tis the season...

i'ts attack of the giant nutcrackers! umm...tell me that a life size nutcracker holding an ax isn't scary.

:)

a few pictures from katie's first trip to disneyland

here are a couple pictures from disneyland...nothing too interesting.


katie playing the piano

haha! you all know i just had to post that! :) katie didn't like the ride too much...she was kinda scared, which is understandable.

the merry-go-round was much more her speed. she especially liked it because she remembered the merry-go-round in her favorite move...mary poppins!

sorry for my lack of update

my internet has been out of commission these last few days...so annoying! but, i'm back! :) aren't you all just so glad!

anyway, this week off has been awesome! i didn't do too much except take advantage of some much needed down time.

also, katie turned 2 today!!!! crazy! we celebrated with the family yesterday and then the four of us took her to disneyland this afternoon. i'll just put up some pictures...i'll do disneyland ones later.

sister picture, how nice. i like how katie is eating bacon...random

hiding in the balloons! :)

i got katie a little bowling set and was trying to show her how to do it, but she prefers just running into the pins to knock them down...hey, whatever works! :)

so many things to be thankful for...

awesome friends and family, freedom to believe and share my faith, a house to live in, food to eat...you know all the things that at first come to mind. as much as i am so grateful to God for those major things in my life that he has blessed me with i think it is also easy to overlook some of the more simple things that we couldn't live without. i mean, each day of life contains something to be thankful for. when i think about so many people all over the world who are just thankful to be alive each day and some of us just worry about stupid little things like getting somewhere on time or passing that test you really need an A on (not that, that isn't important...on the contrary i believe education is very important, just not as important as some other things). but, when it all comes down to it and you take the time to look back on a day and remember all the dumb things you said or did, instead why not look back and think about all the little things that happened in your day that made you smile...getting a hug from a friend or a smile from a stranger, being with people you love and love you, participating in a hobby you like, finishing off a turkey dinner with a delicious slice of pumpkin pie, or maybe just a walk outside in the cool night air where you can look around you and know that there is a God who loves you so incredibly much. that is something to be so thankful for.

thanks to each and every person in my life...i don't know what i would do without any of you. love you all!
hope your thanksgivings were good ones! :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

sorry mr. turkey...not going to happen.

mmmm...i'm thoroughly looking forward to pie and all the other sorts of delectable thanksgiving food!

eat lots and have an awesome day! :)

its been a year already!

one year ago today i started my blog! wow how time flies. in some ways i look back and think "last thanksgiving seems so long ago". so much has changed and happened in just one year. i mean, obviously katie has changed a lot, as little kids do. but, i think i have gone through many changes in a year. i can't really explain it, but i think i just seem different than i did a year ago. i don't know...i'm just rambling. in other ways though it feels like time is going by way to fast. before i know it, it will be next thanksgiving and i don't even want to think about all the crazy stuff that will be happening then! oh well, i won't then. i'll just enjoy the "now" and worry about the future later...does that make sense? :)

hope everyone is enjoying their time off!

it's so nice to just relax...

i did get to do a lot of relaxing today, but i also had an eye doctor appointment because i'm seriously blind! actually no, i'm not, i am just slightly nearsighted. so, today i went to see what they would say i needed. apparently i'm fine except i need glasses for seeing in class and stuff, but other than that i don't need to wear them...sweet! :) i have never worn glasses or contacts and honestly i didn't want to have to wear glasses all the time. if i did have to wear them all the time i probably would have wanted contacts, but lucky for me i don't! they also dilated my eyes while i was there, which made everything fuzzy.
i also took a trip down memory lane today to toy's are us to get something for katie. i can't believe she will be 2 years old on sunday! crazy how time flys!
speaking of shopping...did i tell you all about my amazing find the other day? i went down to 2nd street to look for a birthday present for my friend, but got sidetracked. :) i had been needing a new pair of jeans. i just wanted a really comfortable pair, since my other favorite pair was looking a little worn. i walked into gap and tried on a couple different pairs and then i found some i really really liked. they fit perfectly...didn't need hemming or anything. i look at the price tag. $60.00! not horrible for jeans, but still out of my budget. i turn over the tag and see that they had been marked down to $23.00! how awesome is that! but, just wait...it gets even better. i go to buy them and look in my wallet and lo and behold i have a gap gift card for $25.00!!! my total (with tax) came to $25.97. so basically i got a pair of really comfortable jeans for 97 cents and some one's money! (i can't remember who gave me the gift card, but thanks!) i was pretty excited! :) 'cause i know you all care so much. haha!

anyway...that's all for now! :)

our adventure to santa barbara

so, now that i am fully rested again, i shall give you all a better account of yesterday. julie and i decided to go with ms. admiraal, brittany and alicia out to the CIF individuals tournament. what great supportive people julie and i are! :) well, since we were making the effort of getting up early to get to school by 5:45am (carpinteria track status right there!), we decided we had to do this thing right and go full out. check out our sweet t-shirts. mine said "let's go alicia" on the front and "go brittany on the back" and julie's was the opposite (brittany on the front, alicia on the back) in case you couldn't tell.

lovely shot of my backside...don't ya think?

yeah, we also made signs.

great picture! :)

all the rest of these....just don't ask.

uh, peace!

i think this picture accurately captures my emotion of the moment...haha! guess i didn't get the peace memo

ummm this whole picture is just awkward from top to uh, bottom...if you catch my drift. just tell me why i look like i'm going insane in all of these pictures. :)

i have no clue what brittany and julie are doing, but alicia looks like she is going to kiss me.

oh, look! a normal one and coach is in it. how cute are we? :)

so, brittany and alica both lost first round, but the girls they played were really good. but, twas a fun day! we got to enjoy a lovely morning drive along the beautiful santa barbara coast, which all of us slept through! oh well, i got to see it on the way back so it was all good!

so, now tennis season is officially over minus banquet. fun stuff! :)

no school this week!!!! ah! nine whole days off...feels so good! :)