Playing Catch Up

I know, I know, I have been neglecting the blog again... :(  I'd blame it on busyness, but the whole world is busy.  Honestly, I just haven't made it a priority - that, and it seriously bugs me to have tons of unread posts in my Google Reader, so I've been trying to catch up on those in my free time instead of writing my own posts.  I'm thinking I may be following too many blogs to keep up with this pace.  Anyway... back to the point of this post.  Here is what I've been up to lately:

After recuperating from our adventure in New York,  we rescheduled our Woo family birthday celebration.  Complete with burgers, presents, and Eclair cake, Jadie and I felt very celebrated and loved.  I love just getting to hang out with my family like that.  We played with my new iPad and laughed til we cried over hilarious Ellen Degeneres' YouTube videos.  I also got to give Jadie the present I've been working on - Sewing Project #2!  I was so excited to finally give it to her.  :) I hope she loved it.

That weekend, Doad and I headed to Vermont for another family adventure.  We stayed at a quaint little Bed & Breakfast and enjoyed a Smith family reunion at our fun out-of-town wedding.

The next week was quite full as well.  On Tuesday we met with our buyer's agent for the first time.  So exciting!  :)  She was so awesome and answered all our questions.  Then she gave us some homework to do until we meet with her agan to go look at some houses.  I can't wait!

Thursday night, my  mom, sister, and I went wedding dress shopping with Lauren and her other bridesmaids.  Talk about a girls night!  There were about ten of us there and it was so fun and special to be there to help her find her perfect dress.  It is beautiful and fits her style so perfectly.

Our weekend was just as busy.  We spent Friday night celebrating with Joel and Lauren at their engagement party.  Then I got up bright and early on Saturday to do hair for a wedding.  Four hours, five updos, and 10,000 bobby pins later I headed back home to get myself cleaned up for my own Smith family birthday bash.  :) We broke out our cornhole boards (finally!), pulled out our Dominican rum (did anyone even drink it??), fired up our tiny, baby grill, and had a blast! 

The Cuteness was there in his finest, cuteness form.  He enjoyed watching our fishies swim in their tank, taking one bite of every chip in the bowl and then handing it off to grandma, and petting the "hop hop" (our bunny, Ava) ever so gently.  He also played a duet with me on our piano.  Couldn't you just eat him up?? 

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The family also surprised me with a brand new sewing machine!  I had told Doad that I would like to find an old $10 one on Craigslist so that I wouldn't have to pack everything up and monopolize mom's kitchen everytime I wanted to sew.  Imagine my surprise to open up this little gem! It is amazing and SOOOO much nicer than the ones I was looking at.  I love it!  I have been sewing away already and can't wait for my next post to show you all my sewing projects that I've been working on.  I feel super spoiled and blessed with such a generous, thoughtful family.  :)  Thank you, thank you, thank you, family!!! :)

So that's what I've been up to lately.  It's been a pretty full couple of weeks if I do say so myself.  And this weekend is no different.  We are off to Ohio tonight for another out-of-town wedding!  (Hopefully I will take more pictures this time! )

 I hope you all have been enjoying the end of your summer days.  I gotta say I'm looking forward to boots and scarves and pretty fall leaves.

The Time I Got Stranded in New York

Another overdue post.  *sigh*  I'm just having too many adventures to keep up with lately.  So let's dive right in, shall we?  ;)

A couple of weekends ago, my brother, Joel, asked Doad and I if we would go on a special trip with him and his girlfriend, Lauren.  They wanted to spend the day in NYC (and Joel wanted to propose!) so we decided to go with them (and help Joel out).  ;)

We got up early on a Saturday morning and were on the road by 8AM.  There was even a beautiful rainbow wishing us well as we started off.  I think we got to the city around noon after searching for parking and all that fun stuff.  

We spent the afternoon shopping (LOVED this shirt!), 

eating delicious pizza, 

and wandering ALL over (from Central Park to Macy's and back - don't ask me WHY we didn't take the Subway, I still have no idea).  

One of the things Joel really wanted to do was get some cool night shots of the cityscape once it got dark.  (This is where he wanted to propose too.)  Obviously, you can't be IN the city if you're trying to take pictures of the city.  Joel didn't really know where to go so I tried to find out some of the best places to get these shots and most of them suggested that you go across the Brooklyn Bridge where there was this park.  

So we went back to the parking garage to pick up Joel's car and drive across the bridge.  We found a parking spot on the street, fed the meter, and raced off to get some awesome pictures before our hour was up on the meter.  This turned out to be a way longer/complicated process than we planned.  It involved a lot of hiking, Doad racing to refill our meter before we got towed, and lots of stalling til Joel could find the perfect spot to propose. 

Proposals are hard work!

Thankfully, we finally got it right, he popped the question, and she said "yes"!  :)  

All was happy and right with the world.  And as we scurried to get back to the car before the meter ran out again, all I could think of was how nice it will be to crash into bed in a few hours after all the walking and running around we did today.  

And this is where the story really begins....

It is now 10:00PM in the jolly little city of Brooklyn... and our car won't start.  Won't even make a noise.  Nothing.  

WHAT?!?!?!

So Joel calls home to try to get dad's AAA information and see if we can get some help.  Keep in mind that we have been roaming the city all day, texting and instagram-ing, so our phones are all on low battery or dead.  Meanwhile, Doad and I are praying that some nice person will stop and give us a jump.  And poor Lauren is just dying to call and tell her family the biggest news ever... and also to let them know we're stuck in New York.  Some seriously nice man stops and offers to help us jump the car.  We hook up the cables, charge it for a second, and then turn the key.  Still nothing.  :(

So now Joel is calling AAA and telling them we think it's the alternator, blah blah blah.  They tell us they're sending someone out and he will check the battery for us and if it won't start they'll tow it for us.  Ok, yay... 

An hour and a half later (a little after midnight), AAA dude comes driving along - not in a tow truck, but in a van.  A van!  Where is the tow truck??  Well, apparently all the tow truck drivers have gone home for the night...  So he checks the battery, tells us it's dead (um, duh!), and charges it up for us.  The car starts on the first try.  And then as soon as he unhooks the cables, it goes out like a light.  :(  He then proceeds to tell us that we've got a bad alternator (thank you, that's what we told you on the phone!)  

No tow trucks will be able to help us for another 2-3 hours.  Well, we are not about to hang out on the streets of Brooklyn for another 3 hours.  So we decide to leave the car there (thanking God that they don't tow cars in that area on Sundays) and walk to a hotel... 1.5 miles away.  Again, what were we thinking not taking the Subway!?!?  

We stop for a quick bit at a McDonald's since the last thing we ate was the pizza at noon and then we finally find a hotel with vacancies around 2AM.  

Four hours later, we wake up so Joel can call AAA again and ask for a tow and try to figure out where he can get serviced on a Sunday.  They tell him to wait until 9 when sears opens and see if they can fix it.  (Secretly, I'm hoping they can't so we can just rent a car and get home and worry about the car later, like after sleep and fresh clothes and real food - I know, I'm a horrible sister).  

But as luck would have it, they can fix it and they promise to do it in a two hour time frame.  Pardon my french, but Sears is full of $#!*.  

We waited there for four hours before they even started working on our car.  

Lauren finally broke down and started crying which got the manager to come out... He then proceeded to tell us that it was our fault the car hadn't been worked on yet because we should have come to him hours ago... excuse me?  And told you what exactly?  That you lied to us?  That you need to fire some people in your shop for taking a three hour lunch break?  That you should do your job and manage your employees?  

I'm so glad he didn't stick around 'cause I definitely had some words for him that would have gotten me in trouble.  :/  Fifteen minutes later the car was ready to go.  So pissed and so happy all at the same time.  Happy that it was ready and we could finally get out of there.  Pissed that we could have seriously been home already if he had done that when we first got there. 

So we left New York around 4:30PM.  What should have taken us 3-4 hours MAX to get home turned into 6 hours thanks to the rush-hour/weekend traffic we hit.  I blame the mechanics for that - I think they timed it that way on purpose.  I also blame them for making me miss my own birthday party with my family.  :(  And for missing the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.  And for global warming.  JK, but they made me mad.

Doad and I came back smelling like cavemen, and needing another weekend all over again, haha. But, I'd venture to say it was a successful trip for Joel and that's what matters.  He came back with a fiancee and a new alternator and battery for his car...sorta  (It died on him a few days later and he had to replace again - have I mentioned that I don't like Sears?)  But we are ever so happy for Joel and Lauren and can't wait to see what the future holds in store for them.  Love you two!!

The One About My Birthday

Yay! Finally a day to myself to reminisce and share about my birthday!  :)  

The week started out wonderfully with my sweet husband leaving me little surprises to wake up to every morning.  :)  He is so thoughtful.  These flowers were my first surprise gift.

As horrible as I am with houseplants, I have actually managed to keep this one alive and healthy looking so far.  :)  Maybe it will make it to my 24th birthday!

Ok, so a little back-story before I get to the present.  I have been bugging Doad for months about wanting an iPad for my birthday.  We share one laptop and technically it's "his".  He bought a Macbook before we were married, but I am definitely more attached to electronics than he is so I had basically adopted it. He he.  

Sharing one computer has been working out fine, but since I started selling Avon and blogging this year, I think my computer usage has increased quite a bit.  Along with Facebook and personal email, I now also use it to place orders, to advertise and email customers, to blog, to read blogs, etc.  So I've been dropping shameless hints about how having an iPad would allow us to both be able to do what we want online at the same time.  

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Most of these hints carried an equal weight of seriousness and silliness.  I knew we were on a budget and that an iPad is a pretty pricey birthday gift for our family.  So I was kind of just enjoying giving him a hard time. :-p  As much as I hoped to join the "cool kid club" on my birthday and finally own an Apple product of my own, (I don't even have an iPod...sad, right?)  I wasn't expecting to get one at all.  In fact, I had been trying to save up cash from several haircuts and colors I had recently done so that I could put it towards one later this year.  

Well the night before my birthday, Doad hid a gift under the pillows on our bed.  And you guessed it... it was an iPad! :)  Isn't he the best ever?! :)  He knew I had work off the next day and wanted me to be able to play around with it on my actual birthday so he gave it to me a night early.  So thoughtful. :)  

I spent the next day at my family's house.  Mom made a delicious breakfast and we just spent time relaxing and catching up.  My siblings enjoyed the iPad and convinced me to download a couple of games for us all to play on it.  :)  Then I went home to get ready for evening celebrations with Doad.

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He took me to one of my favorite places, The Cheesecake Factory! :)  Yum!!!  Then we went to the movies and laughed it up with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones.  So funny.  But SOOO awkward! lol.

I forgot to take pictures of our delicious food.  Or of ourselves at all... lame, I know. :(  But I did remember the cheesecake which really is all that's important, right?

DEE-licious!

We got back home and I think my favorite part of the whole day was just being able to fall asleep in Doad's arms.  I get to do this every night, but I will never stop being grateful for it.  I truly do feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Doad.  He is my best friend and and the best person I know.  He loves me more than I ever thought a person could love someone and I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate with him.  It was a wonderful birthday spent with my husband and sweet family.  I am a lucky girl, indeed! :)

I'm Still Alive!

Holy Cow!!!! Two weeks since I've posted??? Where have I been!!!

Well,  it all started with my birthday.  Which kept me super busy and hvaing lots of fun and I just decided I wanted to enjoy it and be in the moment and write about it a couple of days later.... I am still planning to do a separate post on it if I ever get my act together.  ;)

Then it really went downhill that weekend on a spontaneous day trip to New York that turned into a whole weekend trip when our car broke down.  Yes, I DEFINITELY want to tell you about that too.  I'm just procrastinating now...

After we finally got home from New York, I decided to take a few [more] days and relax and catch up on lost sleep and all that before writing.  My body decided that wasn't enough time and got all sick on me so I would have to rest some more. 

Anyways, I'm feeling mostly better now and just wanted to let my nine 13(!!!) sweet readers know that I am still alive and kicking and totally planning some interesting posts about my adventures the past couple of weeks.  :)  Thanks for stickin' with me! 

Hope you all are having a great week!

To My Little Jadie Girl,

Jade,

It seems like just a few years ago that I fell asleep in mom and dad's bed so I could be the first one they woke up when they came home from the hospital with you.

You were born two days before my 13th birthday and somehow that made you a little more "mine".

 I couldn't wait to meet you.  And, Lord have mercy, you were adorable.  And small.  I remember shopping with dad for Preemie outfits for you because you were so small - despite being born well after your due date.

 I was kinda proud that I got to pick out some of the first outfits you could actually wear.

I was proud of everything about you.  I was proud of how brave you were when you got asthma at 4 months old.  I was proud that you loved to lay on my legs and hang out with me while I did my school work.  When you let me "do" your "hair" and take funny pictures of you. ;)  And when you loved girly stuff like magazines and make-up even as a baby.

And I'm still so proud to be your big sister.  I'm proud of the way you like to imitate me and make funny faces with me.  How you look up to me.  And how you steal everyone's heart the moment they meet you.  :)  Including our whole family:

:) See?  You just fit right in.

Although, I'm pretty sure that we will never be able to fit all seven of us on one couch again. ;)  Gosh, we were tiny....


And now?  Well, now you're really growing up.  You are becoming such a sweet, smart, beautiful girl. You're adventurous, and fun-loving, and a great friend to your buddies.

You're not at all afraid to laugh at yourself (see pic above...) and be goofy.  But you also have the kindest heart too.  You're thoughtful, artistic, creative, spunky, witty, and generous.  You give some of the best birthday presents.  You're an expert on stalling at bedtime. ;)   You design the best outfits in your fashion design notebook.  You're a beautiful dancer.  You were the perfect flower girl in our wedding.  You give awesome hugs.  And I just wanted to let you know how much I love you.  

You are so special to me and I'm so glad to be your sister.  I hope this birthday was the best one yet.  I'm glad we get to celebrate together. :)

Happy birthday, Poopsie! ;)  Enjoy the double digits.