'Cause He's Cute

And was feeling a bit left out. We couldn't have a picture of Gabe up and not Dylan!

Evil, Thy Name is Chocolate Chip Cookie

Albertston's Chocolate Chip Cookies are baaaaad. Stay away. I just ate three...and I want more. Must. Be. Strong.

Fight the power!

Gabe is in 1st Grade!

I can't believe how big he is getting...

I'm 30!

On Thursday, I officially started a new decade. Strange. Even more strange, and surprising to me, I am OK with it! Last year I was loathe to turn 29; I didn't want to get any older. But this time, I feel good. I feel strong, I feel capable, and I still feel youthful. Not young, but youthful. Being young was good, but there was so much I didn't know. I am sure I did countless ignorant, thoughtless things, just because I didn't know better. My 20's were great in many ways, I did get married and have kids then, after all, but I will gladly leave them behind for the life experience and lessons I picked up along the way.

Big Lesson for the Year: Do not put expectations (my own) on other people. I had to learn that one the hard way. No wonder I was always disappointed! Mind reading is tricky.

Simple Sundays

Watching the Olympics with Gabe yesterday. Granted, I had recorded it a few nights earlier, but it was still AWESOME. We watched the women's gymnastics all-around finals and some qualifying men's swimming. Gabe was impressed and I loved sharing that with him. Just watching his face as they did some of their more impressive tricks. He ate it up and later in the evening, when we were at Liberty Park, he did a cartwheel across almost the whole balance beam! Very cool.

#2

A week ago today, at almost this same time, I was huffing and puffing - a bit sweaty and very tired. Along with my friend, I had just finished my second half marathon. The Provo River 1/2 Marathon. What a run! If anyone ever has any interest in doing something like this, running through a canyon is the way to go.

I felt great going into this run. I had trained the right way and actually gotten my miles where they needed to be. My speed was up, I had a great plan and I was ready to go! Then, of course, it all went a bit wrong! The night before I planned on going to bed at 9:00, since I had to be up at 3:45 to get to the race on time. About 9:30 I made it to bed and about 2:30 AM, I finally fell asleep! Nothing like totally psyching yourself up before bed. All I kept thinking was "I have to go to sleep, I have to go to sleep." Then, when I didn't fall asleep, I would look at the clock and recalculate how many hours of sleep I would be getting. The cycle continued and the anxiety level kept rising. When the alarm went off, excitement set in and helped me stagger my way through getting ready and driving to pick up my running buddy. Forgetting in the process, my iPod. And I neh-ve-er run without music. Eh-ver. I was worried.

The chaos that met us when we finally got to Provo and waited to check in was amusing, if only because we were both delirious. The most organized race, this was not. Not even a bathroom in sight. Oy. We were finally bused to the top of the canyon and (amazingly) made it there alive. Buses + Narrow, Winding Canyon Roads = SCARY. After a 15 minute wait for the bathroom and more disorganization and chaos, the race began. We dashed off eager to run, but also careful to maintain an even pace. It was lovely. So quiet and serene. Nothing but the sounds of feet hitting the earth and steady breathing. And two miles in, I wanted to die. But I didn't and was in turn rewarded with another opportunity to prove to myself that determination can get you wherever you need to go. And prayer, lots and lots of prayer! I honestly spent the race alternating between praising God for His amazing creations, pleading with Him to help me through the run and cursing my legs - telling them they would not get the best of me. The internal conversation and the scenery was enough to keep me going and I didn't miss my music much.

Nancy was a great running partner and has just as much stubbornness as I do. We had decided at the beginning that we would run the whole thing and even at the end, when both of us wanted to walk, neither of us was about to be the first to do it. And so we didn't! We ran to the end, well, I had to sprint after her once she saw the finish line, and it was great. We even took about 10-15 minutes off our time. Yay, us! Ha, ha. Well, another race over and I think I am good for the year. Good luck to N, though, on her triathalon and marathon.

*I forgot to mention that I ran this race for my brother, Peter. And thinking of him and his fellow soldiers while I ran definitely helped me suck up the fact that I had only slept an hour and was tired. They deal with far worse and still keep going and kicking butt. Good motivation.*

Memories!

A fun idea from my friend Amanda's blog:

Memory Game

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is the most memorable for you.


2. Next, if you feel so inclined, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you...!


3. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. ☺ And please do this on your page, too, so we can all share in the fun times together. :)

Dylan and Daddy Mowing the Lawn

Stress Eating is Underrated

Seriously. I was about ready to pop a vein last night and while at the grocery store, I turned the corner and rays of light shone down to reveal my newly-rediscovered love, mini powdered Donettes! You know, the ones covered in crack? Well, as soon as I made my way to the car, I grabbed the bag and began eating them on the drive home. It's amazing how a couple of those things (or 16) can calm you right down. And then everyone gets to live! The world would be a much happier and (safer!) place if we all tried that more often.

I Must Have Caught a Bug!/Update

Well, folks...I am officially crazy, because I just signed up for my second 1/2 marathon! The really crazy part is that I am very excited about it. I am even more thrilled that my good friend and running buddy, Nancy, will be running it with me. She ran the first one with me as well, and she is tough and very motivating. She almost has me talked into doing a full marathon in the fall, but I don't know if I am that crazy yet! You never know, though. I will keep you posted. :o)


And weird - it is July already! I hope everyone has been having a lovely summer, I know I have. I spent the last two weeks of June in Idaho with my sisters Janie and Amy and a small portion of that time in Seattle with my husband (we got be grown-ups - fun!). It was so nice to get away and see new things and be with my family that I miss so much. And sis, you are a saint to put up with us for so long!!! Thank you, though - we had a wonderful time!

My Cute Husband is a Very Cute Father

Happy Father's Day to my hubby and brothers!

Here are some pics of Aaron with the boys:

I Miss Living Out-of-State/Things I Love About Being Home

Thought I had complained about this enough, eh? Well, think again! Not that I am actually complaining, because that would be silly - since I am so blessed and selfish - considering how many people there are in this world that are far from home and missing their loved ones.

It's just that...

I miss being Who I Am! Just being me. That was freedom!

I miss tons of family time with the boys and Aaron, even when he was in school.

I miss having very, very limited social engagements, unless I chose to.

I miss the together, on-top-of-it woman that I was.

I miss the diversity.

I miss discovering new places.

I miss being thousands of miles from relatives who made me grateful I was thousands of miles away.

That's not to say that being back isn't fantastic in it's own way. It's totally cool being back, because...

I love being closer to the relatives who made the thousands of miles hard to take.

I love spending time with friends who have known me since back in the day, who don't need a back story.

I love that my boys are close with their grandparents and extended family.

I love the grid system for the streets and not getting lost! When you start out going South on a street, you almost always keep heading South - what a concept.

I love the mountains, they are amazing.

I love being able to get decent sushi and Mexican food again! I guess it helps to that there are Meixcan and Japanese people here.

*sigh*

Trade offs...

My Child Is Hilarious...

Just a little snippet out of our everyday lives...a small sampling of the nuttiness that is Dylan:

Time flies, no?

Life. So busy, so full, so fun. I've had many, many potential blog posts running through my head for weeks, but just not the time or inclination to sit down and write any of them! Spring is finally deciding to stick around and that has brought plenty of yard work. Woo-hoo! Ahem. Not really, but what can you do? Things are progressing in the yard and I am less embarrassed of its appearance. I may even post a picture of it at this rate! We just bought an amazing lacy-leafed weeping Japanese maple for the front yard and I can't wait to get it planted. The rest of the front will be centered around it.

Things are growing in my vegetable garden! Things I planted from seed! It's way more exciting than I think it should be. But there is just something so satisfying about it. Granted, several things that I transplanted from indoors didn't make it, but I have learned my lesson and won't bother with as many seeds next year. Store-bought works for me. Plus, I am waaaay too impatient for all that! My pepper plants that I started in March are still about 1/2 an inch tall. At that rate, I may have peppers by December. Oh, well.

Life. Life is good. Pictures proving such will follow soon.

Happy Birthday to Dylan!

Splashing at the pool in Virginia last summer

Dylan's take on fashion

Being a Jedi

Showing us his "tough-guy' face while sporting his new shield

My little man officially turned 3 yesterday! He is so awesome and SO much fun. I just could not adore him any more than I already do.

Fun facts about Dylan:
His favorite things to play right now are Star Wars and Narnia (aka Armia)
Favorite movies: Star Wars (Ep. 1) and Narnia
Loves to build "robots" with his "Legos" (really a Thomas the Tank Engine Duplo set...)
Is a great "helper" to mommy and will readily "help" me cook or sort laundry
Adores his big brother Gabe more than can be expressed and wants to do everything he does
Loves to build bases and forts to protect them from the bad guys
He is alternately amazingly sweet and amazingly mischievous - will maul me with hugs and kisses one minute and then try to tackle and punch me the next!

I'm Not Complaining, Honest!

With the previous post in mind, I thought about all my past complaints regarding the weather and told myself I wouldn't complain again. So, this is just a relaying of information, because I thought you would find it interesting that today, on May 1st, I woke up to a dusting of SNOW in my yard. Yep, SNOW. I guess that's why the recommended planting date is May 15th. Sheesh.

Tornadoes in Virginia

http://www.hamptonroads.tv/index.cfm?locvid=139644&tid=r700

My husband says I am too emotional. He reminded me of this again tonight when I told him that I cried my eyes out watching news coverage of the tornado destruction in Suffolk, VA. And really, since no one died, it might seem over-emotional to some people.

But I love it there and that place was wrecked! By tornadoes, in a place where tornadoes are not supposed to hit. Our very dear friend Setsuko's neighborhood, Hillpoint Farms, was one of those badly damaged. Her home was left unmarked, but she said over six houses in the neighborhood are now gone, leaving only their foundations. There was picture after picture on the news of neighborhoods in ruin and it was so frustrating not being able to tell where they were or if I knew anyone there. But there was one picture that looked familiar and soon the name clicked and I realized that I was looking at the wreckage of an antique shop that was a few miles from my old house, in a little place called Driver. I loved that place. I took my mom antiquing there once while she was visiting. There were a few other little shops along the same road. It was so quaint and charming. You would have been driving down a long country road to get there and then after a few fields and homes these shops appeared - it felt as if you stepped back in time. Very small-town. Follow the above link to video footage - click on the one that says "Picking Up the Pieces"

And now...here is where I tear up again. I don't know what to say and I just wish I could help. There is a Suffolk chapter of the Red Cross where we can donate money; I wish I was there to do more. I am just so grateful that more damage was not done and that most people escaped unhurt. My heart goes out to those whose homes were lost - they are in my thoughts and prayers.

Simple Sundays

Looking for rolly-pollies. They were out there for hours. It was very sweet.

Spring at the Park

Enjoying the sparse sunshine last week. And capturing the ensuing smiles.

**There are pictures of Gabe, but Blogger did not feel inclined to post them! Rude. I'll try again later.

Proof That Prayer Works:

I did it, I did it, I did it!!!
I finished the half-marathon and made it through 13.1 miles!

My friends Nancy, Adriann and me at the finish line.

It all seems like a dream - did it really happen? What an amazing experience. We ran straight through the first 7 miles, and then maybe walked for 2-3 minutes over the next 3 miles, but from 10 miles on we ran the rest. Even though we wanted to cry (and did) and even though our bodies said "Stop!" we kept going. There were signs of encouragement posted throughout Liberty park, but my favorite was "It's only pain" and it made me think of one of my favorite expressions, passed on from our friend, a former Marine, "Pain is just weakness leaving the body." Thinking that got me going again - combined with what my brothers say is me being full of "piss and vinegar", but I like to call determination. That last mile was a killer, but once the finish line was in sight and all the spectators cheering became audible, it was a such a rush and adrenaline and euphoria took over.

Crossing the finish line was amazing and empowering, and I didn't even pass out! It felt great, I felt so strong. But the most humbling and actually beautiful experience of the whole thing came when three of the marathoners, the front-runners (who started at the same time) passed us at the end of the park, running in perfect rhythm. They had doubled our distance in less time. It was awe-inspiring. And did I mention, humbling? Another aspect of the race that I loved was the many, many people who came out to support the runners. Granted, a lot of them knew people in the race, but a lot of them didn't. The people in the neighborhoods just came out to cheer us on with shouts and whistles and bells. Signs that read "Great job!" and "Go! Your name, Go!" It helped us so much! Just like in life, a little encouragement went a long way! The best was the several groups of little kids waiting in a line to slap your hand. You can bet I hit them all! I figured it was the closest I was ever going to get to celebrity or sports fame, so I better enjoy it. And it was awesome. Every moment of that run was. Especially the end, where I got to hug my husband and kids and friends. And then sit down. ;o)

Pictures, because I know you all miss seeing the boys

Yes, I am a slacker. I know.

So, I thought I would do something crazy and maybe post a new blog! It has been awhile, but I have my reasons. Firstly, it has probably snowed at least half a dozen times since the beginning of March and I don't know if I have mentioned this, but that makes me cold and cranky! The other pressing frustration has been that I did something to my Achilles tendon, probably by running too much, and that has really hampered getting me ready for the half marathon - which is in about 10 days, so you know: AAACK! Nothing like be unprepared to run 13 miles. Sheesh.

There have been lots of great things going on, though, that I really should have posted about. Well, gosh - there was Easter. A fun, fun day filled with lots of good things to eat and two very happy little boys. It has been so very nice to be home and be around family for the holidays. We were able to go to an Easter egg hunt, put on by Aaron's extended family every year, for the first time. The boys loved that - and made out like bandits. We had a delicious breakfast at Pa's house, a wonderful visit with Grandma and Grandpa Terashima and then dinner at Aaron's sister Miyo's house.

On the rare days that we have had nice weather, we have worked on the yard and gotten our vegetable garden ready for planting. My brother, David, has helped me draw up some beautiful plans for our front yard, which will include two Japanese maples and a flowering cherry and a little Japanese lantern. I am going to try and work in my original theme of a drought-tolerant garden with the Japanese aesthetic. Wish me luck!

And oh, did I mention that it is April?! Something I would have been jumping up and down about normally, had it not snowed so much! There is hope on the horizon, though. Even though all week has been 40 degrees and rainy, this weekend is supposed to be brilliant and I just can't wait. We may even hit mid-sixties! Yay!

Happy Spring to everyone, I hope you all have been enjoying it (more than I have)!

Simple Sundays

On Thursday, before it turned back into winter, the day began with gray skies and a touch of wind and rain. But as the morning progressed, the sun came out and the sky filled with white, fluffy clouds and then it began to sprinkle again. There is something so refreshing about a bit of rain while the sun is shining. Something inherently springy and joyful and life-giving. My little thrill of the week. :o)

What I Woke Up To...

Seriously? Seriously?! I mean, I know I live in Utah now and it is still only March, but for the love...

March isn't just a tease, March is MEAN!

Simple Sundays

Tulips, daffodils and crocus! Just seeing them peeking up above the ground is soul-stirring.

My New Hair...

Well, it's the same hair, but it sure looks different!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

So, for some reason or another, I signed up for a half-marathon. I knew it would be tough, having already run an 8-k a couple of years ago and wanting to die before I was finished, but my friend is running, too, and I am in better shape now, so I guess I deluded myself into thinking it would be fun. I have been "training" for a few weeks now, but decided I should look up an official training schedule just to make sure I was on track. At this point, according to the schedule, I should be running approximately 3-4 miles a few times a week with a big, long run on the weekends. I wasn't exactly sure how far I had been running, since I had mostly been focusing on increasing the length of time I could run, so this morning I decided to try 4 miles. Keep in mind, a half-marathon is 13.1 miles, okay. 45 minutes later I FINALLY get to 4 miles. Yikes! For those of you familiar with SLC, let me tell you about the course: it goes from the U of U, along Foothill to 21st South and then down to 7th East, and over to Gateway. **GULP** What have I done? This is going to kick my keister. But I am determined to do it, so I figure if I blog about it, and everyone knows I am doing this, it will help motivate me even more. I hope, I hope!

It's March!

Oh, thank the Good Lord, it's March! And even though it snowed a little yesterday, I don't mind - 'cause I know the end is in sight! My hubby and I have spent the week browsing seed and plant catalogs and making plans for our yard. I can't wait until we can actually plant. Of course, I am sure I will be less enthused when my back is aching and the weeds are popping up all over, but for now I am thrilled at the prospect.

We are going to plant a good-sized vegetable garden with all kinds of tasty stuff - I am even going to try growing corn! I am going to have an herb garden with rosemary, thyme, cilantro, mint, parsley and anything else I can think of. There will be lots of hardy and drought-tolerant plants put in the front yard and tall pampas grass in the back for the boys to hide behind and run between. Oh, and I can't forget the lavender! I am going to plant lots and lots of lavender. I can already smell it!

We Love You, Peter!

And we miss you already. Good luck on your deployment and be safe, please!


This is my brother, Peter. He just left on Tuesday to start his second deployment in Afghanistan. He is an amazing person, always setting a good example for me and encouraging me. He reads more than anyone I know and is constantly trying to learn more. He has an open mind and tries to do the right thing; if only more people had those two qualities! Peter knows how to make people laugh and is always himself - he never puts on a front and is truly genuine. Something I wish I could say for myself. He is a great big brother and friend and I am so thankful for him. Our whole family is.

Happy Valentine's Day! Or Discovering the Joy of Frosting...

Hope you all had a wonderful Love Day! We sure did!

Oh, February, You Tease!

Three days of beautiful blue skies and mid-forties temperatures gave way to:


And now I'm cold again. Ah, it's good to be back!

Simple Sundays

Just watching my boys play computer games - well, Dylan tried to, anyway...


*Sigh* They are so cute.

All the Socks I Could Find...

So, I guess my question is: how does the washer know which socks to eat?

Simple & Super Sunday

Gabe went to a friend's birthday party yesterday at a nickel arcade. When it was time to go he still had nickels to burn, so he and I headed over to the skeeball lanes and had a blast! I luuurrve skeeball. It's the reason I never really minded going to Chuck E. Cheese's and I certainly didn't mind sticking around yesterday. There's something so dang satisfying about landing the ball in that ever elusive 100 hole. We alternated turns and watched the tickets stream out of the machine. I loved watching Gabe decide between all the little prizes, silly as they were, he was thrilled and proud to pick them out. We ended up with another army guy and a punching balloon. Not bad! As much as my kids can make me feel old, it's nice to know it can go the other way, too.

The other simple pleasure was watching the Super Bowl with the fam after enjoying a scrumptious roast dinner (yeah, another one!). It was a very exciting game and insanely close. I loved it. Go Giants! And thanks to my hun for teaching me about football to begin with! The most enjoyable part of the evening was probably half time, though - and not just because Tom Petty rocks, but because we had our own half time dancers right here and they stole the show. As usual.

Happy February 1!

**Apparently my new posts need not have rhyme nor reason - just a heads up**

How sad is it that I am elated to be done with January? I'm so happy that we are finally into February, even though I know that we are still at least another month and a half away from semi-warm weather. But that's OK, 'cause every little bit helps. I am sure I have been pretty clear about the fact that I am so not a cold weather person, so forgive me for being neurotic about it, but you were warned!

And here's the thing: I am so hungry right now! Not related to the weather, but it sure adds to my general craziness. Somehow I got some darn stomach bug on Monday and have not eaten much this week. Yep, all week. Now those of you who know me, know that I can't usually make it three hours without eating something, so this has been a rough week. I am weak and tired, but luckily, I am starting to feel better. I keep peeking around the kitchen for something that I can have and the funniest song keeps going through my head. It's from a Disney movie I saw as a kid, called "Mickey and the Beanstock" and there is a scene where they are all famished and Goofy starts singing about food; there is a line that goes something like "Pancakes piled up 'till they reach the sky..." But the line that keeps running through my head is "I wanna eat and eat and eat and eat and eat until I die!" My usual mantra anyway, but truly applicable today!

Yipes!

It has been crazy weather day here! Warm and freaky windy this morning, turning quickly into freezing and freaky snowy! Seriously - full on blizzard weather for more than 4 hours. I even kept Gabe home from school today. I didn't feel quite up to putting all our lives in danger just to get him there, only to have to turn around 3 hours later and do it all over again. The thing about this weather is that it A) stresses me out and B) makes me feel cold, even though I am in my nice, toasty house. I am on my third cup of tea, and I see a fourth in the near future. See, we have no window coverings on the windows of our main floor, so at any given moment I can glance outside and see all the snow and then immediately get the chills. And then that keeps me from doing much besides pacing. Which gets me stressed, because I have lots to do, but I dunno - I just feel all anxious and can't focus. It's amazing I can even type, but then again, this is probably not the most coherent post I have ever done!

And to think this is my first post in over a week! To fill you all in - last week was just weird and a little crazy. We started out the week by trying to potty train Dylan (yes, trying). It's always fun to attempt something so potentially messy and lunacy-inducing with THE MOST STUBBORN and DEFIANT child int he WHOLE world. Ahem. And I'm breathing...it is so, so very good for his well-being that he is adorable. His only saving grace. It all began well, the first day was very successful and so was most of the week, but I am sad to say we got back to where we started by Sunday. I was wound so tightly yesterday I could barely breathe. Today we have done better, so I hope for everyone's sake that it is a sign of things to come!

Simple Sundays

Today's simple pleasure?
Eating all the leftover sweet & sour pork, straight out of the paper take-out container whilst standing over the sink - before its even had the chance to get cold - a pretty top-notch way to cure a bad mood.

Cooking Oops!

So, here's a tip I feel I should pass along to ya'll in case anyone feels the need to do what I did: when you are making chicken and a cream sauce and you don't have any whiskey, but want to try something besides vinegar to deglaze the pan, don't use red wine. 'Cause you'll end up with a purpley-brown cream sauce. And while it will still taste good, it will be, as I mentioned purpley-brown. Not super appetizing! Learn from me, please, learn from me.

Simple Sundays

Of my hubby's New Year's Resolutions, here is my favorite: learn to cook! YAHOO!! YIPPEE!!
*Ahem*
Forgive me for that, but this is cause to celebrate. I think it is fantastic that he is taking an interest in something I love to do and also, it's nice to share the work with someone - it makes it ever so much more fun. And as his Grandma says "Now he will learn that cooking is hard work and the food doesn't just appear out of nowhere." Hee, hee - go Grandma! Tonight we are having his family over for dinner and we are going to attempt our first-ever pot roast, inspired by one of the funniest cooking blogs ever. I'm really not much of a red meat eater, or much of a meat eater at all, for that matter, but there is something about a pot roast that just says "Sunday Dinner", so I figure it is worth a try. Wish us luck!

Simple Sundays

There's something really satisfying about having an idea in your head and then seeing that idea translate well into reality (especially since that almost never happens!). We couldn't decide which art we wanted to hang in our bedroom for ages. One day my hubby had the great idea to develop some of our favorite Virginia/N.Carolina shots in black and white and put them in frames. Then I had a picture of one of my favorite views blown up into a 16x20 and done in a wrapped canvas for Aaron's birthday last week. The contrast of the black frames with our Silver Sage paint looks fantastic (the above pics do not do it justice) and it's fun to have all these reminders up of a place I love so much.

Favorite Bumper Sticker Ever

**Warning: Political Post!**

I saw this sticker on a sign in NC and knew that there was no better way to sum up how I feel. I picked one up for myself on cafepress.com, a very cool website (thanks, Ern!). Only one more year!

Dylan To the Rescue!

It's Christmas Eve!

I really am so excited! It's so nice to be home for the holidays and the snow makes it perfect. Well, as long as I'm inside. ;o)
Gabe and Dylan are just beside themselves with anticipation. Granted, Dylan is still a little young to grasp it all, but he has caught on to the fact that Santa gives him presents at some point and that is all that matters. Gabe has been diligently moving the advent calendar to the right day all month and I thought he would burst this morning when he put it on the last day. We have been trying to do fun Christmassy things lately, but I have been sick, so that has made it hard. We did manage a cute little graham cracker house yesterday, though. My first as a mommy, and I will say I can only get better from here! Good thing Gabe is easy to please. Later today I will start on the bread pudding for dessert tonight and then on to making tamales. We figured we'd branch out in what we made to eat, since a ham does not appeal to me at all right now and after all, tamales are traditional to lots of people! While I am cooking, the boys will go sledding with Daddy and some friends. So far, a pretty nice start to Christmas. I hope it's the same for all of you.

A Near-Perfect Day

View from my front porch.

Over 12 inches of freshly fallen snow; a warm glow from the tree lights; scones baking in the oven; the boys watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and hubby working from home. Love it!

Simple Sundays

My favorites from the week: Superman jammies and Moon Boots. Worn together. By a two-year-old. While he makes his "tough guy" face and strikes the superhero pose.

Simple Sundays

This week's simple pleasure: web surfing. I can look for anything or nothing; e-mail, chat or blog. If you are reading this I obviously don't need to sing the web's praises too much! But I do just love it so! Whenever I get too stressed or overwhelmed, I give myself five minutes and sit down and surf away. **POOF** Stress vanishes. The only rule to surfing for the sake of de-stressing is to not read any news headlines! That will only add to the stress and top it off with a little despair. But I digress. I looove surfing cooking sites and coming up with new recipes. It's not quite the same as getting a new cookbook, but it sure is cheaper. And if the recipe bombs, I'm not out any money. Blogging is quickly becoming a new favorite. I just used to do this to keep in touch with family and friends, but I am starting to enjoy reading new blogs. It's fun to learn about other people and always a great reminder that we're pretty much the same, no matter where we live or what we do. I'm not quite brave enough yet to blog out in the open, like my dear Ern, but maybe one day! Another favorite web activity, especially this time of year: shopping! Kind of obvious, I know, but man - I do adore Amazon and eBay and all kinds of fun, quirky shopping sites that let you find the perfect gift without freezing your keister off. And much, much easier than dragging the boys to various stores, only to find out they are out of what I needed (happened last year)! Long live the Web!