Great Birthday

So I'm still not sure about this whole turning thirty thing. I woke up this morning feeling no different than I did yesterday. Maybe it takes awhile to sink in? But, I do know that it was a great birthday!

Jason had been planning a surprise for my birthday and didn't tell me where we were going. It turns out that he had made reservations for us at The Melting Pot. I have really been wanting to try it for quite a while so I was totally excited that he chose to take me there! And I was totally impressed by the fact that he actually made reservations (which is pretty much a must) - he always makes me make reservations for us when necessary. And not only did he make the reservations, but he did some research on their website so he already had in mind what we would order. The menu is a tad bit overwhelming so I am happy that he had already looked it over! We ended up getting the "Big Night Out" which is a four course meal. Oh, it was so yummy! We picked the Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue for our cheese course. It was so heavenly - I could have eaten just that over and over! Jason had the Spinach Mushroom salad and I had the California Salad. My salad was really good - but next time I'm ordering the one Jason had. For our main course we selected the Fondue Fusion which included two of my favorite things - lobster and Filet Mignon. The dessert was out of this world - dark chocolate, marshmallow, and crushed Oreo's. To. Die. For. Good!

He also got me an awesome present - a Disneyland pass. We had them before for a few years, but didn't renew them when I was pregnant with Dillon. I have been begging him for one again because it's so perfect to go now since Dillon is free. So, now it gives me the perfect place to take him when we just need to get out of the house - we tend to go stir crazy being home. I want to go today (right now it's actually two thirty in the morning - I think I drank too much iced tea at dinner because I can't sleep) because I am so excited! I guess that thirty year old's can still have fun after all!

So, like I said: Fantastic birthday - yummy food, cool gift and being thirty doesn't totally suck! Now if I could just get some sleep...

Captain Dillon

I was taking some pictures of Dillon for the invitations for his second birthday. I love how they turned out...

Ariel

One of my favorite movies growing up was The Little Mermaid. Today I am feeling a bit like Ariel, The Little Mermaid. I have lost my voice. Not completely, like Ariel did, but what's left is squeaky. Hopefully, it will hurry back...

Jack

Dillon has, for the first time, started wanting to bring toys to bed with him. He's really cute about it - asking for his stuffed toy by name. He has plenty to choose from: a couple of Elmo's and multiple monkeys. Lions and tigers and bears - oh, my. Stuffed frogs, a giraffe and even a cute penguin. Of all the toys that he has, what does he want to bring with him?

yup, Jack Skellington. He is such his Daddy's son!

Seven Fun Facts

This was going around awhile ago on the other blogs I read and I considered myself tagged. So, here you go - Here is a list of seven things you might not know about me... and if you haven't already done this and want to do it, then consider yourself tagged, too...

1. I love Crate & Barrel. It is one of my very favorite places to spend my money. In fact, I love it so much that I keep an ongoing gift registry. I know what you're thinking: What a weirdo. But, it's perfect for Jason (or anyone else who has the need) to shop for me and I am usually the one shopping off of it anyway. I love the fact that I've already chosen what I would like to have and then I can shop off my list because even with my list in hand I can spend over an hour browsing and eventually picking out what I want.

2. For a period of over a year (probably closer to two years) I only bought my clothes at the Gap. Crazy, I know.

3. I never considered myself artistic and always used to joke that I could only draw stick figures. But, in college, I took require set painting class and my final required a huge painting. And I discovered that if I set my mind on it, I could actually accomplish it.

not totally great - but much better than I ever thought possible

So, when I wanted to have jungle animals painted on Dillon's wall for his nursery - and not wanting to shell out big buck for a professional - I said to myself, "self, you can do this" and do it I did - and seven months huge... err... I mean pregnant at that. I get filled with pride now that Dillon is noticing his surroundings and makes monkey noises at the monkey on his wall or says "chomp, chomp" at the alligator.

4. Ghosts fascinate me. I love to watch Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and A Haunting, just to name a few. When I was younger I was always checking out books from the library on ghosts and would spend hours reading them. I'm not sure that I would ever want to come face to face with a ghost - I think that it would be totally freaky!

5. I am a Target snob. I love that store. I could never live somewhere where there was not a Target nearby. I shop there at least once a week. I cringe when I have to go to Wal-mart - I hate it there. I am so happy that there are three Targets that are a ten minute or less drive away.

6. I'm not much of a drinker and don't like beer. So, on the occasion that I do drink, I usually have a glass of wine or shots of Patron Silver or Jameson.

7. I always return my shopping cart to either the front of the store or to a cart coral. I usually park near a cart return spot. I get so annoyed when I see shopping carts left where ever - especially when someone only has to take a few extra steps to put it back.

Jump!

Dillon loves jumping in his bed. In fact, most days when I go to get him up from his nap, he is jumping. He also finds great pleasure in shutting the door. (make sure your speakers are on before watching the videos)

Birthday Blues

My birthday is rapidly approaching. Next Thursday - a week from today to be exact. Normally, I love celebrating my birthday, but this year is different. This year I leave my twenties and turn thirty. Yikes! Thirty sounds so old. Really, it's not, but at the same time - it is!

I loved my twenties. So many great and wonderful things happened. I met Jason at twenty, got engaged at twenty-two and married at twenty-three. We bought our first house shortly after I turned twenty-five and we welcomed Dillon into the world when I was twenty-eight. I'm not saying that everything in my twenties was all rosy and peachy-keen, there were quite a few low points, but overall, it was great.

Now I sit here, with thirty knocking on my door and I wonder what God has in store for me over the next decade. And, truth be told, I welcome it. But I feel this sadness of having to move on - like now' I suddenly have to grow up - like I can no longer be the way that I am (which at times I feel like I'm sixteen and I like to be immature). I feel like there was more that I wanted to accomplish in my twenties that I will now have to do in my thirties.

I've always heard that age is just a number and I'm sure that next Friday I will believe that. I also bet that turning thirty will be no different than turning twenty-nine or twenty-five or even twenty. But still, I will be slowly counting down the days until the "big day."

My Latest Creation

My father-in-law plays golf every week. So, for his seventieth birthday, I decided to make golf themed cupcakes. The cupcakes were white cupcakes filled with chocolate pudding and chocolate cupcakes filled with banana cream pudding. I made mini golf balls out white fondant and pin flags out of blue and red fondant. I used the different colored flags to mark which cupcakes which flavors. I whipped up a batch of butter cream frosting that I tinted green for my grass.

To make the flags, first I used a cookie cutter to cut out a star in my fondant.

Next, I used a butter knife to make the stars into five diamond shapes. I then wrapped the short end of the diamond around a lollipop stick.

After the flags hardened a bit, I used a Wilton fondant writer to put the numbers on the flags.

Unhappy Valentine's Day

The day started out great and was fine right up until I burned my hand. I stupidly - out of habit - grabbed the handle of the pan. Normally, it doesn't get hot - it has a silicone handle - but I cooked with it in the oven - a three-hundred-seventy-five degree oven. Ouch! After that, the steak got over cooked because I was distracted by the pain in my hand. Jason had to help me finish cooking everything else and he was nice enough to do the dishes after dinner... until the sink drain started leaking.

The day wasn't entirely a bust: Jason surprised me with a dozen red roses and chocolate covered strawberries (which went great with the cheesecake I picked up for dessert). The table looked great. The dinner was tasty - even with the overcooked steak.

So far today looks better than yesterday... The plumber just left and luckily the leak was covered under the warranty. And, my hand only has blisters in three spots - last night I was thinking my whole hand would be covered.

Happy Valentine's Day

A few years back, Jason and I started a Valentine's Day tradition. Tired of going out and dealing with the crowded restaurants, I decided that I would make us a fancier than usual dinner. The dinner menu is always a surprise to Jason and always something new. Last year we had fondue, the year before that it was a braised roast and homemade french onion soup. This Valentine's Day we are feasting on salad, prosciutto wrapped scallops, filet mignon with mushrooms and sauce pinot noir plus we are having mashed potatoes and green beans. I have not decided on a dessert yet - I'm hoping inspiration strikes when I head to the store in a few.

What are some traditions everyone else has?

I Do

I saw this on a few blogs and thought it was cute and perfect for Valentine's Day...

How long have you been together? Almost nine years

How old is he? Thirty-two

Who eats more? Usually Jason does

Who said I love you first? Jason

Who is taller? Jason – by about a foot

Who sings better? Me. I love to sing – but he plays the guitar like a pro

Who is smarter? In general I would have to say me. But he does have areas where his intelligence kicks my butt.

Who does the laundry? Usually me, but if he gets impatient waiting for his clothes to be done, he’ll do it himself

Who does the dishes? Both of us do, but thankfully we also have a dishwasher that does most of the work.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Looking at the bed from the foot, Jason does

Who pays the bills? We have bills? Oh, that’s right, Jason pays them.

Who mows the lawn? Our gardener does.

Who cooks dinner? Chef Rachel… but we do eat out a few times a week.

Who drives when you are together? I hate to drive, so I am lucky that Jason is usually willing to be my chauffer.

Who is more stubborn? Me. Hands down.

Who kissed who first? It was kind of a mutual thing – but I would have to say Jason really made the first move

Who asked who out? Jason asked me out – he’s so cute!

Who proposed? Jason did. He proposed at Island’s Restaurant in Brea – it’s where we went on our very first date

Who is more sensitive? I’m the crier – I cry at everything!

Who has more friends? Jason. I am mostly friendless

Who has more siblings? Jason has three. I have one. But I also have three step-brothers.

Who wears the pants in the family? Jason. But technically, he wears the shorts because he rarely wears pants.

Be Still My Heart

Today I told Dillon that I loved him and he said I love you back. Well, it was really more like "I whoa woo," but, still... Oh, my heart melts!

Today I Am Thankful...

that Crayola crayons and markers are non-toxic. Lately, they seem to be one of Dillon's favorite snacks. The last few times that we have gone out to eat and he has been given crayons, after he colors for a bit, he takes a bite. And yesterday while I was making dinner - he bit the ends off of two of his Color Wonder markers. Oh, what am I going to do with boy?

Duck, Duck, Goose!

This afternoon we took Dillon to the park to feed the ducks. It's something that I remember doing as a little girl, so it was really neat to take him. And we even took him to the same park that my mom took me to.

He was so cute - and fearless - feeding the ducks. He would pick out his victim the duck he wanted to feed and then chase after it before finally throwing the duck something to munch on. Even the big geese - the ones as tall as him - didn't faze him!

Boo Boos and Bubbles