Hula Skirts & Sombreros

Growing up I like to think I had slightly epic birthdays. There was the year of the cross-cultural Hawaiian/Hispanic party in which the front lawn was transformed into thirty children wearing both hula skirts and sombreros. Mom and Dad?! What were you thinking?! Or the year my friend Hannah and I drove three hours to go ice skating and have a sleep over with my Grandma. Ice skating and grandmas? They were all the rage in third grade (note: Grandmas will always be all the rage). Orrr the year I started middle school (and then turned eleven) and two girls punched - yes, punched - each other at my dress-up-and-play-with-make-up party. Oh.The.Drama my pre-teen years presented. So there really was no doubt in my mind that this year my birthday would once again be of epic proportions. While yesterday was my actual birth date, the day was spent driving fifteen hours from Southern California to Central Oregon. Today, however, my parents and I sat on the porch, watched the sun set behind the mountains, and played with Conway in the back yard (he’ll be staying in Oregon while I travel to Hawaii next week). My super wonderful dad grilled a sinfully delicious salmon (of which he caught himself on Saturday), as well as a few potatoes and fresh tomatoes I helped him pick from the garden earlier this afternoon. Sadly, neither hula skirts nor sombreros made an appearance at this year's event, but even sans pinatas and the limbo my evening dinner made me thankful for another year in this sweet life I have.

I may be biased, but growing up my mom was akin to a live-in Sylvia Weinstock - West Coast style. When asked what I wanted for my birthday my answer was simple, a cake. After three days of carrot caking from scratch, this is the form my birthday present took. I like to think of it as six layers of cream cheese frosting heaven. Yum.

I apologize for the recent delay in blogging but I’m happy to say I am now nestled into my cozy Central Oregon room for the next few weeks of work and weddings. And me? Well, I’m ready to round-house kick this blogging train in the behind. Er, caboose?...

You get it.

Happy Monday, Michelle

Unconditional Love

The plan was to leave Bend and leisurely make our way to Napa Valley. To stay the night and wake up to a hearty breakfast in wine country. My mom and I had been planning a cross state road trip for the last three months and yesterday was supposed to mark the first day of our adventure. But after Conway’s puppy sitter fell through mid weekend, the last thing we felt like doing was wasting time eating an enormous meal as Connie sat alone, and foodless, in his kennel. We bagged Napa, and San Francisco, and the I5 diners we had made a point of seeing and instead set the cruise control at 90, urr, 55… When we finally set foot in the house at 5:15 this morning, the fifteen-hour, nonstop drive all seemed worth it. Conway greeted us with the same excitement and slobbery kisses he always does and though tired I made the resolution to love something, anything, in my life as zealously and unconditionally as a dog loves his owner.

From my office I can see as my mom lay asleep on the living room sofa, catching up on the shut eye we failed to get last night. And Connie, lying on the floor beside her, is resting his chin on her shoulder. Waiting, hoping, praying that any minute now she’ll awake and take him for yet another walk around the park.

Happy Monday, Michelle

The New News

Can you believe it’s been two entire months since the last New News post?! I like to think this is because we've just been in a whirlwind of activity lately and haven't had time to put pen to paper. Nothing at all like the alternative - that I'm just a rather simple individual and fear you'll find me dull if I tell you what the real new news in my life is. Nothing like that...

>> This weekend I bought a book on baking bread and in two days baked three loaves. This also means that in two days my domestic abilities increased by at least 300%.

>> Colton left yesterday for a month. Ugh. I feel like someone just kicked me in the gut. Fortunately this is also my busiest month of the summer and I’ll only be at home without him for four days – the entire month! I like to think that’s some strategic planning by none other than, well, God.

>> I’m 1000 miles from MVP status with Alaska Air. I’m not entirely sure what this will mean for me, other than (fingers crossed) an extra bag of peanuts, but I’m still feeling wildly accomplished. In other news, 1000 miles? Really?! They couldn’t just give me those as a courtesy bonus?

>> Admittedly, I’m the last person who will ever make it to a Pampered Chef or Mary Kay or Most-Incredible-Tupperware-Ever party. There are just too many decisions and too many amazingly engineered kitchen utensils I don’t know how to use that I get stressed. But a few months ago my mom sent me a Scentsy candle in the mail and OhMyGawd I thought she had jumped from the box and made me a batch of chocolate chips cookies herself. Thanks to Scentsy my house now rests in a permanent state of fresh baked gooey yumminess and warm vanilla. Or at least the smell of them.

>> I can’t stop Pinning! While I’ve been using Pinterest since February, I’ve yet to blog about it until now. If you’re not already familiar with the website I highly recommend stopping by and wasting a significant portion of your evening. Be careful, though! You’re likely to redecorate every room in your house, buy a new wardrobe, and even do crazy, crazy things – like bake.

Happy Tuesday, Michelle