happy 15 months Kenley

Its true... our little girl is 15 months today.

I dont have a lot to update on... just been working lots and trying to keep up with a toddler.

She amazes us every day with her new little tricks, signs, words...

she went from walking to running overnight... she's so fun and we are enjoy every little moment.

We cant wait to go home next week, I swear I leave a little peice of me there every time.

me from a-z

Ive had fun reading these on some of the blogs I follow so I thought I would do it too...

Age: 23 (june 8 1988)

Bed size: Queen

Chore that you hate: the bathroom... our teeny tiny bathroom.
Dogs: Little known fact... I have never owned a dog!

Essential start to your day: Chai mix in rice milk, pop in microwave for 2 minutes... followed by a link of chicken apple sausage and two eggs over easy.

Favorite color: Green.
Gold or Silver: right now? gold.
Height: I have measured at 5'3'' since I was 13.
Instruments you play: My mom is a paino teacher I took lessons from 2nd to 7th grade. The summer going into my freshman year of college I taught myself to play the harmonica.

.Job title: Kissui by day, Medical transcriptionist by night.

Kids: just our little Kenley girl for now!

Live: Riverside, California (get me outta here!)

Mother’s name: Sarah
Nicknames: Mess

Overnight hospital stays: When my uncle passed away and when I had Kenley... talk about life and death in their rawest forms.

Pet peeves: Lights on during the day, people who leave their turn signal on. 

Quote from a movie: anything from Billy Madison

Right or left handed: Right.
Siblings: Oldest of three.

Underwear: "cheekies" by Victoria Secret

Vegetable you hate: Depends on how its served, most them time I like them all!
What makes you run late: Changing my outfit 15x.
X-Rays you’ve had: My hand when I dropped a bowling ball on it (I already knew something was broken)

Yummy food that you make: always looking for new crockpot recipes... love that thing.

Zoo animal: do owls count? ;)

some fun links...

I have spent all morning and cleaning. It smells so fresh in the house which is probably because its finally cool enough today to have all of the windows open.

Just wanted to share some fun links :)

ways to wear a mens dress shirt

&...


how to tie a head scarf

enjoy

sun salutations

Just had to share this link with all my mama friends...

other uses for baby food freezer trays!

I know I am not the only one who made baby food... and like many, I spent a little extra money on the handy- dandy covered trays to freeze the food in.
The crazy part is that I literally was going through my freezer yesterday and pulled the trays out, cleaned them and stored them away... wondering when I would ever use them again.
When I saw this link (posted on one of my favorite blogs EVER... The Kitchn) I had to share!
I loved making Kenleys food and would highly reccomend it to every mom. It was great knowing where her food came from, knowing it was fresh with all the nutrients still in it and it was even more cost effective.

Also... I had to share this picture from my hike this morning... 6 am came earlier than usual today but I have to say that I do love being up on that hill!

Tomorrow we are doing yoga once we get to the top... nothing like sun salutations while watching it come up!

anybody out there?!?

Im seeing my stats on how many times my page gets a hit per day and I feel like I am blogging to an empty room again... will everyone do me a favor and comment on this post when you read it?? Just curious as to who is still following. Cmon dont be shy....

Just wanted to update everyone on Kenleys modeling debut.

It could not have gone better... and was very much worth the weekend drive. We were even able to stay an extra day. The whole thing FLEW by as usual but it was so fun. It wasnt AS hard to leave knowing that we will be back in a few weeks...

The shoot was at an old school out in Sebastapol. The school has been closed for YEARS and the desk that Kenley is standing on in her photos is from inside! The lighting was beautiful, the photographer was great, all of the kids were GORGEOUS and Kenley did amazing. It was perfect weather and seriously just so peaceful out there. Kenley got to KEEP her outfit she modeled, we get a free 8 x 10 of the best shot and she will be on display in the Fall 11 spread in their stores in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg!... So excited that we will be up soon and get to check out the displays in person!!!

Beautiful photo isnt it??... I cant wait to share the rest once I get to see them :)

On another note...

 ...as of next week we will have been in Riverside for a YEAR! Thats just crazy to me. I remember thinking how slow it was going at first and now it has FLOWN by.  The first time we came home since the big move was at Thanksgiving. We landed at SFO and I began to ball by eyes out at the first sight of the Golden Gate Bridge... the guy next to me was so confused.... "Im sorry! Im just really homesick!"

Every single time we pull into town I wonder how I ever gather the strength to leave again. I think this time it was knowing we would be back soon but its never easy. Its a GIVEN that I love the time I get to spend with my family when I am home (which I got to do a lot of this trip)... However having the company of my beautiful, accomplished hard-working CARING friends has began to mean so much more to me. I am so serious when I say that I really have began to appreciate that time more. My friends are truly such a blessing from God... and as much I would love to spend every waking moment with them I have just learned to appreciate the time we do have and have something to look foward to the next time. We are each so busy with our own lives but when we do get together its like we never missed a beat.

And just when I think life couldnt get any better... I get to come home to my wonderful husband who had the house clean, a new bed set up in our spare room AND had been working at the golf course the whole time we were gone. When I come back, I get to work at not one but TWO jobs that I absolutely love... (we drove home at 4 am on Tuesday morning so I had enough time to get to Kissui at 1)

Lots of cute new fall stuff at Kissui and cant wait to have my favorite cloth diapers there soon.

Dont forget to tell me you were here.

Love,

J

being hollywood...

This is my first post since making my blog private again so if you are still reading, thanks!

We had a very exciting day yesterday so I (of course) needed to tell my loyal blog readers all about it.

First of all I just wanted to share about my first experience in a live audience. My friend Kaley and I had the pleasure of attended a taping for Chelsea Handler's show Chelsea Lately. It was AMAZING. (Minus the part where we stood outside in line for two hours in the 90 degree heat waiting to get in.... although I would do it again)... She is even funnier and more adorable in person.

More than anything it was SO interesting to see what goes into taping a show like that... we were told WHEN and HOW to laugh... how funny is that??

She was very serious in between takes, read her cards and when she was back on camera she was able to "turn it right back on." ... Needless to say she is very good at what she does.

The funniest part of the whole thing was when she couldnt get the name of Gloria Estafan's new album right. She had to do the same take THREE times and by the third time she was letting some F bombs fly. The lady has zero filter (which she is very famous for)... and I love that about her. Gloria Estafan even said "You are my alter-ego.. You say all the things I am thinking but am too nice to say."

Chelsea's response... "Yeah and then people talk about what a bitch you are and you kind of have to be ok with that!" hahaha.... LOVE HER!!

The other bonus of the taping was an extra guest we didnt know was going to be there whom she did an interview with... James Marsden! (the cutie from 27 Dresses)... he was SO funny and super cute.

After the taping we went to downtown LA and had the ultimate tourism day... I had never seen the Hollywood stars walk of fame!! and it was SOOOOO COOOL!!!!

How lame am I that the hand prints that I freaked out the most over were Jack Lemmons? Kaley goes... "ummm who is that?" hahaah!!!

If you dont know who Jack Lemmon is, thats because he was a star of the 60's... (didnt a do a mention in my previous post about how I was born a couple generations too late?)... anyway, he is the star of my favorite movie since I was about 11 years old... "The Great Race".... a film from 1965.... yes, 1965.
If you have never seen this movie, please do. I cant even describe it properly.

All in all, it was such a fun day... I can think of a couple people who are going to laugh when I say that every day that we are down here I start to like southern California more and more. And I can think of a couple people that would be pretty sad when I say that I could see us staying down here for a while. but who knows?!?...

So speaking of movie stars... our day took an interesting turn when I opened my email to find a very interesting message from a boutique that I had submitted Kenleys photo to.

I have NO idea how it is even possible that I could have somehow birthed a baby model... but Im just going to go with it! haha

I dont really know what to expect that this point and am still a teeny bit hesitant. I dont want to force her into anything and I just hope that they are good with her. I cant put my finger on one specific thing that I am worried about, but hope that it all goes well. More than anything I am just REALLY interested to see what it will be all about... and EXCITED!!


Not only do I get to go home for the weekend but I think this actually might be really fun!! My friends Allie, Kaley and I are going to drive up as soon as I get out of work on Friday and make to Napa by late Friday night.:::girls roadtrip!::::: By the end of today I should find out where and when the shoot is and we will make our way to wherever that ends up being! By Sunday we will be back on the road again to get Kaley home in time for work Monday morning.

It will be a short little, spur of the moment trip home but I am really looking foward to it and am just trying to keep in mind that we will be back up in a couple of weeks!

I will keep everyone posted as to how it goes!

fun mom dot com.

::::yawwwwn::: As much as I am LOVING these 6 am hikes up Mt Rubidoux... it makes for tired afternoons... wait its only 10 am, yes exactly.... I have the wholeeee day ahead of me still and I can check working out off my list. MUST start going to bed earlier and must start taking pictures of all the little creatures we have been seeing.

anyway...

little known fact... I used to be really fun!

okay, I guess thats how you define "fun"... because I wouldnt say Im not fun anymore but the word has definitely taken on a new meaning.

a rare occassion since we have moved down here, I got to be a normal 23-year-old this Wednesday! Gavin and I along with a group of friends went out dancing... SUCH a fun night. There is a line-dancing country bar about 20 minutes from here that does a college night on Wednesdays and my friend Kaley was kind enough to make all the arrangements so that we could go. Her sister Kelsey (who is equally awesome) came to watch Kenley for us... super sweet. Their whole family has been so helpful and generous with Kenley since we have gotten to know them and I definitely trusted having her here.

Kenley, Kaley & Kelsey... thats a lot of "K's"

Thanks again Kelsey!

Its official though.... I cant keep up like I used to. I dont know if you noticed but I managed to slip in there that it was "college night." aka... what a SHOW! use your imagination...

What I discovered on Wednesday: I cant party anymore, I cant keep a beat (but we danced our butts off anyway), and I cant stand some of the music that is out there right now... I say it all the time but I really do think I was born at least two generations too late.

I used to have some decent swagger, I swear.

I might as well have put a post-it on my forehead that said "MOM."...

Someone has stolen my cool and I think I know who it is...