JoLee's Life As A Wife

The Peterson's

2009-09-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

I was sooo excited to have my best buddy come and visit. And, not only was Shelly coming, but Justin (her husband) and Jaimeson (her adorable baby) were coming to visit as well! Shelly was supposed to come earlier this year but a last minute emergency caused for cancellation! I was definitely overdue for some bonding time with my friend. The trip did not disappoint, we had a great time!

They arrived super late on Friday night so we just headed home and went to bed. On Saturday we got up early to head into Beverly Hills for the boys (Jeff and Justin) to play in a flag football tournament. It was pretty commical. Jeff and Justin both played football at Willamette University and let's just say - boy, we are all getting old. Jeff is still complaining about his bad back and knee. While the boys were getting warmed up at the field Shelly, Jaimeson and I headed over to The Grove for a little shopping and to pick up some lunch. We were definitely on celebrity watch but no luck! Following the football festivities (our boys were champs by the way) we headed back to our place to relax and cook up some burgers on the BBQ. After dinner, Jaimeson went to bed and we started up a "friendly" game of poker. I thought it was all fun and games but after Shelly bullied me into going all in on a hand that I NEVER should have, resulting in me to lose half my stack, I decided it was time to get serious. About an hour later I proceeded to finish off everyone at the poker table - "I never lose!"

Sunday was our beach day. We headed over to Zuma, our favorite beach and got all settled in. This is a picture of Jaimeson and I on the beach. He didn't know what to think of that sand at first but after a few minutes he was all about it, loved it. He even picked up a couple girls while there! Jaimeson was in CA for two days and made more friends than I have in two years - ha! It was adorble. We finished off the weekend with Sushi at one of our favorite places and then introduced the Peterson's to Rock Band. OMG - Justin was addicted! I wouldn't be surprised if the Peterson's went home and bought it. I love introducing people to that game and I love it even more when they love it as much as I do! On the way to the airport I swung the Peterson's by our new house which we were supposed to close on that week and then we made a stop at Smooch (the Kardashians baby store) and were very disappointed. Nothing cute and anything that was cute was SOOO expensive. I was really sad that they all had to leave, but it was so nice to have my best friend and her family share a weekend with my little family during my Life As A Wife.

So Much Has Happened

2009-09-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

I might as well be fired as a blogger. I suck!

Honestly, life has been a little crazy.

I am so excited to share all that has been happening recently during my Life As A Wife.

Giveaways

2009-08-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

So one of the things that my expert blogger friend has introduced me to is the world of blog giveaways. If you visit her blog, The Stationary Place, and simply comment on her blog you are entered to win a free gift! They are really cute journals!

As usual, I am behind on my blogging - so more to come from me regarding my Life As A Wife.

I Bought A House

2009-07-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well almost...still in escrow, but HOW EXCITING!!!!

Jeff and I had been talking about buying a house since before we moved to Southern California. The plan was to get me down here, get a job and then buy a house that we would move into once we got married. Well, we thank the Lord everyday that "our plan" did not go as planned. At the time, interest rates were at about 6.8% and that was a good rate, and home prices were at an all-time high. Now, just over a year later, interest rates have dropped to an all-time low as have housing prices. If we would have bought two years ago we would be upside down in a home that we were paying an arm and a leg for. Needless to say, for some reason, Jeff and I decided two years ago that we were not quite ready to buy and we stopped looking.

When we filed our taxes this year we were told by numerous individuals (accountants, friends, family, etc.) that we really needed to purchase a home in order to have a tax write off. We started to listen. On top of that, the federal government announced an offer for a $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers and the state of California announced and offer for a $10,000 tax credit for a purchase of a brand new home. We started to realize it was a horrible idea NOT to buy a house. When Jeff's parents were visiting in May we thought it would be fun to drive around the area and pop into a few open houses. Never did we think we would stumble across a home that we would actually buy!!! But, we did! The stars aligned and we found the perfect home. After thinking about it for over a month we finally decided that it was time to put in an offer - that day happened to be June 22nd. For anyone that knows me, you know that my two alltime favorite numbers are 6 and 22. It couldn't be mere coincidence that I was writing up an offer on a home for the first time in my life on 06.22. Anyway, after about a month of back and forth with the seller we finally heard word this week that they accepted our offer! We entered into escrow on 07.22 (22 again, what are the chances??) and if all goes as planned we will have keys in hand on August 21!

Here are some pictures of our brand new home!!!

The outside...

The kitchen...

The fireplace in the living room...

The dining room...

The guest bathroom...

The master bathroom...

The master bedroom...

The view...

Keep us in your prayers that all goes well. I can't wait to become a home owner during my Life As A Wife.

Whidbey Island

2009-07-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Following our 4th of July in Warrenton, Jeff and I took the train up to Mukilteo, Washington to catch a ferry boat over to Whidbey Island. Jeff's mom's family has had a cabin on the island since the 60's and Jeff and I were so excited to get up there to spend time with his family, relax on the island and have a little fun on the Puget Sound. It turned out to be just what we needed - an escape from the "real" world filled with evenings sitting around the campfire, time on the boat, walking along the beach searching for the perfect shell, laying out in the extremely rare Washington sunshine, crabbing, fishing, berry picking, adventures on ferry boats over to the San Juan Islands (and yes, we took every opportunity available to sing "I'm on a boat!"), and more importantly time with our family and each other without life's normal distractions.

It is such a nostalgic place to be as so many generations in Jeff's family have enjoyed the Whidbey Island cabin. Jan (Jeff's Mom)'s grandparents were the original owners, they used to vacation there with their children and eventually passed the cabin along to Jan's mom. Jan's mom and dad are both still alive and they, along with their four children, now own the cabin. For Jan to have experienced this cabin as a child and now to be here with her own children, their wives, and her own grandchildren it must be such a special place for her. It is special to me and I don't have even a unth of the history that she has with it. Who knows, maybe someday that same cabin will continue to experience more and more generations to come.

Following the week at the cabin we headed into Seattle for Jeff's cousin's wedding. It was the perfect end to a relaxing week vacation. The ceremony was beautiful and as it should, reminded me of not too long ago when Jeff and I were the ones standing up there reciting our vows. The reception was then held at the EMP - Experience Music Project - and it was really cool! There reception was set up right next to a small tribute that was set up for the late Michael Jackson - this is his infamous glove! I just had to take a picture. All together, our trip to Warrenton followed by Whidbey Island was just what the doctor ordered for Jeff and I to spend a little time together, slow down the pace of life a little and take a break to stop and smell the roses. I absolutely cherish these moments and the memories made like this during my Life As A Wife.

Clam Digging On An Americana 4th of July

2009-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I grew up on the Oregon Coast. While growing up I never realized that there are things you can do there that you don't get to do really anywhere else. I just assumed the rest of the world was similar to the small little bubble I lived in. Over the years since I have left Warrenton, I have really enjoyed getting to bring friends, espeically Jeff, to town and let them experience a little bit of what my life was like growing up. So, I was really excited when it worked out for Jeff and I to spend the 4th of July in Warrenton this year, he never had actually been in Warrenton for the 4th.

We started out the day by waking up at 4:45 am to go clam digging. It was an absolutely beautiful morning on the coast, relatively warm and barely a breeze, extremely rare! We had a blast. My mom, her husband, my dad, Jeff and I arrived to the beach and set out to dig us some razor clams. We had a blast and had 5 full limits within 30 minutes of arriving. After that, we headed back to my moms and had ourselves a big clam bake - mmm, so good. You just can't get good razor clams at a restaurant, my mom makes them better than anyone! After that we walked down to the fire department/city hall for free burgers! Free burgers!!! and then prepared to watch the big Warrenton 4th of July parade. This is a BIG event in Warrenton. Every year, all of the county fire trucks line up, the Astoria clowns (which includes many distinguished individuals from throughout the county), a few local organizations, local dignitaries and some random locals who decide to put together floats and parade through Main Street of downtown Warrenton (if there really is such a thing). It is a blast and one of the few parades that still lets you throw candy - lots of candy. I have been in that parade myself more times that I can count and it was so much fun to fly in from my very different life in Los Angeles to see the hokey little Warrenton parade - experiencing true community and everything the 4th of July should represent. It was Americana at its best. The above picture is my niece Riley and some of her friends riding their dirt bikes/ATVs in the parade and to the right is my mom's husband with his awesome Chevy in the parade.

After that, we spent the evening at my Uncle Bubbas, played some yard games, ate some amazing food and watched his extremely illegal fireworks show. What better than family, traditions, community, good food and fireworks on the 4th of July - oh, and Smokey the Bear. And more than anything, I loved sharing the experience with Jeff during my Life As A Wife.

Hoopfest 2009

2009-07-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Every year since he was in 2nd grade, Jeff has partaken in Spokane, Washington's annual Hoopfest. The first summer we were dating, I was in Alaska during the tournament and I assumed it was just a little 3-on-3 basketball tournament - similar to the ones in the church parking lot growing up. Little did I know, Hoopfest was beyond big! Jeff and his buddies have played together for years. There passion for the event has grown from being 8 years old trying to have enough strength to get the ball high enough to have a chance at going in, to progressing to junior high/high school where the competition was tough and losing was not an option, to now - 26 years old, hoping you are sober enough to play and trying to have the funniest costume in hopes that the local TV station and/or newspaper might swing by their court and they can get their 15 seconds of fame.

In all seriousness though, this tournament is absolutely amazing! They completely shut down the streets throughout the entire downtown area of Spokane and set up over 400 half courts. There are over 27,000 participants ranging in ages from 7 to well, let's just say old. And, supposedly it brings in over $42 million in revenue to the local area. It's pretty phenomenal and Jeff was so lucky to have grown up experiencing something like this. Actually, the feeling I get being there is similar to the feeling that I get when I watch a marathon - seeing people devote so much to a sport and seeing people come together from all walks of life, income levels, stages in life, etc. for something as enjoyable as this. It is such a testament of community. It's pretty inspiring (as you can see from this picture, Jeff and Jeremy were inspired to take a nap).

Anyway, Jeff and I headed up to Spokane for the festivities again this year and it did not disappoint. We had a blast catching up with all of Jeff's high school friends. And, the boys decided it would be a good idea to wear sleeping bags in the 90 degree weather as their uniforms - seriously, they wore this! It was hillarious! For the first time, this year I started thinking about the possibility of some day watching my own children play in the annual Spokane Hoopfest. Maybe we would even have a family team, ha! I love getting to make these memories that will last a lifetime and think about the possibilities of the future during my Life As A Wife.

Ten Years...Really?

2009-07-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

My ten year reunion took place about a month ago. On the day I graduated high school I started thinking about my ten year reunion. Romy & Michele's High School Reunion had come out just a couple years before that and how could one not fantasize about what it would one day be like. Would I be the one that had to show up and make up lies about what I had done the past ten years? "I invented Post-Its." - HA! Would I be married? Would I have children? Where would I live? Graduating from high school was an exciting time in a teenagers life and your ten year reunion seemed to offer some sort of future gauging mechanism for what would be in the years to come.

A few other girls from my class and I took it upon ourselves to start the planning. At first, I was just as gung-ho about the whole thing as I had been on graduation day. But, as the planning went on, and the majority of our class showed such apathy toward the whole thing, it got me thinking, "maybe this wasn't going to be as cool as I had always thought it would be. And, why didn't anyone care? Should I even go?"

The planning progressed and it wasn't until about two weeks out from the festivities that I finally said, "ok, we are going. I don't want to ever look back and think I wished I would have went to my reunion." Overall it ended up being a great time. It was absolutely wonderful to see some people I hadn't seen in years. The strange thing was that for the most part, everyone seemed to still be the same person - looked the same, acted the same, still got made fun of for the same old things, etc. - but for some reason, those "same people" that had been inseparable ten years prior, were now nearly complete strangers. How did that happen?

I am from a small town, so the majority of my graduating class was with me on my first day of kindergarten (a few even with me for preschool). We were all friends over the years. But were we all just friends because we had been since we were 5 - we didn't know anything else or more specifically, anyONE else? It isn't until you are separated from them and go your different ways that you start to realize that although you love those people and they will always be a part of your life, you will come across other individuals throughout life's path that you will find a connection with unlike anything you had ever experienced previously. You become friends with these new people because you "choose" them to be your friend, not merely because you had known them since you were 5. I have extremely fond memories of growing up in Warrenton, Oregon and I absolutely adore each and every one of the special people that helped me to become the person that I am today. I miss many of those people and there are even parts of me that sometimes wish I would have done things a little differently in order to keep those people in my life more over the years. And, there are certain friends that I have been fortunate enough to reconnect with in the past few years - thanks to the wonders of the world wide web I have a great means to communicate and stay in touch even though we are thousands of miles apart.

All in all, I have to say that I am really glad that I attended my reunion and more importantly, I am extremely proud of Warrenton High School's class of 1999. Each and every person that I was able to catch up with at my reunion seems happy and whatever it is they are all doing, they are trying to be the best at it. Be it a stay at home mom, a nurse (Sammy that is your shout out), a teacher, a mechanic or still trying to find there way, I am sincerely proud to know each and every one of those people and so thankful for all of the memories we made together and shared over the years. I also have to admit that the hubs - who's high school was bigger than our college - got a complete kick out of my little small town reunion. I love being able to share exciting milestones such as this with my husband during my Life As A Wife.

Slacker...

2009-07-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker. I am over a month behind on blogs now. I can't even believe it. Lots of things to catch you all up on...stories coming soon :)

June And Fourf

2009-06-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

June 4th, or for those that knew me when I was 3 - June and fourf, was my birthday. Jeff had been asking me what I wanted for a while and (in the spirit of wanting to experience all that Southern California has to offer) I told him I either wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo or Sea World. On the night of my birthday the hubs cooked me a great dinner - halibut, my favorite. And, bought me cupcakes from this cute little Cupcakery in Thousand Oaks. We had a great night celebrating together and when I opened my present from him it was a print out of pictures of the San Diego Zoo, a Hilton hotel and the Padres Stadium - we were heading to San Diego for a weekend-o-fun!

We drove straight from TO to the Zoo on the Saturday morning after my birthday. I hadn't been to a zoo in years - actually I can't remember the last time I went - and the San Diego one is world famous so I was extremely excited! My favorite was the monkeys, they are just so cute. As much fun as the zoo was, I have determined that the zoo is one of the best forms of birth control one could ever imagine. That place was full of screaming children, impatient and mean parents (treating their children like dogs - "sit," "stay" and walking them around on leashes), and strollers everywhere that kept running into us! Definitely no children for us anytime soon! Here are some pictures from the zoo... (notice the Bearcat - go Bearcats! - and the aragatang up against the window, he loved the little kids!)

We left the zoo to check into our hotel, the brand new Hilton on the waterfront in San Diego. When we were checking in I noticed the girl as the front desk looked extremely familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it how I knew her. When we walked up to her I noticed that her name tag said her name was Katie and that she was from Seattle, WA. That gave me a frame of reference and it suddenly hit me, she was the little sister of one of my friends from college. I had only met her once - over 6 years ago at my friends wedding - but she remembered me as well. Lucky for us, she hooked us up with an upgrade to a corner suite, paid for our parking and gave us VIP vouchers for breakfast at Starbucks. Nice! That night we hit up the Gaslamp area of San Diego for dinner and then headed to the Padres game. It was a great weekend, a wonderful celebration of my birthday and a happy little staycation with the hubby during my Life As A Wife.

A Visit From The In-Laws

2009-06-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

For some, the thought of this would be harrowing. But for me, I love my in-laws and was super excited when they decided to come visit us. The trip turned into a 4x celebration of Happy Mother's Day to Jan, Happy Birthday to Jeff, Happy Birthday to JoLee and Happy Father's Day to Mike - all of which were happening within a few weeks of when they came to visit. They also instructed us not to try to pack too much in - last time they were down we didn't sit still for even a second. So, we tried to keep this weekend a little lower key.

On Saturday, we had decided on evening plans to dine at Nobu for our 4X celebration. For anyone that reads Us Weekly or any of those other trashy magazines you will know that Nobu is quite the hot spot for celebrities. And, being that the location is actually in Malibu, just heading to that city you are sure to spot some famous people. They also have amazing sushi!!! Yah to Jan for trying sushimi and sake for the first time. Anyway, when we first arrived there were paparazzi strolling around the area as if they were waiting for someone - someone had to be coming! We even asked one of the professional photographers to snap this photo of the four of us in front of Nobu (not many people can say they have had their picture taken by a paparazzi - suffice it to say it was with our camera, but oh well, still cool if you ask me!). When we sat down Mike noticed someone of recognition at the table next to us - Rob Reiner. He isn't anyone I would have recognized but once I looked him up online I realized I had seen a ton of his work.

Now for the best part!!! On the way out of the restaurant we walked out the door and noticed a car mysteriously parked right in front of the restaurant in the middle of the parking lot (not in a spot). There was a TMZ camera man filming it and talking about what it was - that TMZ link is a link to the actual video that guy was shooting while we were standing there!!!! At the very beginning of the video you can see Jan and I standing in the background and then at about 30 seconds into the video you can see Jeff and Mike standing in the background. Hilarious!!!! While we were standing there trying to figure out what was going on I could overhear the cameraman say, "...here we have Cloris Leachman's car, she thought Nobu had valet so she just stopped her car, left the keys and headed into the restaurant." How random? Jan and I were immediately excited and decided we needed to see her! We went back into Nobu, telling the hostess that we needed to use the restroom again and made a loop. We were on our way back out when we suddenly spotted her sitting with a family. We obviously didn't want to bother her so we just had our personal moment and left. When we came back out to her car a man was getting in and the camera man was drilling him about who he was (he is the bald guy walking out with her at the end of the video). They asked if he was her personal valet and he said, "no, I am just dating her daughter so I am lucky enough to park her car too." It was hilarious.

Anyway, on Sunday we headed to church, ate a huge lunch and then decided it would be fun to drive around and look at houses for sale in the neighborhood. We came across this one brand new house that we all fell in love with...isn't it cute! We are not sure if we are quite ready for a home purchase but seeing this place made us realize that there are definitely homes out there that are within our price range and worth a little more investigation. A huge thank you to Jan and Mike for coming to see us, taking us to dinner to see celebrities and urging us to look at homes in our area. Who knows, I might just become a home owner during my Life As A Wife.

Happy Happy Birthday To Jeffrey

2009-06-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jeff's birthday was May 19th (that gives you a better idea of just how far behind I am on these blogs). He didn't want to do anything too exciting for his birthday so we decided on a low key evening the actual night of his special day, and then a little weekend staycation to further celebrate. I had planned out a great feast to cook for Jeff on his birthday, making him his all-time favorite food - lobster. I purchased everything and was ready to go. That morning I got a call from my friend - she had tickets to the American Idol finale and wanted me to go with her...that night. I was thrilled for her but I was completely torn - it was my husband's birthday, could I really ditch him on his birthday so that I could go and do something totally amazing? I opted to turn down the tickets and cook Jeff that amazing meal instead. He appreciated it, and looking back (although I still kick myself) I am really glad I made the choice to spend his special day with him.

That weekend we decided to head out to Pismo Beach and explore the area including San Lois Obispo. Neither of us had really spent time there and thought it would be a great little weekend get away. We had a blast. We stayed at a complete dive of a hotel - the Quality Inn - and spent our time shopping, eating, winetasting and riding ATVs. It was amazing, an absolute blast. Kind of funny too, on our way out to the dunes to rent our ATVs I talked to my dad and he asked if Jeff and I had ever rode ATVs together and asked who was a better rider. My dad also said, that I better kick Jeff's butt! Needless to say, Jeff was impressed with my skills and during the one and only race we had that day I passed the finish line at least a football field in length before him! There are not many thigns I can beat him at so I have to brag about this one for a while!

On our last night there we decided to eat at the Cracked Crab. It was amazing and definitely worth the two hour wait! We ordered the Big Bucket For Two in which they cook everything all together and then come and dump it directly onto your table. It was fun and the food was great - growing up with a father as a commercial fisherman I am pretty picky when it comes to seafood, this was good stuff! Jeff and I ate way more than we should of but we didn't care, we were on vacation. The fun times and sacrifices I make to celebrate my hubby's birthday during my Life As A Wife.

I Am Sew LA

2009-06-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

My husband has always thought that the greatest benefit of having a Mormon friend was that you always had a built in designated driver (we love Skipper for that, he has been clutch on multiple occasions). For me, I love having a Mormon friend for she has brought out the inner-craftiness in me. I always had it in me (I mean I enjoy it and I am decent at craft projects), but I just needed a reason to bring it out. Recently, my coworkers (which includes my crafty Mormon friend) talked me into taking a sewing class, the name of the place - Sew LA (cute, right?). Growing up my grandma was an extremely talented seamstress and she made all of my Halloween costumes - Rainbow Bright, Space Girl, Belly Dancer and more. She taught my mom and I think my mom would have also been an amazing seamstress had it been more hip to sew. About the time my mom was coming into her own with the sewing world, I think the craft was starting to diminish. You could by things cheaper at the store and I was reaching an age where wearing things that your mom made you was pretty much not cool.

On top of me being too young when my grandma was sewing and my mom not picking up the art during my prime, about the time I was in Junior High is when they eliminated home economics from the schedule as an unnecessary course. So needless to say, I didn't really have anyone to teach me to sew. Fascinated with the activity, I became addicted to the sewing TV shows (especially the quilting ones) that were popping up on the DIY Network and HGTV. So, between my obsession to watch other people sew, my recently found Mormon-friend-inspired-inner-craftiness and a desire to want to spend more time with my girl friends, I signed up for the Machine Intro sewing class. During the course learned how to operate a sewing machine, all the necessary tools one would need to begin sewing and we practiced how to do a straight line. After we had down all of the basics we then proceeded to actually make our own little bags!

Mine turned out decent and I was extremely proud of my little bag - it could have been a little better (we all know how big of a perfectionist I am) but it was a valient first effort. I was so excited I told my mom about it and she actually ended up giving me money for my birthday to purchase my very own sewing machine. I haven't purchased it yet, but friends and family of my life, be prepared to start recieving handmade gifts during my Life As A Wife.

It's Been A While

2009-06-16T21:07:00.002-07:00

I know, I know...I am a slacker. All 5 of the people that actually read my blog have been on me for the past month about needing to update my blog. I owe you guys all a few blogs...here they come :)

Around The House

2009-05-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

We moved into Green Lea (that's the street we live on) over a year ago. Actually, we moved in the weekend we returned from our honeymoon. When we first moved in I was extremely motivated to decorate and make this place our home. By the time everything was moved in and the necessities were in place I was worn out. The last thing I wanted to do was make more work for myself. Over the past year I have slowly started to decorate and really make Green Lea feel like it's ours. Being typical newlyweds, most of the decor around this place includes our wedding pictures. Jeff actually said the other day, "JoLee, let's not put up any more pictures of us, ok." But, I feel like we paid a lot of money for that photographer, we just need to get our money's worth and actually use the pictures.

Anyway, in an effort to try and decorate with something other than pictures of ourselves I have worked on a few other decorating projects around the house. Since we are on the topic of the wedding, the first item is actually my bouquet. I saved my bouquet but by the time it dried out and made the flight down to Southern California it was pretty pitiful looking. I decided to shadow box it - see picture above. I took an actual picture of the bouquet from my wedding day and then took some of the flowers that were left and hot glued them around. The ribbon behind is actually the ribbon that wrapped the stems. Who knows, maybe some day I will have a daughter and she can wrap her wedding bouquet with that same ribbon. The other thing I decided I needed to do was get some funky throw pillows for our couches. Our couches are hand me downs from my mom. I love these couches. They are quite possibly the most comfortable couches ever (at least they were in their prime) but unfortunately they are purple. Who has purple couches? I do! After about two hours in Pier 1 I finally settled on these. Please note that these were picked out exactly one week from returning from South Africa - which probably helps you better understand my inspiration. They actually match our throw rug perfectly too.

Finally, back to the shelf hanging incident in which I left four gaping holes in the wall. Well, the hubs returned and like a pro hung that shelf and made my little African animal frame collage come to life. Didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned it but I should just be thankful that it has now been up on the wall for about a month and has not fallen down. I am really starting to enjoy decorating my house to make it a home. Many more projects to come during my Life As A Wife.

Dirty Dancing

2009-05-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I love to dance. It is quite possibly the one thing that has a 100% success rate of taking me from a bad to an exceptional mood. Just something about making my body move to the music has the power to always put a smile on my face. Naturally, as a girl who loves to dance, Dirty Dancing was one of my all-time favorite movies - it's like Dancing with the Stars for the average person, with a love story attached (what could be better, right?). The other night a commercial came on TV that Dirty Dancing, the Broadway musical was coming to Hollywood. I thought to myself, "I have to see that," but I figured I could never talk Jeff into going with me so it was probably unlikely that I would get to. Not but a week later my boss sent out an email that she had two tickets to see Dirty Dancing and unfortunately, due to a last minute work event, was unable to attend. I immediately threw the idea Jeff's way and to my surprise he said yes! I knew he really did not want to go, but was sacrificing for me. What a guy!

I was sure to let Jeff plan out the rest of the day. We hit up Pinks Hot Dog stand in Hollywood before the show. As you know, I am still on my vegetarian kick so I ended up standing in line for over an hour for a side of french fries. But that hour was totally worth it for Jeff - he claims it was the best hot dog he has ever had. After that we barely made it to the show on time. Our seats were great and I was so excited to be there. From the opening number to the closing bows I was enamored the entire time. I used to love being on stage and performing. Watching other people do it gives me that same thrill, excitement and those butterflies in my tummy. The show was just like the movie with a few extra songs - it didn't disappoint.

After the show we had a nice dinner at the Geisha House. It has a really cool atmosphere and the sushi was great (despite being a vegetarian, I do have a little fish when at sushi restaurants - guess that makes me a pescatarian). I have been telling my friends and family recently that I feel like I need to take advantage of Los Angeles and all that it has to offer a bit more. My Dirty Dancing, Pinks Hot Dog, Geisha House day definitely helped me take in some of the sights around. And, it definitely motivated me to do more things like this during my Life As A Wife.

I'm Married To A Thirteen Year Old

2009-05-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

I grew up in a household full of boys - more specifically, boys that loved toys. Between the three of them they were into everything and had all the cool toys. Remote control cars, dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATVs, go-karts, skateboards, boats, jet skis, trucks, snowboards...you name it, they had it. And, to this day, they still love their toys. My oldest brother (at 37) still hits up the skate park, rides a dirt bike and more, and my youngest brother is still picking up new hobbies like kite boarding. I am used to boys and their toys.

When my husband starting talking about wanting to get a skateboard a few months ago I kind of chuckled but I understood. The chuckle came from the sheer irony of my husband purchasing a skate board. He works as a business consultant in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, he wears a collared shirt and a tie to work, and he typically is telling high level executives in their mid-50's how to run their businesses. The thought of him going from professional by day to skateboarder by night just made me giggle a bit. Finally, last weekend we went to make the big purchase. It was an early birthday present and let me tell you, he was thrilled! It was so cute to see my big burly man revert to the little boy that he once was. To see him so excited over a skateboard - picking out the board, the trucks, the wheels...so cute!

That night we hit up the parking lot across the street from our house. I had seen Jeff on a board before but only briefly. Watching him "shred" (ha, did I really just say that) and do some tricks was adorable. He was so proud of himself and I was so proud of him as well - I felt like a groupy! I think a part of me even reverted a little back to my teenage years - not a care in the world watching my guy show off for me. It is so nice to have a man in your life, a man that is not afraid to be a boy every once in a while. Jeff's skateboard, and his inner thirteen year old, brought out the kid in me during my Life As A Wife.

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

2009-05-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Look ma, I learned me some big words! Ha, just kidding. No, I am not just throwing big words out there for the fun of it. Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, more commonly referred to as ITP, is actually a disease. A disease that I have recently been diagnosed with. Now, don't you worry, I am ok and I am going to be okay, it's just something I have to monitor and live with for the rest of my life, but honestly, I am okay. Here's the scoop.

About a year ago I went in for an annual check up with a new doctor, due to the move to California. As my new primary physician, my doc decided to check out everything. The results of my blood work showed that I had a low platelet count. In short, platelets are responsible for helping blood to clot. The fact that I have a low platelet count means that my blood, should I begin to bleed, would not clot and therefore it would be difficult to stop the bleeding and/or I could be bleeding internally and not know it. When my results came back, my doctor was somewhat confused. Typically if a person has a low platelet count they also have another irregular number, i.e., a low white blood cell count combined with a low platelet count is typical of leukemia. I didn't have any other irregularities so my doctor referred me to a hematologist - a blood specialist. Just so you know, a normal person has a platelet count somewhere between 150,000 and 450,000 (pretty big range if you ask me), and my platelet count seems to be hovering somewhere between 40,000 to 60,000.

I have now been working with a hematologist for about 6 months. I have been checking my blood count regularly, weekly, and have absolutely ruled out anything and everything that this disease could be - so the good news is that I don't have cancer, leukemia, hepatitis nor a slew of other horrible diseases. So, yah for that! ITP is my diagnosis. As a treatment, I was put on prednisone, which is a form of a corticosteroid. Typically, while on that medication, a person's blood count shoots up quite a bit. Mine did nothing - but I did suffer the side effects of being on that medication: weight gain, puffy face, not being able to sleep, headaches, sore joints...and the list goes on.

For those of you that do not know, the I in ITP - idiopathic - means "of no known cause." In other words, they, meaning the "medical world," know what is going on (I have a low number of platelets) but they do not know why. They can only try to figure out what is making my platelet count low, but they will never know why. To do so, they to try and determine if A) my body is not making enough platelets, or if B) my body is making enough platelets but something in my body is attacking them - typically antibodies (are you starting to feel like you are in a science class again?). In order to determine if either A or B is the case for me it is recommended that I get a bone marrow examination - which I hear is quite painful and yucky all around. I will keep you posted on those results.

I apologize for all of the fancy words and the overall long story. This is something I have been meaning to share for quite some time, but was kind of hoping it would all just go away. There truly is not a cure for ITP, all one can do is monitor their platelet count numbers - which involves going to the lab on a weekly basis to get blood drawn - and try to find a medication that will increase your count should it fall to a life threatening level, under 20,000. It is frustrating and definitely a change for me - I have been healthy as a horse since the day I was born. But, I know that I am beyond thankful to have my husband by my side each and every step of the way through these new changes during my Life As A Wife.

I Can Keep Up With The Kardashians

2009-05-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Not really, but I tried too last weekend. Jeff and I wanted to have a low-key weekend. We had both been in Reno the weekend before and we were expecting visitors this weekend, so we thought it would be nice to just lay low and not spend a lot of money. On Friday evening we were discussing options for the night and we threw out either renting a movie or going to a movie. Then out of nowhere I said, "how about we try not to spend any money all weekend" (obviously this part of the story has nothing to do with the Kardashians, them not spend money for a whole weekend, ha ya right!). Jeff thought that the plan was a great idea though and he accepted the challenge.

Saturday morning we woke up and sat around being lazy and wouldn't you know it - we found a "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" marathon running on the E! Channel. About 3 episodes into that Jeff had enough. But, the marathon inspired us to go for a drive into Calabasas and try to find the house of the Kardashians - as well as other random celebs that live in Calabasas (Britney, Denise Richards, etc.). While we were driving in the fabulous city of celebs we, I mean I, decided to check out Dash - the little boutique that the Kardashian sisters own. This is a picture of me outside of the boutique. Honestly, not that impressed. The store actually was a little bit dumpy. Nothing in there was all that fabulous. And, the girl working there looked like it was "the morning after, walk of shame" if you know what I mean - bed head, strange tossed together outfit, the whole nine yards! When I first walked in I thought she was a homeless person who had stumbled in and I was waiting for someone to kick her out - ok, not really...I made that part up, but she was pretty bad and I definitely thought she looked extremely out of place.

Obviously I didn't buy anything A) because it was our weekend of not spending money, and B) because the only cute thing in that store was a dress and it was $1,500!!!!! Are you kidding me? It will take a little time before I can truly keep up with the Kardashians during my Life As A Wife.

Adventures In Thousand Oaks

2009-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

I meant to tell this story quite some time ago, but Reno happened and the entire idea got away from me - that was until right now! Here goes...

Jeff and I finally filed our taxes on April 12th. We actually did our taxes before we went to South Africa, back in January. But, in doing our taxes we came to realize we owed the government money! Who wants to file your taxes early when you owe money? The only reason to file early is to get that big fat return. Anyway, onto our adventures in Thousand Oaks. In celebration of filing our taxes we decided to have a little date night and go watch I Love You, Man. The movie wasn't until late so we started our date night at home by playing domino's and having a couple drinks. Our couple drinks turned into making an entire bottle of wine and a forty disappear before our eyes. When it came time to head to the movies neither one of us could drive. So I suggested we walk! The theater is just across the highway from us! Jeff Google mapped it and turns out it was 1.8 miles - we could totally walk that! We headed off. Along the way, Jeff said "if you weren't with me I could totally shave off some time by jumping over this fence instead of walking around this building." As you know, I am quite competitive so I said, "what? I can totally jump over that fence." After three failed attempts, lots of laughs and finally a push by my hubby I finally made it over that fence (see picture below - guess I put on a few pounds since the last time I tried to jump a fence)! Too funny. Anyway, we made it to the movie and it was hilarious!

Oh, but the adventure doesn't stop there. We decided we weren't ready to head home for the night after the movie so we made a little pit stop at a local bar. I promise you, Jeff and I were the only people in that bar wearing hooded sweatshirts and I was definitely the only person in the bar wearing Uggs. We actually almost thought they weren't going to let us in because we looked so sloppy - but really, we were in Thousand Oaks, anything goes. We had a drink and did a little dancing - all the girls in their cute little dresses and tank tops were looking at me on the dance floor like I was crazy! It was a total blast.

Again, you might think that our night stopped there, but no. After that we decided we were hungry and wouldn't you know it, there is a Denny's on our way home. We popped into Denny's thinking that the place would be filled with other people just like us - leaving the bar at 1:00 am and looking for a little filler before they headed home, but no. Not this night! Denny's at 1:00 am in Thousand Oaks was filled with families. Yes, families - grandmas, grandpas, parents and children. At first we were a little baffled but then we realized that the next day was Easter! They were all there coming back from Midnight Mass. Overall it was quite possibly one of the most impromptu and one of the funnest nights of my Life As A Wife.

The Best Parking Spot

2009-04-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

As I was leaving the gym this morning I was walking through the parking lot and a car seriously started stalking me. It wasn't the creepy kind of stalking, it was the "I want your parking spot" kind of stalking. As soon as it started happening it made me chuckle, it reminded me of something that has always, and will always, make me laugh. Growing up I always remember my mom driving around the parking lot at the grocery store, the mall, anywhere we went, looking for the best parking spot. When I say best, I mean closest. Now, this seems to be a normal occurrence for most people. We all do it - I even do it - we spend 10 minutes driving around the parking lot looking for a close space. I understand, we want to be close (just like at a concert, the front row is the best) and we all figure it saves on time and it saves on walking distance by being closer. The thing that always cracked me up was this:

A) by the time you drive around the parking lot for 10 minutes looking for the perfect spot and then sit there waiting for someone to pull out, you could have already parked in the first available spot you saw, been in the store, got what you wanted and been back in your car to head home.

B) my mom, much like the gym-goer "parking lot stalking" me this morning, goes on 10 mile walks and works out! Why would walking those extra 20 yards into the grocery store be such a horrible thing?

Anyway, just wanted to share this random thought about parking lots and searching for the best parking spot. Just another day of "too much time on my hands" during my Life As A Wife.

Foreigner - They Rocked

2009-04-24T16:14:00.001-07:00

While we were in Reno we were researching some things to do - entertainment for the evenings - and my brother found out that Foreigner was playing at our hotel - I had no clue who Foreigner was but my family said they were a band from the '70s. I listened to the oldies so I figured I must know at least one of their songs. Unfortunately, due to the late notice, we were only able to get 6 tickets and there were 8 of us. Thinking that I didn't have a clue who this band was I told my family I didn't care if I went. We all struggled over who would go and then finally, Dennis and Katie decided they wanted to stay with the kids and the rest of us would go. Let me tell you, I was so glad I went!

From the second they hit the stage I realized I totally not only knew who they were, but I knew ALL of their songs! Too funny. However, those that know me well know that I am one of those people that can sing along to all of the lyrics of nearly every song but I could never tell you the name of the song or the name of the band / singer. It's a gift really - HA! Anyway, the band was rocking and they totally gave 110% to their performance. The crowd was filled with middle aged women who were screaming, dancing, getting told to get down off of their chairs, getting told by security that they couldn't rush the stage, and altogether totally out of control. It was hilarious. Another thing that was hilarious was the fact that a majority of the band was still original. The best member was this old guitarist - how old is this guy, seriously?? He has to be in his 70s. P.S. yes I took both of these pictures, shows you how close I was to the stage - awesome!

Anyway, the concert was awesome and we had great seats - second row! It was a total blast. There are not many concerts that you can go to with your parents and you both enjoy the music. I am really glad I got to experience Foreigner live - and, I learned who sings all those great songs, Cold As Ice, Feels Like The First Time, Hot Blooded, Double Vision, Dirty White Boy, Head Games...and the list goes on. Going to concerts of bands I don't know, but then realizing I actually do know them - not the first time during my Life As A Wife.

Crazy People In The City

2009-04-24T16:00:00.001-07:00

I work in downtown Los Angeles. A part of me thinks it is absolutely amazing that I work in downtown LA. Sometimes as I am walking to the office I look up and the tall buildings around me and I think, "wow, a small town girl from Warrenton, Oregon made it to the city." Totally corny, I know, but at the same time I still think it's pretty darn awesome. To my point. Along with being in a huge city like this comes crazy people. I actually park underneath a park in the middle of the city. And along with parks, I am sure you can only imagine, come homeless crazy people. Most of them are innocent and mind their own business. I actually am rarely approached by them and barely ever even see them asking for handouts. However, yesterday I had a run in with one of those crazy people. A man, looking clean and normally dressed came up to me and started chatting. By the looks of him I thought he was a normal guy, but a few seconds into our conversation I realized he was crazy. Here is how the conversation went:

Him: "It was sprinkling a few minutes ago..."
Me: "What?" (I was a bit startled that some stranger was talking to me and I wasn't exactly sure what he said)
Him: "It was sprinkling a few minutes ago...you missed it."
Me: "Oh, I know, I had some drops on my windshield while I was driving in" (at this point I thought he was a normal guy).
Him: "Don't mess with my daddy, don't mess with my daddy."
Me: staring at him in utter bewilderment...
Him: "Ya, I made that up."
Me: "huh?"
Him: "You want to know what else I made up?"
Me: blank stare...and beginning to walk slowly in hopes that he will walk past me and it will all go away.
Him: "If I was on, I would do a fawn."
Me: came to a complete stop and let him walk past, looking around to see if anyone else heard this crazy man talking about doing a fawn.
Him: again he repeated, "If I was on, I would do a fawn...ha ha ha, I made that up..."
Me: thankful that the signal ahead of us changed to walk so I wouldn't be in his range again.

Yes, crazy people! I was just totally blown away. The guy looked normal - who would have known that he was crazy. As I was walking into the office I told myself, "no matter how normal anyone looks, I am never talking to a stranger again!" On my drive home I told my hubby about the strange encounter. Of course he said, "JoLee, you need to be careful walking downtown." So sweet to have someone worrying about me during my Life As A Wife.

The Biggest Little City in the World

2009-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

I hadn't seen my family, other than my mom and her husband, since Thanksgiving. That is a long time! So, we all decided to meet up in Reno for a little family reunion. Now, one might wonder why would a family meet up in Reno of all places? That is a great question. Well, the answer is. My dad has a little bit of a gambling habit and the Peppermill in Reno likes it when he comes to visit. They like it so much that they are willing to pay for our entire family's flights, give us rooms for free, and pay for our food, drinks and spa services while we are there. My dad always gets the Safari Adventure Suite too. It is an over the top room complete with a life-size stuffed rhino, an elephant head over the 10 person hot tub in the middle of the living room, 5 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, two bars and a pool table.

Needless to say, we had an absolutely amazing time! The first night I stayed up until 4 am. I can't remember the last time I stayed up until 4 am. I hit up the arcades with the little ones and showed off my skills on Dance, Dance Revolution - I am really bad! And then gambled for a bit. I ended that night up $200. Not too bad. Then at 3 am I was starving so we ordered some omelets! It was a blast. Day two we laid by the pool and took advantage of the beautiful new spa. And that night some of us hit up the Foreigner concert. That will be a blog all its own! After that more time at the arcade with the little ones and more time at the tables in the casino. Sunday was spent also by the pool, I have the red sun burn to prove it, and then a little more time at the tables. That is when I lost the $200 I had won on night one.

My favorite part about the trip was the mornings. Every morning we would all gather in my dad's room, sit in the hot tub and order breakfast via room service. It was so nice to have everyone together, in one place, without distractions and just catching up about life. The funniest part about the whole trip was that Jeff was also in Reno, but on a different vacation. He was on a "mancation" with his buddies! Hilarious. Taking separate vacations to the same city, just another day in my Life As A Wife.

Giveaway

2009-04-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Lyndsey - the one who actually talked me into starting a blog - is doing a giveaway on her Stationary blog. If you are interested in winning some FREE cards you should click on her blog and leave a comment. That's all you have to do to win.

http://the-stationery-place.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-giveaway.html

Also, to all my friends out there. I sincerely apologize that I have been horrible about blogging lately. I have a ton of things to write about now so look for some additional posts this week!

Speaking of DIY

2009-04-10T20:02:00.001-07:00

After we came back from South Africa I decided that I needed to make a photo collage of all of the pictures we took of the beautiful African animals. My inspiration for this was from something I saw in a Pottery Barn catalog. I have included a sample so you can get the idea - doesn't it look awesome? So sophisticated.

Anyway, so I bought the frames - found them for $4 each at Target (LOVE that store) and I printed out the pictures at Costco. Next, I needed a shelf to put them on. Found that at Target as well for $9.99. Did I mention that I love Target? The next step was putting it all together. I wasn't even slightly nervous to hang up the shelf I bought. My entire life I have always been the DIY type. I put together my own Barbie dream house, I built numerous bookshelves and other miscellaneous furniture over the years, I built a headboard and I have even hung numerous other shelves in my day - I would consider myself pretty handy. That was until this shelf hanging session went awry. See picture. I used the cheap molly screw that they gave me with the shelf. It went into the dry wall super easy and I was so proud of myself. I put in the screws and I was all set to hang the shelf. The second I put the shelf of up the molly screws pushed all the way through the wall and poof, they disappeared into the darkness. What the heck? How did that happen? I did everything right. I thought, it must have been that it was just cheap hardware - I knew I had some more in my handy tool kit in the garage so I decided to try again. Again, got my molly screws in, put in the screw and go to hang the shelf and wallah....dang it...IT HAPPENED AGAIN. So now I have a wall with 4, count them 4, gaping holes in it and no shelf and cool photo collage to speak of.

I gave up. Jeff is out of town and I decided to just leave it as is and wait for his "man-pinion" about the situation. He is probably going to laugh at me. I am laughing at me. Guess I didn't pay close enough attention to all those DIY shows on TLC and HGTV during my Life As A Wife.

Some Things You Shouldn't DIY, Or Should You???

2009-04-10T15:18:00.001-07:00

I am all about doing it yourself. I watch shows on TLC and HGTV like they are going out of style. And, I seriously can't wait to purchase a house so that I can start putting to use all those years of DIY techniques I have learned. In the meantime (as Jeff and I won't be purchasing a house anytime soon), I have taken the liberty to figure out other things I can DIY.

Between my recent craftiness and my recent urge to spend less and save more, I decided I was going to color my own hair. The first time I ever attempted to DIY with my hair was when I was in 7th grade and I stole my brothers bottle (ha, yes my brothers) of sun-in. He was blonde and a few shots of that spray did wonders for him. Well, in my brunette hair it ended up looking orange. Yuck. It was so bad that when my brothers friend, who is a hair dresser, saw me she said, "JoLee, you should come in and see me, I can help you." She became my hairdresser from then on, and even when I lived in Salem and Portland I would still drive 2 hours for a visit with my hairdresser back home. My hair was special. I always had highlights and I only let her get anywhere close to it with scissors. That was until recently. Now that I live in Southern California, making it to Oregon to visit the hairdresser was becoming a little difficult. So, I decided that I could do it myself! Ta-da, I am a brunette! Luckily for everyone, I don't trust myself with scissors - wouldn't that be scary??? So, to get it cut I took the liberty to visit the Regis Salon in the mall - $25 for a haircut not bad. However, I hate the cut! Oh well, it will grow out right?

Anyway, back to the color. I have been debating whether or not I am a fan. I have to say though, when I was getting my hair cut, three different hairdressers at the salon complimented my hairdresser on my color - "Jennifer, did you do that color, it's beautiful!" Ha!!! Guess they like it. Anyway, DIY hair, just another day in my Life As A Wife.

I'm Crafty

2009-04-05T12:22:00.001-07:00

Most of you know that I have two sides to me - the really girly side (i.e., Miss Oregon) and the really tom-boy side (i.e., hunting, working on a fishing boat). Living with Jeff and not really having all that many girlfriends around I have felt as if the really girly side of me hasn't had much lovin' these days. That was until Friday!

My co-worker Lyndsey is super crafty, she even makes cards and sells them! She is always doing cute projects and talking about them at work. We decided a while back that we needed to do a craft night. Well, it just so happened that Jeff was heading out of town this weekend and Lyndsey's friends had organized a craft night - score! The funniest part was on Thursday night when Jeff asked what I was going to do with him out of town and I said, "I'm going to a craft night with Lyndsey," and he just started laughing! Hey, I'm crafty!!! I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into though, and a part of me was kind of laughing inside as well. I pictured these Susie-home-maker type perfect women sitting around and telling stories about breast feeding and giving birth and making these amazing, elaborate crafts. I wasn't even really sure what we were making, Lyndsey said we were making Easter banners. Hmm...ok, whatever those were. But, I was in, I needed some girl time! Lyndsey and I arrived to "craft night" and immediately I was excited! There was every imaginable variety of paper, scissors, ribbons, stencils, stickers, and the list goes on. I was in craft heaven. One lady showed us a sample of what we were supposed to make and then we all dug in.

A craft that we all thought was going to take about an hour ended up taking us all around three hours. But it was a blast. My creative juices were flowing and I felt very proud of my final product. It says "Happy Easter." I am sure Jeff is going to love having this hanging up in our house for the next couple weeks - I think it's cute! Craft night - just another day in my Life As A Wife.

Visitors

2009-04-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my mom and her husband came to visit! They were our first visitors in quite some time and we were so glad to have them here. I actually hadn't seen my mom since December - this could have been the longest I have ever gone. Anyway, we had a blast with them here, lots of laughs, even some tears and Jeff and I really enjoyed having them experience all that California had to offer.

First, we took them to sushi. Which yes, was a new experience for them (I sometimes forget that they live in a town of 4,000 people, with the closest city 2 hours away). My mom was pretty nervous to try sushi, she hears that word and thinks raw fish, but I explained that there are cooked options and the rolls are great. She loved all of it! Other local California hot spots that we made them eat at - Pinkberry, In-And-Out, Sprinkles, and the farmers market at The Grove. Outside of eating (which we did do a lot of) we showed them some hot spots as well - 3rd Street Promenade, the Farmers Market and the Pier (yes we rode the ferris wheel) in Santa Monica and Rodeo Drive. We also took them to our church on Sunday and hit up the links on the golf course that we live on. I am extremely sore from golfing by the way, hadn't gone in about 8 months. Oh, and my mom and I did a little bit of shopping along the way. She bought me a new dress from White House Black Market, can't wait to wear it!

It was absolutely wonderful to spend time with my mom and her hubby. They were great guests and we can't wait to have them back. My mom and I talk on the phone nearly everyday, but it's just not the same as actually spending time together. Maybe someday I will live close to my family again. But for now, I will just enjoy having visitors during my Life As A Wife.

I Go Through Phases

2009-03-11T14:23:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to apologize to my followers (well, at least Shelly since she actually told me recently that I need to blog) for my lack of blogging. As usual, I have a million excuses as to why I haven't blogged lately, but in reality it all comes down to one thing - I go through phases.

During a recent session of self examanition (pondering what makes me tick / who I am) I realized something about myself - I am the queen of phases. What does that mean you might ask? It means, that I am one of those people that gets really excited about something and does it hard core for a while, and then just as quickly as I got interested in it, I move onto the next thing. Here are some examples:

Blogging - obviously I have already mentioned that. It's not that I don't enjoy blogging and I am definitely not planning to stop, I just don't have quite as much motivation (or time) as I used to.
Decorating My House - I got really gung ho a while back about hanging up picture frames, so gung ho that I even hung empty picture frames in an effort to make me actually put pictures in them. Sadly, there are still empty picture frames on my wall. So picture frame phase passed and now I am onto other ways to decorate - like couch pillows and plants in my garden.

Working Out - I am back on the bandwagon as of now, made it to the gym every morning this week so far. But, I know myself, something will get me out of my routine in the next couple weeks and it will take me about a month or so to get back on track.

Cooking - I get really excited to become a better cook, I even buy cookbooks and flip through them with the intentions of making all these exciting, new and tasty things. And before I can even actually do any cooking, that phase passes and I am onto the next thing.

I think you all get the picture. Are you a phase person? What phase are you in right now? Anyway, just an apology for slacking on blogging about my Life As A Wife.

We Hit The One Year Mark

2009-03-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

March 8 marked our one year anniversary! In light of recent travels to South Africa (that was our anniversary present to each other) we decided to keep the day pretty low key. We woke up and headed to Noah's Bagels for breakfast and then made our way to church. The service was about praying together - perfect for us on our anniversary, we were told in our marriage prep course that praying together is the ultimate way to take your marriage to the next level, but we haven't been very good about it, so a wonderful reminder on this momentous day. The funniest part was when the pastor decided to take a poll on what keeps people from praying together. Instead of a simple raise of hands like most would do, our high-tech church pastor asked us to whip out our cell phones and text in our answer - results posted up on the jumbotron and everything! So funny, loved it.

After church we hit up the Home Depot for some plants to fill in our poor garden that was lacking a little after the hard winter months (it wasn't really the Southern California winter that killed things off, it was my inability to water things regularly - better luck this time). After that we headed home for a relaxing day of watching college basketball and spending some quality time together. After the games we cooked up dinner and started up with the anniversary traditions. The first thing we did was pull out the top layer from our wedding cake for a little reminiscent taste. Yes, we had saved it in the freezer for the past year and intended to pull it out on this very special one year anniversary day and eat it up. We figured it was going to be horrible, but surprisingly, it was actually good. Well, at least the cake part of it was, the frosting tasted like straight up Crisco. We still have more if anyone wants some! Next was the tradition that I plan to carry on every year for the rest of our lives. I am completely stealing this idea from my cousin Jessy - thanks for the great idea Jessy! They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so hopefully she doesn't mind. Anyway, it's a great idea because what else is a girl going to to with the most expensive dress she will ever purchase that she can only wear once??? Anyway, every year on their anniversary Jessy puts on her wedding dress and takes a family picture. The first year it was her and her husband, the next year they had a dog (both those years the dress still totally fit), and then the third year she was like 7 months pregnant - hilarious, couldn't get it to zip up. Now the pictures has grown to include the hubby, pets and her two kids. So cute! Anyway, I put on my gorgeous gown and luckily it still fit. Yeah! Let's hope that trend continues. I am planning to keep a scrap book with these pictures in it, hopefully my kids will find it amusing some day.

I still can't believe how quickly the past year has flown by. Everyone says that the first year is the hardest, but for me it has been the best of my life. Jeff, I love you with all my heart, I thank the Lord for the past year we have spent together, and I look forward to spending the rest of my Life As YOUR Wife.

A Beautiful South African Wedding

2009-03-07T06:41:00.003-08:00

Ok, this is the last of my many South African blogs. The wonderful vacation culminated with the wedding of one of my best buddies, Melinda. Melinda met her groom, Chris, a few years back when she and I were working together in Portland. Not only did Melinda and I work together, but we shared an office, carpooled to work together and were actually roommates! Needless to say, we spent a lot of time together and became really close in a short amount of time. I was absolutely honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and I knew I wouldn't miss the opportunity to travel to South Africa and be with her for her special day.

We arrived to Kenton-On-Sea, the cute little beach town where the wedding was to be held, late on Wednesday night. We were greeted by Melinda and Chris' friends and family and a feast of gemsbuck, kudu and lots of beer and wine! Oh, we knew we had come to the right place. The next day we all headed to the beach - the Indian Ocean beach mind you - to have a bbq (the boys actually went muscle digging right there that morning), relax and take in some rays. It was wonderful! Definitely some much needed R&R after all the exciting adventures Jeff and I had been on. It was so much fun to experience what life is like for Melinda down there and meet all of her new friends and family. Then came time for the actual wedding. Melinda was an absolutely beautiful bride and she did an amazing job coordinating and organizing her big day - it went off without a hitch. The ceremony was in this beautiful, a-frame church that was probably built in the 1800's, so nostalgic. After walking down the aisle I took my place in front and watched the matron of honor (the brides sister) coming toward me with a look of panic on her face, she took her place next to me and whispered "I don't have the ring!" Oh crap I thought, "where is it?" She said, in Melinda's purse and I thought, yes we are saved. I caught Jeff's attention in the pew and mouthed to him, "we don't have the ring, it's in our car, in Melinda's purse, go get it and hurry!" He slipped out the side door and returned victoriously within minutes. A quick slip of the hand to Natalie (the other bridesmaid), who then passed it to me and I handed it discretely to Amanda...so funny! No one ever knew. We all hit the reception, that was at a venue over looking the mouth of a river into the Indian Ocean, and the bridal party headed to the beach for an amazing photo session. The pictures are going to be amazing, I can't wait to see them. The reception was a blast, filled with lots of great people, amazing food, lots of dancing (which we all know I was on the dance floor the entire night) and flowing beverages. The only real difference I noticed regarding traditions was that it is customary to have a friend or family member serve as the master of ceremony (MC) for the reception. Melinda and Chris selected a friend that did an amazing job - he ran the show like a pro and his speech was awesome! Actually all the speeches were great. The best part was that of the 125 guests only 11 of us were from the states and we tried our best to represent! There were a few "U.S.A...U.S.A...U.S.A" chants throughout the night and any song that mentioned America was screamed at the top of our lungs! I had never felt so patriotic.

Melinda and Chris - congratulations! Your wedding was beautiful and we were so honored to be there and celebrate with you. You have created a lifetime of memories for Jeff and I and we can't wait to make the trip back to South Africa someday. A great wedding, a wonderful vacation and memories that will last the rest of my Life As A Wife.

Hunting In South Africa

2009-03-07T06:41:00.001-08:00

I knew that if I was going to make the trip all the way to South Africa I HAD to do some hunting! However, with a relatively pretty short trip planned, the fact that my husband wasn't as interested in hunting and the wedding being the primary focus, I knew that the time for hunting was going to be limited. Lucky for me, the groom of the wedding is actually a hunting guide - Crusader Safaris - and he offered up his colleagues to take me on a little hunting adventure. Crusader Safaris is an amazing, no high-fences, outfit. I was so lucky to have the opportunity to hunt with them. If you ever go to South Africa you better hunt with them!!!

We met up with our guide in a small town, Bedford, and drove out to our hunting grounds. Immediately when we got there we spotted a Kudu up on a ridge about a mile away. A kudu was the number one game species on my list. We hopped into the vehicle and we were off! I was so excited...I was really hunting in South Africa. We drove past a herd of impala (another animal on my wish list), a herd of wildebeast and saw a couple of other kudus. Finally, we arrived about as close as we could get in the vehicle and I knew it was time to put the stalk on my bull. My guide Scott, Jeff and I headed off. We walked about 300 yards or so and came to a ridge that overlooked where we knew the kudu was. Sure enough, a quick peak over the ridge and we spotted him! We walked about another 100 yards or so and got set up. Of course, from the angle we were at all the vitals of the bull were right behind a tree. We decided to wait it out. After about 20 minutes, and with a huge rain cloud coming rapidly toward us, we knew that we better make a move to get this kudu to budge. Scott whistled and the kudu immediately hopped up, walked about 50 yards away from us and then turned perfectly quartered away. I had my shot. I put the crosshairs just behind his shoulder, took a deep breath and fired! Thwop - we heard the bullet hit, the bull reared up like it was a perfect shot and we watched him dart off into the bush. The smile on my face was huge (similar to the ones you saw after the bungee), my guide gave me a congratulatory high five, Jeff gave me a hug and then it started pouring down rain. I am from Oregon and I am telling you, this was big, dumping down, wet rain! We decided to go and check out my kill. We followed the path we thought he had taken and unfortunately, due to the rain, had a hard time tracking (no tracks, no blood). After about 10 minutes we spotted my bull slowing limping up on the next ridge over (about 100 yards away). We knew I had hit him, based on the limp, so we had to go after him. Dang it! I was so disappointed in myself - here I was in South Africa on the hunt of a lifetime and my first attempt at taking down an animal was a bad shot! I went from being on cloud 99 to feeling like the lowest of low. Fortunately, all the guys were super nice to me and really optimistic that we would find him. We tracked that kudu in the pouring down rain for a couple hours and no luck. The guys decided that since we were losing daylight, and I only had one day to hunt, that we should go out to hunt some other species and the boys would go back and track down the kudu the next day.

The rest of the hunt was exciting. We were on impala about 4 different times, with my crosshairs twice on a nice ram - but never a clean, good shot (and after injuring an animal I was a little trigger-shy). Finally, daylight got the best of us and my South African hunting adventure was over. Still it was exciting and there was still a chance that my kudu would be found. The next morning, I awoke to hear that they had found my kudu and it was indeed down! Yeah! I got my kudu! The antlers and cape are coming my way (it will take about a year) And, this picture is of a kudu, not taken by me just found on the internet - figured some of you might be curious. I am so excited to decorate an entire room with my South African kudu during my Life As A Wife.

The Craziest Thing I Have Ever Done

2009-03-07T06:40:00.002-08:00

Just preparing to write this blog made my adrenalin start pumping! While we were researching things to do during our vacation, my husband came along a website that mentioned the world's longest commercial bungee jump is in South Africa. Upon further research, we found out that we would be driving right past it - or more so, right over it! The Bloukrans Bridge over Storms River is home to the Guinness Book of World Records longest commercial bungee jump - 210 meters, or for those of you like myself who don't know the metric system that is 708 feet! Yeah, pretty much a long way down. We left America with every intention to conquer that bungee, it was on our agenda, we were stoked.

The morning of the big day I woke up super excited and I became more and more excited the entire drive there. That is until we arrived. The second we saw the sign that it was the next exit my stomach dropped. But the stomach dropping didn't stop there. We walked out to the viewing area to watch other people attempting this great feat and my stomach dropped more and more, I felt nauseous. I had never been so nervous in my life and as I watched 1, 2, 3 people take the plunge and scream their guts out a part of me thought, "I can't do this. I think I am going to chicken out." Jeff and I started talking about whether or not we wanted to do it. He could tell I was nervous and I think a part of him was a little apprehensive too. But we decided on this - if we didn't do it, we would regret for the rest of our lives. Plus, we had both told everyone back at home that we were going to do it so we knew if we didn't everyone would think we were pansies. The thing that got me though was when Jeff said, "JoLee, if your brothers were here right now they would so make fun of you if you don't do this." The second we decided "ok let's do it" I felt completely different. The adrenalin rushed through me and I had the biggest smile on my face - that feeling lasted for the next two hours while we waited for our turn and watched the rest of our group go before us.

Jeff went first and as I watched him get strapped in my excited grew. But, standing there watching the love of your life jump off a bridge is pretty nerve wracking. He succeeded! Then it was my turn. They strapped me up and helped me hop to the edge. As my toes hung over the edge of that perfectly good bridge I looked down and started to say outloud to the guys, "umm, I don't think I can do this..." and before I could finish they started counting "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 bungee!" I said to myself ok, well I guess I am really doing this, and I jumped. It was crazy. The free fall lasts about 4 seconds. The first two seconds I thought to myself, wow, this is beauftful, crazy, amazing and I can't believe I am doing this. But during second 3 and 4 I started picking up speed, 80 miles per hour, my cheeks started flapping in the wind and as the ground became closer and closer I started to think, "why did I do this, am I going to die?" And then the bungee streched and the rest of the ride was a blast! Oh, what an experience. We left there so excited and about 30 minutes later it was all we could do to keep our eyes open, we were completely drained from being on an adrenalin rush for 3 hours. I still can't believe I did the world's longest bungee jump during my Life As A Wife.

I Had To See African Animals

2009-03-07T06:40:00.001-08:00

One thing I knew I had to do while in Africa was see some native animals! Jeff and I had some time after getting our tire fixed and found that, with the weather a little drizzly, that there wasn't all that much we could do in Knysna. So, we sifted through the brochures at our little bed and breakfast and discovered a game drive not too far away. I was thrilled! We packed up and headed out to the Plattenberg Bay Game Reserve, which claims to be one of the largest in South Africa.

We arrived to a large iron gate and I knew that we were in for a treat, I was like "Jurassic Park, here we come!" I wasn't let down. The second we drove through that gate there was a hippo crossing sign. Here in the states we have deer or duck crossing signs, but a hippo! I took a picture, I couldn't resist. As we were driving ourselves through the reserve to meet up with the official safari guides we passed a rhino, zebras and all kinds of other things that I had know idea what they were. Oh, it got me excited. We arrived and we were immediately able to hop in with a group that was just about to leave. We headed straight for the giraffes! Oh they were more majestic and beautiful than I ever would have imagined. It was so cool to see giraffes just chilling in the wild. From there we drove through a heard of zebras, the mom and baby pictured below were so adorbale, and headed torward the lions! Just so you know, the lions are kept seperate at this park so they don't hunt all the game on the property or anything. I still can't believe I was like 10 feet away from a lion! We headed off over to the plains and saw a nyala, elund, gemsbuck, red hartebeest, buffalo, bontebok, wildebeest and then we were up close and personal with that rhino. Massive! That thing is huge. Here are some pictures from our adventure, they tell the story best.

What an experience. It is crazy how different the wildlife is in South Africa and the number of species that they have. However, for those of you that know me, I am sure you can imagine, that being up close and personal with all these exciting wild animals got me even more excited for an adventure in South Africa that was soon to come - hunting! Such an amazing adventure during my Life As A Wife.

A Flat Tire In Africa

2009-03-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

We left the beautiful Ernie Els Winery in Stellenbosch and were driving along a narrow brick road. As we were commenting on the expense it must have been to pave a road as long as that with bricks (look I even took a picture I thought it was so cool) we were approached by an oncoming truck. Now, I must remind you that in South Africa not only is the driver on the right side (or should I say wrong side) of the car but you also have to drive on the left side (also the wrong side) of the road. It was so strange. We actually adjusted easier than we thought we would, you just really had to concentrate hard - especially at intersections when you were trying to figure out which direction the cars would be coming from and which lane to turn into. The only part that we didn't really ever get the hang of was that the blinker was on the right side of the steering wheel and the windshield wipers were on the left. So every single time we went to turn on the blinker we turned on the windshield wipers instead - and it never got old, we laughed at each other EVERY time. So back to the oncoming truck.

Jeff swerved out of the way, off the road to the right and we fell of the side of the lovely brick road - the sharp, jagged edged, brick road - slightly startled by the feeling of falling off the road he swerved back. We continued on our little drive, the whole time Jeff complaining about how awful our car performed when he got over 120 kilometers an hour and kept complaining that it must be really windy out because the car kept pulling to the left. We had no idea that anything was actually wrong. It wasn't until an hour or so later that a nice passer by on the highway - let me also explain that most of the roads down there are single lane but with an extremely large side pull-off area. We found out that if the person behind you is going faster than you, instead of hogging the lane and making them pass you in the oncoming lane, you pull off the side and let then pass - so considerate. Anyway, someone came up behind us, so trying to do as they do in South Africa we maneuvered toward the left to let our friend pass. As he passed he honked and started waving and motioning his hands together. We both looked at each other and thought "oh crap, do we have a flat tire?"

We immediately pulled off the side of the road to see that indeed, we had a flat tire and it had probably been that way for an hour, thinking back to our little run in with the brick road back in Stellenbosch! Lucky for us, our little Kia Rio had a spare and my trusty husband changed that tire like a champ. And we definitely didn't let it affect our excitment and enjoyment of the adventure we were on - but look at that view that was around us, how could anyone be upset? The funniest part was the next morning when we popped into a tire repair shop - Speedy Tire in Knysna - and the guy there went above and beyond to help us out. He didn't have our size tire, so he called around to other places in town and found one. It didn't stop there though, he said it would be hard for us to find the location so he personally lead us there, stayed to help out, and also personally lead us to an ATM and back to get cash since we were a few dollars short to pay for the tire. What a nice guy! If anything we thought the entire event added to our trip, making it even more exciting and giving me a story I can continue to tell during my Life As A Wife.

Stellenbosch Wine Country

2009-03-05T20:04:00.001-08:00

I was completely blown away by the infrastructure and level of development in South Africa. I pictured a barren wasteland - brown, flat land, with shacks periodically scattered. But, it wasn't that at all. It was green and luscious, well developed and full of rolling hills and mountains. Keep in mind I was only in the Southern Cape. I think the brown, barren land is in the Northern Cape, next time I might venture that way for a different experience (yes, I am already talking about a next time). Well, an area of South Africa that represents those beautiful rolling green hills quite well is the wine country of Stellenbosch. Jeff and I had read about the area in books and online before our trip and knew this was an area we couldn't miss. Plus, we love wine, so wine in South Africa was even more exciting. We heard about Spier Winery, which seems to be one of the biggest and most well-known, and figured we better hit it up. It didn't disappoint.

We arrived and immediately headed to the tasting area. We each had three from the vintage collection and they were tasty! After that, we roamed the property to check out the cheetah and eagle refuge and then popped into the on site deli to pick up some fixings for a picnic lunch along the lake on the property. It was beautiful and peaceful, except for the ducks that were pretty much jumping into our laps to try and eat our food. While at Spier we picked up a map of wineries in the area and realized that Stellenbosch was much larger than we thought, there were over 100 wineries in the area. We knew our time was limited and we only had time for one more stop, so we picked the Ernie Els Winery. Yes, Ernie Els, the pro-golfer! Jeff and I actually watched Mr. Els play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last year so we thought this was a perfect stop. Between my brother and Jeff's Dad (both avid golfers) we thought they would get a kick out of the visit as well. Mr. Els definitely selected one of the most beautiful pieces of land I have ever seen. It was perched up on a hill surrounded by mountains and rolling hills of vineyards. Breathtaking! We again went straight for the tasting and both enjoyed three wines from the collection. We picked up a couple of bottles to bring home with us and are looking forward to a special event to pop a bottle wine and reminisce about our trip.

We left wine country with a 4 hour drive ahead of us to Knysna. Our drive took us past a forest fire (this picture doesn't do it justice, you could actually see flames!), through farmland with more cows and sheep than I have ever seen in my life and onto our next adventure...a flat tire! The next story I tell about our adventures in South Africa during my Life As A Wife.

Cape Town

2009-03-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

We arrived to Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday night and we were ready to hit the ground running. We made our way to our hotel, the Ambassador, which was absolutely beautiful and right on the water in Bantry Bay. As recommended by friends before we left we knew we needed to hit up Long Street and experience the night life. Thanks to our lovely hotel receptionist we found out that Mama Africa's was the place to eat! It was everything I hoped for! Authentic, native food (we ate kudu and crocodile), live music (which consisted of 3, 13 year old boys in wife beaters playing wooden / leather drums to African beats), and overall just a really cool rustic atmosphere. We followed up dinner with a few drinks at the Dubliner, an Irish pub across the street also with a live bar and of course, I fell asleep in the cab ride back to the hotel.

The next day we were ambitious and decided to head up to Table Mountain via the cable car and then hike our way down. We were at the mountain when the doors opened (which is when we also found out about Africa time - we were there at 9:00 am when it was supposed to open but nobody was there to help us until 9:30 am). It was absolutely gorgeous! You could see the entire city and all along the beautiful coastlines - both the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The hike down was pretty interesting, mostly because of the people we passed who were hiking up. Mind you, it took us over two hours to hike down, so I am thinking the hike up has to tkae longer than that! There was a group wearing flip flops and drinking beer, there were families with little kids, like 4 years old, families with dogs but not typical hiking dogs like a lab or something, nope more like shitzu's and pomeranians, and then there was one guy wearing like penny loafers and eating wine gums (chewy little candies that are named by different wines). One guy that was wearing sandles even told Jeff, "man, if I had shoes like yours I would have ran a marathon today" - random! The funniest part of it all was that some of the people hiking up looked like they were absolutely dying (sweating, breathing hard, looking miserable) while these other people were eating candy and drinking beer. So funny. After our hike we hit up the big shopping area in town, but after a quick lunch we were pretty zonked so we spent the rest of the day laying by the pool at our hotel, which overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. That day concluded with an amazing dinner at a little Indian food restaurant in Camps Bay - the swankier, upscale part of Cape Town that reminded us a lot of a Southern California coastal town.

We concluded our experience in Cape Town with a visit to the local aquarium. While there, they announced that they were going to be removing one of the sharks from the predator zone tank and that there would be divers in there to capture her. We couldn't miss that, pretty crazy to watch divers swimming around with a bunch of sharks and sting rays. We also saw penguins, so cute! A huge sea turtle and some pretty cool other fish. Cape Town was great, it seems like the place to be! The perfect combination of city life, beach towns and nature reserves. What an amazing city to experience during my Life As A Wife.

South Africa, Amazing - Getting There, Not So Much

2009-03-04T21:43:00.001-08:00

Wow, where do I begin. I just returned from one of the most amazing vacations I have ever experienced. Not only was it the furthest I have ever traveled (nearly 24 hours of travel each way) but it was the most diverse vacation as well. From hiking mountains to lounging poolside along the Atlantic Ocean, from the world's longest bungee jump to a full day at the Indian Ocean beach, from being a bridesmaid in a wedding to hunting for kudu - what an trip! I have many stories to share and am planning to do mutiple blogs to cover it all, be sure to check back for more. For this first entry, let's chat about the getting there part.

As the title of this blog mentioned, the getting there part was not so amazing. It was at least 24 hours of travel each way. I must admit though, as bad as it was, it easier than I thought it would be. In order to make the trip as enjoyable as possible we tried to bring as many things to entertain us we could fit in our carry on bags. Books and magazines. I actually read three books during the trip, Confessions of a Shopaholic (totally ready to watch the movie now - loved the book), A New World (an Oprah Book Club recommendation - self help book that helped me "live in the moment" during my vacation), and Made To Stick (a marketing book that I got from my boss for Christmas - great, easy read with practical advice). I have realized that flights are pretty much the only time I ever read...sad, going to have to work on that. I also made it through two US Weekly's that I had saved up before the trip. Electronic devices. So, I love Sudoku and found this great little electronic handheld Sudoku puzzle thing at Target and thought it would be perfect for my trip. Unfortuntately, I didn't try it out before I left, bad mistake. After about 2 - 5 minutes of use, it would just mysteriously turn off. So annoying! Oh well, thanks to my buddy Lyndsey, I had a Nintendo DS complete with tons of games, including Sudoku, so that eased my annoyance of my own little Sudoku (taking that back this weekend!). Sleep. Jeff and I also made every effort to adjust to whatever time zone it was that we were traveling to as soon as we got on the plane and timed our naps accordingly - as many of you know, God gifted me with the ability to sleep anywhere, anytime and through anything. Movies. Unfortunately, the movies selected for the flight there were not that intrigueing - Nights in Rodanthe and another one I can't even remember, and then some low budget flick that Jeff was excited to watch but about 20 minutes into it they said "I am sorry, we are experiencing technical problems and will have to turn off the in-flight entertainment." We did however watch a movie titled Flash of Genious on the flight home and it was pretty entertaining. Free wine! Yes, they serve free alcohol on international flights, definitely helped me sleep even better.

Altogether, I must say that those two full days of travel wouldn't have been nearly as bearable without my travel buddy. It was so nice to have Jeff with me the entire time, making me feel like it was all going to be over soon. I couldn't have made the trip alone, that's for sure! Oh the joys of traveling with my husband during my Life As a Wife.

I'm Off To The Dark Continent

2009-02-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

It is 12:00 am and I just finished packing my bags for the big hop across the pond to South Africa! When I say pond, I mean the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, Jeff and I depart at 6:30 am tomorrow morning from LAX for a nice 5 hour flight to NY JFK airport. Only to then get onto a plane that will be our home for the next 17 hours - an 8 hour flight to Senegal, a two hour stop off to refuel (not allowed to deplane) and then another 7 hours to Cape Town, South Africa! Wahoo...don't worry we are prepared for the long journey - Nintendo DS (thanks to Lyndsey), Sudoku, books, magazines, snacks, medicines, neck pillows and more!

Once we arrive in South Africa our travels take us along the coast. We begin in Cape Town, drive to Knysna, then to Jeffrey's Bay, all the way up to Durban, and then back down to a small city near Port Elizabeth, Kenton-on-Sea, for my friend Melinda's wedding. It's going to be amazing! We will be sure to take tons of pictures, gather many stories and try to experience the culture to the fullest. I can't wait to get back and tell you all about it. I still can't believe I am going to South Africa!!! Also, looking at this map, does anyone else think it is strange that there is randomly another country in the middle of South Africa - Lesotho???

Wish us luck on our once in a lifetime, big vacation during my Life As A Wife!!

Happy Friday The 13th

2009-02-15T12:35:00.001-08:00

Jeff and I's first Valentine's Day, 6 years ago, was spent driving around Salem, Oregon looking for a restaurant - any restaurant - with less than an hour wait. Yes, Jeff forgot to make reservations and as most people know, Valentine's Day is probably the biggest dining out holiday of the year. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant that year and it was perfect, a date with him that I will always remember. In an effort to not have to battle the crowds on Valentine's Day this year we decided to celebrate our romantic holiday on Friday the 13th. It was actually because we had other plans on the 14th with friends, but the 13th definitely proved to be a great idea!

When we were dating Jeff and I realized that Valentine's Day and Anniversaries are for both the guy and the girl, so we started a tradition of alternating who would be responsible for coming up with the plans for those two special holidays. This Valentine's Day was my turn. Trying to be creative I researched all kinds of things we could do: paintball, snowboarding, sporting clays (yes, none of these very romantic but nonetheless fun things that we have been wanting to do). When it came down to it, and since we were celebrating on a Friday night, I decided on dinner and a movie. We went to a Benihana style restaurant and ate enough food for 10 people. Those places are always so entertaining...however, our chef was horrible. He kept dropping things, his choo choo train volcano of onions fell over, he cut the shrimp soooo slow and didn't do any tricks with the shrimp tails or eggs (obviously I have a lot of experience at these places). Despite our chef's lack of talent, it was still fun and the food was amazing. The thing that tickled me the most was when halfway through the meal, the couple next to us asked "are you guys newlyweds?" They could tell by the way we interacted that we were still in that flirty, exciting stage. So cute! After a great dinner I drug my hubby to "He's Just Not Than Into You." A movie that I personally thought was hilarious and Jeff would have rather died than sit through it. But, he was sweet and didn't complain. What a guy, how did I get so lucky?

Altogether, it was a great first Valentine's Day as a married couple celebrated on Friday the 13th - which happens to be a lucky day for Jeff and I's relationship. I might just continue that tradition of celebrating the holiday, not actually on the holiday, during my Life As A Wife.

Awkward Moments - Passing While Walking

2009-02-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that awkward moment when you and someone walking just in front of you are going at relatively the same pace, but you are going just a little bit faster...its like you want to pass them by and leave them in the dust, but then you think, we only have 10 more feet to walk, wouldn't that be strange? FYI - this picture has nothing to do with this blog, but I thought it was funny and considering the topic of this blog the arrow should probably be facing up! Love my brother.

Earlier this week I was on my way to the doctor - one of many trips to the doc. lately (another story, another day) - and right as I was walking into the building a lady got out of a car and started walking in front of me. She was walking extremely slow, but we only had 30 or so feet to walk to the elevator, so I thought I could just suck it up and walk behind her. Well, it was excrutiating and awkward. I was right there next to her, walking as slow as I possibly could and it was as if we were walking together, but not. We both hopped into the elevator - yet another awkward situation, why does everyone look down, zip their lip and NEVER make contact in the elevator?? - and since she was a little older than me I felt bad and I figured I would let her get in first. Of course she picked the same floor as me and as we exited, again me being polite let her go first. I noticed she turned in the direction I was going in. Letting my competitive side come through, I decided I need to pass this sucker - I made a dash for it, passed like the wind and successfully entered my doctor's office. Wouldn't you know it, no less than 30 seconds later, the door opened to the office and it was none-other than my slow, left in the dust, little old lady. Awkward.

This morning, it happened again, but this time it was coming out of the parking garage at work. Between the 2 escalators you have to go up to get to the street level there is about a 20 foot span of flat space, a great opportunity to pass the slow person in front. But with such a small amount of space I was worried that I wouldn't pass in time and then there would be that awkward moment where we are neck-in-neck getting onto the next escalator. So again, I sucked it up and walked as slow as I possibly could. After the second escalator I made the attempt to pass, success! Only to one block later be standing at a crosswalk with her right next to me...awkward! Why is this such an awkward situation? Am I the only one who thinks so? Do I have too much free time if I am pondering things such as this during my Life As a Wife?

Jimmy The Dog

2009-02-10T12:43:00.001-08:00

Similar to spending time with other people's kids, I figured that spending time with other people's dogs might help me decide if I am ready to be a pet owner myself. During Christmas time Jeff and I were at the house of one of his co-workers when in walked their cute little dog - Jimmy. Knowing that I kind of wanted a dog and also knowing that I hadn't had much experience with dog ownership I offered up that I would love to dog sit for them if they ever needed it. Needless to say, they did. So, Jimmy has been staying with us for the past week. It has had its ups and downs but overall it has been a great experience. I am starting to rather like Jimmy The Dog (PS. anyone know what kind of dog he is?).

Jeff and I split up the chores. I take him for a walk in the morning after I get home from the gym and Jeff takes him for a walk in the evening when he gets home from work. Honestly, Jimmy is quite possibly one of the easiest dogs I have ever been around. He never barks, actually he doesn't really make any noise at all. He waits to jump on the furniture until he is invited, yes his parents actually taught him to be invited, so he sits there staring at you until you say "ok." He has a couple little tricks that he will do for treats - sit, lay down, rollover, shake, touch (he will jump up and touch the palm of your hand with his nose). He sleeps on his little bed and does pretty much what ever you tell him. Really easy dog.

As for this experience making me determine if I really want a dog or not, I am still somewhat indifferent. It has been really nice to have a little buddy but it definitely makes you have to be more responsible and accountable. On day one I was like "this is great!" Day two, at 6:00 am when it was kind of rainy and yucky outside I really didn't want to be out walking a dog. And the whole picking up their poop with a plastic bag, seriously! I recognize that it is nice for the other people that want to enjoy the area, but honestly, what have we humans resorted to!?! Tomorrow his parents come home and I rather think I am going to miss my buddy Jimmy. Sad. Maybe someday he will come back to visit, or maybe someday I will get a dog of my own during my Life As A Wife.

Weddings Are Nearing A Close...Onto Baby Showers

2009-02-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned, weddings have been a huge part of my life over the past 10 years. Now, as the weddings are starting to come to a close, I am moving onto babyshowers. This weekend, I made the trip to Denver to attend the babyshower of one of my best friends from my hometown. I actually surprised her at the shower - I had to see in person that she was really pregnant - ha ha! Honestly, I am not certain that I have ever seen San hold a baby and now she is going to have her own! I love it. So the shower, in her non-traditional way, was only slightly different - it was coed. Conversation during the party was more typical of a neighborhood BBQ than a babyshower, but it was absolutely perfect for San and her husband, Dave. On a more traditional note, we played a few babyshower games and wouldn't you know it, my non-traditional friend and the men scored the highest! Love it!

Isn't it funny the stages of life that we all seem to go through and the noteable milestones that we each seem to hit in relatively the same order but not necessarily on the same schedule. Birth (ok, all of us hit that one on the same schedule), first day of school, 8th grade promotion, high school graduation, college graduation, graduate school, career, engagement, marriage, pet, pregnancy...and then you go through it all again with your own kids. A lot of us think we know when these milestones will hit for us but we never really know and it seems the more you plan for them the less they actually happen on your intended schedule. For example, I never would have thought that San would not only get married before me, but would also have kids before me too - I highly doubt she thought she would do those things before me either. But we can't predict when it will happen. San, I am so happy for you and Dave and I can't wait to meet precious little Lucy Coyle!

Right now I am in between the marriage and the pet milestones. Some of my friends are still in the graduate school or career stage, some are getting married and some have already moved onto the birth of their kids. We each move at a different pace and that is a-ok. I am extremely happy to be where I am and couldn't imagine it any different than my Life As a Wife.

I Love My Best Friend's Baby

2009-02-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

There is something magical about a baby. Whenever I am around them, I find myself just staring, watching their every move, hoping they will make eye contact with me and smile...isn't that a precious moment? Not until this weekend did I realize that I haven't really spent all that much time around babies. I have 6 nieces and nephews so one would think that I have spent tons of time around babies but I really haven't. My oldest niece was born when I was 16. I would be around her during the day, or watch her for a couple hours, but never was I with her for more than 5 hours or so at a time and rarely was I ever alone with her. The remaining nieces and nephews all came while I was living away from home so sadly I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I would have liked either. This weekend, while spending a wonderful 72 hours with my best friend and her adorbale 4 month old, I realized I hadn't really been around babies all that much - you think you know, but I didn't have a clue what it really takes.

I know that someday I will have children of my own. There are even days when I think, maybe I should just become a stay at home mom, wouldn't that be such an easier life? Now, that I have spent an extended amount of time with a baby (an amazingly well-behaved and easy baby), I realize just how much I love my best friend's baby - and I will continue just loving her baby, I am definitely not ready for my own. Babies are a lot of work, a complete life change, and overall more effort than I really had imagined. First, they take constant coordination. Just to pick me up from the airport we had to have a babysitter, didn't want to wake that precious baby during the night. And, all appointments and outings have to be scheduled around feeding and nap time. Second, mom doesn't get to sleep through the night. Not only does Shelly wake up to the soft cries of her baby at 3:00 am and 6:00 am when it's time for a snack, but she also wakes up on a 30 min to hourly basis and frantically pats down the bed looking for her baby. Yes, she wakes up in a panic thinking that the baby is sleeping next to her and that she lost him. Her husband even has to calm her down, "Shelly, Jaimeson is in his crib, it's ok." It's actually quite commical! Third, the old daily schedule of get ready, work 8 hours, relax 6, sleep 8 is now divided into three hour increments which consist of three activities - feed, play, nap - which go on around the clock non-stop, 24 hours a day. That schedule is the bible! Fourth, you no longer have two hands. Everything you do you have to try to do with one hand holding a baby. I could go on and on about all the small little changes that a baby brings into your life but this list is a great start and enough to keep me a working woman and not a stay at home mommy anytime soon.

In all honesty though, it was absolutely wonderful to watch my best friend, who I feel I know better than anyone in the world, tackle these life changes with grace and ease - she takes it on like its nothing. I always knew she was amazing and the best at everything that she does, but watching her during this aspect of her life makes me love and appreciate her all that much more. She has it all figured out and it seems as if she has been a mommy for years, not just 4 short months. That sweet little baby is her life, she loves him and would do anything for him. I look up to her, I envy her and I hope that one day it will be as effortless for me to be a mom during my Life As A Wife.

Little Things That Make You Proud

2009-02-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

I would consider myself a moderately competitive individual. Whether it be in a sporting event, lifting weights, speed on the treadmill or elyptical (yes, I look at the person next to me to make sure they are not going faster than I am), actually running the entire loop Jeff and I run together instead of walking the last few hundred feet like I really want to, trying to always know the answers to questions - especially at work, shouting out the answers during TV game shows like Wheel of Fortune or Price Is Right - and I get really excited when I know an answer on Jeopardy, games at baby and/or bridal showers, cookie decorating, and yes...even orange peeling. Yes, orange peeling.

There are certain things in life that when you accomplish them it just makes you feel proud of yourself. Today, I accomplished something I hadn't done in a while - I got the peel off all in one, and yes, it made me proud! Everytime I peel an orange I attempt to get the entire peel off in one. Stupid, yes. Competitive, against no one other than myself. Anyway...just thought I would share how the little things make me happy during my Life As A Wife.

Puppies

2009-02-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

I don't consider myself a pet lover. I grew up with dogs and cats, loved them, but I was never the type that was attached to my pet. Recently, the desire to get a dog has started to build. When Jeff and I were dating he always said he wanted a dog (a golden retriever to be exact) and I would tell him that they are too much work - it takes time to walk them, feed them, play with them, figure out what to do with them while you are out of town, etc. I said all of that when my life was so crazy busy (working full time and going to grad school) that I didn't even have time to stop and think. Now that my life has settled down and I have a bit more free time on my hands, the thought of having a little buddy to cuddle with really excites me.

This weekend, during the Superbowl, we were outside throwing around the football and spotted PUPPIES! A neighbor in our complex has 8 puppies that they are giving away for free! They were so cute! At 6 weeks these things are tiny. It was adorable to watch them walk around and try to hop and climb on things. I couldn't help but fall in love with them, who doesn't love puppies? Their breath, their innocence, their size, everything about them. Jeff even mentioned that someone would become a millionaire if they could figure out a way to make puppies, stay puppies forever. Isn't that the truth. Anyway, we asked and two of them are still available. The problem is, we are not certain what they will end up looking like when they grow up. They are mutts - mom is a corgi and dad is a terrier and chihuahua mix. Weird, not for me.

For now, it probably isn't the right time for me to get a pup. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy other peoples dogs. Friends that we had over for the Superbowl just rescued a dog and brought her over to play. Isn't she beautiful? Her name is Abigail. And, starting next Monday I am dog-sitting for friends while they are on vacation. Great practice while I keep looking and trying to decide if I really am ready for one of my own during my Life As A Wife.

Superbowl Party

2009-02-02T17:14:00.001-08:00

I enjoy entertaining and hosting people at my house but in all honesty, I haven't done it that much. I always seem to be the one to help others host parties at their house or find myself inviting people out to dinner instead of inviting them over. I think subconsciously I have a slight hesitance toward hosting. I inherited it from my mom. My mom is an amazing host, but she always told me that it used to make her so nervous - my grandma suffered from the same thing. Maybe we should come up with a term here - hostitis. I don't think I really ever think about the fact that I suffer from hostitis, but it's there and obviously it's genetic. I always make up excuses as to why I can't host people, i.e., my house isn't big enough (and as you can see by the dining room table we only have seating for two!), I am not a good cook, what if there isn't enough food, I don't want to clean house, what if they get bored, what if they won't leave (that one cracks me up) and the list goes on.

In an attempt to better myself I am trying to overcome my hostitis disease. I recently had a couple over for breakfast, it went great. Then, I had a friend over for cheese and wine - super easy. And this Sunday, we had a Superbowl party! Here are the boys that attended the soiree. I was nervous about all of the things mentioned above - but it all worked out. We ended up having enough food to feed both the Cardinals and the Steelers entire offensive lines, the food was great, there was totally enough room for everyone and we had a great time. On a side note, wasn't this a great Superbowl?

I am going to try to think of more ways to get friends and family over here! Any takers? We would love to have you. Hosting friends and family, just another thing I do during my Life As A Wife.

Recessionista

2009-01-28T14:45:00.001-08:00

As we all know, the economy is currently in a horrible state. Daily, there are announcements coming out that thousands of jobs are being cut - Target, Starbucks, Boeing, Home Depot and more. Those that are not cutting jobs are taking other drastic measures - salary freezes, cutting back hours, asking people to take non-paid vacation days, and the list goes on. I feel absolutely blessed that not only do I have a job, but it's a job that I enjoy and I love. Here is a picture of me loving my job...ha! Too fun.

Anyway, so as far as I know my company has no intentions of cutting jobs or taking any other drastic measures and neither does my husbands. But, just in case and in an effort to safe guard against what could be the inevitable, I am trying to think of new and innovative ways to cut costs. Here are just a few of the things I have started to implement as I become a Recessionista:

Starbucks - I know we all love it, but seriously people - nearly $4.00 for a caffeine high.

Manicures & Pedicures - I stopped going to the salon and started doing them at home, my toes don't look nearly as cute as they used to, but honestly it's OK, it's going to be OK.

Car Insurance - Suze Orman, in her book The Young, Fabulous & Broke, pointed out that no one young, fabulous and broke - such as myself - should have a $250 deductible. All that low deductible does is make you more likely to turn something small into insurance and then in turn highly increase your monthly payment. I am set at a $1,000 deductible and my insurance went down $250 for 6 months!

Eating Out - We are trying to cut back to no more than one night a week, and we stopped doing the big extravagant dinners. When we were dating, we used to throw down $100 plus on a dinner, that's insane! I am just as happy with a bowl of cereal - no more expensive dining out.

Gas - Not everyone has this as an option, but my employer was nice enough to let me work from home two days a week. That saves me nearly 200 miles of driving a week.

Buy the Cheapest - I am trying to purchase not necessarily the brand that is my favorite, but the one that is one sale. Or, I try to look for the brands that I love to be on sale and even if I have two boxes of whatever it is already at home, I buy it when its on sale.

Re-furbishing Shoes - I recently took 8 pairs to the shoe repairman. These were shoes that had lost part of their sole, had a loose heel, etc. Normally I probably would have thrown these out and then went shopping to replace them with new ones. Instead I now have 8 pairs of shoes that I love and that are pretty much like new.

Re-furbishing Clothes - Much like the shoe situation, I had a couple pairs of jeans that were obviously too long for me when I wore them and the bottoms were all torn up with holes, etc. Instead of throwing them out like I normally would have done, I took them to the tailor and had them shortened. Now I wear them with flats. Two less pairs of jeans I would have had to buy to replace them.

Car Washing - I haven't actually put this into place yet but I should...I used to wash my own car. After college I started living in apartments and it was difficult to find a place to wash my car on my own. As a result, I went to the full service car washer (vacuum, wash, smelly stuff - the works). No more of that for me, I can do it on my own!

I think this is a good start. They are all small changes, nothing drastic like eating Top Ramen for every meal or anything, but a good place to start. I think this entire economic situation is just a big wake up call for our nation - a nation that was overspending, overindulging and overextending themselves in nearly every capacity. I look forward to my new frugal attempts during my Life As A Wife.

Diversity in Thousand Oaks

2009-01-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

I love the little town I live in. As my mom so eloquently put it the first time she was here, "wow JoLee this place is really nice, I haven't even seen any gangs here!" Bless her heart. Thousand Oaks, California is a nice, quant little town that developed due to Amgen - the company that happens to be my husbands client. I am pretty sure that 80% of the people that live here are here for some reason or another due to Amgen. It also happens to be the 7th safest city in the nation! TO (as we like to refer to it), is nestled in a valley with the beautiful Malibu just to the South, Calabasas and Los Angeles to the East and Santa Barbara wine country to the west. I live in the middle of all these celebrities and barely ever see any!!! What I do see in Thousand Oaks is quite diverse.

The other day, Jeff and I left our house and were driving along the street heading underneath the 101 overpass when I noticed a "dog" running along side of us. Only, it wasn't a dog, it was a coyote! We live right up against the hills and the trail head, about 100 ft. from our front door, has a sign with pictures of rattlesnakes, bobcats and coyotes - all the things one should watch out for while hiking those trails. When we first moved here I was kind of like, ya right, like we are going to see any of those things around here. Not only did Jeff and I see that coyote running nearly on the freeway, but I spotted another one this week just outside of my garage. Thanks to my camera phone and my quick thinking at 5:00 am (on my way to the gym) I was able to capture this horribly blurry shot of the coyote staring me down! Good thing I was in my car. I did however envision how I would defend myself had I not been in my car and if the coyote would have attacked me. I would have totally taken him down.

So, other than exciting wildlife encouters, TO also offers absolutely over-the-top old ladies. I am being so very mean here, I know I am - Lord, please forgive me, but honestly, these women do not go unnoticed and they have to know that about themselves! Most of the time they stick out like a sore thumb due to the amount of make-up or the size of their hair (Texas style big hair). Sometimes, we even have to question whether it is really a lady at all. This one stuck out not only due to those things but also due to the color of her hair. This is not natural people. After many nudges and a "6:00, 6:00" out of my husband, I finally spotted this woman at the grocery store - again trusty camera phone in hand I was able to snap this shot (the picture just doesn't do her justice). As we drove away I begged Jeff to never let me turn into one of those old ladies. He promised. It's so nice to have such diversity in my town and more importantly, to have someone looking out for me and ensuring I never turn into an over-the-top, done-up old lady during my Life As A Wife.

There She Is...Miss America

2009-01-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so most people don't really know this about me but I have an absolute fetish with Miss America (which is on tomorrow night and sparked this blog subject) - almost as big as my fetish with weddings! I grew up hunting, fishing, playing with the boys. And, in a valiant effort to ensure I did not get confused about my gender, my mom put me in ballet. All the little girls in my town were doing it. Maddox Dancers (Maddox - the name of the studio) are some of the most well-rounded, talented and successful women to have come out of Clatsop County - Sia you know what I am talking about! After 10 years of ballet, tap and jazz, I gave it all up to play sports. Junior high sports were just too demanding (practice every day) to keep up with my love affair of dance.

So, being an athlete is the way most people know me. All through junior high and high school I played volleyball, basketball and softball and then managed to play both volleyball and softball in college. My high school and college friends knew me as the girl that played sports, worked on the fishing boat during the summer and went hunting with her dad and brothers. I even had a friend tell me once that I looked strange in "normal" clothes, she just pictured me in workout gear. Throughout those 10 years of my life in sports there was still that inkling for "girlie" stuff, for being the dancer that I once was. One of the ways I fed that part of me was by watching the Miss America pageant every year. I even remember making my entire college volleyball team sit together in a hotel room in Spokane to watch it! They probably thought I had lost my marbles.

After graduation from college in 2003, I decided it was time to take a chance. I drempt of being Miss America and I knew if I didn't give it a try, I would be mad at myself forever. I signed up for my local pageant...with those who had known me for the past 10 years thinking I had flipped my lid...and I won! I was Miss Clatsop County 2004, and of course, my talent was dance! I competed in Miss Oregon and unfortunately did not do as well as I wanted. I had one more year that I could have competed (yes, just like American Idol, there is an age limit...guess they don't want old hags representing our county), but throughout the experience I decided it just wasn't for me. It was an absolutely amazing experience, one that I will cherish forever, but for now...just watching it on tv is good enough for me. Plus, there is one man who will always think I am his Miss America. Oh the joys of my Life As A Wife.

Wedding Planner? I've Got The Resume

2009-01-21T21:16:00.001-08:00

I love weddings. I think all girls grow up loving weddings, but I REALLY love weddings. From the time I was a wee little one, weddings have been a part of my life. Being the only young girl in my family at the time, my fetish with weddings started when I was a flower girl in both my Uncle Bubba's (yes you read that right, no it's not his real name, and yes he is Caucasian) and my Uncle Darcy's weddings. Getting to wear a pretty dress, something unheard of in a family of commercial fishermen and hunters, was so exciting for me - I felt like a princess.

Over the years I evolved from a flower girl to a candle lighter, then onto a bridesmaid, a maid of honor, and eventually just 10 short months ago, finally a bride. Altogether I have been in 14 weddings and my 15th is coming up soon (in South Africa!!! I can't wait!). Also, I will have to note that although I didn't count along the way, I can think, off the top of my head, of atleast 10 instances in which I actually caught the bouquet at the wedding. I used to get really into it, pushing girls over and laying out to catch those things! These two pictures are from my friend Sia's wedding over Christmas - I couldn't catch the bouquet there, I was married, but it was still an absolute blast!

The reason for the wedding talk now is that yesterday, my brother - the youngest of the three - proposed to his girlfriend. And, drum role please, she said YES! Yeah! I am so excited for the two of them, they make a great couple and she can actually put up with him (sorry Dan but we all know it takes someone special). Congratulations Daniel & Nicole! Most of all, I am really excited to have another sister-in-law! That will make four! The sisters will finally outweigh the brothers...loving the ratio!

Anyway, I seem to be at that age where weddings are all around me. I think I have averaged attending at least 5 weddings a year over the past 8 years (with 4 lined up for 2009 already). Deep down inside we all have that little thought about "what we are going to be when we grow up" and a part of me really wants to be a wedding planner. Although I know it would be tough work (dealing with emotional bridezillas), long hours (and weekends), and probably not a whole heck of a lot of money (have you ever thought about the hours those people put in?) - I feel like it would be something I would thrive on. All the details, the creativity, the butterflies, the tears, and helping make someones dreams come true. I know I would love it. Maybe someday my dreams of becoming a wedding planner will become a reality during my Life As A Wife.

Los Angeles - How To Get Involved?

2009-01-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

I have now lived in Southern California for nearly two years (I am rounding up, June will be two years). It has taken some time to adjust. I went through three jobs before I found the perfect one and I have moved three times. I would like to think that I am becoming a member of the community, but when I really stop and think about my level of involvement in the area, it makes me sad, it's pitiful.

In Oregon, I had friends, I had family. I had two colleges and a high school all within driving distance that I was an alumni of and a somewhat active supporter. There were activities in the area that I knew about. I played on a parks and recreation volleyball and a softball team. I even did all of the touristy things in the area and had my own local hangout spots. Here, I just haven't found a way to get involved. I think the enormity of this place overwhelms me. First, I work 40 miles from where I live. Anyone I meet through work typically lives that far, if not further, away from me. Second, I live in very nice smaller town where I think my husband and I are the only DINKs (dual income, no kids) around - it's full of middle aged families or old retirees. Nothing against those people, just not who I think I will be able to spend time with on the weekends. I have looked at the schedule of parks and recreation activities and even found some things that I am interested in, but with my 2 hour commute home at night I never make it home in time to attend. And, as far as putting together a sports team, no luck there. I even contacted parks and recreation to ask if any team was short a player and needed someone and he told me I would have to contact the teams directly. How the heck am I supposed to do that if I don't know anyone?

One aspect of my new year's resolution (I have many) was to try and enjoy all that Southern California has to offer and get more involved in the community. As part of that effort, last weekend Jeff and I tried to "explore" Los Angeles. It was 80 degrees out in the middle of January so we had to get outside! We tried Tito's Tacos for lunch (mighty tasty, thanks Lyndsey), we visited the all-new LA Live rebirth of downtown area and went shopping at the infamous Grove. Next on the list is to go surfing and get involved in the 20-something group through our church. I know it is going to take some time to really get involved and create what I had up North, but I accept that challenge - and I don't have to do it alone! Just another adventure in my Life As A Wife.

To Be Or Not To Be...

2009-01-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

Vegan??? Yes, you read that right, vegan. To those of you who know me well you are probably thinking "what has happened to JoLee? Has she moved to California and become a granola loving, member of PETA, Hollywood girl?" No she hasn't. She is still a hunter and a fisherman and completely the same person! What has happened is that she read a book - Skinny Bitch (please excuse the french). I had no idea what this book was about. I knew it was about making life changes to get yourself healthy and, as the title implies, Skinny. But, never did I think that what I was about to read was really going to make me stop, think and re-evaluate the food industry as I know it.

I read the book in one sitting - a flight delay and a plane change due to mechanical issues allowed for this. It is a quick read and honestly from the first few pages of the book I was hooked. To my surprise, the book wasn't about some new fad diet, i.e., eating nothing but cabbage, eliminating carbs, etc. Not the case. Instead, the book provides medical facts and years of research (most of which has never been seen by consumers) as to why meat and dairy products do not belong in the human body. And further amplifies the "lies" told to consumers by exposing the incestuous relationship between government agencies and the food industry. For example, did you know that the USDA was created to help farmers and that many high-ranking staff members at the USDA are affiliated with the farm and dairy industry? Read the book, you will understand why this is a huge conflict of interest.

I am not one to push my thoughts and opinions on those around me, I don't ever want to be that person. And, I am not saying I agree 100% with everything they say in this book, but I am going to say, that as a person who two days ago would have been proud to wear Jessica Simpson's shirt that read, "real girls eat meat," this book has changed my views. As a result, I am going to try to be a vegetarian for a week and just see how I feel. Depending on how I feel I might make another push to start eliminating other things from my diet. Needless to say, I never want to turn into a granola loving, member of PETA, Hollywood girl, but I do want to be healthy and treat my body like the temple that it is. Plus I need to be as healthy as I can be, I have many more things I want to do and try during my Life As A Wife.

New Years Eve - Finally Not A Let Down

2009-01-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Year after year there seems to be major buzz around New Years Eve. Where will we go, what will we do, who will we spend it with and will it be the best New Years Eve ever? And every year, at least for me, it always seemed to be nothing more than a big fat flop. There have been exceptions over the years but for the most part it seems that the holiday has more hype than it actually ever delivers. That was until New Years Eve 2009 - it was amazing!

One of Jeff's best friends announced this summer that they were going to get married on New Years Eve. A part of me thought, "really, New Years Eve? For a wedding?" Nobody was really sure what to think about it. As previously mentioned, I haven't ever been a big fan of New Years, and the thought of having a wedding on a holiday just seemed odd. But, I stand corrected when I say, that it was not only one of the best weddings I have been to, but it was definitely the best New Years I have ever had. Here are the reasons why it was so great. So many of our friends were there, everyone that we ever would have wanted to spend the holiday with. Which corresponds with the fact that all the people that you wouldn't want to spend the holiday with, such as creepy men trying to dance with you or hit on you at a bar, were not there. Free food and free alcohol. Amazing DJ. Designated driver (one of the groomsmen is mormon and is always our driver). A reason to actually be celebrating - other than the fact that it hit midnight on the clock. It keeps people at the wedding longer - everyone wanted to stay until midnight. The reasons could go on.

Needless to say, I am now a huge advocate of New Years Eve weddings. If you want your wedding to be a big party that is the day to do it on. It was a blast! It was one of Jeff's highschool friends (all of the boys can be seen in the picture to the left doing their special left knee beer chugging) that got married so if it weren't for my hubby I would have never been there to experience my best New Years Eve ever. I love celebrating things like this with my husband. Yet another reason that things are better during my Life As A Wife.

The Most Beautiful Baby Boy

2009-01-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

My best friend has been nice enough to go through nearly every life changing moment before me - moving away from her family, having a long distance relationship, choosing a career, getting engaged followed by getting married, purchasing a house, moving in with your husband, and most recently having a baby. Honestly, it has been quite nice for me...she always has the answers! I love being able to go to her for advice on anything and everything. I also love her amazing baby boy, Jaimeson William Peterson.

Over Christmas break I finally got the chance to meet the beautiful baby boy. Sadly, I was a horrible best friend and took entirely too long to meet him. I have about a zillion excuses as to why I couldn't make it out to see her sooner than I did, but they all suck. I should have been on the first flight to Denver the day he was born. Suffice it to say, at three months old I finally had him in my arms and he didn't disappoint. I had seen pictures, I had heard stories from Shelly, but until I had him in the same room as me did I really know that he was beautiful and perfect in every way possible.

Jaimeson and I totally bonded during our first meeting. I held him, he ate, he napped, he smiled (which is relatively new for him and captured here in this photo due to my amazing photography skills), he had his diaper changed, and he loved the cute little toy duck that I got him - yeah for Aunt Jo picking out a good Christmas gift. To top it all off, my best friend is a wonderful new mommy. She seems to be doing everything right and as a result Jaimeson is so well behaved. He never cries, he sleeps through the night and he is an absolute joy to be around. Yet another thing about her doing everything before me...she does it all amazingly well and is an exceptional role model for me to follow. I love my best friend, I love her new baby boy, and being around them recently made me think about the fact that someday (years from now) Shelly will be there for me yet again when I experience motherhood during my Life As a Wife.

Snow, Snow & More Snow

2009-01-09T14:45:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas break was filled with...you guessed it, snow! The great Northwest was hit with an amazing snow storm right before we were supposed to head up there. Seattle, where we were flying into, was hit with a couple feet of snow which is absolutely unheard of for that area. Fortunately, we both made it up there without problems and were able to enjoy the beautiful blanket of white (that is his parents back porch). Jeff, his sisters, our niece Hailey and myself all worked diligently to build as many amazing things out of snow as we could. Two snowmen, an igloo, two forts that were used to play capture the flag and of course a couple of snow angels. It was a blast. Why does snow have the amazing effect of making you feel like a kid again? For those few hours that I was outside playing in the snow I didn't think once about my cell phone, my computer, my job or all the other things that I often find constantly on my mind.

The snow didn't end in Seattle. We made the trek halfway across the beautiful state of Washington for a stop in Leavenworth - a super cute tourist town - for one of my best friend's wedding. Leavenworth had quite a few feet of snow and it snowed the entire time we were there. Being able to bundle up in sweaters, scarfs, gloves, coats and stocking hats made me so happy. It also reminded me why there is a coffee stand or shop on the corner of every block in the Northwest - it's cold up there!

And yet again, the snow didn't end in Leavenworth. Jeff and I made a ghetto fabulous trip from Leavenworth to Spokane via the Greyhound bus (that's a whole story in and of itself). When we arrived in Spokane they had 50 inches of snow. By the time we left, 69 inches! That's a lot of snow (believe it or not, that pile of snow in the picture is a car, if you look really close in the upper right hand corner you can see the antenna!). Being up in the Northwest was amazing and it definitely made us miss our friends and family. We are working our way to eventually get back up there and maybe someday we will have a new city to call home during my Life As A Wife.

The End Of An Era

2009-01-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

I am being a bit biased when I say this, but we all think it, my mom was (and still is) the most amazing mom ever. Not only did she have four children, but three of them were boys, my dad was typically out of state for work (commercial fisherman) at least 50% of the time, my oldest brother and I were 10 years apart so she had kids in her house for 28 years, and now, with 5 grandchildren it just hasn't ever ended for her. Although there are numerous things that made her the best, in honor of Christmas time and the recent ending of an era I am going to talk about stalkings. Growing up with my mom, we received the absolutely best Easter baskets and the best stockings (loved those lottery tickets). One would think that maybe around the age of 18 the Easter baskets and stockings might end, but not in the Sturgell household. Finally, when my oldest brother was 35 and I was 25 my mom decided maybe it was time to call her Easter bunny and Santa Claus duties quits. My first thought was how unfair. Dennis Jr. got those things until he was 35 and I am getting cut short at 25, that's a whole ten extra years!!! I know, pretty bratty of me to think that, but as the youngest child I am all about fairness. Luckily for me, my mom agreed and I "secretly" still got an Easter basket and a stocking...until this year.

So getting married has numerous perks but the things that your parents start to cut you off of when you get married is definitely a negative. Cell phone, insurance, gym memberships, the list goes on. Also on that list, getting married ended the era of amazing stockings from my mom! So Christmas 2008 was Jeff and I's first ever Christmas morning spent together and our first time ever filling each others stockings. I chose for him all of the things that my mom would have traditionally put in my stocking and he too chose for me all of the things that his mom would have put in his. Not surprisingly, they were very similar. Although it was hard to be away from my family on Christmas - I only cried twice - it was exciting to start new traditions with my husband.

With that I would like to say thank you to my mom for 26 amazing years of Easter baskets and stockings, as well as thank you to my husband for making my first stocking from someone other than my mom an added bonus of my Life As A Wife.

A Fashionista's Fear...

2008-12-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

...Not that I call myself a fashionista (or that I am any where close to being one) but it works for this story.

We have seen it in movies, TV shows, and it even shows up in every issues of US Weekly - "who wore it best." Yes, it happened to me. I went shopping, purchased the perfect dress for Jeff's annual company Christmas party (it was only $29.99 at Marshalls, what a steal), I put it on last night feeling wonderful about my purchase, showed up to Jeff's Christmas party and the firt woman I was introduced to was...WEARING THE SAME DRESS!

Nobody knew except for me, I was wearing a pashmina that fully covered my dress. So I kept it to myself at first. Stupid things were running through my head, "should I go home and change? Does she look better in it than me? Should I keep my pashmina on all night, even when I am out on the dance floor so nobody else will know?" Finally I told Jeff and of course he responded as any husband should, by telling me that I looked much better in it. Probably not true, but I love him for saying so! I decided it wasn't worth any more fret, she probably didn't notice, either did anyone else and it would just be my little secret. Until, Jeff and I sat down for dinner at a table and who else would choose to sit right next to me at dinner other than the woman in my same dress! I laughed. What are the chances? Obviously, she still didn't notice. We chatted throughout dinner and she turned out to be a really nice girl, and obviously she has great taste. Finally, out on the dance floor, and with a little bit of liquid courage in me, I told her! I said, did you know we are wearing the same dress? She was like no way! And we both laughed. I continued to keep my pashmina on, until later in the night when I noticed she and her date had left. I am realizing as I get older (and now that I am someones wife) that things such as this are nothing worth fretting over. I am happy to say, that I overcame a who wore it best moment. Just another thing I can appreciate about my Life As A Wife.

Freshman Fifteen

2008-12-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

So everyone knows that females, in their first year of college, gain 15 pounds -- the wonderful Freshman Fifteen. I was prepared for that, I fought against it, and I succeeded in overcoming that dreaded situation that affected many around me. What nobody told me was that wives, in their first year of marriage, also gain 15 pounds -- some refer to it as "happy weight." I personally, am not so happy (Happy in my marriage, yes! Happy with those extra pounds, NO!).

This vicious weight gain started on my honeymoon (the accompanying pictures are all from our amazing trip to Fiji). We were staying at an all-inclusive resort -- enough said right? I told myself that I might as well get my money's worth. The food was absolutely delicious and they served dessert at every meal! And I mean every meal, there were even cookies for breakfast. I thought, I am on vacation, what the heck. I can relax, enjoy my expensive meal and then when I go back to the real world I will get back on track. Easier said than done. I could continue on with multiple excuses as to why this so-called "happy weight" happened: new job, long commute, cooking and baking for my husband, traveling for work a lot, being forced to eat out too much, a vending machine at the office (where everything in there is only $.25). There are a million excuses, but what it really comes down to is willpower - the ability to exert one's will over one's actions. That is all it is. I want to be in better shape but my actions are not making it happen!

You might be wondering why I am writing about this today. Well, last night was the final episode before the season finale of The Biggest Loser. I am a big (no pun intended) fan of that show. I cry nearly every episode. It is amazing to watch those people completely change their lives. I talk about needing to lose 10 pounds, these people lose 10 pounds in a week!! I find it hard to make it to the gym for 30 minutes a day, these people are in the gym 8 hours a day!! If they can do it, I can do it. I got a hold of the weight gainage about 2 months ago by standing up to the aforementioned excuses. #1 - just because that bag of M&Ms only costs a quarter doesn't mean I should eat them every day. #2 - if the hour and a half commute in the evenings makes me too tired to go to the gym then I should become a morning gym person -- 5:00 am has been treating me well! #3 - there are healthy choices on the menu where ever you go, eating out is not an excuse to eat horribly. The problem is (in my old age - sadly I am getting up there) just eating healthy and working out regularly doesn't seem to be enough to actually lose weight. It has stopped the weight gain, but I am not losing anything! So today, I am pledging to take further action to sincerely commit to losing those 10 pounds (again...sigh) and making myself healthier for my Life As A Wife.

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have not lived at home with my parents for about 10 years now. Wow, has it really been that long? And, every year, as I am sure most people in this situation do this time of year, I have pondered over whether or not to get a Christmas Tree. I absolutely love Christmas and it just doesn't seem like Christmas without a tree! But, every year my arguments are the same, they are expensive, no one will enjoy it except for me, I don't have any ornaments either so I will have to buy those and they are expensive, I don't have any other Christmas decorations so really a random tree is all I would get - which again goes back decorations also being expensive - and the biggest factor, by the time I get back from Christmas with my family it will be dead.

Well this year, things have changed. First, I would just like to say that my Mother-in-law is amazing. All the cute little things that mom's say they are going to do for their kids, she actually did! She is a real life, living, breathing Martha Stewart. Here are some examples. Photos albums - first of all, she actually has them (that is more than most people can say) and they are organized by date. There is a whole album for October - December, 1985, one for April - June, 1990 (you get the picture). Another amazing capture of history, sayings of the kids. She had paper in her kitchen cabinet that she would use to write down funny little things the kids said or did that day. Did you know that on May 2, 1986 Jeff was found singing "oh my darling" to his little sister Megan (I can't remember the exact specifics but it was was something like that)? It's amazing the amount of history she was able to capture. It definitely motivates me to be on top of things when I have children. Going back to Christmas, the other thing that my Mother-in-law did that really excites me and makes this story possible, is that she bought one Christmas ornament for each of her children every year and put them on the tree, knowing that one day they would have families of their own and would need some Christmas ornaments - exactly the situation that her son is now in.

So yesterday an amazing box arrived - it was all of Jeff's Christmas ornaments, and yes they are all labeled by year. From a rustic wooden sled dating back to 1984 (Jeff was 1) to a Central Valley Bear sitting on a football from 1998 (Jeff's Sophomore year of High School), and a brand-new ornament that is a picture of our first kiss as husband and wife (March 8, 2008) - they all are a special part of Jeff, who he is and the amazing family that he has and that I am lucky enough to call my in-laws. In honor of these ornaments we decided this was the year that we were going to put up a Christmas tree! Taking all of the aforementioned excuses into consideration, Jeff and I purchased a 4-foot, pre-lit, fake tree! We used all of Jeff's ornaments to decorate it and I must say that it couldn't be more perfect. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Liepmans! With each and every occasion such as this, the more I love my Life As A Wife.

Cooking Is Dangerous

2008-12-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

I used to mention to Jeff every once in a while that life would be easier on us both if I was a stay at home wife - joking of course, I love my job and would be miserably bored being at home all by myself every day. But I told him, I could do all of the household chores, I could go grocery shopping, pay bills, take clothes to the drycleaners, we could get a puppy, and more important to this story, I could have a hot meal waiting for him every night when he got home from work. No longer will I say that...being a stay at home wife could be dangerous! The other day I was working from home and decided it would be really nice if I showed my hubby just how great of a stay at home wife I could be. I wanted to have dinner ready for him when he got home. As I rummaged through the kitchen, debating on what we would have, I came across one of our favorites, an acorn squash. Now many of you might say, "an acorn squash??? Who cooks an acorn squash?" Well, I do. I came across the recipe when I first moved to California and didn't have a job. I would spend my afternoon sifting through cookbooks, finding something to make, going to the store to get the ingredients and then cooking all afternoon so that Jeff and I could enjoy eating dinner together (which usally took about 10 minutes). Then the real world came around and I finally got a job and the amount of cooking I have done has diminished. Believe me it has, and my husband frequently reminds me that it's true.

Anyway, so the squash and I went at it. I pulled out the biggest, baddest butcher knife we had and I started hacking. This squash seemed to be winning. From the second I touched the knife to the squash a little voice kept whispering in my head, "JoLee, you are going to cut your finger off. JoLee, wouldn't that be cute if you cut your finger off. JoLee, be careful, you are going to..." and yep sure enough, the tip of the knife jolted up as I pushed on the handle, and shot directly into my left hand pinky! Immediately I knew something bad had happened. I looked down at the pinky and it looked like just a paper cut, with about the same amount of blood that a paper cute conjours up. But under closer examination, meaning pulling apart my skin, I realized that this was no paper cut, I had gone all the way down to the bone. My initial recreation was, "JoLee, how could you be so stupid, you told yourself to be careful." And then, I realized how excited I was that I could call my husband and tell him what happened and he would take care of me!

And that is exactly what he did. He rushed home from work, took a look and realized we needed to get stitches. Before I knew it he had pulled up the closest Urgent Care on the computer, called them to ensure they were open and that they did stitches and had me in the car on my way. We made it to Urgent Care and sure enough, 5 stitches were needed (see above picture). Jeff held my hand the entire time, even when I had to squeeze it really hard - it hurts when they give the numbing shot. The picture to the left is us leaving the hospital. I got a blow-pop for being such a good patient, exciting! Back to the husband, he even took me home and finished up our dinner for that night. I know people talk about how amazing it is to have a companion there to take care of you "...in sickness and health." But, not until you live through something like this do you really realize just how great of a feeling it is to know that you will never have to go through another moment like this alone. And this my friends, is why I love my Life As A Wife.

Three Brothers

2008-12-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

I grew up with three older brothers. Now to some that might seem like no big deal, but to me it was AWESOME! On a daily basis I thank the Lord for giving me those brothers. Every time I hear about two sisters fighting over clothes or boys or competing against each other in everything I think, "I am so glad I had those three brothers." Everytime my husband compliments me on being able to get ready quickly I think, "I am so glad those brothers did't cut me any slack." Everytime I go hunting, fishing, riding motorcycles or ATVs I think, "I am so lucky I had those three brothers to teach me about these things." I truly do feel blessed. And now that I have a husband, who grew up with only sisters, I think he too is feeling lucky to have some brothers. I also am extremely glad that my brother is now married and gave me my first sister-in-law and that my husband has two sisters so I have two more sister-in-laws, they are all three amazing and I thank the Lord for them as well!

Back to the brothers. On Thanksgiving morning, Daniel decided he was restless and wanted to go do something. We asked, "what are you going to do." He replied, "I don't know, maybe drive around, shoot some stuff." Now, please keep in mind I live in a very small town and again, grew up with three brothers, so to me that statement does not at all seem strange. Luckily, Jeff and I were invited to go with him and we indeed did get to drive around and shoot some stuff! Don't worry we didn't hit / kill anything. We also pulled quite a few e-brakes around the wet pavement corners of Warrenton. Jeff and I hadn't laughed and had that much fun in quite some time. It's those little things I love about being from a small town in Oregon. Things that those that live there probably take for granted.

During our driving around we also made a stop at my all-time favorite place in the world - The South Jetty. For those that don't know, there is a platform in Warrenton that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and the mouth of the Columbia River, and you can also see Washington. This place is not only beautiful but extremely meaningful to me. Prior to April 22, 2007 it was meaningful as it represented all that I loved and knew about my life and my hometown. My father and brothers were commercial fisherman that worked long and hard in the ocean it overlooked. I personally worked on a charter fishing boat in that same ocean and so did my grandfather. It became even more meaningful on Aprill 22, 2007 when my husband proposed to me there. That picture is of my brother and Jeff re-enacting our propsal - ha! You can also check out how excited I was right after the proposal by watching this video.

Back to the brothers. Again, I just feel so lucky to have them in my life. They loved me, they protected me, they taught me how to work hard, how to set goals and acheive them, and in an extremely non-literal statement - they taught me how to be a man. Even though it may not be a direct correlation for you, I personally think that having those three brothers better prepared me for my Life As A Wife.

Home For The Holidays

2008-12-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Getting to go home for the holidays is one of the most exciting things about living away from your family. Although you miss them on a day-to-day basis, the time spent away makes the time you do get to spend with them that much more meaningful. This year we got to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Jeff and I started alternating spending Thanksgiving with each others families four years ago. We can't believe it has been that long! We headed to Oregon on Wednesday and from the second we stepped outside the Portland Airport we knew we were "home." The cool brisk air felt amazing and Jeff laughed at me because I was the only person in Oregon that night wearing a t-shirt (it was 80 in Southern California when we left!). We also realized during the travels to Oregon that we actually spend more time in the car than we do on a plane. It is a two hour drive from our house to LAX (should only take 45 minutes but with traffic...yuck), then it is a two hour drive from PDX to Warrenton. That drive should actually take two hours! But all those hours are worth it!

We got to Warrenton and the relaxing began. We spent nearly all of our time on Thursday and Friday cooking, eating, and playing with the nieces and nephews. Those little guys are what you really miss when you are away from home. I loved every second of spending time with those kids! I taught my 12 year old niece, Riley, to do a volleyball role (that is her in the picture above, I remember the day she was born, how quickly they grow up!), I got to do boy stuff with Ryder like swing him in the blanket, shoot guns and do tricks on the skate board...yes and he is only 2, and I got to curl my niece Jezalynn's hair and paint her toe nails, also only 2 (that is the two of them kissing in the picture on the right - adorbale). It's amazing that even at 2 the little ones are all boy and all girl. Except for when Ryder wears around Jezalynn's little plastic dress up high heels. Then we kind of worry about him! My nephew Devon was also a kick to be around. He just turned 1 and started walking recently. Poor guy has bruises all over him from toppling over, but he is a trooper (that is him in the picture to the right).

The best part about being around all those nieces and nephews was seeing my husband interact with them. There is just something attractive to a woman about watching a man play with kids. Jeff is great with them. It was the sweetest thing when he sat down with Jez and Ryder and drew them pictures and read to them. I had never seen them have that long of an attention span. The other strange part about being around little ones now that I am married is thinking that my husband and I could have kids anytime we wanted. Not that we want them anytime soon (espeically after spending 4 days with the nieces and nephews - great form of birth control) but now that we are married we could! Spending time with family and dreaming about someday watching our family expand by having kids of our own is defnitely something I love about my Life As A Wife.

Video Games

2008-11-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

Throughout my lifetime I have had moments where I was "into" video games. My best friend and I stayed up all night when we were in grade school trying to beat Super Mario World on Super Nintendo -- we beat it three times! Other than that short stint of being a gamer I have had a love affair with a few other games such as Paperboy, Pac-Man (who didn't love that game), Frogger, and my family definitely had an Atari back in the day; Centipede, Pong and Pitfall...all amazing games!

One of the added benefits of moving in with my husband was the amazing 50 inch flat screen and the PlayStation 3 that came along with him. As a gift for Christmas last year I bought him Rock Band. Over the past year I have started to think that the gift really should have been for me. I love Rock Band! Again, I am not a gamer, rarely do I enjoy video games, but there is just something addictive and exciting about this game. First of all, I love music. Second, although I know that playing the drums, guitar and singing along with this game have nothing to do with actually playing these instruments or singing in real life I still get a sense of satisfaction when my score comes back at 99%. I kind of feel like a rocker! Third, I love introducing new people to Rock Band, it is hillarious to see people try it out for the first time and so exciting to see them succeed! Finally, I love that it is something my husband and I can enjoy together. I have to add in that my all-time favorite commercial right now is the Rock Band 2 commercial with Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk, Alex Rodriguez and Michael Phelps in the Tom Cruise / Risky Business moment rocking out. You have to watch it, hillarious.

So last night Jeff and I played Rock Band for two hours. He is amazing on both the drums and the guitar and I have my moments. But it seems to be one of those things that we can enjoy together and compete on somewhat of a level playing field (he kicks my butt at anything physical we try). We have a band on tour right now "Jefferson Sturpman" - yes a combination of our names and we are not very far but we will be! I love playing Rock Band with my husband, yet another fortunate thing I get to enjoy during my Life As A Wife.

Our First Thanksgiving

2008-11-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

I recognize that Thanksgiving is next weekend but I decided, in light of the fact that this is my first turkey day as a wife, that I wanted to cook a full meal for my husband. We are going to Oregon to spend the holiday with my family next weekend so this was my only opportunity.

Using all of my mom's special recipes (no one cooks as good as mom) I made everything from scratch. Suprisingly, it all turned out really good! My absolute favorite part about the big Thanskgiving meal is the stuffing, and why do we only make this fabulous recipe one time a year? Ours is really simple -- bread crumbs, celery, onions and broth -- amazing! Having a husband was great too. He took on the traditional male roles; cleaning the turkey, cutting the turkey (moving it in and out of the oven --muscles!) mashing the potatoes. He was a great helper. Yet another added bonus of being married.

I also decided to make an apple pie from scratch. My best friend turned me onto this amazing recipe of her grandma's. It too is so simple and the pie was delish. We even whipped up some whipping cream from scratch for the pie.

As much fun as it all was, I must say that it was a whole heck of a lot of work for two people to eat dinner for one night. However, I think it is a tradition that we will continue for many years to come, maybe next year we will invite some friends to enjoy it with us. Just another wonderful thing I get to do during my Life As A Wife.

About My Life As A Wife

2008-11-21T16:55:00.000-08:00

I married my best friend on March 8, 2008. We did the traditional big wedding in my hometown and invited all of our friends and family. In an extremely cliche statement I must say that it was the happiest day of my life...anyone that was there knows that you could not have pried the smile off of my face if you tried. Coming back from our amazing honeymoon in Fiji, my husband (it still feels strange to call him that) and I were faced with reality. The reality of living together for the first time and managing two entirely different peoples expectations about what married life should be like.

One of the first things we had to decide were the "roles" that we would take on as husband and wife. This blog will explore some of the new and exciting (and some not so exciting) things that come my way during my new Life As A Wife.