After

Just after enjoying...

An outdoor nativity, which I like better than an indoor one.
Just a little more like a stable.

Before

Don't you hope I hurry and post the "after" picture so you don't have to look at this for very long?

This is why I'm so excited to go to Arizona.

Not the family and friends.

To get my hair done.

Then I can be excited about seeing people.

It hasn't been fixed since my little home dying experiment.

I've got my natural colored roots, then the lighter area below them from the dye that went wrong, and then grey scattered everywhere (it's there I promise).

Cannot wait to get some good hair!

And then I can smile again.

Reason for the Season

You doing this at your house, too? It makes me happy. I love learning new things about the nativity and Jesus' life. I won't say what those new things are, that'd be embarrassing.

Here's the link if you want it.

And here's the long version.

Shauna's Favorite Thing 2008

If I had my own TV show I would give this stuff away.

But I don't so I will give a box of Glad Press'n Seal to whoever posts comment #100.

If you want this real bad you can post all 100 comments yourself. That's totally fine.


Press'n Seal costs a little more than Saran Wrap (which is why it took me so long to try it).

But it's worth it.

This stuff is Heaven.

Saran wrap is the opposite of Heaven.


For some ideas on how to use Press'n Seal you can go to 1000uses.com

I like the lady that uses it to cover a page of her cookbook so she won't get the recipe dirty while cooking. But then again I like getting my recipes dirty so next time I cook I see that little piece of food stuck there and it brings back memories.

The Pillowcase Dress

I've loved these things ever since I saw them in a boutique in NC.

Good thing I had a girl or I would've made Owen & Drew wear one.

Santa Sighting

Caledonia Park

Pacific Grove

Noon on Saturday, December 6


Also spotted there: snow and farm animals
Which don't really go together (do they?) but whatev.

I Wish, I Wish...

...That my family could come for Thanksgiving weekend.

Oh wait, they did!
(good thing I didn't need my wish cause Drew & I couldn't pull that thing apart; Owen & I did and Owen got the longest piece)

Here's how it went:

My parents, Rachel, and Cole drove through the night to get here.

Pretty much first thing Wednesday,
Dad fixed the door to our entertainment center (on a couple hours sleep).

That door the movers broke.

Then when Brent, Errin, Jones, and Derek got here
we went to Lula's Chocolate Factory for our I Love Lucy moment.

Then the aquarium.

Then Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row for dinner.

And then there was Thanksgiving.

Dad was in charge of the turkey.

What, you've never cooked a turkey this way?

Well, it was good.

While it was cooking we went to Lover's Point.

And took lots of pictures.

And Owen got wet and took off his pants.

Chad & Cherisse's family got here after dinner the night before

Then we ate that good turkey picnic style in the front yard.

And ate some more.

And played games.

And looked at ads.


Then the next day...

Shopping.

Clay pigeon shooting (guys).

I got a babysitter so the girls could be tourists.

And ride a surrey.

Babies aren't allowed on surreys
and Mom is honest (that's a compliment)
so we got to take turns hanging with Jones.

Then we sampled clam chowders on Old Fisherman's Wharf to find which one was the best.

I wanted it to be Cafe Fina where Rachael Ray went on $40 a Day but Crabby Jim's won.

Then we took a picture with Bob cause the sign told us to.

And then the guys (minus Derek who flew home early)
met us at Crabby Jim's for the chowder.

And I got fish tacos.

Then Saturday...

Breakfast at First Awakenings (where Rachael Ray did go on $40 a Day)
for amazing peach coconut pancakes.

Then Brent, Errin & Jones said goodbye.

Then the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

Then we ended with Point Lobos.

Which is still amazing.

And a great way to end a weekend that was the best.

I'd be real bummed right now if Christmas wasn't right around the corner.

A Thanksgiving Happy

That's a lot of green beans.

The Thanksgiving prep work has begun.

How did the lady at the commissary yesterday know that I had just ended one of my most unpleasant grocery store trips ever?

I had one full grocery cart. Sally was fussy, needing to eat. Drew was whining for everything in sight.

I left the cart up front so we could take a feeding/time-to-regroup break in the van.

Once there, I realized I didn't have my phone.

Thought it was in the cart with all my groceries.

No.

Oh ya... I dropped it.

Wasn't where I dropped it.

It was at customer service. Phew.

But Sally was still fussy (hadn't eaten yet).

Back to the van.

Got ourselves together...Then back in and just got a 2nd cart...made it through the rest of the store and was checking out both carts with about nothing left in me.

The lady behind me was super nice & patient, not giving me mean looks for my tons of stuff (18 people is a lot to feed) and I was grateful.

Back at the van I handed the guy that bagged groceries his tip (they work for tips only and give you the evil eye if you want to take your own groceries out and avoid the tip) .

It was a bigger tip than normal with my bigger load than normal.

So I was confused when he wouldn't take the money.

Confused.

Then he explained the lady in line behind me had already paid him.

So, so nice.

But really, how did she know?

The Off Season Begins

This picture pretty much sums up the season.

0 wins,

6 total goals (all by the same kid),

and 1 super happy trophy recipient.

How Much Would You Pay to See a Train Wreck?

Worst casting.

The acting...made me think I could be an actress.

Hated Edward.

Was bugged by: Jacob, Eric, Mike, Rosalie, Carlisle, Alice's hair, Jasper, Bella & Esme's baseball hats, Billy's stare-down, the adaptation from book to movie, the timing of when music would come in (so cheesy)...for starters.

Kind of redeemed it: Bella, Charlie, Bella's mom (she was in 24 so that made me like her), Jessica, Alice, Emmett, Victoria, the song they danced to at Prom, and the lights they danced under.

There's something fun about watching such a mess of a movie, though so go see it. Oh wait, you probably already have.

Can you spot the butterflies in this blurry picture?

Closer up

That one tree has around 3,000 monarchs all over it.

Happy Friday!

Because it Took Two Months of My Life

I have to let you know I read this book.

I don't even know if I recommend it or not.

I liked the story line, the time period (10 years of a girl's life from age 14-24 which included WWII), the location (England, Cornwall which I now want to visit), and the ending.

But if it took 2 months to read that means it was too easy to put down.

And it also means I have 3 kids.

Do you do goodreads.com? It's fun to see what people are reading and one more way to waste time online.


And because it was good beach weather yesterday...

Point Lobos in Pictures

see Justin listening to Arabic?

Veteran's Day (11/11)

This place is now at the top of my list.

It's amazing.

I'm already trying to figure out when I can get back there next.

Thanksgiving weekend maybe? Cause we're getting...visitors!

TLA

I'm no good at PDA.

I feel weird putting lovey dovey things on my blog or being mushy in public.

If you've seen us hold hands you are lucky. Seen us kiss? Super lucky (or UNlucky).

We celebrated 8 years yesterday. Our anniversary is the same day as the Marine Corps. Must've been meant to be...you know, Justin & me...Justin & the Marines.

We went to Stokes Bar & Grill and ordered the chef's plate appetizer. The chef chose which 4 tapas to serve. We ignored the anchovy draped across a potato chip, enjoyed the crispy potatoes w/house-made aioli, liked the orange broccoli and asparagus.

But that prosciutto.

Justin I just want you to know, there's nobody else I'd rather gag some extra fatty prosciutto down in front of than you.