Tuesday, November 25, 2008

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I absolutely love this time of year. I love the hot chocolate, hot cider, hot tea. I love the baked goods, I love the candles, I love the movies and tv, I love the oranges, pears, and apples, I love the meals, I love the family time, I love the cold, crisp air, I love the shopping, I love the crowds (as long as I don't have to be in them for long), I love that at my work winter is our slow season so work really calms down, I love the music, I love the parties, I love the concerts, I love the plays, I love the nativity scenes, I love going out to look at the beautifully light up houses. I love the smell of Christmas Trees, I love cutting down our Christmas tree and putting it up, I love decorating the house and tree with my husband, I love how much my husband LOVES Christmas lights, I love the coziness of being at home, cuddled up on the couch enjoying the fire. I love it! And it's here! Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I am so happy that my mom is hosting the dinner this year. Last year Trav and I took on the task, and it was a big one! I'm sure I'll want to do it again someday, but not this year! This year I think being able to drink and relax while HELPING someone else host sounds fabulous!
So as usual we will have lunch at my mom's, with my grandma and grandpa, and possibly my Aunt Tammy and little cousin Ryan. Then we will head to the Clarks to have a snack in the evening and visit with them. And, at about 7 we will head back to my parents for dessert, games, and drinks when my cousin Lacee and her boyfriend are able to join us. The next day will be SHOPPING day! Air will pick me up at 3:30 and we'll head to Dutch Bro's and then to Kohls by 4am! And the shopping will continue throughout the day!
Ok, enough talking about things that haven't even happened yet! :) Last weekend was a blast. Friday night we went to dinner at Applebees, and then to Twilight with Air and K. Dinner was delicious, and the movie was very good! We went to bed pretty early that night, because we had a busy day Saturday.
Lacee and Hunter arrived on Saturday. They took the train. Hunters mom was picking them up, but we wanted to see them, so Trav and I went to the train station to greet them when they arrived! Then we got our grocery shopping done right in time to watch the Beavers game at home. We invited Air and K to watch it with us. I got cranberry juice and vodka to drink. I haven't had vodka in almost a year....so it worked a little faster and "better" than normal! We cheered the Beavers on, playing drinking games off the football game, and the Beavers WON!!






Trav and I enjoying the game, and showing our Beav's Spirit!






Trav, Air, and I after we won!

It was an amazing end and now the Beavers only have to beat the Ducks in the Civil War this Saturday to get to play in the Rose Bowl! I've always wanted to go to the civil war, I always thought it was the best game, since it's the two Oregon Rival teams playing each other. Well we finally got tickets to see it this year, and THIS year, it's even more than just beating the Ducks, it's our ticket to the Rose Bowl! GO BEAVS!!!
Anyway, it was a great game and by the end of it I had polished off several cran and vod's and was feeling very tipsy! Lace and Hunter came over a little while after the game. They brought a couple friends with them, and we played catch-phrase and talked and laughed. I honestly don't remember it much. By that time I had far to much vodka in my system, but I do know it was a lot of fun!
Now it's a 3 day work week and then a nice long Thanksgiving weekend! Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Another victory!!!

Seriously, GO BEAVS!! The Beavers beat Cal on Saturday, 34 - 21. YES!!! We are still Rose Bowl bound! They should have enough momentum built up to win this weekend's game at AZ, and then it's the civil war. Trav and I have tickets to the civil war, and it looks like it's going to be an even bigger game than normal this year. Especially if we beat AZ and UO is the last thing standing in our way of the Rose Bowl! It's very exciting!
Trav and I had a great weekend. Friday night we settled in on the couch and watched movies. Saturday we woke up early and went tailgating before the OSU game. When we got home, our new digital camera had arrived, so we got to play with it. It's really nice. So fast compared to our old one. And the battery is like a superstar compared to our old one! I can't wait to take tons of pictures over the holiday's!
We went to bed pretty early and slept in until noon. It felt so nice to sleep in.
We went for a jog first thing. It was a very cold crisp day out! It felt great for our jog. We got back and showered just in time for our cord of firewood to be delivered. Our delivery ended up being late though, so we worked in a yard a little while we waited.
When it finally arrived Trav helped them unload and stack it. There were 4 of them working, and they got it all stacked in about 1/2 hr! It is a lot of wood!
We went grocery shopping and while we were out we found a great fire poker/grabber/sweeper/ and shovel set! It was a very cold, dark, and foggy night....a perfect night for a fire. So Trav built a huge fire when we got back! It was SO nice and warm. I love having a real wood fire! Plus, it should save us a bundle on our gas bill to!
We finished off the night watched tv and enjoying the fire.
It was nice to get that expense out of the way. We still need a few more things before our "spending spree" is over. We need blinds, and we need a new dishwasher. I would LOVE a whole kitchen remodel, but we'll have to wait on that. Hopefully we can at least get a new sink and counter tops in the near future! They are so outdated!
Anyway, thats an update for now! Lace and Hunter are coming to visit the 22nd - 28th! It will be so great to see them!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

GO BEAVS!!!

On Saturday the Beavs played UCLA. In the 9 years that Riley has coached the Beavs, they have never beat the UCLA Bruins! It was an away game this year, which is always harder for the Beavs! We watched with high hopes that they could win this year, and the DID!!! 34 - 6 Beavers! The Bruins curse is broken!! The Beavers are tied with USC for 1st in the Pac 10, with only 1 Pac 10 team loss this season! This win also got the Beavs ranked nationally at #25!! YAY Beavs! If they win their remaining 3 games, they will go to the Rose Bowl this year!
The next 3 games are hard ones. This weekend they are playing Cal. My friend Rachelle had 2 extra tickets with she and her boyfriend Derrick, and she offered them to Trav and I! We took her up on the offer in a heartbeat!! Heck yes we want to go to the game! Plus we actually get to sit with friends!! So we are really pumped to go to the game this weekend!
Come on Beavs, I know you can do it!!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

L*O*V*E

Travis and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on Sunday, November 9th. We have been together for 10 years! Not married, I know, but together. It has been the best 10 years of my life!
We took the day off Sunday to celebrate! We even did our chores and errands on Saturday so we could just relax, hang out, and do whatever we wanted on Sunday. And, in case we wanted to stay up late, we took Monday morning off work so we could sleep in!
We started Sunday by sleeping in. We woke up several times, snuggled close together, and drifted back to sleep. It was so comforting and soothing being in Trav's arms.
We finally got out of bed at 11am, and got ready for the day. We started out at the Albany mall. We wanted to have lunch at the Flaming Wok, the little Chinese place in the mall. We used to eat there a lot and thought it would be fun to reminisce! It was, and the food was delicious! While we were eating, we wrote a list of all the things we have done on our anniversaries over the years. Here is what we came up with:
November 9, 1998 - Travis asked me out right after the "lunch is over" bell rang at school. It was 12:36pm on a Monday. I said yes. :)
November 9, 1999 - We went to the park near the school to exchange gifts. Travis gave me a big box. I unwrapped it, and inside was a smaller wrapped box. I unwrapped about 10 boxes before getting to the small box at the bottom. It was a diamond promise ring. Awwww, so sweet. I gave Travis 2 tickets to a dinner cruise on the Portland Rose Cruise boat, and a scrapbook I made of our first year together. We skipped school and went to our favorite restaurant, Amadore's Ally.
November 8 - 9, 2000 - We went to dinner at Micheal's Landing, and afterwards went to see Charlies Angels. After the movie was over it was midnight so we went back to my apartment and opened our gifts! I don't remember everything we got each other, but I do remember that Trav got me tons of clothes, and the all fit perfectly! I don't know how he did it!
November 9, 2001 - Dinner in Portland at the Brasserie Montmart. A fun jazz restaurant. There was a live band, and the tablecloths had white paper over them and crayons so we were able to color on our table! We colored about our experiences together. It was a great restaurant and a lot of fun!
November 9, 2002 - We stayed together in Portland. We had a Jacuzzi in our room! We took each other shopping at the Portland mall. We got each other several things, but the only thing I remember is getting each other an Italian charm bracelet. We went to dinner at Pazzo's and saw an Opera together at the Portland Opera.
November 9, 2003 - We got cash out to spend, and got it all in one's. We decided to spend the day doing whatever we wanted with our cash! We started at Elmers for breakfast. Someone bought our breakfast for us! We think because Travis was counting some change we has brought and they didn't think we had much money! After breakfast we went to Wunderland to play video games. We had a blast. We finished up the day at the Salem mall.
November 9, 2004 - We were now engaged. We went to Palm Springs on a 3 day weekend to stay with Lacee and Hunter. We had a lot of fun! We went to a really upscale bar, where even the beers were $10! Travis got me a beautiful white gold bracelet with a flower shape on it. We also went to Mexico to Club Iggy's and partied until 4am! I burned my leg on a big fire pit they had there.
November 9, 2005 - We had gotten married August 20th, so our dating anniversary wasn't as important anymore, but it was still important to us to acknowledge the date! So we went to Kin Tin in Corvallis for dinner.
November 9, 2006 - We got off work early to head to Portland to go to the Portland City Grill for dinner. It was SO good! It was a very fun date night.
November 9, 2007 - We spent the day reminiscing. We went to Dairy Queen for lunch, our first "Date" spot. We used to spend a lot of time at Dairy Queen because Travis worked there through high school. We also drove around the hills of Corvallis where we used to spend a lot of time. We'd look at the beautiful mansions in the hills and dream of owning one someday! We also found some great make out spots in the hills that we went back and revisited.
November 9, 2008 - We started out at the Albany mall! After lunch we went to Fred Meyer Jewelers to find a new wedding band for Trav. He lost his a couple years ago. We found the one we want to order! Then we went to Hallmark and picked each other out an anniversary card. Here is what the Trav got me said, "For my wife, Love isn't just hearts and flowers, though sweet words have their place. It's rainy days made sunny by the bright smile on your face. It's the little daily triumphs I can't wait to share with you. It's all the random rough spots that we help each other through... It's the way that you accept me- my good points, faults, and all. It's knowing you support me and feeling ten feet tall. It's wanting to be worthy of the trust you put in me. It's looking toward the future and liking what I see. It's mornings in the kitchen. It's cuddling up at night... This is love, the daily stuff... and we've sure got it right. Happy Anniversary."
Ugh, so sweet. Thank you so much sweetie.
Here is what my card to him said, "L O V E - Know what I love most about our life? The everyday stuff. The daily routine that keep life moving. The surprises that keep life interesting. You know...the ordinary thing. All pages in the story of us, our home, our life together. Know what I love most about our life? The way we share it. Happy Anniversary" A successful marriage requires falling in love many time, always with the same person.
After picking out our cards, we went to find a frame. We wanted to pick out a frame together and pick out a picture together to put in it. We found a great shadow box frame that says "Love" on the glass. We are going to take the mat out and write on it to, to personalize it. I love it.
While we were frame shopping a gray peacoat caught my eye. I fell in love with it. Trav said he's been wanting a nicer jacket to, so we went to the men's department and found a great deal on a black CK peacoat for him.
Then we went to Kohl's where I got a couple new shirts, and a great new purse! Travis spoiled me!
After we were done shopping we drove to Corvallis to walk along the waterfront in Corvallis. We looked in all the new little shops and restaurants along the way. It was chilly out, so we stopped at New Morning Bakery and got a hot cocoa to warm us up!
We went to dinner at a little French Restaurant called Le Bistro. The atmosphere was great, nice soft French music, and a very romantic setting. Our server was very nice. I got Lamb with mushrooms in a mushroom sauce. It came with mashed potatoes. It was AMAZING. Trav got the New York Steak that also came with the mashed potatoes. We were both very pleased with the restaurant.
After dinner we drove through the hills of Corvallis to reminisce. We went to all our old favorite make out spots. Our very favorite was at the very top of a windy hill covered in beautiful mansions. At the very top there is a coltasack to turn around in and we used to park up there and just look out over Corvallis.
We finished the evening with candles lit, snuggled up on the couch. It was a great day!
Thank you Travis, for giving me the best 10 years of my life! I have so much fun with you! I'm so glad that God brought our paths together and I look forward to our journey through life together. I love you.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Welcome November!

November is here! And it shows, it's rained every day since November 1st!
I do love November. It always reminds me of when Trav and I got together. I love the cold, the rain, and dark....everything. For about a month, and then I'm sick of it and ready to warm up!
Trav and I will have been together for 10 years this November 9th!
We had a great weekend.
Friday was Halloween and Rachelle was throwing a party. After work we passed out candy to the kids (the cutest little giraffe came to visit), until Ladd arrived from Bend. Once Ladd got there we went out to dinner at Wilhelm's. My Cajun Tri-tip wrap was as wonderful as it always is!
After dinner Trav and Ladd got dressed up. Ladd was Winny the pooh, and Trav was a pimp. The costumes looked great. I waited to get ready until we got to Derricks so I could get ready with Rachelle. We headed over and the house was so nicely decorated! It really looked great! I got dressed as a "ho" (pimp and ho), and Rachelle did my make up, and then we made witch's brew, which was a delicious mixed punch.
The party made it until midnight, when people starting leaving for the bars. Trav, Ladd and I walked home at that point, to avoid the bar scene.
We drank more at the house and passed out at 3 am.
Saturday was a GREAT lazy day! We slept in until almost noon, made breakfast for lunch, and watched tv until about 2. Then we watched "Baby Mama" which was really funny, and after that the boys turned on football so I went to take a nap. My nap ended up going from 5 - 7! I was tired!
When I got up it was time to get ready and go to GameTime to watch the OSU vs ASU game. Rachelle had some extra tickets she got earlier that day and offered them to Trav and I, but we didn't want to leave poor Ladd stranded, so we didn't take them. Man was that hard! :) But it's ok. We had fun watching it at GameTime and we got to stay warm and dry! OSU won! 27 - 25. Go Beavs!
When we got home from the game, I made some apple crisp and we watched "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". It was pretty funny. The apple crisp was delicious! And I made a healthy recipe!
Sunday we got up at 9. I made breakfast for the boys, and went for a walk/jog. Right when I got out there it started raining pretty hard, but I kept going! It was a good workout. When I got back Trav and I cleaned up a little, and Rachelle asked if I wanted to go to lunch. I did! :) We went to Pizza Amore. It was my first time there and it is delicious! The garlic rolls are amazing!
After we ate we went to Costco and I got some new really comfy sweats/workout pants. Rachelle got some furry boots that were SO comfortable! She's been looking for some and got a great deal on them! I'm going to have to borrow them. Before we left we had to get a frozen yogurt! Then we watched a movie and she had to leave for volleyball.
Trav and I did our usual chores and grocery shopping and watched ANOTHER movie and of course Desperate Housewives before heading to bed. On the way to bed I checked the woot of the day and it was a really nice digital camera. We have been needed a new digital camera for a couple years. The one we have eats through AA batteries in seconds! Seriously, it lasts for about 1 hour before it needs new batteries. PLUS, it's slow, big, and has a super small screen. I was going to get a new one on Black Friday, but when I saw the deal they had it for, I called Trav in and we researched it and bought it! It was only $90 and is reg $170 - $230! And it came with the battery and charger and computer connection cables and wrist straps....all the goods! I am really excited to get it! I love taking pictures to preserve memories, and since I've had my old digi I feel like I've missed out on a lot of great pictures!
Here she is: Pentax Optio M50 Digital Camera


Well thats all for now! Have a great week! Welcome November!