches the lining in my Coach Walnut Leather Bleeker bag, wallet, and key ring. I recognize I have issues.

Best Places to Live: Issaquah Highlands

2008-05-18T22:23:00.004-04:00

Issaquah Highlands was voted one of the Best Places to Live this month by Seattle Magazine.

That's cool, but we already thought so - we enjoy it here! This weekend was good. The weather was 90 degrees. We had a neighborhood cookout on the park. We really like our neighbors and it was fun having a gathering. Madison and her friend Brady caught a frog, then she and her friend Sami set up a lemonade stand. Brian grilled out. It was a nice weekend and it was good to try to relax. I'm ready for summer!

Happy Spring!

2008-04-13T17:28:00.003-04:00

This weekend was beautiful. The weather was 75-80 degrees and sunshine. I got up yesterday, exercised, walked the dog several times until he was exhausted, sat on the front porch and then our neighbors had a get together on the park in front of our house. We grilled out had drinks and had fun. It was fun. That is what I love about this neighborhood. When the weather is nice there is a big sense of community. It's very friendly and laid back.

I'm going to India tomorrow. This is my 6^th time, so it's not as exciting. The flight is long (I will be in the air for 21 hours). I'll be there for a couple of days, and return on Friday. So it's a quick trip, but long enough to mess with me. I don't enjoy spicy a lot of Indian food, and Hyderabad is a city that is known for spicy. I like Japanese (wasabi) spicy, not Indian (curry, peppery) spicy. The hotel I'm staying at does offer international cuisine, so hopefully I can stick to eating there unless my co-workers want to go out.

Here Comes the Sun

2008-03-27T18:07:00.005-04:00

Today it was so pretty in Seattle. The weather was nice and I broke out the sandals. Woo-hoo! It was a nice day. I have spring fever! I bought a cute pair of sandals today at Nordstrom.

I've been ready for warm weather since we got back from vacation. We went on vacation to Hawaii last month and loved it. We stayed on Waikiki Beach and everything was within walking distance. Shopping in Honolulu was fantastic! Madison was thrilled to hang out on the beach all day and eat snow cones. She is cheap date on vacations as long as there is water involved. :) Dylan took surf lessons on the waves on Waikiki Beach. His goal is to dominate all of the boards (skate, wake, snow, surf). He had a blast. Brian and I loved the weather and sunsets. It was so beautiful and I want to go back every year!

Tonight we are coloring eggs. Madison and Dylan are obsessed with Guitar Hero now. It's kind of funny, since Madison is surprised that I know all of the songs. Their mom is a rocker! :)

I hope all is well with everyone. Happy Easter!

I Heard You Missed US, We're Back!!!!! (Van Halen Concert!!!!!!!)

2007-12-04T18:49:00.001-05:00

We took Dylan to see Van Halen for his first concert! We loved it. They are back on tour with Dave. It was fun to see them with Dave again. I do miss Sammy and Michael Anthony. Wolfgang didn't seem to fit, but he did a nice job. Of course, nothing beats hearing the crowd chant "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!" during the Eruption Guitar solo. When he brought out the red and white Frankenstrat, the crowd went wild. You can hear me and Brian singing/screaming to every song. Dylan was amused and we had a great time.

Celebrity sighting!

2007-11-25T13:36:00.005-05:00

I got back from India on Tuesday night. After flying for 22 hours, I got on a plane from Chicago headed to Seattle. When we were in the air for an hour and a half, the pilot got on the speaker and announced that there was a hole in the right wing of the plane. Seriously. We had to turn around, go back to Chicago and land. When we got off the plane, I noticed that noticed Chris Daughtry, his wife, and some guy from his band were with him in first class. (My boss was traveling with me and we both were lucky enough to get upgraded to First Class, which was great at the end of a long flight. I was in the 4^th row, they were in front of me). When we got off the plane, they were right in front of us standing. When I was telling my boss about it (he had no idea who he was), Chris's wife heard me and smiled. They started to walk off to go to the restroom and find another plane. My boss told me to go after them and that everything has meaning, so I started chasing Chris and his friend and tapped Chris on the shoulder. I think I startled him, but he was very nice and stood and talked to me with his friend. He said his wife was upset about the flight. I think I stared at him and started babbling incoherently. :) I did congratulate him on touring with Bon Jovi in 2008. He has a thick North Carolina accent. He shook my hand and hugged me. I was very giddy. I have a poster of him in my office above my monitor on my bulletin board. :) On Monday night, he won the American Music Awards Best Album, New Artist and Adult Contemporary.

It made the delayed flight totally worth it from my perspective, but I'm sure my boss would disagree. :)

Travel, life and other things

2007-10-27T17:29:00.007-04:00

I went to Europe last week. I started out in London. I got to see more sights since I landed on the weekend. I visited Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussaud's, Dickens Museum, University of London's Regent Street, Carnaby Street (lots of shopping), Planetarium, Harrod's (the first place my favorite Crème De La Mer was sold!) Sherlock Holmes Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery. I spent most of the time in historic Royal London are, which is St. James's Palace, former official residence of Prince Charles, Kensington Palace (former home of Princess Diana). I really enjoyed London.

I stayed at the Royal Lancaster in London, near Nottingham Hill.

On Monday evening, I took a train into Milton Keynes, which is a large town in northern Buckinghamshire, about 45 miles northwest of London. We have a location at work nearby. I met up with my-coworker and went to some local shops and ate at a nice seafood restaurant called the Loch Fyne and had some wine. We had a blast! We stayed at a little bed and breakfast in Woburn.

On Tuesday, we headed back to London Heathrow airport for a trip to Ireland. When we arrived in Ireland, my luggage didn't make it with me. You know the stories about people backpacking in Europe? All I had was my passport, laptop and red MAC lipstick! I like my stuff and like to have it readily available. It never arrived the entire trip. I was so bummed. I lost 18 pounds, and everything that fit me was in that darn bag. Plus, Madison colored me a sweet book about us that I wanted!

So I had to get new stuff in Ireland, and I was bummed, because I got cool stuff at Harrod's in London. Anyway, Ireland was beautiful and we visited some cool pubs. The hotel was funky and very eclectic.

On Wednesday evening, we went to Regensburg, Germany. I enjoyed Germany more than I anticipated. I loved the atmosphere. We went to a great brew house, the shops were fun, and I visited the Cathedral that the Pope went to visit a couple of months back. It was beautiful.

On Friday, I went to Munich, Germany. It was Oktoberfest. The food was awesome. I flew back on Saturday morning and got back to Seattle on Saturday evening. My luggage didn't make it.

Dylan will take his driver's test this week. He goes to homecoming on Saturday. He was fitted for his tux today. I feel so old. He told me not to cry. I can't guarantee it.

School started and moved in!

2007-09-08T15:47:00.009-04:00

Wow! What a week! We moved into to our new home this week and the kids started school. I'm exhausted. It was fun watching it during the building process and picking out the options. We are glad to be in the house. I took this week off since school started and I'm still unpacking.

I ordered different bedding (here are pics from pottery barn):

Pottery Barn for us (our walls are taupe, so it looks awesome):

For Dylan: (Pottery Barn teen; this looks great with his brown wall)

For Madison (Pottery Barn island surf from the catalog, looks great with the blue wall and white wainscoting)

I found a cool blog about the neighborhood.

We love it! It is so cool. It's peaceful, the neighbors are awesome, and we are thrilled to be here.

School started this week. Where did the summer go? Dylan is a sophomore at Issaquah High. He's in football and has practice everyday and games on the weekends. Madison began 2^nd grade and loves her teacher.

I will pick up traveling a lot in the next few months for our holiday rush. In October, I go to London, England, Cork, Ireland, Regansburg and Munch Germany, and Hyderabad, India. I will also go to the 3 US locations and Japan and China sometime soon. It's going to be busy, busy.

Brian and Dylan are going to the Seahawks tomorrow and Madison and I are doing a girl day with manicures and pedicures.

Our new house will be ready in one month!

2007-07-30T18:19:00.002-04:00

We are so excited. It's been fun watching through the building process and being able to pick things out. Madison is excited about having her own bathroom. Dylan gets the 2nd master upstairs, which is as big as ours.

I'm sure the neighborhood thinks we are stalkers, since we drive by every day to see progress.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

2006-12-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

Seattle Sunsets

2006-08-27T01:48:00.000-04:00

We love the Seattle sunsets. There are georgeous shades of pink, teal, and blues. This one is nice, but Brian accidentally deleted the hot pink sunset from the camera. :(

Vacation Then Relocation

2006-04-22T18:40:00.000-04:00

We just returned from a 4 day Cruise in the bahamas. We had a blast. Dylan snorkeled and Madison played. It was really relaxing and fun.

This our last family vacation before we move to Seattle next month. It's going to be a big move, but we are looking forward to it. We look at houses next week.

Introducing Rufus!

2006-01-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Rufus joined our family on Sunday. He is 3 pounds of pure puppy energy and so sweet. Who can resist that adorable face?

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-26T17:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas was great. We spent time with my family on Christmas Eve. The kids had a great time.

Brian got me this beautiful limited edition Holiday 2005 Patchwork Coach duffle bag. It is so pretty. The patchwork has patches of the other limited editions like the suede satchel and 2005 ocelot. This photo doesn't do it justice.

Puppy love

2005-12-18T23:15:00.001-05:00

I swore I wouldn't do it, but look at those faces. We are getting a puppy in January. We drove 3 hours today to meet the parents and his two sisters. He's a minature piebald dacshund. Isn't he beautiful? He was born on Thanksgiving, and we will bring him home in 5 weeks. Rufus is the name she likes now.

I think he melted our hearts.

Updates: Seattle, Kindergarten and India

2005-12-10T12:45:00.001-05:00

My Seattle assignment ended in September. I really enjoyed being in Seattle. My husband and kids did, too. There was so much to do and see.

I miss Puget Sound, Nordstrom, Pacific Place, Pike Place Market, and Pioneer Square. It's good to be with my family in my house again for more than a couple days.

Dylan is growing up so fast. I can't believe he is 14 now.

Madison started Kindergarten this year. She loves it! It's so much fun to see her learn everyday. She is complete extrovert, so she really enjoys it. She lost her first tooth a few months ago, and two more after.

In November, I went to India. There is so much to see. It was an awesome experience. We saw the Charminar, which is the principle landmark of Hyderabad (four towers). It’s a massive arch built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591 to commemorate the end of a devastating epidemic of the plague. There is a small mosque on the second floor, which is the oldest in Hyderabad. In the south-east corner is a small Hindu shrine honoring Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. The arch is illuminated each night and beautiful. It was quite a hike but the view was well worth it.

Food - Getting used to Indian food was a challenge for me since I am a spicy wimp. Anyone who knows me well regarding my food habits will tell you:
1) I’m a creature of habit (I am predictable and eat and drink the same things. I order the same things at restaurants out of habit. I am the complete opposite of my husband, who loves everything and wants to try it all).
2) I can’t do hot spicy. (The only think I like with a major kick to it is wasabi with my sushi).

Shopping - I love the gorgeous materials and saris. Clothing is so gorgeous. There were so many gorgeous materials to choose. We looked at the Indian wedding gowns.

I bought Madison two Indian Barbies, and one is a bride. She loved them.

Sky City at the Space Needle

2005-04-17T15:17:00.000-04:00

I love this place! The atmosphere was worth it. That was probably the most fun we have had at a restaurant. The meal was delicious, and we loved the orbiter dessert with dry ice. The view is so beautiful. We had a blast.

I am addicted to Sushi

2005-04-17T02:06:00.000-04:00

There are so many great sushi restaurants in Seattle. Since sushi is high sodium, I'm being good, but I'd probably kill someone for a California roll with wasabi right now.

Shopping anyone?

2005-04-17T01:53:00.000-04:00

I am in serious need to go shopping. I went to the Coach store today and would have spent a million dollars if I had it on spring stuff. Since spring is approaching, I wanted to check out the new stuff. I tried on an awesomely overpriced walking coat that was trimmed in turquoise and lined in with spring dots on the inside, I also tried on several handbags. The coach store is so addictive, I love it. Didn't buy a thing, since I wanted it all.

I took Samantha with me. Samantha is my Coach Ocelot bag that I got for Christmas (what an awesome gift). She is so special to me, that she was worthy of a name. :)

I went to Nordstrom, which is my personal Xanadu. I love that place. They have the best customer service.