20100224

Balsamic Vinegar

Sauce on the Side
Today my Mama is coming to visit me! I could go on and on and on about how awesome my Mama is (and probably will at some point) but for today I will just share a few snip-its that illustrate her awesomeness.
This is my Mama and me with Bobby Bowden (best football coach ever) when I was but a young chick-a-dee. Isn't she pretty? Isn't is super cool that my parents took me to all sorts of FSU sporting events as a baby? I think so. Go Noles!
When I was 18 my entire family went to Spain over Christmas break (Mom, Dad, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, 2 cousins and Grandma) it was a once in a lifetime trip, especially because my family is from Spain. We had a splendid time and saw so many unique things. One of my favorite memories from this trip is a gigantic seafood dinner, during which my Mama and I drank a lot of wine and had a grand ole' time. Here we are with sister, Kate, outside the Palace in Madrid.
Another reason my Mama is so splendid is that she is never afraid to be silly with my sister and me. We have dissolved into giggles many a time and I love that! Here we are on Grand Lake a couple summers ago.

My Mama has come to visit me every place i have ever lived (except Italy but I was spending all my parents money planning my wedding...ooops). She is a perfect house guest because she is incredibly laid back. She helps with the cooking and she doesn't mind if the biggest outing I have planned is to Target. Last time she visited me we went to about 5 stores buying and returning baby gates in attempt to puppy-proof my house. Here we are headed to a friend's house for game-night when she visited me in Quantico, VA. (please note that neither Mama or I are big beer drinkers, we prefer somethings sweeter...the beer is Chris')

My Mama has always been supportive of Chris and I. When we were just a young high school couple she would always include him in family events. I think Chris ate dinner at our house 5 nights a week for a few years. She is an ear when I need to vent about married life and a great source of advice on how to calm the waters (she and my amazing Dad have been married 25 years). She kept me sane while I planned my wedding and did a ton of it for me while I lived abroad. Here we are, with Dad, on my wedding day.
So,the moral of the story? My Mama rocks!
Hope you all have a beautiful week, I will be back with an update after my visit with the Mama.

20100218

Please, Don't feed the animals

This week I feel like I have been living in a zoo.

Monday evening I managed to dislocate (and relocate immediately thereafter) my right thumb while trying to properly stow my carry-on luggage in the provided overhead compartments. I spent the first 1o minutes of the flight hunched over in my seat willing myself not to pass out or throw-up, I was dripping sweat and felt all the blood in my face drain to my toes. I am sure I looked like a drug addict. I tried to ask the man next to me if I looked pale (a rhetorical question designed to elicit some assistance) but he skillfully dodged my gaze and spent the next 30 minutes staring dutifully out his window. I tried to explain my predicament calmly to the flight attendant and requested some ice, she looked at me as though I had two heads and handed me a cup full of ice. At this point I could no longer hold back the tears and they slid silently down my cheeks as I sat and wavered between pain in my hand and rage towards an entire plane full of people that had to be aware of my distress but did not offer even a kind word. Where's the flippin' humanity people!?
As you can imagine, having limited use of your thumb is kind of a pain. While I am making it work it did set the mood for this week.


Today I was getting a swiffer duster out of the cabinet at work. As I did so I managed to knock out a box of Q-tips. I scrambled to pick them all up before the girls came over and tried to eat them. I forgot the cabinet was still open and stood up quickly and forcefully. This painful gash was the resulting injury. As I lay on the floor howling, with the girls and dogs looking on bewildered, I could literally hear my Mom in my head, "Jen, you have just GOT to slow down". I hate it when she is right!


Today was a beautiful sunny Arizona day so I packed the girls up in the stroller and we went to the park. It is rare that the playground is empty but today it was and the girls both got to go down the slide on my lap, they enjoyed it immensely and it made me smile to see their reactions. Then we noticed "el creepo" and his lady friend. Apparently the park doubles as a Motel 6 when you are 15. This is what Mckenna thinks of that.
It drove Taylor to drink.

The girls had a picnic, which when you are their age means bottles in a stroller under the shade of a nice tree. Then we took a stroll around the park and saw some turtles and the resident park duck.










All in all it could have been a worse afternoon but I could have done with a little less injury and a little more laughter.

Lucky for me I am going to Bekah and Mike's for dinner and they always make me laugh!

20100217

Cayenne Pepper

Sauce on the Side
This weekend I traveled to Memphis for some much needed time with Kate. Since we are grown-ups now we don't to see each other nearly enough.
We jumped right into a gab fest, which I am sure you are glad you avoided. It is possible that the only person who talks faster than I do is Kate and so listening to us catch up can be relatively frightening for the average speaker. Fear not. We are trained professionals.
Some highlights of the trip include....Eating Thai food, watching a season and a half of HIMYM on DVD, drinking wine, having sushi and seeing Valentine's Day.
We drank mass amounts of coffee and enjoyed a Mayan Coffee at Cafe Eclectic which featured Mayan Chocolate and cayenne pepper for a little heat.

We joked about our new found obsession with taking photos of everything, in case we need to blog about it.
Mainly we just enjoyed hanging out and talking about everything. If you have a sister than you know how amazing they are. If you don't have a sister, I am sorry but you can't have mine!


Also, here is a picture of my man on his boat...notice how close to the edge he is...I am fairly certain he did that just to make me nervous!

20100211

Butter and Lemon

Sauce on the Side
I love lobster. Every year my family would do a lobster dinner and everyone got their own lobster. Mom would melt butter, juice lemons and cook corn on the cob as a side. We would feast like royalty and enjoy every messy moment. These were always good family memories. They always ended with my sister and I playing with our lobster claws.
This weekend I get to go visit my little sister at college. It is her last semester there so I guess she is not so little any more. We don't get to see each other nearly enough but when we do there is always tons of laughter, silly accents, too much food and at least a few Gilmore Girl's quotes. With Chris away there is no-one on earth I would rather spend Valentine's Day with.
Chipmunk, will you be my Valentine?

So, there you have it- this weeks sauce and this lame bloggers only post. Please enjoy your weekend and I promise next week I won't be so blog-lazy!

20100203

Ranch

Sauce on the Side
The girls are both teething so moments where both of them are smiling and laughing are a little harder to elicit. Taylor found this bowl in the kitchen cupboards and thought it was the best thing ever. Mckenna loves to be tickled, it is hilarious.
Remember sitting on the back patio and watching the sunset over dinner? And then sitting out there until I was shivering and the whole bottle of wine was gone? I miss that. We live in a postcard and right now it says "I wish you were here". I was in the closet getting dressed the other day when the camera charger fell out of the outlet and scared the heck out of me. Sadly, it also broke my green earring dish that I got at the awesome antique store. Tear.
Yesterday I came home to find the sweetest surprise from you. White and red and pink lilies, beautiful. I can't wait until they all bloom. I can't wait until you are home.
Today the dentist filled 3 cavities in my naughty sugar loving mouth. It only took him an hour, thank goodness. I hate sitting there with my mouth open and my tongue drying out whilst the dentist tries to ask me questions that I cannot feasibly answer. It only took a few hours for the Novocaine to wear off but I had to sport the numb lip smile for a while. Koda has started a small tunnel system in the backyard. She is proud. I am livid. No amount of chicken wire can stop her. Grrrr.

I hope you have a saucy week!