A Love Story - Mommy, Daddy and a Bean

Fairy Tales

2011-10-04T10:21:00.001-07:00

(Dakota and Emily getting princess makeovers, July 2011)

You see I have a four year old little girl. I love the sweet and spicyness she offers to the world. I love her with ever inch of my heart and soul. But the one thing about her I love most is she believes in happily ever after.

She loves when people fall in love and get married. She tells people she cant wait to fall in love, get a ring and be married. And those people sometimes comment to me that she should slow down. But people, remember she is 4 years old. Her world consists of a mommy and daddy that are still in love. Her world consists of tons of books that she begs us to read to her over and over again about Princesses and their Prince Charmings who live happily ever after.

I know that is not the real world. And one day she will find out that the bad guy is much harder to spot in the world because he is not always in a dark cloak lurking in the shadows. Sometimes the bad guy can be Prince Charming. But for right now I will just smile knowing that my little girl still believes in fairy tales.

2 Minute Update

2011-03-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

- Well after many years of working full time, I officially now work part time. It took a long time to come to the decision but whats best for Bean was for me to stay home more. So I now only work three days a week. I stay home Saturday thru Tuesday and her Daddy stays home with her Wednesday - Friday.

- With that being said, my mom has moved back with her family to Missouri. It's now just the three of us. Bean handled the adjustment like a champ. Mom gave us a gift that no one could have ever given us. She put her life on hold for her granddaughter. And for that I will be forever grateful.

- Bean is doing great in school. Her teacher says her nickname is Class President. I think that's a good thing...hahaha. She still has one more year of preschool and then on to Kindergarten.

- Husband is doing well in his career. Recently started K-9 agitation school and came home with a zillion dog bites. He loves it and that makes me happy. Oh and he has a new love...he got a brand new 2011 Tundra. Rubs it with a diaper..enough said.

- Mother in Law is just about recovered from hip replacement. She also handled that adjustment like a champ and should be back at work in a week or two.

- Bella still is the laziest dog ever. Not much to say about her except she is due for a day of beauty from OC Groomer Girl.

- Our house is...well the same. We did some backyard updates. New outdoor dining area complete with a ceiling fan and heater. Nothing too dramatic. May have to rip a palm tree out because we are pretty sure its sick or dead.

THE END

..........................................................

2011-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

I have major writers block. (See I could not even think of a title)I have things to tell but don't know how to say them. Things to show you but I don't know how to show them. Topics I want to discuss, but I don't have an angle. Grrrrrr......

The Day Bella Met OC Groomer Girl

2011-01-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have always been a firm believer in treating your pets as if they are a member of your family. Because when you really think about it they have their own individual personalities, their own likes and dislikes and they have the ability to love just like everyone else.

I love my pets. They are a part of me. When they hurt I hurt. I recently lost my chihuahua of 16 years. But I still have my Bella..Oh my Bella. If you have read my past posts there a few Bella adventures on there. But today was one I had to tell you about.

So I know you have seen those mobile pet grooming places around town. Well we decided we would find one and give our "Bells" a day of beauty. So I called up the OC Groomer Girl and they came to my house this morning RIGHT ON TIME in this!

And soon our Bella found her self here.....

Then she found her self really getting in to it....

Then after nails, bath, blow dry, teeth brush, massage and facial her self esteem went through the roof...

I can't say enough about Jenna the OC Groomer Girl. Thank you for providing us such a wonderful service. We will definitely be return customers.

And finally a love note to my favorite greyhound...

Advanced Auto Parts Presents MONSTER JAM

2011-01-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Bust out your trucker hats, beer cozies and ear plugs. Monster Jam is coming to the Southland. This year’s truck lineup is showcased with appearances by Monster Jam powerhouses – the legendary GRAVE DIGGER®, GRAVE DIGGER LEGEND® (marking the Anaheim return and L.A. debut of 8-time World Champion Tom Meents for 2 shows). Several all-new Monster Jam trucks will be premiering for the 2011 season including SON UVA DIGGER (driven by Ryan Anderson, son of Grave Digger icon Dennis Anderson), DRAGON’S BREATH and MONSTER MUTT ROTTWEILER® plus the Southland debuts of SUPERMAN, AVENGER, BRUTUS and NITRO CIRCUS. Other trucks showcased at select events include Turtle, King Krunch, El Matador, The Patriot, Tropical Thunder, Backwards Bob, Obsessed, Maniac, Jurassic Attack, Captain USA, Stone Crusher, Time Fly’s, Shocker, Dragon’s Breath, Nitro Circus, Bounty Hunter, The Felon, Obsessed, Iron Outlaw, Obsession, Ironman, The Felon and more! **truck line-up subject to change

So now that you have the all star line up, on to the part where I can save you some $$$. Right now, if you use the code MOMMY you can save $5.00 of of $32.00 or $22.00 tickets. (not valid day of the show, so to put it in terms you can understand, buy them in advance!)

In case you are wondering, yup im going. Anyone know what I should wear?

Sweet Child Of Mine...

2011-01-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

...loves to dance. She will surprise you with a show almost every night.
...is a lover of animals. She has a deep soft spot for our dog Bella.
...is a mustard lover. She will eat it on anything. Bread, rice, chicken, bananas..etc
...is a #1 fan of school. Never has shed a tear when she goes. Loves her teachers, Mrs Stein and Ms Kathy so very much.
...is very good at math. Can do simple addition and subtraction.
...thinks that she will grow up to marry Toby one day. Tanya may have an issue with that.
...loves Taylor Swift and sings her songs in the car.
...can tell you where all the rides at Disneyland are.
...is a lover of pickles, goldfish, mac and cheese, quesadillas, peanut butter, marshmallow, lemonade, blueberries, granola bars and so much more.
...says please, thank you and excuse me without having to be reminded.
...always gives kisses and hugs to her loved ones.
...loves to help mommy make dinner. She can set a mean table!
...has inherited her mothers love of books.
...loves to go on trips. Hotels are her major weakness.
...can dress herself, brush her teeth and get her breakfast in the morning.
...will sneak stuff in to the grocery basket if you are not looking.

This sweet child of mine lights up our lives and reminds us all that childhood is such a short season.

I Got a Deal For You...

2011-01-14T07:51:00.001-08:00

With all the gorgeous snow that has been/is bing dumped in our mountains, its time to take advantage. I have a few friends that snowboard (Andrea and Charles) and I have tons of friends with kids that would love to play in the great ourdoors (Ani, Nic, Val, Tanya..Etc). So right now my readers can go to skiforfree.com and use promo code: SLED1 for 50% off lift tickets to Mountain High. So jump on it and do it!

Anybody Seen these Anywhere?

2011-01-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Alphapbits are a hot commidity in the Fahrney household. Problem is I can't find them anywhere. Sure I can order them online, but asking a Alphabits addidicted 4 year old to wat a week is like asking Charlie Sheen to wait for his shipment of hookers. Just doesnt work. So if you are browsing in your local Target, Walmart, Kmart or grocery store can you please look and see if they have them. Bean would be eternally grateful.

Letter From My Friends

2010-10-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Creepy Old Dudes,

I know we are hot. I know this because we are told all the time. I know we stand out in a crowd. Admire us from afar. There is no need to stop foot traffic to point out how hot we are. No need to drool while we are riding in the elevator at 7am. This makes you even creepier.

Signed,

My Red High Heels

PS. If you think we are hot, you need to check out my other friends that live at my house...Christian and Louboutin.

School Daze

2010-09-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's official. On September 16th 2010, Bean started preschool. She started at Foothill Ranch elementary. They have a great preschool program. When I was pregnant with Bean I just happened to be asking around about preschools and when they start. Well my neighbor Stephanie who happened to pregnant with her little boy Flynn at the time said in order to get in to the district preschools that I had better put her on the waiting list now! And that's what I did. And three and a half years later here we are.

Look at Flynn in the middle. So handsome!

This school is a prime piece of real estate. Check out the view from the class room.

And the playgorund made me want to play!

Typical Orange County first day of school stop at Starbucks.

She had a great time and did so well. We are so happy she likes school. Today we also had new first for us. Seem's like she picked up a bug at school. So her second day of school was the first time we had to call her "out sick". Ohwell!

Tiny Dancer

2010-09-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked a day I have looked forward to for many many years. Even before Bean was born, I thought about this day. So Saturday was her first ballet/jazz/tap class. She.was.amazing!

I always wanted a daughter. Scott and I both did. We make no excuses for it either. And this is one of the reasons why. I loved dance. It was a HUGE part of my life for 12 years. I still can surprise people with a Pas de basque who did not know I am trained dancer. Yes, I know boys can be dancers too. But for me sharing this bean is a dream come true. As expected she did great. Enjoy the photos from her first class at Cal Elite.

Fail

2010-08-16T08:28:00.001-07:00

Well I failed. Actually I lost the battle that rages on in my head. This battle is called anxiety. It has its hold on me and won't let go. My only option to have some sort of normal life is to go back on medication for it. So today I will see the doctor and begin the prescribed regimen. I fought hard and long and it got real bad sometimes but in the end, there is really nothing left for me to do. I don't have many people to talk to about it that would understand. Actually to be honest I don't have anyone that truly understands what it is like to be on edge all the time. I can't even really explain what it's like to plan funerals in your head all the time. Because that's literally what I do. When I say that i don't mean that I am picking out plots, just that it means I jump to the conclusion that the reason you are late or have a headache is because you are dead or dying. irrational thoughts fill my head and I internalize it to the EXTREME. Even the doctor said that my quality of life is poor because of it. So today I will trek down to the doctors and see if I can improve my quality of life...

Circus Trip..Late I Know But I Have a Good Excuse...

2010-08-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of attending Funundrum at the Honda center a few weeks back. I promise I have been meaning to write about it but was feeling under the weather. Im talking under, under the weather. Complete with multiple doctor visits, a ride in an ambulance and a hospitalization.

Tanya, Maamaw, Bean and I started out evening with a trip to the Lazy Dog Cafe. Great food and I had a gift card thanks to my awesome friend Ani. If you have not been, I highly recommend it. You can even bring your dogs and sit on the patio in front of their fire pit.

When we got to the circus I was a little angry though. (Wait til I finish before you pass judgement). I love animals just as much as the next person. I have a rescued greyhound from Mexico that we all love and adore.

But showing pictures of abused Elephants to my three year old is good way to get people to NOT listen to your cause. Also, don't little boys and girls in line that the money they spend there is going towards buying chains to whip the elephants with. I do so much APPRECIATE their cause and their fight for what they believe is going on, but in the future, please hand me the flyer with the pictures on it and not our children.
Anyways, we had amazing seats and were upfront for all the fun. The contortionists were the best. I have seen some before but none like this. I have quite a few friends who took part in the "MOM" discount this year and all agree this year was better than last years circus. Zing Zang Zoom was good and all but man I couldn't get that song out of my head for weeks!

So I promise to update on our summer happenings later on maybe today since I am up and running again. We have been to the fair....three times, a trip to Victoria Beach, lots and lots of Disneyland, I had a fantastic Birthday party and and day now my new car should be arriving from overseas. Actually it was supposed to be yesterday, but who's counting? (ME)!!!

What's Summer Without Wild Rivers!

2010-06-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like some fun in the sun! I do, I do! (well with a little SPF30 for my peach complexion) Well I have a super cool coupon code and link to where you can get a discount on your ticket to Wild Rivers right here in the OC. The discount is $5 dollars of a general admission ticket and here is the link for the coupon: www.wildriversfun.com/sun2 or you can enter the promo code: SUN2 when you purchase the ticket online. Take advantage of the great Socal weather and my awesome discount.

It's Coming...........

2010-06-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

...............in 8-10 weeks.

Special Circus Discount As Promised

2010-06-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen…Children of all ages…The Greatest Show On Earth just got Greater with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM. Featuring 130 performers from six continents around the world, almost 100,000 pounds of performing pachyderms, 13 athletes on a Russian bar, seven motorcycle riders in a Globe of Steel, and more clowns that you can see with two eyes, Barnum’s FUNundrum! is a super-sized spectacle so massive it took 200 years to arrive!

Produced by Feld Entertainment, Barnum’s FUNundrum is performing at STAPLES Center, July 14 - 18; Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, July 21 - 25; and the Honda Center, Anaheim, July 28 - August 8. Priced from $12 to $100, tickets can be purchased at the arena box office(s), by phone at (800) 745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations, and online at Ticketmaster.com and Ringling.com.

This monumental, once-in-a-lifetime event celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the legendary P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman of all time, and can only be experienced at The Greatest Show On Earth®, Barnum’s living legacy! Almost from the moment he was born, P.T. Barnum was inspired by a fascination with people, attracting the attention of his audience and wowing them in return. When he created The Greatest Show On Earth®, he knew “good” wasn’t good enough – it had to be the greatest spectacle anyone had ever seen…and Barnum’s FUNundrum brings the extraordinary treasures of the circus from both past and present to life!

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson invites the audience to leap aboard the Ringling Bros. Express and go on a family FUNtastic adventure to meet exotic characters and witness thrilling performances that attempt to answer Barnum’s FUNundrum, “What special wonders create The Greatest Show On Earth?”

Step right up and see The Flying Caceres attempt to complete the elusive quadruple somersault on the flying trapeze; a feat that hasn’t been mastered in over three decades. Watch The Puyang Troupe from China dazzle with a stunning display of dexterity as they bounce, flip, and twirl to new heights on a two-tiered trampoline. Be amazed as you witness the impossible contortions of the Body Benders who fit three humans in a cube the size of a milk crate. Enjoy the wondrous ability of the Mighty Meetal, the strongest man in the world, as he lifts over 1,200 pounds. And savor the stupendous skills of the hand balancers featuring Duo Fusion, a married pair of performers with a twist; the wife does the heavy lifting.

And one hour before show time, families can meet the performers, get autographs, and see an amazing elephant that paints at the All Access Pre-show –FREE with a purchased ticket!

The multi-ticket discount returns this summer, with a special $48 Family Four-Pack Offer on select performances or $4 off single ticket prices on select shows. The discount can be redeemed online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000 . To redeem, use the discount code “MOM” .

Ticket Information

- Prices: $12 (opening night); Circus Celebrity $100; Front Row $70; VIP $40;
additional tickets range from $15, $20 & $25
- Order Online: www.ringling.com or www.ticketmaster.com
- Order tickets by phone: 800-745-3000
- All seats reserved
- For group sales call STAPLES Center: (213) 742-7100; Honda Center: (714) 704-2420; Citizens Business Bank Arena: (909) 244-5516

Southland Performance Schedule

Los Angeles - Staples Center: Wednesday, July 14 – Sunday, July 18
1111 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles 90015
- Wednesday, July 14 – 7:30pm
- Thursday, July 15 – 12:00pm; 7:30pm
- Friday, July 16 – 12:00pm, 7:30pm
- Saturday, July 17 – 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
- Sunday, July 18 – 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Inland Empire - Citizens Business Bank Arena: Wednesday, July 21 – Sunday, July 25
4000 Ontario Center Parkway, Ontario, CA 91764
- Wednesday, July 21 – 7:30pm
- Thursday, July 22 – 7:30pm
- Friday, July 23 – 12:00pm, 7:30pm
- Saturday, July 24 – 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
- Sunday, July 25 – 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Orange County - Honda Center: Wednesday, July 28 – Sunday, August 8
2695 E. Katella, Anaheim, CA 92806
- Wednesday, July 28 – 7:30pm
- Thursday, July 29 – 1:00pm; 7:30pm
- Friday, July 30 – 10:30am; 7:30pm
- Saturday, July 31 – 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
- Sunday, August 1 – 1:30pm; 5:30pm
- Tuesday, August 3 – 7:30pm
- Wednesday, August 4 – 1:00pm; 7:30pm
- Thursday, August 5 - 10:30am; 7:30pm
- Friday, August 6 – 1:00pm; 7:30pm
- Saturday, August 7 – 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
- Sunday, August 8 – 1:30pm; 5:30pm

For more information on Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® visit www.Ringling.com.

Do You Know A Kid That Stands Out??

2010-06-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Nominations are currently being accepted for “The Barnum Award,” a Southland search to honor three stand-out kids who are making a difference in our community.No you can nominate a child between the ages of 8-14 who are demonstrating the entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit of P.T. Barnum. Nominating is easy, by answering a few brief questions on the online application at www.thebarnumaward.com. First, second and third place winners will receive cash prizes to continue their service. The award ceremony will be on opening night at the Honda Center, July 28th.

Mother, Mom, Ma, Mama, Mommy...It's all the same.

2010-05-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

So here is the question and I have the answer. Mother’s take care of their husbands, their children and their parents. So who takes of the Mothers? The answer is other Mothers. I asked my friends recently, what their ideal Mothers Day would be. And I told them to be honest. Ok, I got a few sweet (gave me a tooth ache)replies but I also got a few brutally honest replies. Lets start with mine.

Sam. Married Mother to Bean 3.(Awesome Blogger. Just tootin my own horn)
“Disneyland. Oh how I would love to spend the day there.”

Val. Single Mother to Anthony 15, Brittany 14 and Ethan 6. (Will break your Playstation if you don’t listen to her)
“My ideal Mother's Day would be to wake up in a hotel with a private patio on on the beach. All my kids jump up on my bed and order breakfast in and watch the morning begin. All the kid's being GOOD of course (dreamin) just a fun get away for all of us with no chores or the daily routine and NO phone! Then hit the water for the day and have some fun. Maybe top it off with some MOM time like a spa session and dinner OUT with NO kids (grandma time) Drinks by the water on the patio on and relax and sleep in the next day and wake up-Mother's day is over-dream ended. “

Andrea. Married Mother to Christian 2. (Your ultimate career mommy)
Breakfast in bed while watching a DVD montage of Christian’s pictures from birth.
Then, a day full of shopping with the family. Followed up by a good hearty seafood dinner! And hopefully a handmade card made by my son and some flowers would be nice.

Jill. Married 22 years Mother to Shayleen 21, Anthony 19, Halen 13, Jayda 4, Zackary 2 (Does not back down. She can’t with all them kids)
“I always tell my kids that they don’t have to buy anything. All I want it for them to do is listen to me, clean up, and no fighting. Simple! Simple! Simple! How hard is that? Have I ever got that? NO!”

Nicole Single Mother to Dominic 8. (Loves her boy like no other)
“My idea of the perfect mother’s day would be to not have to take care of anyone. I live with my mom, so for mother’s day I have to wake up early and make her “mothers day breakfast” and then I have to take care of my son, because I am a single mom. I spend the whole day cleaning and running around and making food and I do not get to relax….I would love for someone to make me breakfast and I could stay in my jammies all day and even take a nap! I hate mother’s day…its more work than any other day!”

Liz Single Mother to Ashley 14. (A Mom enjoying the teen years)
“My ideal mothers day is to sleep in until I feel like getting up, lounge around reading, maybe catch a movie or kick it in the sun for awhile before a nice dinner that I DON’T have to cook! What am I doing: getting up early, visiting Jeff’s mom, Jeff’s sister, going to my mom’s for a bbq ending with a nice long drive back to Jeff’s house. Go go go all the time!”

Ani Single Mother to Dillon 8. (Would and will fight to the death for her boy)
“My ideal mother's day is a day where I don’t have to be a mom. A break. To not have to listen to the whining. To not have to feed anyone. Not have to worry about anyone. Not have to make sure anyone is still breathing. To just enjoy the silence. The alone time. The lack of responsibility. The peacefulness!”

Lyndsey Married mother to Jaedyn 4, Tayler 4 months (Has her hands full)
“Picnic at the park with husband and kids. Nice dinner with husband and kids at home or restaurant.”

Tanya-Married Mother to Twins Timothy and Travis 18 months (My closest pal and mothering partner)
“Just 3 hours of me time”

Brandy Married Mother to Jessica 16 and Hailey 2 (The Hot Mom)
“To be woken sweetly by my girls, with hubby to follow bringing a tray of breakfast (hubby is a great cook) house to have been cleaned spic and span while I was sleeping, a beautiful bouquet of flowers on my bed side table. While eating the delicious breakfast I notice an envelope on the tray when I open it I see that we will all be going to Kauai spending the day on the beach and snorkeling with my girls just relaxing and having fun together. Afterwards of course there would be a masseuse and a chef waiting for us at our fabulous house on the beach where we could see the ocean from every room and the only sound would be the waves breaking on the shore and the laughter of my two beautiful girls!”

From Her About Me

2010-04-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's nice to get compliments. My husband is lacking in that department. But my friends are not. I have a great set of friends. One in particular sent me this today and it made me smile.

"My friend Sam, what can I say but she is there with a bottle of wine when I need it, she recently taught me the ways of the garage sale and she encourages me to do things to better my self. No she does not want me to run a marathon or run for office, but she is a huge reader and she likes to give me books to read. Most of the my reading time is spent with the classics, Green Eggs and Ham, and other Dr. Susses books. So in her efforts to help with getting me to read and the joys of mother hood, she gave me Chicken Soup for the Soul Twins…Well my regular routine of walking at lunch has been stopped (construction on Harbor) so I am going to start reading my book today. I am looking forward to reading about others with Twins. I really wanted to join a Twins group but I WORK FULL TIME!!!!!!! I have not found a moms group for working moms. So I will dive in to my book today at lunch in hopes of finding wisdom, incite and some laughs. Thank you Sam for being my BFF and for knowing how to get me over the “new mom” moments I have and giving me the tools I need to get through the day. "

Thanks Tanya! Can't wait to go to the circus with you soon!

Picture below was taken many moons ago in Vegas. This was the night that we got kicked out of the Venetian and I got a black eye from getting elbowed by some drunk person. Big Hair!

Don't worry Tanya, I won't tell anyone how you threw up your entire spinach salad after drinking too many red headed sluts at the Crazy Horse. And I don't know how you managed to get all the vomit all over the wall and not one leaf in the toilet. And yes being the true friend I am, I scraped it off the wall with my bare hands.

I'm Going To Miss Her

2010-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Fiorella,

After all these years I never thought last night would come. Although the message I received was expected in these last few weeks, I still thought it would never come. I think we all did.

You impacted my life in so many ways. I wish that while you were here I could have expressed myself to you better. But you were not one for tears. Instead you were one for laughter, smiles and pure joy. The best way I could describe you was Firecracker. Never taking crap from anyone and you always did it with a smile.

The pain of losing you is still so raw that I have few words. But I wanted to fulfill your final request that you sent to me and write about your life and death.

How I wish things were different for you. I want you to still be here to watch your daughter grow in to a woman. I want my friend here. I want to look at my phone and see your number come up and settle in for a nice long fun conversation. I want you here.

Please know that Scott, Bean and I will remain in Mia's life. She is your greatest creation. Your baby girl.

Fio, watch over my little girl. Guide her when she needs guidance and keep her safe.

Thank you for 11 years of friendship. 11 wonderful years. I would not trade them for anything.

Always in my Heart,

Sammy

What Did You Do this Weekend??

2010-02-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well we did a lot! On Saturday we decided (I mean Bean decided) that we needed to plant a garden. Well my gardener Jake has not been by lately to weed our massive flower bed, so we planted seeds in a pot. Grandmother(that mamaaws new name these days) planted a tomato plant.

On Sunday morning we packed up and headed off to Sea World. But before we left I was surprised that Scott got me a Valentines card. This has not happened in many moons. Well come to find out his corporal made him do it. Oh well, at least i have a corporal looking out for me.

Anyways, we made it to Sea world in about an hour and a half and spent the day riding the rides and checking out the animals. We had a FABULOUS time! We fed sting rays, held star fish and got up close and personal with a flock of flamingos. We checked in to our hotel had an early dinner and let Bean swim in the pool. We were exhausted so we went to bed early.

The next morning we were driving back and Scott said he had a good time and told me to check out Solvang for our next trip. What the heck?? He never asks me to make plans. Who is the man and what has he done with my husband?

Superbowl Party Time!

2010-02-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

We went to a fabulous super bowl party at the Hoffer's house. Papa Fahrney joined us and so did our neighbor Dave. It was a ton of fun. So much fun that Bean promptly fell asleep when her head hit the pillow. And there was so much food. My sliders were a hit! So here is the run down...

10 - The number of taquitos I ate. It was like over a 4 hour period of time.
9 - The number of time I told papa to shave his goatee.
8 - The number of gummy bears Bean ate.
7 - The hour to which we left the party
6 - Cant think of a 6
5 - The number of kids that were there. And the played so well together.
4 - The number of sliders the twins ate. My god those kids can eat!
3 - The number of cars that stopped when we were almost killed at the intersection of trabuco and bake. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit the car in front of us. I have the bruised up leg to prove it.
2 - The number of injuries that were sustained at the party. Bean got a scraped elbow and Travis ended up with a bump on the noggin.
1 - The number of pieces of questionable trash I saw in Tanyas trash can.

Anyways we are off to Sea World on Sunday for an overnight stay. Will post on that when I get back.

Snow Day

2010-01-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

If you live in the OC snow and you want to see some snow, you usually have to drive and hour and a half to Big Bear. Well this weekend at the OC great park there will be snow. So while Scott is protecting the citizens of Santa Ana, I will be taking Bean to get some free snow action. I heard through the grapevine that there is ice skating too. So if I am brave enough maybe we will try that too.

Ahoy Matey!

2010-01-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Rain is gone....for now. Everyone has cabin fever. You can tell when I get cabin fever because I start surfing the web for stuff to do. And by golly I found something. I just made reservations to go whale watching this Sunday. Got a fabulous deal too! So this Sunday the three of us will set sail and hopefully catch a glimpse of some large mammals. I will be sure to take some pics.

Read Me

2010-01-25T08:38:00.001-08:00

Dear Walmart Checker Lady,

Next time you see an obviously frazzled lady with a red faced thumb sucking toddler
(Me and Bean), please keep your unsolicited parenting advise to yourself. Please don't tell me that giving my daughter a toy or a blanket will stop her thumb sucking. Because I can tell you that buying her an entire walmart or giving her the fluffiest blanket will not indeed stop her from sucking her thumb. One more thing...thank your lucky stars it was not Ani who you gave this advice to. It would not have been pretty. My little snotty "mind your own business" would not have stood up to the ass whooping you would have received from my good friend.

So there.

Signed,

Mother Sucker (Thumb)

Back from Vaca!

2010-01-22T09:41:00.001-08:00

Yup, I'm back! We made it home from up north in one piece. We went from some super cold temps to never ending rain. It rained the whole trip home. So that is almost the entire length of California. We had a great visit with the family up north. We stayed at the Mount Shasta resort and it has quickly become my new favorite place to stay. It was amazing. The price was right and the little chalet was just perfect. All in all it was a great family trip.

Since we have been back the weather has been down right crazy. 7 inches of rain in 4 days is insane. I don't think we will need to water the lawn for another week or so. Poor Bean has been cooped up in the house so this weekend we are going to take her to do some fun stuff. The zoo, the park, some duck feeding and whatever else we can do. She has been asking to see the twins and Aunt Tanya so we are off to the Hoffers for some dinner tomorrow night. I'm cooking because that's just what I do.

And don't fear dear sister Tara of mine..I will make sure to send you a picture of the meal...hehehehe...Cause i know you love those pictures.

Fahrney family pic!

For all my readers who have never seen me, well that's me.

Snow angels...sometimes devils

My new favorite place to stay!

Shasta forest. So pretty and green. I just know that sasquatch is hiding behind those trees.

Happy Adoption Day Tyler!

2010-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

5 Years ago today we got him. Tyler White officially became Tyler Fahrney. The Fahrney family gained it's first grandchild and only grandson. A few years later came Kota and Bean.

The Fahrney Family trekked down to the OC courthouse and all stood up while we watched him officially gain a new last name. After, we went and celebrated at Lucky Strike bowling alley. Two things that stick out in my mind that day was that it was raining and me and Tyler had deep fried mac and cheese balls. SO GOOD!

Things about Tyler that make me smile:

When he was little he would snuggle with me and watch lifetime movies.
Always ends a phone call with me, with an I love you.
Knows I am always late sending gifts but know that they eventually make it there.
Puts up with our endless teasing as he enters adulthood.
Likes salad. Even as a toddler.

Cheers to you Tyler. Thanks for being a great nephew and a greater son!

XOXOXOX

Ice Ice Baby

2009-12-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful and cold night at Disney on Ice last night. Picked up Tanya and we headed in to Anaheim for some dinner, wine and good times! We got there with plenty of time to have a great meal at JT Schmidt's.

The production of the show was out of this world. As Tanya said, there really was not a bad seat in the house the way they set up the ice rink.

When the cars came out in the beginning, they had me scratching my head saying, "how did they do that"? It was seriously like the cars jumped off the movie screen and on to the ice. Next came Little Mermaid and Lion King productions. Outstanding! Wonderful use of props to make it look like the ocean and the African plains.

By far our fave was Pixie Hollow. Anyone who knows Bean knows she is a hardcore die hard Tinkerbell Fan. So this was a treat indeed. All the fairies and tinker fairies were there. So colorful and bright.

We were able to Get Tanya home by 9:30 and we were home by 9:45. Fabulous evening out with the girls!

Now time to give thanks to all that made last night possible for us to enjoy.

1. Scott and Toby for wrangling the twins at dinner, bath and bed time. They had a good boys night, just the 4 of them.

2. Denise O. for providing the $10.00 off coupon for dinner.

3. Bean for being such a good girl and not throwing a tantrum when I said no to $12.00 cotton candy, eating really good and not peeing her pants when she napped in the car on the way to the show.

4. Tanya and Maamaw for enduring the arctic blasts of air while we waited for the doors to open.

5. And finally Jennifer for giving me the opportunity to review the show on my blog ....and to give my daughter a bit of Disney Magic this holiday season.

Happy Holidays all...XOXOX

Disney On Ice

2009-12-21T08:48:00.001-08:00

I have been lucky enough to be invited as a member of the media to a few different functions. The circus, spa days in Beverly Hills, Toy previews with Mattel and all sorts of things. By far I am most excited by being invited to view Disney on Ice tomorrow evening at the Honda Center. Bean, Maamaw and I are taking Tanya out for a girls night. She has those twin boys so anything girly we can throw her way I am sure she appreciates.

First we have reservations at JT Schmidts and then its on to the show. I pray we can hold Beans interest long enough so see a good portion of the show. Anyways, expect a full report on the show.

PS. Thank You Jennifer for the invite!

10/13/09

2009-10-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

Let's take a moment to talk about Papa Fahrney. I mean today is his birthday and everything. Papa and I have a unique relationship. He is not only my father in law but he is also one of my best friends. He lets me vent when things get to me. When Scott was in the police academy he was there to listen to me when I was at my lowest of lows. And just when I didn't think I could take it anymore he would always remind me that it would end soon and things would get better.

There are just too many things to list that I just love about him. I mean sure he drives me crazy sometimes. But we are friends and when he gets out of line I know he appreciates it when I smack him upside the head. I don't really smack him, but you know what I mean.

We love you so much Papa. Thank you for being you...I hope we all make you proud.

Happy birthday....XOXOXO

Love, Scott, Sam, Emily, Tara, Steve, Tyler and Dakota

Not Me!

2009-09-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Oh no no...not me. I'm not the one that got up super early to go for a morning jog on Sunday morning. I'm not the one who strapped on her running shoes and made her way out the door. I'm not the one who got to the park and saw two coyotes amongst the playground equipment. Surely, I'm not the one who did an "about face" and ran back home at the speed of lightning.....Nope NOT ME!!

Ok, it was me.

Andrea saw a black cat and a skunk on her run. Needless to say she did not retreat and sprint home.

Oh Happy Days!!!!

2009-09-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm happy these days. Happier than I have been in a long time. There is a reason why I am so happy that I'm sure some of my besties know about. Im not ready to make it huge public knowledge. Im sure a few of you inquiring minds will want to know. I have made changes. Small ones and big ones. Dramatic and then not so dramatic ones. Changes are awaiting this mommy and some are already in the works.

Punkin At The Patch

2009-09-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Maamaw and I took Bean to the pumpkin patch this weekend. I know it's early but why not? We went to the one at Irvine Park and they did a great job this year. They had a haunted house that was just perfect for the little ones. Scary but not too scary. We did the train ride and hit up the OC Zoo. We spent a little too much money but we have extra tickets so Bean can take her Daddy next time. Speaking of Daddy we are so proud of him for nailing his first $1,000,000 warrant. A great way to end probation which is coming to an end. Enjoy the pics of our Punkin at the patch.....

I Hate This

2009-09-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

This morning I opened up the Oc register and saw a headline I dread every year this time, FIRE WEATHER WATCH ISSUED FOR THE OC. I hate this because a couple years ago I watched the fire surround us and come after me and my neighbors. It was a horrific thing that I hope does not repeat itself. After the first evacuation I thought we were in the clear. But when the fire turned the corner and hit my street there was no stopping it. It got 6 houses away from ours. We watched as all of the wildlife ran for their lives. Deer ran down our street slipping and sliding because of the asphalt. Skunks and coyotes ran in to the park.

After all that guess what we got in mail? A nice letter telling us our homeowners insurance was cancelling us. Thanks a lot!

I leave you with some pictures....

She Is Going To Be So Mad At Me One Day For This

2009-09-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

See Bean hiding in the trees. Any idea why she is hiding?

Because she has to go #2 and does not want you to see her doing it. What a face!

Potty training sucks!

Flashback Friday #3

2009-09-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Our Wedding October 26th 2002.

Being Put Between A Rock And A Hard Place.. Wish It Was 1950

2009-09-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

Time for a guest blogger! A little background on Tanya. She is married to my husbands BFF Toby and Bean's godmother. She hates banana's but will eat banana bread and her house is always decorated for whatever holiday is coming up. She also endured many years of infertility. After three rounds of IUI and one round of Invitro she got these...

Ok as a mom sometimes we are caught between a rock and a hard place. I work so my kids can have things I did not have, I wanted better for them, who does not what that. This week my Nanny lost her grandma and I lost my Nanny. My Nanny is a very nice young girl who reads to my boys every day, takes them on a walk every day and makes sure my one son “spitman” does not smell funny. Well, I have a ton of vacation time, but I have such a mess at work. I did the unthinkable I picked work over my boys. I had my cousin a mom of three ranging from 20-13 come and watch the boys. It was a huge help, but it was just that watching the boys. I have my mother-in-law watching the boys as we speak. So I got their bottles ready, and some of their food, tried to make it VERY easy on her. My boys are 10 months and they are into everything and love to explore the house. So you really have to be on your toes. As I was leaving today I felt horrible that I picked work and not them this week, so I will try to leave early today so “save” them from a women who loves them very much but speaks in a high pitched baby voice to them, and takes a TON of pictures.

--Tanya Hoffer

Flashback Friday #2

2009-08-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

A man, his beer and his Bean.

DISNEY LIVE! ROCKIN’ ROAD SHOW

2009-08-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Get ready to dim the lights and raise the curtain – Mickey Mouse is in the house and he’s setting the stage for fun - just for you! But first he’ll need to find some amazing acts to put in his show. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald all head off on an adventure and find some great friends to help them out. You’ll get to sing along to
cool songs, jump out of your seat to dance to the beat and laugh out loud with Buzz and Woody from Toy Story, Cinderella, Tigger, and more of your Disney friends at this show-stopping, zany, on-stage adventure

LONG BEACH – Terrace Theatre (300 E Ocean Blvd Long Beach, CA 90802-4825)
Sunday, September 20th: 12:00PM, 3:00PM, 6:00PM

THOUSAND OAKS - Fred Kavli Theatre at Thousand Oaks Civic Auditorium (2100 E. Thousand Oaks, 91362)
Friday, September 25th: 3:00PM, 6:00PM

NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE (777 Chick Hearn Ct. Los Angeles, 90015)
Saturday, September 26th: 12:00PM, 3:00PM, 6:00PM
Sunday, September 27th: 12:00PM, 3:00PM

Ticket Prices: $65.00 / $35.00 / $25.00 / $20.00
To order tickets by phone: 800-745-3000
Online: www.disneylive.com OR www.ticketmaster.com

******Disney holds special memories for us all. Whether you are young or old. Treat the kiddos to an afternoon or evening with all their favorite friends from Disney. As a special discount to all my awesome readers use the promotional code LIVE in order to receive $3.00 off EACH ticket. And keep making those Disney memories!

Birthday Highlights!

2009-08-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

My actual birthday was on July 26th. But we celebrated with a small dinner party on August 14th. We went to our fave spot, Rose Canyon Cantina...AGAIN! They were awesome there.

I even got my own menu made by the owner Melanie. We had such a good time. I truly felt loved. The gifts were amazing. Thank you everyone that came and thanks for braving Live Oak Canyon Road. I love you all so very much.

Pierre, enjoying his favorite beer.

My View of the festivities.
My BFF's!!!!

Jake feeling the effects of Tecate.

And the gifts, CASH!!!!! Woo hoo...Coach shoes, fun socks, wine, booze, Tiffanys (I totally cried when I opened this), uncrustable maker...more cash..Javier's gift card.

Thank you Mom, Bean, Pawpaw, Grandma Fahrney, Ani, Jake, Rochelle, Nicole, Pierre, Danny, Dave, Dillon, Mike Rhey, Mike, Krista, Gabe, Toby and Tanya. And my awesome husband!

Real Housewives of Orange County

2009-08-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

If you know me you know I love this show. I actually love the whole series but OC remains my favorite. Well last night we went out to Rose Canyon for Taco Tuesday. In my opinion they have the best taco Tuesday. $2.00 tacos on the patio in the summer? You can't beat that. So when we got there there was a large sign there that said YOU ARE BEING FILMED. I didn't think anything of it because the week before there was a photographer there snapping photos. We go in say hi to the owner Melanie and she tells us they are filming for the Real Housewives right next to our table. We sit down and there they are...covered with a camera crew. It was Vickie, Don and her two kids tipping back a pitcher of margaritas. I tried my best to catch some photos but as luck would have it bushes were in my view. As they finished eating they all got up and came our direction....WITH THE CAMERAS. Next thing I know the camera is filming us eating tacos. And just like that it was over. Don and the daughter Brianna chatted with us while they were getting their microphones taken off. Don was super nice and told us "thank god that's over, now I can really drink." So maybe just maybe you will see us on RHOOC in the coming months. Or maybe we will end up on the cutting room floor.

PS. Sorry about my picture quality. We tried to be sneaky.

Don and the camera crew.

Vickie being interviewed.

Don having his mic removed.

Flashback Friday

2009-07-31T11:23:00.001-07:00

My troll blossomed in to a little girl.

Sweetpea...Not So Sweet. Just Ask Ani.

2009-07-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

So I have talked about Bella on this blog before. If you don't remember Bella let me refresh your memory. Bella is my retired racing greyhound who is fond of sleeping on her back, stealing Bean's toys and making Scott mad.

Well yes we have another dog. Sweetpea is a chihuahua, 14 years old and likes her dinner warm. My husband got her for me when I graduated from high school and I was VERY attached to her for a number of years. I hate to say it but I know her days are numbered. She is completely blind but still feisty as ever. As soon as I start dinner I hear the all familiar "yip yip yip" coming from the living room. In Sweetpea's language that means feed me now.

She maybe blind, mean, sometimes deaf but to us she will always be our first baby.

Congrats Twinkle and Dev!

2009-07-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself somewhere you never thought you would get the opportunity to go to? This weekend we were honored to attend our good friend Twinkle's wedding. Twinkle and her family are from India. Her brother Samir and his wife Lisa live next door to us. Twinkle lived there for a time too before Samir and Lisa got married. Bean is smitten by this family and they are as well. All of their family members were in town for the wedding which in their culture is a three day event. The last day is the actual wedding and the ceremony itself takes up to three hours to perform. It incorporates the families of both bride and groom. I was excited for the day because I had been putting my outfit together for a while. I wanted to have an Indian look but I also wanted to look like myself.

So here is my dress. Pretty Huh! Shoes were only $10 bucks!

Here comes the groom, Dev. They treated him like a king for three days.

Even the horse got a special outfit.

Twinkle, looking so gorgeous!

We had a great time as exhausting as it was. I can only imagine how Dev and Twinkle feel. They are off to enjoy a nice long honeymoon exploring South Africa and Greece.

And this post would not be complete with out a picture of our Indian Princess Bean!

My Daughters Namesake, My Namesake

2009-07-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Some people think we named Emily Adaline after myself. Little do they know she is actually named after my grandmother, her great grandmother Evelyn Adaline Landers. Although my middle name is Adaline as well the reasoning behind it was to honor my grandmother. She is not the only memorial to her great grandmother, check this one out as well. The pictures below are of a memorial placed in Matthews Missouri. Notice my grandmothers name last row bottom name.

Is it Fair That We Have The Best Fair?

2009-07-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

We left our house at 3:30pm yesterday and headed for the fair. When we left it was 99 degrees and by the time we made it the grounds it was 81 degrees. We parked up front which meant less walking to the food.

First things first. We head to kiddie land for some non-vomit inducing rides.

Don't forget we have to stop for an all time favorite. GIANT PICKLES!!!!!

Lets check out the arts and crafts. Not because we are particularly crafty, but because it's super cool in those buildings. Look what we found. A place setting fit for a Bean ( or anyone who can not get enough of the Wizard of Oz like her)

On to more crafty things. A quilt made for a former fellow SAPD officer that went on to the FBI. It was made out of all the shirts he collected over the years. Neato!

Pony rides. Who can pass that up? Gitty up!

Time to meet Daddy so we can check out the Police K9 expo. Totally worth the $15.00 we spent per ticket. Second row so we got an action filled hour of some highly trained dogs. Learned some fun facts about K9 dogs and enjoyed all their awesome skills. 8:00 came and it was time to head home. Daddy had roll call at 5:30am the next day, mommy had to be at work at 7:00am and Bean ha to look forward to a hard day of Popsicles, swimming and spending time with her maamaw the next day. Just the way it should be.

P.S. this is what my good friend Pierre at at the fair. I was emailed this list this morning.

1 Turkey Leg
1 Beef Brisket with cornbread
1 Pink’s Martha Stewart Hot Dog
1 Corn on the cob with butter, cayenne pepper and lemon pepper
1 Onion Blossom with ranch
1 chili cheese fries
1 Fried Twinkie
1 Shrimp Cerviche
1 Funnel Cake with strawberries and ice cream
2 Peroni’s
1 Crush Grape Soda
1 Water
1 Mint Milkshake
1 Watermelon juice

Circus Anyone?

2009-07-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of being invited to the circus as members of the media. It was my first event that I was recognized as a writer. It was neat to be able go up to an event, be on the "list" and go through the media entrance. They had a nice little gift bag for Bean with all kinds of circus goodies. The seats were amazing. Actually when you look how the seating is set up at the Honda Center, there really is not a bad seat in the house. So there is no excuse for you all to partake in this event. You can get tickets as cheap as $12.00 at the box office. Just make sure to check ticket times.

I tried to snap pics but everything was moving so fast that my poor camera phone could not keep up. But I did manage to snap a pic of the all access pre-show to show you how great our seats were.

Thank you Jennifer for inviting us. We are so grateful for the experience. Bean loved it and so did we!

The Indian Word For White Mountain

2009-07-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Yup, we went to Yreka again. We have only been in the winter months so we got to see what it's like in the summer. Not too bad but for someone who does not like the heat and dirt. But I think I will stick to visiting in the winter months.

The high light of this trip was our boat ride in to Hell's Gate Canyon in Oregon.

No this is not some perverted picture of my husband's crotch. I was a little nervous that Bean would be scared. And I was right. She cried for the first fifteen minutes and then she passed out on Daddy's lap with grandmas jacket over her.

The boat takes you up the river and we stop and have lunch at their private restaurant. I was not sure Bean would eat their food so in true mommy fashion I brought a back up plan in the form of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

It was a pretty low key trip. Really because there is not a lot to do there. The kids played in the pool at our hotel. We ate at some quaint restaurants like the Brand-n-Iron. Scott got the bartender to make us some scooby snack shots that were awesome. Bean was a trooper but we could tell she was ready to go home. Although she did just absolutely love spending time with her cousin.

We are happy to be home. Bean missed her maamaw, Scott missed his motorcycle and I missed one of my great loves....Orange County.

(I know Tanya, Suz and Ani share in my love affair with Orange County. Again Sorry Nicole, Diamond Bar does not count...hehehe)

My Patriotic Heart Beats Red, White, And Blue. ~Author Unknown

2009-07-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our nations birthday the right way..with a BBQ! The night before we had the Hoffers over for some food and the boys got a little pool action with Bean.

We had a great time at the BBQ. All the regulars were there. Scott was working firework detail on good ole' Santa Ana, so he was not there. But we called to check up on him a few times. Well not much else to say.

Always on Duty

2009-06-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy one. We headed to the aquarium with the Hoffer Family and used my free tickets (thank you OC register). We got there early and beat the major crowds. It was also a good place to escape the extreme heat. After the checking out the fishys we strolled along the boardwalk and had lunch at the Yardhouse at Shoreline Village. They had to do some table adjusting for us. We had twins, a Bean and four adults. It was a great day and we were all home by nap time!

Well Saturday night was when we saw some action. Papa Fahrney came down to visit and we went our favorite restaurant, Rose Canyon Cantina. If you are not familiar with it, it is in Trabuco canyon and you have to take a very dangerous road to get there. Its called Live Oak Canyon road. It's gorgeous and part of it is completely shaded by oak trees that have grown in to an arch above it. But looks can be deceiving.

"We will now break for some random statistics."
189 people have died on that road in the last ten years.

Anyways on our way back we came over a hill and saw about ten cars pulled over and a huge dust cloud. Apparently a car went over the side of cliff. Scott pulled over jumped out of the car and ran down the hill. When he got to the car, no one was in there. So he came back up the hill and someone said some kids took off running and were hiding in the brush. We took off and found the kids walking along the road. Scott identified himself as a police officer sat the kids down and called 911. Papa helped baby sit the hoodlums too. So am I proud...
(Sigh)

Just a little......

Thoughtful Thursday

2009-06-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you for bringing me Starbucks Pierre. You sure can be nice when you are not being a douche bag.

I Heart Daddy

2009-06-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Bean was a very planned baby. I told Scott at a Laker game that it was time we started a family. Two months later we saw two pink lines. After 38 weeks of pregnancy I pushed out my soul and the doctor handed her to Scott. I never knew he had it in him. That "it" that I am referring to is the Daddy inside my husband. What a true blessing it has been to watch him with Bean. She is his constant companion, his shadow and side kick. These famous words ring so true on this Fathers Day, a man never really knows true love until he has a daughter.

We love you honey. Thank you for taking such good care of my heart and soul, our Bean.

My First Special Offer For My Readers

2009-06-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

Because I love you all so much and as a special thank you, this special discount was created for my readers. (Along with some other special bloggers)

139th edition of the all new Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus production of “Zing Zang Zoom,” coming to the Southland July 8th-August 2nd

Promotion Details:

Code is the word “mom”
Code needs to be entered in the “MC Promotion Box” on Ticketmaster
Must purchase AT LEAST 4 tickets for code to be valid. Each additional ticket after 4 is still priced at $11
Not valid on Circus Celebrity/Front Row/VIP seats and facility fees do apply.
A four-pack of tickets is specially priced at $44

I hope you take advantage of this offer. I know a certain Bean that will be there!

Why Do I Love The OC? Let Me Count The Ways..

2009-06-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

1. In-N-Out. Need I say more?
2. I love that it's no big deal to go to the mall and see Dennis Rodman or Kobe Bryant.
3. The OC Register. I'm a total OC Register stalker.
4. I love that it's not late breaking headline news that my gay friend and his husband adopted a baby.
5. I love that all though the OC is big, the city I live in is still small enough to run in to someone you don't like. Example, yesterday. I'm at Ralphs and I turn the corner and there is my friend's evil ex-wife. So I high tailed it to the meat department to wait it out until she left.
6. 15 minutes to the beach, 45 minutes to LA, 1 hour to the mountains, 4 hours to Vegas.
7. Costco!!!! They are like everywhere.
8. Starbucks. One on every corner. I don't drink coffee, but they can make a mean lemonade.
9. Real bands play at our County fair.
10. The Irvine Spectrum. Where else can you eat, pick up a Prada and get your toiletries at Target...all on your lunch hour.
11. I love that we get excited when the weather gets weird. Last winter we had a cold snap and when we woke up Saddleback mountain was covered in snow.
12. Last but not least all my besties that love the OC too...Val, Gabe, Denise, Tanya, Toby, Ani, Jake, the Gibneys, Pierre. Sorry Nicole Diamond Bar is not included.

My Recipe For Potty Training

2009-06-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

A whole lot of good old fashioned bribery. Well some may agree some may disagree but all I know is that it seems to be working. This is how I see it...Bean is/was a bit scared/reluctant at first to try it out. But her daddy promised her a brand new car when she is all done with diapers. I mean I am scared to jump out of a plane but if you promised me a new car, then strap a parachute to me and give me a push because i'm free falling in to the seat of a brand new car!

Spoiled?? Just A Little Bit

2009-06-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you the story of how the cast of Finding Nemo found their way in to my home. It all started with an innocent trip to Walmart. Bean spies a puffer fish and of course she wants it. Daddy decides to wait til mommy gets home to ask if it's ok. (Good Move) I say no and jokingly (Val is my witness) tell him to go get Nemo instead (Bad Move). So to make a long story short over the past three days Marlon, Nemo, Dory, Bubble, Peach and Pierre have moved in to Bean's room. And that folks is how they got there and Bean got the worlds most expensive night light!

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

2009-05-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

I love love love this picture. Scott and Toby are the true meaning of buddies. They are such a team when it comes to those three kids. It does not phase them to throw a two year old and two 7 month olds in the car and head to home depot. They can feed, give baths, chase a Bean, give bottles and rock babies all with out spilling a drop of beer.

Happy Birthday Maamaw

2009-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the laundry...for all the meals...back rubs...my protein plates...trips to the park...taking Bean outside so I could watch Scott Graduate the Academy...feeding Bella and Sweetpea...trips to the store when I forget something...not losing your patience when I do...all the parties you helped me plan...watching all my reality shows with me...making my bed...feeding Bean in the middle of the night when she first came home...forcing me and Scott to go out and have a good time.

Most of all thank you for putting your life on hold to help us raise our daughter.

We all love you so much...xoxox

Sam, Scott and your Bean

I am Not Going To Be That Kind Of Mom

2009-05-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah yeah, I said it a million times. Did I stick to my guns? Well yes and no. On certain things I did. Such as sleeping arrangements. I bought a big house and I decorated that pretty nursery for a reason..not so my daughter could spend her life sleeping between us. I am pretty strict on that rule. But I have one exception and that’s when she is sick. My Bean knows her room is hers and ours is ours. Moving on to meals. This is where I try to win but it does not always work. My Bean has always been a good eater. She practically skipped over the baby food phase and went right for the real stuff. At the time I said, "I am not a short order cook, she will eat what I make". It didn’t work out exactly as I planned. She is hard headed when it comes to eating what she wants. So yes there are a few nights when I am making two different meals. But I get a big thank you when I hear my precious Bean in the her high chair singing "Mmmm Mmmm good, that’s what mommy makes, it's mmm mmm good"! I love you Bean!

Untitled

2009-05-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

An angel in the book of life, wrote down her baby's birth,
And whispered as she closed the book, 'too beautiful for earth.'

The blogger community lost an angel last night. Read the heartfelt passing of Kayleigh and pray for her parents.

I am On The Mend!

2009-05-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Finally after a week and a half of being so sick, I am finally feeling better. Although I am quite sleep deprived from it, I think I am on my way to being healthy again. Saturday night was a blur. I didn't sleep a wink or doze off for a few minutes. I was up for a total of 37 hours straight. I think the sickness and all the meds I was on were not allowing my body to rest properly. So I ditched them and I am feeling better.

In between the sleep deprivation and coughing, we did manage to have a good weekend. We had dinner with the Hoffers on Friday night. Then the 7 of us (4 adults, one toddler and two 6 months olds) went to Tom's Farms to do a little shopping, eating and walking. Scott took me on a ride through the canyon and we stopped at Cook's Corner. Never been so since we have a motorcycle now, I thought it was good time to see what the hype was. It was fun to have people check out his bike and Scott was so proud. (I felt like a total poser around all those bikers)

After my night from hell on Saturday night I did manage to scrape up the energy to follow Tanya's advise and hit up the Dollar Tree. My new favorite store I might add. After that I crashed and slept most of the afternoon.

Enjoy the few pics I snapped over the weekend!

Meet The Newest Member Of Our Family

2009-05-04T09:31:00.001-07:00

She looks mean but she is really is a sweet little girl!

Is Bean Channeling Spirits??

2009-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Probably not but you never know. Weirder things have happened. Check this out. Bean has been waking in the wee hours of the morning crying because she says she is scared. Normal, right? No its not really for my kid who can sleep through a hurricane. Well, the other day after waking from her nap she proceeds to tell us "Somebody was sitting on Bean's bed." Is it her bright young imagination running wild or do I have a case of the Sixth Sense on my hands??

And no thats not her room. Check out the person sitting on the bed.

Sick, Ill, Unwell, Under Par, Not A Hundred Percent

2009-04-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Whatever you call it, that's me. Started Friday with a small sore throat. Thought it was because I worked so much last week (Thanks Val...Just teasing). Well it progressively got worse and worse and worse. Perfect timing with the whole Swine Flu hype. To make a long story short I have a virus that decided to hitch a ride in the respiratory system. But instead of getting off at the next stop, he decided he would ride it out. So I had to call in for reinforcements and take a trip to the Urgent Care. My Doctor was booked so I trucked across Lake Forest to sit in a dirty lobby. I felt like I was at the free clinic. After an hour wait I was told I probably had pneumonia in my left lung. Two chest x-rays later that was tossed out the window. I was given 6 different meds to take. One of which was cough syrup that made me itch all night long. I felt like a meth addict! So no rest for me. I didn't sleep AT ALL. I watched like 20 episodes of Roseanne last night. Basically I am sick of being sick...HELP!

P.S. And no for the hundredth time, I don't have the Swine Flu!

Keeping Up With The Joneses

2009-04-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Or in this case Ani! Ani threw an extravagant birthday party for her little man Dillon this weekend and we were invited. The party was at Strike bowling alley at the District in Tustin. Man, were we impressed. Ani reserved four private lanes for the kids that came fully equipped with bumpers and little ramps for the balls to roll down. At the end of the bowling alleys the huge TV screens played cartoons. Lovely touch I thought. Bean had a great time bowling. A little while later the food came out. WOW! Ani had quite a spread catered for us. We had (in no particular order) hot dogs, pizza, hot wings, french fries, onion rings chicken strips, mini sliders and any kind of kid friendly drink you could ask for.

After the kids bowled we had cake and opened gifts. Dillon made out like a bandit. He even got a WII complete with a WII Fit. We had a great time and left stuffed and tired. Thanks Ani for a great birthday party. But now you know I have to out do you on Bean's next birthday!

P.S. Nicole went to a topless pool this weekend...hahaha

Culturally Disadvantaged Caucasian Evening

2009-04-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

In other words my white trash night. Started off with a ride on a motorcycle, then we caught a rattler and headed to Dennys for dinner. I assure you this is a rare occurence.

I mean seriously, everyone knows the "only time I fly Coach is when it's on my arm."

Funny Stuff At Work

2009-04-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

One person gets all these flowers at work and we get silly. Well Nicole said she never had any wedding pictures when she got married. This will suffice for now.

Some Of My Best Friends Are Working Moms

2009-04-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

My good friend Andrea came up with the idea that I should blog about what books I am currently reading. She says I always have interesting books on my desk and I should let people know about them. So here goes...

So I picked up Mommywood by Tori Spelling. I was eager to get it since I LOVED her first book sTORI Telling. I figured with the title it would be her ups and downs raising her children while working. Kinda like me, Andrea, Tanya, Ani, Nicole, Denise to name a few. OK so the books start off with the "ups". She loves her kids...they make her smile...blah blah blah. As I am reading I see she does not mention any of the downs. Sure she misses her kids while she works...they get sick...it makes her sad.....blah blah blah. Now we all know that raising kids is not a walk in the park. I know taking my two year old daughter out is like having a bright sunny forecast with 90% chance of rain. If you are going to actually write a book about being a mommy lets just be honest about it. Good days are great and bad days are worse.

The book does end up being just a free for all bashing of Candy Spelling and her lack of parenting skills. My take is this, if you are a real mom who has washed numerous baby bottles, been puked on, had many public meltdowns and gets up in the middle of the night to tend to your children then this book will make you chuckle. So if you want to read about Tori Spellings "faux mothering/my mom sucks" rant don't go out and buy it...you can borrow mine!

Busy Busy Busy Bodies #3

2009-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

One of the major goals I had for the weekend was to finish my bedroom. We got some great new bedroom furniture for Xmas and it all finally arrived. After some drama with the nightstands all furniture had arrived safe and sound and was in position. Last but not least was to find new bedding Scott and I could agree on. After weeks and weeks we finally came to an agreement on one. Problem was that they didn't have a king size one. So while Scott was fighting crime on Sunday my mother in law, mom, Bean and I went hunting for it at the spectrum's target. Low and behold there it was!! After purchasing some new sheets to go with it...my bed was finished!

Pics are from trip to the spectrum and my new bed!

Note: Room is bigger than it appears. Close up taken of the bed.

Busy Busy Busy Bodies #2

2009-04-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we were up bright and early for our semi annual garage sale. My mom, mother in law and I have spent the last few weeks gathering stuff for the sale. We set up shop at 6:30am and Nicole and Pierre arrived at 7:00am. Nicole barely lifted the back of her Tahoe up when people started to pull bags out! We seriously had a traffic jam on my street. It was a productive day but by 11:00am I had had enough and we packed in.

Final Score:

Sam - $250.00
Nicole - $94.00
Pierre - $51.00

Busy Busy Busy Bodies #1

2009-04-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so busy that my body actually aches from it. I will need some down time to recover.

Friday night all three Hoffer boys came over for some steaks and rice ceral. Steak for Toby and cereal for Travis and Timothy. Toby came over fully equipped with high chairs. Reminded me of how we use to bring EVERYTHING with us when we would go anywhere with Bean. We had a great time loving on the boys and making them giggle. They were so sweet and well behaved for little ones. They just played and ate and watched Bee Movie. Toby and Scott bathed, I dressed and Scott and my mother in law fed bottles. Enjoy the pics from Friday night!

My Indian Princess

2009-04-13T07:41:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors (and good friends) Samir and Lisa were in India to prepare for Samir's sisters wedding. Her name is Twinkle and she recently moved to Texas. Her wedding will take place here in July. Samir and Lisa brought Bean this handmade outfit back so she could wear it to the wedding. Doesn't she look precious! Thank you Samir, Lisa and Twinkle!

Weekend Report

2009-04-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

Since Scott was only off one day and the weather was great we went to the OC swap meet. Swap meet was pretty sparse. Not many vendors were out probably because it was Easter weekend. We went over to Centennial farms which is on the fair grounds so Bean could check out the animals. We didn't know we were in for a live show. While there a pig was in labor and was birthing little baby piggies. I took pictures but I will spare you the gore. All in all it was a good day. Minus the HUGE tantrum Bean threw at breakfast over a lollipop. Enjoy the pics!

Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap (Pause) Tap Tap Tap Tap (Pause) Tap Tap Tap

2009-04-07T08:53:00.001-07:00

Hi all! Sorry for my brief absence. I really have no excuse other than being LAZY! Anyways, lately I have been at odds with my husband over the fact that he buys our daughter anything and everything she wants. I literally have to tell him in the morning on his days off that I better not come home and find another new toy. Honestly, I dont think there are any left to buy. She has them all. Well last week I came home and found that he had bought her a pair of TAP SHOES!!!!! His excuse, "you said I couldn't buy her a toy, so I didn't".

UUGGGHHH (Charlie Brown style)

Enjoy the easter pics!!!!

Another Weekend Outing?? Tom's Farms!!!!

2009-03-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we headed over to Tom's Farms in Corona. We had a fabulous time. The only thing Scott didn't like were the few "three percenters" that were there. If you want to know what that is, leave me a comment or email me. Basically it's a 22 acre farm that has some stores and restaurants. For the kids they have a few small rides that are inexpensive. The weather was great so we walked around and did some shopping at the farmers market. They had great produce and the best part were the free samples. After we munched on a huge dill pickle we had some lunch and enjoyed the live band they have on the weekends. After that we headed home and the three of us took a long afternoon nap.

Summer Is Coming.......

2009-03-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

The weather here for the past few days has been on the warm side. When I got home yesterday Bean was running around in the backyard with her swimsuit on playing with the new bubble maker that her Daddy got her. I went and changed and sat outside with her while she told me all about her day. Big news yesterday was that Bella ate her peanut butter butterfly sandwich. Anyways we sat outside and shared a purple Popsicle and it reminded me of when I was a kid.

My summers were spent with the Irvine family in Irvine Cove in Laguna Beach. We would get up and put our swimsuits on and that would be it for the day. We were at the pool or down at the beach. We lived off of lunchables, Popsicles and New York seltzers. I think the only time we stopped to eat a real meal was when Melrose (housekeeper/nanny) would stop us and make us eat something homemade. By the end of the summer my nose would be peeling from the many sunburns I had and my hair would have a slight green tinge to it from all the chlorine.

I know as Bean gets older she wont be "summering" in Irvine Cove like I did, but I know she will make her own memories in her own way.

My precious baby girl...Here's to making this summer your first memorable one. We can leave out the sunburns and green hair for you!

Bass Pro Shop

2009-03-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am a total hypocrite. I hate hunting with a passion. I don't get it and probably never will. But there is something fascinating about the Bass Pro Shop. Maybe it's that they have animals there I will probably never ever get to see in the wild.

This weekend after a quick stop at our local Bucky's we headed to Ontario. 45 minutes later we arrived. Wall to wall dead animals and fish tanks. We walked around and looked at the interesting things they had. After that and drooling over the boats, we ate at the restaurant that they have inside. Bean got her first bite of Alligator and Buffalo. Alligator was a little spicy but she loved the buffalo.

If you can stomach all the dead animals, it's a great way to spend the day.

Enjoy the pics!

Saw Fish Then We Ate Them

2009-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific. We went at night because if you go after 5 you get in for the kids price of $11.95. Good tip for you mom's in my area. We had a great time and it was not as crowded as I thought it might be. By far Bean's favorite exhibit was the tank full of Dory's and Nemo's. I think it was Scott's favorite too because he spent the rest of the evening trying to convince me we needed an aquarium in our house. I had to remind him that we are not on MTV's Cribs! After that we headed over to Gladstones for some seafood. The waiter even wrapped up our leftovers in a seahorse made out of tinfoil.

Monday we attanded Glen's Funeral. I made a collage of our family members to put up on the memory table. Enjoy the pictures of the collage and our weekend trip.

What The????

2009-03-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Is that The Cookie Monster? Oh wait, that's just Nicole modeling our new Snuggi's we purchased. 2 for $14.99 plus two free book lights. I tried to run but the infomercial got me!

Mrs Parra Changed My Name!

2009-03-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Weird stuff keeps happening to me today. First there were three non English speaking dudes singing in the lobby at work and then delivery guy called me Samantha Fox. Jill agreed and changed my name plate.

Thanks for making me laugh Jill!

Assualt With Bodily Injury

2009-03-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

I got a GIANT reminder that although Bella is sweet she still is a retired racing greyhound. She was trained to kill small wildlife so she would chase them on the track. And she is fast!

So, Bella's dog door is not working right now. So before I go to bed I let her out to pee or what ever. Well last night she is standing at the french doors out to the back yard barking. For all of you who do not know Bella, she does not bark. Well apparently there was a opossum eating her food. It scampered away and we all went to bed. At 3:00am I woke up and took her out again. I flipped on the light and there was that damn opossum again. I jiggled the door and tried to scare it off and I thought it was gone. It was hiding in the flower bed. I let Bella out thinking it was gone and she ran fast as lightning and attacked it. I finally yelled enough to get her to let go of it. She came back in with blood dripping from her mouth. I cleaned her up and saw the opossum get up and leave. Then I heard some hissing...it was babies scattered all over the grass. Thank god my mom and Scott were there. They picked up the babies and brought them in and warmed them up. We are calling animal control today to come pick up the babies. I still can't bring my self to look at them because I feel so guilty as if this is my fault.

Samantha As A Mosaic

2009-03-10T16:29:00.001-07:00

This idea took forever but it's pretty cool. If anyone wants to do it, message me at samanthaf@lafitness.com or leave a comment. It's cool little thing for your blogs or if you just want to e-mail it to friends. Read pics from left to right to correspond with the questions.

1. What is your first name?
Samantha - Get the whole bewitched vibe.

2. What is your favorite food?
Chicken strips

3. What school did you go to?
Saddleback high school. That's a photo of Saddleback Mountain

4. What is your favorite color?
Pink..any shade will do

5. What is your favorite animal?
Lover of all dogs but I liked this picture because we have a greyhound.

6. Favorite drink?
Starbucks blended strawberry lemonade. Not on the menu but you can ask for it.

7. Dream vacation?
A beach house anywhere

8. Favorite dessert?
Strawberry cheesecake

9. What you want to be when you grow up?
Ballerina..Everyone knows that

10. What do you love most in life?
My Bean and her daddy!!!!

11. One word to describe you?
Talkative like this parrot

12. Your nickname?
Sam. Not really Yosemite Sam

The I-5 Killer

2009-03-10T11:37:00.001-07:00

Love the attention getting headline? Well we went to visit family in a town called Yreka that is a part of a book by Ann Rule called the I-5 Killer. Just a bit of trivia for you. True story too.

Well Emily had a fabo time visiting her cousin and my baby girl was an angel. The car rides were actually enjoyable with her. 10 hours with a two year old can be quite an adventure but she was nothing but wonderful. She loved seeing all the cows and horses on our way there and back. We went to Mount Shasta for a little snow play and did some light tax free shopping up in Medford Oregon. We made it quick because the clouds were looking a little angry and we did not want to drive back in the snow.

The three of us enjoyed all the food there. Yreka is not tiny but it is not big either but they sure do know how to eat. Restaurants everywhere!!

We did end up staying in a really nice hotel there after a few days at Grandma Jones house. Emily sure does love her. Grandma made me so happy when she told me how well behaved my punkin was. It was probably the nicest thing anyone has said to me.

We are glad to be home. Bean missed maamaw, Bella and sweet pea and we all just missed home. Enjoy the pics of the girls just being girls.

Next Trip....Arizona!!!!

Death Leaves A Heartache No One Can Heal, Love Leaves A Memory No One Can Steal.

2009-03-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 16th we will say good bye to Glen. A special man who was gentle and kind and always cared for our family. So today's post is short and sweet because I know the wounds of losing him are still raw and deep. We love you Glen and you will be missed!

Makes My Heart Hurt....

2009-03-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

I am a survivor of post partum depression. To increase awareness of related disorders, I am going to share with you a story that is always in the back of my mind. A story that is not all that uncommon yet so tragic.....

Melanie Blocker Stokes wanted to be a mother more than anything else in life. Melanie, a 41 year-old Chicago native and pharmaceutical sales manager, believed motherhood was her life mission and fiercely wanted a daughter of her own, even after she was told by doctors that she could never conceive.

This is the Melanie who her loved ones want to remember. Not the tortured soul who, on an early Monday morning in June - 3 1/2 months after giving birth to her first child -plunged 12 stories from the tiny window ledge of a Chicago hotel as firefighters pleaded with her not to jump.

Melanie’s suicide, and her uncharacteristic behavior in the months following the birth of her daughter, Sommer Skyy, were the result of postpartum psychosis - the most severe, yet most rare, postpartum psychiatric disorder marked by delusions and hallucinations, severe insomnia, extreme anxiety, paranoia, suicidal or homicidal thoughts and depression.

Melanie’s husband, Dr. Sam Stokes, 34, a surgeon at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, first noticed something was amiss with Melanie about five weeks after she gave birth. “You expect your wife to be really tired and really worn out from feeding a newborn every two hours,” he says. “The difficulty comes in knowing just how much of that is normal for having a new baby and how much is depression.”

“It’s a monster that enters their brains,” say Melanie’s mother, Carol Blocker, 63, a fifth-grade teacher in Chicago. “She told me, ‘You have no idea what’s going on inside my brain.‘ Her thought process became different. She didn’t talk about the baby. She talked about hopelessness.”

Mrs. Blocker says that Melanie initially asked her not to tell Sam about her depression. “She felt she wouldn’t be a good wife for Sam,” Mrs. Blocker reveals. “She felt Sam would leave her because her looks were changing. She felt she was a bad mother. She said the baby ruined her life.”

As Melanie’s depression deepened into severe psychosis, her family had her hospitalized four times. During the entire ordeal, she stopped eating and drinking. Her behavior grew more erratic. At one point after she was released, she wandered out of her house at 3 a.m. and went to Chicago’s lakefront. Another time she asked a neighbor if he owned a gun. She became fixated with windows and would remove the screens and stare outside.

She was given anti-depressants, anti-psychotic drugs, electroconvulsive (shock) therapy, as well as counseling. She would improve only to spiral downward yet again.

During one hospital stay, Mrs. Blocker said she found her daughter balled up in a chair, as if in a trance, writing “I am a living corpse and I am walking the earth.”

“I couldn’t penetrate her,” Mrs. Blocker says.

But then Melanie made a turn for the better. During her fourth and last hospital stay during the Memorial Day weekend, she had gained weight. She was smiling more and asking to see her daughter. She even wrote out a plan for recovery. Melanie was released about five days later. Her doctors and family believed the worst was over. They were wrong.

On June 7, just one week after she was released, Sam left home for an early meeting, promising Melanie he would soon return. She was eating breakfast, a good sign, and looked forward to spending the day with him. It was the last time he saw his wife.

Melanie called her mother that morning to say her final goodbye.

“She told me I was the best mother in the world, that she truly loved me with all her heart, and to rear Sommer just like I reared her.” Mrs. Blocker recalls.

Melanie then left the house. Her family aided by authorities, tried to find her. Four days later, she committed suicide.

The monster had won.

The loss of Melanie is still raw in the family’s heart. Mrs. Blocker says she misses her daily phone chats with her daughter and best friend. She plans to create a book filled with memories of Melanie, which she’ll give to Sommer when she’s old enough so she will know the kind of person her mother was before her illness - the true Melanie.

Sam Stokes says the most important lesson he wants people to take from his wife’s tragedy is that childbirth is “just the tip of the iceberg.” Don’t take postpartum depression lightly,” he warns. “It could be devastating.”

This was taken from the Melanie Stokes Foundation

Go Outside!

2009-03-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the warm weather on Sunday and headed out to the 13h Anniversary celebration of the Irvine Park Railroad. Emily had so much fun. We ate hot dogs, cotton candy and icees. Word to the wise if you have toddlers. When the weather is warm and not too hot, get them outside! It is a great way for them to burn some energy and to enjoy more than the same ole' stuff at home. It is also an inexpensive way to spend time with your little ones. Enjoy the photos from Sunday!

Thank You Paw Paw...And MaaMaw

2009-02-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

I cook dinner almost every night for my family. And every night I have a certain little girl that is always under my feet or wanting to help. So yesterday I decided it was time she got her own little kitchen. Bean's Paw Paw so graciously funded the new kitchen and Maamaw spent three hours putting it together. In the end we had one blissful little girl who decided that Bean was going to cook dinner...right after she called Koters.

Enjoy the pictures of Bean on her way to get her new kitchen and after it was put together.

Nature Never Goes Out Of Style

2009-02-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

Everyday when I get off of work Emily and I head out for a nature walk. It also doubles as my workout. I love that we live so close to beautiful canyons and wildlife. I want her to learn to appreciate the fact that although we live in Orange County, we are fortunate to be able to experience a lot of natural beauty. Literally in our own backyard. Enjoy the pictures from our walk yesterday.

Busy Weekend Recap...Boring Night, Twin Visit, Princess Party...Read on!

2009-02-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

Ok so here is a bit of advice, if you are the wife/husband/lover/friend of a cop, please please please do not go out with them when they decide to meet up. You will die of boredom. You will be wishing you were at the dentist office rather than with them. I love the friends Scott made in the Academy but man if you are not one of them then you would have more fun getting your teeth pulled. Enjoy the pictures of the crew. Notice that Scott and Autumn showed up in the same shirt. I swear they were lesbian's together in another life.

Emily got to visit with the Hoffer Twins this weekend and now refers them as "Toby Babies". That's all she talked about and when she got home she went right straight for her baby dolls.

We also went to a birthday party for Lexi. It was a sweet party where all the girls got to dress and princesses and the boys as pirates. In the store there is a "newborn nursery" and the birthday girl got to adopt her own baby right in front of her friends. Each child got to get there face painted and take home their very own build a bear complete with birth certificate. Emily had a great time but it was way past her nap time. So we got the privilege of a screaming 2 year old the whole way home. Those of you have not hit the toddler stage...just you wait. They can be sweet as pie but man the next minute then make you want to pull your hair out. But it's really nothing that a nice hour nap can't fix. I hate to say i was one of those people who said, "oh my kid will never be like that." BOY WAS I WRONG!!!!
But after her nap she was back to being my sweet little bean. She played with Maamaw and ate a big dinner. Then she told me "Bean go night night" and off to bed she went. (with her two Toby babies)

Picture Says It All

2009-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Pierre's mom needs a little prayer. She is battling cancer and is going in to surgery.

In Pierre's own words:

"Ok, so the pre-op’s done and she’s in the surgery room right now. They are going to check if they’ll be able to cut part of her liver. If they can, that’s good. If they can’t, that’s not so good. We’ll know around 3…"

So take a moment and send your thoughts and prayers her way. I mean not only is she battling cancer, but she has to put up with Pierre!

Weekend Forecast For the Fahrneys?? Busy With A Slight Chance Of Some Rest For Scott

2009-02-19T07:25:00.001-08:00

This weekend we have lots of things going on. Friday night Scott and I are going out with some friends with the SAPD and Sheriffs Department. Saturday we have TAXES!! Yippee!! Then Sunday Bean has a birthday party to go to in Rancho Santa Margarita at Bears, Buddies and Toys. It is a high end children's clothing store all the mom's in Coto rave about. Let me put it to you this way, they sell 2t t-shirts for $80.00.

Hopefully we can get Scott rested up. He has had a crazy week at work with his schedule flip flopping around so much. I think in the past three days he has slept about 12 hours total. Best thing was yesterday. He showed up at my office with his partner in his squad car. It was the best surprise ever!

Enjoy the pics of the beautiful So Cal sunset. It was taken yesterday during my exercise/play date with the Gibneys in the park behind our house.

P.S. If you get a moment pray that Pierre gets in to the MBA program at UCI so he can do less work in life and make more money.

Funny Stuff...Fun For The Whole Family

2009-02-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

4 Maxi-Pads
Tape or Glue
Items to Embellish

You need four maxi pads to make a pair of slippers. Two of them get laid out flat in front of you, for the sole of the foot. The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top odf the slipper. Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.
Now you have a pair of slippers you can embellish. Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, charms, beads, silk flowers, etc.

You will need: 1 tampon, white playdoh (or other color of your choice), matchsticks/pipe cleaners

Directions:
1. Select a tampon, open it up and pull string to make the wiener body and tail.
2.Model a white playdoh head into a pointy doglike shape and insert cranium-side into tampon tube.
3. Pinch off bits of play-doh and work into shell-like ear-shapes. I must admit, I'm quite good at this. Mold clay onto cranium for dog ears. If this isn't going well, use a matchstick or toddler fork to smooth the ears onto the head firmly.
4. Poke 4 holes in wiener-body undercarriage, wide apart but symmetrical in the manner of sausage-dog legs.
5. Cut matchsticks/pipe cleaner in even lengths (not too long—these dachshunds have short legs, remember!) and insert into the holes. You may have to wiggle to get the angle right for standing.
6. When play-doh is dry, draw eyes and mouth with Sharpie.

“Cousins Are Many. Best Friends Are Few. What a Rare Delight To Find Both In You.”

2009-02-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

Emily adores Dakota, her cousin. Dakota is almost a year older than her, so my sister in law will send down Dakota's hand me downs. One night I was putting on her jammies and I told her that they used to belong to Koters. Now Emily refuses to put on jammies unless they are "Koter Yammies". She also picks up any phone she sees and says "Hi Koters"! ADORABLE!!!

One more thing before I go. I attached a couple of pictures of what Bean and her MaaMaw (Grandma) made yesterday while I was at work. They have the best times together and it makes me smile.

Have a good day everyone!

PS. For those who don't know. That fierce beast between Dakota and Emily is Bella. Officially the laziest greyhound in the world.

Big Bear!!!!!

2009-02-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well we are back from Big Bear and what a time we had. On the way there we encountered a little traffic but nothing too bad. As we started our way up the mountain it was raining and then all of the sudden there it was. Actual snow falling from the sky! We woke up Emily so she could see it for the first time. We stopped about half way up to put the chains on because everyone was crashing in to each other. Southern California people are not used to weather like that. When we finally arrived at the lake we had some hotel drama. (Long story, but email me if you really want to know). We did rent a cute little house smack dab in the middle of town. It had two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a jacuzzi outside. Scott and Sat in the jacuzzi and had a couple drinks. But it didn't last long cause man it was hot in there!

To sum it all up, we had a fabulous time. we even saw a random wolf relaxing on a piece of ice in the lake. Emily loved playing in the snow. She built a snowman and had multiple snow ball fights with us. We ate at some great restaurants. Thank you sweet Val for the dinner recommendations. We loved B's Backyard BBQ so much we went back the next day.

We have plans to go again this spring for a longer period of time so we can enjoy the lake and the hiking up there.

Enjoy all the pics!!

Another Trip for Us!

2009-02-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

Ever since Scott had this career change, I can not get him to sit still. He is constantly wanting to travel. This is so unlike him. Before I couldn't get him to leave the house. Now we are constantly looking for new places to go. Our daughter does travel well and loves to get out. This weekend we are off to Big Bear. A year ago it would have been a miracle to even get him to think about going there. Already we have a trip up north, trip to Arizona and a trip to the Bahamas planned for this year.

It is supposed to snow this weekend. So this will be two big "Firsts" for us. The first time Emily gets to see snow and the first time I get to see it fall from the sky. Oh and one more. No Stroller!! We are having to take less and less baby equipment with us as Emily gets older.

Enjoy the pic at the top of the cutest snow boots ever!

Are You A Good Witch Or a Bad Witch??

2009-02-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

"Oh, I'm not a witch at all I am Emily Bean from Orange County."

In Honor of Emily's extreme obsession with the Wizard of Oz I am posting these two pictures from playing dress up last night.

What a Weekend Should Be

2009-02-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

WE had a GREAT weekend. Scott and I hiked to Falls Canyon on Saturday morning. We stopped for a bite to eat and we were on our way. The trail that we took is not traveled often. Especially after such hard rain. We found out why too. It was very hard (I have cuts and bruises to prove it) and the trail was covered in poison oak. There were a few times when we both doubted that we would make it to the end. When we finally got towards the end, we could hear the falls roaring and there it was. A magnificent waterfall smack dab in the middle of the OC. It was totally worth it to see such a sight. We sat at the bottom of the falls and felt the wind and mist. After that we headed back and took our time checking out the wildlife.

We also went to dinner out in the canyon too. We went to Rosa Canyon Cantina. Officially our new favorite restaurant. They have awesome food and an amazing patio that Bean loved exploring. The patio is next to a creek and I can't wait to go back and sit on the patio in the summer time with a margarita.

Enjoy the pics of the waterfall and the Cantina.

PS. OC Register published my picture of the falls. Check it out, here's the link.

http://sciencedude.freedomblogging.com/2009/02/08/3rd-round-of-rain-could-hit-late-tonight/17966/

Let's Take a Moment.........

2009-02-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

....to talk about friends and friendships. Right now Scott I have more friends than we probably have ever had. So I wanted to let you all in on a few of them.

First, lets talk abut the Gibneys. Jonathan and Alisa have always been supporters of us. I love seeing them at our functions and I hope they know they are always invited. It was great to see them at Scott's graduation and his party at D and B. Jonathan is an awesome father and always has an abundance of energy for his kids. Alisa is a true mommy in every sense of the word. A soft place to fall or a shady tree on a hot day is how I would describe her. A wonderful mother and friend.

Ok on to Miss Andrea. Andrea and I have worked together for quite a few years now. She is my "Career Mom" friend. I have watched her get engaged, get married, succeed at work and become a mother. There are many things I love about her but two things come to my mind first. She truly values my opinion. Andrea is our Marketing Director and never shys away from showing the "receptionist" pictures from the latest photo shoot, new models or her latest ideas. Another thing I love about her is that she asks me for advice on just about everything. She makes me feel important as a co worker and a friend. For that I love her and am blessed to have her as a friend.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about just a few of my friends. Stay tuned...up next is Sweet Val!

PS. Enjoy the photo of Emily and Andrea's son Christian at the top. (AKA Bean and Chum)

Special Prayer Request

2009-02-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

We have a nice man who is near and dear to our hearts. He is gentle and kind hearted. His name is Glen and has dated my mother in law for quite some time. Unfortunately, he has been diagnosed with Diastolic Heart Failure. So if you don't mind take a moment when you have a chance and pray that we can keep Glen around for many more years.

"Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also those who need it so much."
Daphine Rose Kingma

Super Bowl 2009...RECAP

2009-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

We all had a blast!! It worked out perfect because all the kids played in the backyard because we have like every "ride on" toy ever made. And we have a sandbox. Funny thing happened though. Gabe and I were in the dining room and he hears what he thinks is cars booming their sound systems. I had to let him know that sound was the surround sound and not cars booming outside. You can take Gabe out of Santa Ana but you can't take the Santa Ana out of Gabe. So here is how it went down:

9 - the number of children that came
8 - the number of times Fio argued with Jake and Joe about the game
7 - How many times we complained the Bruce Springsteen didn't play "Born in the USA"
6 - Is my address (Lame I know but I couldn't think of anything else)
5 - Is how many feet the sandwich was
4 - the number of kids Nicole and Sal brought
3 - Is the number of Cops that were there
2 - Is the number of how many guests left early. Poor Dillon was really sick so Ani had to take him home.
1 - is the number of squares my mom bought in the football pool
0 - the number of items that were stolen! (Inside joke from Bean's birthday party)

Same time next year guys!