Versatile

If Carly's boots are Irrestible than Cole's Muck boots are very versatile. No they don't have any cute design but these rain boots are made for the boy and girl who trek through cow poop to go feed, daily. For the preschool who lives in rainy humboldt county and for a day when I can't find any other shoes. The inside of these boots are all neoprene and they suck to the contour of your feet. Yes, they are no ordinary rain boot there the versatile Muck boot!

Irrestible

Even if you aren't a cowgirl at heart like Carly you can still enjoy the adorableness (is that even a word?) of these pink and tan leather cowboy boots. As I am packing the kids clothes for a freezing vacation to visit my grandmother in Idaho I remembered that I had set these boots aside for Christmas. Well again, I think all gifts should be practical and Carly practically needs these boots for our vacation. I thought these boots were so cute that they need their own post :)

I know a lot of pictures but between me, Cole, and Carly my camera has been snappin a lot. My parents' and Clay and Rachelle were in Jamaica last week and they just got home yesterday. I missed them all. Last night, Travis and I's families got together to have an early Thanksgiving. We are all going to be gone during the holidays and we wanted to make sure that we had one dinner here. It was delicious and Vickie made a bunch of recipes from Williams-Sonoma. When Travis was sick at U.C.S.F. he had a couple good days so we went shopping. William-Sonoma inspired our Thanksgiving creations. Dinner last night was relaxing, and great because there was just the right amount of people and everyone liked eachother, imagine that:) Cole made dessert and he is posing by his creation which was fabulous. Well I am off to write my Christmas letter and I will be sending my Holiday cards pretty soon, be on the look out:)

Surprise.

Vickie turned 50 years old last year in 2007 and as a family we all went down to visit her twin brother Mickey. To make a long story short the drive was horrific, the trip too short, and not what any of us would want to do on our birthday. This year Heidi and I decided to do something special for Vickie's 51st birthday. A group of Vickie's closest girl friends got together in Redding and spent the weekend in my travel trailer. It was a blast. We stayed up late playing this game where everyone had to ask personal questions and it was insightful, fun, and we laughed until we cried. We drank a costco size bottle of Grey Goose and had too much fun. Saturday morning we all woke up and got ready to head to the Spa for the day. We had multiple treatments and relaxed. The spa we went to was called the Spa Downtown in Redding. You can google and there are pictures but this Spa met my stamp of approval very clean, professional, an awesome treatments. It made Personal choice spa looking even worse, if that is possible. Heidi and I decorated my trailer, did pedicures on people with hot foot baths, and I made each person their own spa package with bath and body works products. I love parties where they give great party favors. Friday night I made homemade Chicken Caesar Salad with fresh croutons. I also paired the meal with cheese Bread. Everyone loves this fatty bread. I will post the recipe below.

Vicki was very surprised and it was great to see her laughing and being with her girls. Thank you to everyone who came you made this wonderful woman feel appreciated:)

Cheese bread:

1 loaf of French Bread
2 spatula scoops of mayo
Pour cheddar cheese into the mayo until it is predominantly just cheese then mix. Spread onto bread. Sprinkle with green onions, and bake for about 20 mins at 375degrees.

You'll love it:)

5 years and lots of laundry!

On November 15th, Travis and I will be married for five years! The years have gone by quickly. I love him a lot each day and I reflect on the past years and I think of many smiles, laughs, tears, hugs, memories, snotty noses, parties, and etc. I am repulsed by bloggers who always post how perfect their hubbies are because maybe I am jealous or maybe I hate the lies. Marriage is hard but well worth the struggle. Travis is my best friend. He keeps me in line and vice a versa. One moment that I will share with everyone is how Travis supported my financially, emotionally, and physically through college. I remember the day we decided to get married and how he told my mom that it was very important to him that I finished school and he meant it. When I was trying to decide what I wanted and needed to do after college and the credential program Travis was right there next to me urging me to stay home/only work two jobs and to have some time to myself. I can't thank him enough for communicating when it is crucial and for being a wonderful husband and a dedicated dad.

p.s. I just got into an argument with him because he was telling a story and it took to long:) Back to reality.

Oh yeah, Travis bought me new HE LG Stackable washer and dryers yesterday for our 5 year anniversary. I chose the pearl gray color. He also built me a white storage cabinet to go in our laundry room. One thing about Travis is that he doesn't talk about doing things he actually does them. We got home with the washer and dryers, and storage cabinet at 5pm on Sunday and by 7pm I had a completely new laundry room. What a man:)

Must Read

"The Lucky One" is Nicholas Sparks newest fictional novel and it is TERRIFIC! I was depressed that I finished it so quickly. I read it in two days and no, I didn't lay around reading. One morning I couldn't sleep so I decided to read to fall back asleep, well needless to say I didn't go back to sleep at 3am. (That was a run-on sentence.) I don't know anyone who hasn't at least once in there life wanted to be a writer and storm the literary world just like j.k. rowlings(didn't spelling correct because I have never read her books:) The point is that Nicholas Sparks wrote one HECK of a novel. I am reading "Secrets of a Shoe Addict" by Beth Harbison as I type, No Mom and Vickie it isn't my memoirs....

Civil Servants.

This year both Cole and Carly chose to dress up as our under-represented civil servants. We went trick-or-treating for the first time this year in a neighborhood, grace park. They walked door to door and we followed. We decided that this year we would forego all the driving to a million places and just do one place and it was very calm.

My mom dressed up like a pirateer and Cole and Carly we trying to spray her with their fire hoses, arrest her, wrestler her, and a lot of other things. She was hilarious:)