A train of thought led to this...Valentines Day.

I have been reminiscent lately. I love my memories. I reflect often about the life I have lived. It allows me to appreciate the now. The few days prior to Valentines Day I was thinking of when I lived in Europe. A friend from the states and I decided to meet up in Spain. We had a theme for our travels. A line from a Rusted Root song, "all I need is food and creative love." What a fantastic time we had. You can see why this particular memory came creeping up on me around the day of love. I remember being in Segovia in a little restaurant. We had become a part of a tribe of backpackers. We had known each other for maybe 2 hours and there we were at a farm style table eating as the locals. We didn't have our separate meals on separate dishes everything was shared (I know you're probably gagging, right?). I remember the sense of love and community that was there. With this, I wanted to create a similar type of meal for my girls this year for Valentines Day, something away from the traditional red food cut in the shape of hearts. I was stumped though because there would be no way I could have pulled off such an amazing European meal. This led me to another memory (I am not joking when I said I have been reminiscent)hot pots, the memory of hot pots. In my single days one of my favorite dinners I would have with friends were hot pots, think the Melting Pot. A whole dinner fondue style. I loved it. We would all sit around and have our dinner cook infront of us and eat right out of the electric wok. Same sharing and community, same love. So that is what I did. My girls and I pulled out the electric wok and had so much fun having dinner cook right on the table as we sat around laughing and talking. Hooray, We had such a great day of love!


Here is another memory. Last Valentines was definitely one of my favorites. My sister so kindly came out to CA to watch our kids so Jer and I could have a weekend getaway. We spent the weekend in Santa Cruz, hiking through redwoods and trying to fit in to a much cooler crowd than we actually were/are.




I know the blue coat is a little distracting, but don't stop there, the tree behind us is amazing.

Texan Pow Wow

We went to Texas. A little family getaway which was much needed. It served two purposes. Yes, a getaway and military family time. I got to meet and mingle and be enlightened by other folks like us. I did however only take 'some' of my kids. Am I a bad mother? Only two were allowed. I couldn't possibly juggle more. I already looked like a circus. One adult, two kids tied to me, all the luggage, a stroller and a Dora roller suitcase. We had a great time! Our hotel had an outdoor pool on the roof which was heated. We swam. At night. I went to bed one night at 10:30, that in itself was worth the trip. I loved spending big girl time with my B and having nothing to do. Well sort of nothing to do. My boy is a fussy baby as is and come to find out he is a homebody (we are going to work on that). He started crying on the plane and still hasn't stopped--we have been home a few days now, he might have PTSD. It still was an absolutely fantastic time. Here are pictures, hurry and look before I panic and take them off because of over protectiveness.

Alright, I just tried to post pictures. They didn't work, it's a sign.

Goodbye January

The first month in 2010 down, Hooray!! Now that we are in the year that Jeremy is coming home I am feeling like we are in the home stretch. I am celebrating saying goodbye to January and moving onto the next month to get through. We go month by month...baby steps. And to help the celebration I got a package in the mail from Jer. It was full of juice box straws that he had been collecting for Ms. B, so adorable. It also had vegan candy and, the best part, Latino dance exercise DVD's. Man, he knows how to swoon me.

And for pictures. I know I have not been posting them lately so I thought I would post some from my facebook account. I don't get on facebook very often but last night I was looking at the like 6 pictures I have on it. I noticed something, let's see if you notice it too.


picture A: a cap worn to keep polar bear fur like hair from flailing in the wind at high speeds.


picture B: a cap worn to keep hot humid sun from getting me and shade me by a 12 inch circumference.


picture C: a head wrap worn to keep loose straggly hair from falling into a goat meat stew. I didn't want to make it any more hairy than it already was.

Did you pick up on it? That by my facebook photos one would think I am completely void of any and all fashion sense (even if there is functionality). If you are still a fence sitter on this theory, I think after this next picture there will be no question.



Picture D: there is absolutely no explanation for this one. I would like to think I had just gone swimming or maybe I had just gotten a perm, but no. This is in the category of "some one should have pulled me aside and gently broken the news that this was not working," unfortunately, that did not happen and I have a picture on facebook now to prove it.

Goodbye January and goodbye all head wearing accessories.