Slackin' on the gabbin'

Or so I've been politely told.

So I haven't updated since the 24th of February. That doesn't mean I've been slackin'. I've been a little preoccupied.

WITH MY LIFE.

I'm currently on Spring Break and there is no "break" to be found. I don't do idle well unless it's a snow day.

I've painted lawn furniture.
I've dug up shrubs.
I've wiped down the railings on my front porch.
I've organized tub after tub after tub of storage.
I've pitched and tossed miscellaneous treasures out of said tubs.
I've reorganized my attic space above my garage.
I've cleaned out my garage.
I've hit up the lobby of all hobbies.
I've cleaned, prepped, and edged the front hallway at school to prepare for painters.
I've been on walks with friends.
I've been to the gym with friends.
I've spent countless hours preparing for the week of art that is creative.

And that's all since Monday. That has nothing to do with life since February 24.

The first week in March, Lynden has some very special visitors from the land of 10,000 lakes. That's Minnesota, don'tcha know.

My Uncle Les's older sister and youngest brother flew out to visit for a week. And since my dad is my Uncle Les's brother, that makes his older sister and youngest brother also my dad's older sister and youngest brother, and therefore, my auntie and uncle. Don'tcha know.

We spent one of the days taking a ferry ride to Friday Harbor. The day just happened to be Friday. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have gone. It would be weird to visit Friday Harbor on a Saturday. Or a Monday. Or  Tuesday.

We had a wonderful time together. It's always fun to show family from the Midwest the beauty that is the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes I still pinch myself to remind myself that I live here.

But I do live here. And I hang out with these kind of people.

My dearest gal pal Mal. She's that friend that I have to warn people about before she shows up and then apologize for when she leaves. And I love that about her. I wouldn't want it any other way.

She's another peanut butter to my jelly. Yet too still.

And now I'm hungry.

See you in 6 weeks, followers.

xoxo
E

Punxsutawney Phil does not sit on a throne of lies

Curse that little groundhog. And his little burrow, too.

I'm all for a snow day, but this is hashtag ridiculous.

Inches and inches and then more inches of snow. Not so bad. But inches and inches and then more inches of snow with a northeaster? Hello, drifts. Hello, closed roads. Hello, chaos. Goodbye, any movement at all in Whatcom County.

A perk to having a roommate, especially after the home owner has undergone a recent back surgery, is slave labor.

Don't worry, folks. I made sure she visited the little girl's room BEFORE getting bundled up and heading out into the Great White North.

And because they're funny...

And by "neighborhoods", I mean "towns". Good grief. It's days like this when I really miss the Midwest and the soothing sound of plows and tractors plowing all night long. I'm confident in saying that my hometown of 3000 has more plows than all of Whatcom County combined.

And I get to do it all over again tomorrow. Problem is, my house is clean, my laundry is done, and any and all organizing of storage and closets has been done. So, Netflix it is! I recently finished all five seasons of Friday Night Lights. After, once again, finding myself having an unhealthy attachment to fictional characters, I had to say goodbye to friends that I'll never see together again. It's a outrage. Now, I'm hooked on Breaking Bad. Yep. It's quickly turning into one of those shows that I would consider a guilty pleasure. One of those that you hesitate to drag into everyday conversation for fear that your audience will judge you. So I'll blog about it instead. Go ahead and judge me silently.

Hashtag stone throwers.

xoxo
E

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good:

In case you haven't heard, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl. Yes, the bowl of all bowls. The bowl that is super. It's kind of a big deal here in the Pacific Northwest.

The Friday before the game, well, every Friday throughout the playoffs for that matter, was designated "Blue Friday." Because we need an excuse to wear all blue and green on Fridays. A friend of mine who works at a bank was more excited about her God-given right to wear jeans and a Seahawks jersey to work on Friday than she was about the actual Super Bowl. Some people. (Shaking my head emoticon)

Having been a Washingtonian for nearly 9 years now, I have submerged myself into the madness that is Seahawk Fever. I have become the 12th wo-man. I'm loud, I'm proud, and let's face it, I look good in blue and green. It's my duty, really.

The littles and I had a good time on the Friday that was a sea of blue.

 

We attempted to make a "12". The slide wasn't quite high enough, but I'm sure any and all birds flying overhead were beyond impressed. 

My favorite picture of the day had no littles. Instead, it's my gal-pal, Renee, a die hard Broncos fan and me walking down the hallway.

Poor Renee. The Broncos playing the Seahawks in the Super Bowl is the perfect storm for her. She planned to lock herself in her bedroom during the game, away from any and all people who may judge her behavior.

Turns out, there was no need to lock herself away, because the game was the opposite of a nail biter. My blood pressure was higher at 9:00 in the morning than it was at game time. By the end of the third quarter, the superstitious boys in "TV Room Numero Dos" didn't pitch a fit when I got cozy on the couch. They had unsympathetically kicked me back into the "Primary Viewing Area" after halftime, because, hey, wherever people were during the first half, that's where people need to be during the second half! Ridiculous. But I guess "It's only weird if it doesn't work." Dang Bud Light. It's ruining my life.

Our "sign guy" at church let his sense of humor come through prior to the bowl that was super -

Best. Sign. Ever. Creativity at its finest.


The Bad:

My hairstylist and one of my bestest girls is having a baby in four weeks. Then she's going to be a mommy and not be back at work until May. MAY. This is bad news bears for my brown locks. And you would think I would have thought this through and planned a little better. I mean, I had nine months, for cryin' out loud. But no. I went in yesterday for a trim and a face lift...er...a wax, and was BLINDSIDED by the fact that she was taking a maternity leave. I guess I just expected her to take Lil' Miss to the salon everyday. It's going to be a long dry spell.

The Ugly:

The Olympics are back!

I'm not going to lie, I'm having a hard time getting into this round of downhill skiing, ice dancing, and snow boarding. Maybe it's because the games aren't in my backyard up in Vancouver, B.C. like they were four years ago. I mourn the fact that I can't rekindle my torrid love affair with Matt Lauer around an early morning fire and a small sea of Canadian spectators.

Or maybe it's because Ralph Lauren did not realize that the Opening Ceremonies were not synonymous with an ugly sweater party.

 

 Good. Lord.

 

OK, so I guess it's not awful. It's kind of trendy. But it's hardly what I would choose for our athletes to wear when representing our country. I wonder if they'll be available for purchase online after the Olympics? I would totally wear that next December to an ugly sweater party.

 

Off to start the search...

 

xoxo

E



Hey, look here, it's just a taste

What is one to do when the annual "Dress like your favorite book character" Day arrives?

 

Well, isn't it obvious? JACK?! 

If you're still thirsty, I'd suggest you go drink some iced tea.

xoxo

Uncle Si

The Play

BOOM.

SUPER BOWL BOUND, BABY!

See you in New York.

xoxo
E

Please keep winning and please don't die

It's been quite a new year.

First, are you watching these guys?

You should be.

That is Seattle's own Legion of Boom. They're kind of a big deal.

They're the reason why the Seahawks are the #1 defense in the NFL.

Next week, we play those flippin' 49ers. At home. My blood pressure is already sky high. I'm experiencing waves of nauseousness. The 12th Man better step it up, folks. It's gonna be a nail biter.

In other "Have you been watching?!?" news, everyone's favorite abbey is back.

Sigh.

I'm so happy. And I will remain happy as long as NO. ONE. DIES.

My emotions ran the gamut in season three, and I cannot handle any more unnecessary deaths of my dear fictional friends. My heart can't take it. I vow to be doneton with Downton if more than two major and well-loved characters don't live to see season five. So please, Julian Fellowes, knock it off. Just let the Crawleys be happy!

And speaking of people who are happy, take a look at my precious littles singing their hearts out at their "highly anticipated yet postponed because of an inconvenient snow day" Christmas program.

My heart is full. There is just nothing cuter than a herd of littles singing to Jesus.

xoxo
E

Homeland for the Holidays

Christmas in the winter tundra that is Iowa. There is nothing like it, folks.

After a flight to the Midwest that was unworthy of a blog post, I found myself becoming one with the bed in the spare bedroom. For the entire first week I was visiting. When I travel to Iowa, my entire body takes a vacation. When I'm not sleeping twelve hours a night, I'm lounging on the couch. Sometimes sleeping. It's quite pathetic actually.

I did manage to pull myself together for Christmas Eve.



And again on Christmas day.

And then again for a night out with the girls.



And then, when all the stars aligned, my favorite little nugget returned from the Great White Canadian North.

Nobody can read a story like Auntie Em. He told me my expression was unparalleled.

 

I do love this little boy.

Sibling picture time! Lil' Man was told to put his arms around the girls. He was not told, however, to not pull.

There we go!

We are so cute.

I love us.

It was a good trip. It always is. But it's good to be home. 43 degrees never felt so tropical.

xoxo
E