Summer Reads

I love summer.  Not because of the sunshine, the nice weather, or being able to spend time at the pool (because honestly, living in California, I can enjoy all of those things for about 9 months out of the year).  I love summer time because summer is when I get to spend hours upon hours curled up on the couch, A/C cranked, with a good book.  And this summer, unlike last summer, there is no boring textbook or class reading assignment calling my name.  This is strictly pleasure reading, and I love it.  Here's a few of the books on my summer reading list:

I read Water for Elephants en route to Jamaica, and on the beach.  :)  This book was awesome.  My only complaint is that now I won't be able to see the movie (I have a personal rule about not seeing movies that were adapted from books I've read; my general consensus is that the movie can NEVER compare).  But that's alright, I don't care much for that Twilight actor anyway. 

I received this book from a coworker as a thank you for some work I did last school year.  This is a good book to have sitting on your coffee table to pick up and flip open on those days when you feel like nothing is going right.  It's full of short chapters (sometimes only a sentence but up to a few pages), of things that are, well, awesome.  The author even has a blog that is updated daily with awesome things.  [Burps that taste good really are awesome!!!]

Onto a more serious note.  The Invitation was a gift from a friend, mentor, and fellow social worker.  If you're into spiritual self-help books along the lines of The Four Agreements and The Secret, you will love this book.  This is one of those books in which I've flagged several pages, to re-read and refer to in the future.  Here's one of my favorite excerpts:

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

And speaking of The Four Agreements, this book was also a gift from a colleague.  I haven't started this one yet, because the student in me feels the need to go back and review The Four Agreements before I move onto The Fifth Agreement. 

I keep hearing rave reviews about this book, but I'm waiting to borrow it from a coworker.  I can't wait to start reading it! 

And of course, I have to have a few junkie memoirs thrown in (I'm a junkie memoir junkie, ha!).  Fall to Pieces was written by the now ex-wife of Scott Weiland, of the Stone Temple Pilots.  Very interesting read about an average girl who gets caught up in the crazy rock n' roll lifestyle. 

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, Russell Brand's Booky Wook.  One word: boring.  Maybe it's just because I don't understand British humor, but when I finished reading this book, I felt like I must be stupid, because surely I should be able to see the humor in the stories he told (or at the very least understand what the hell he was talking about).  I'm grateful I bought this book used, but a little sad that I will never see that $7 again. 

Since I only have two books left on my list to read, and it's only mid-summer, I would welcome suggestions from my fellow bookworms.  What are you reading???



BABIESSSSS!!!!

Yes, the title of this post does deserve all caps.  Why?  Because my oldest friend, Jonna, was blessed with 2 beautiful twin girls on June 6th!  We were fortunate enough to spend an entire afternoon cuddling these beautiful babes (Pat even held one!).  They were only about 3 weeks old at the time, and were tiny, fragile, and absolutely gorgeous!  So without further ado, I present to you, Presley and Elyse!

Look at that face!!!

 What a little sweetheart! 

 Sleeping soundly. 

Doing double-time.  Easy peasy (when they're both asleep, haha!)

I think I'm in love....



Playing Catch {Up}

June was such a whirlwind month.  We spent the first two weeks of the month traveling to Montana and then Jamaica, squeezed in a baseball game in Oakland, and wrapped up the month by cuddling two brand new baby girls (more on that in the next post). We were literally out of town every single weekend.  Which is probably why I woke up this morning and thought, "Where did this month go???  How can it possibly be July already?!?!" 

We were invited by some good friends to a huge rivalry game between the Giants and the A's in Oakland. I absolutely LOVE watching baseball, because it seems to be the only sport that I fully understand (surprising given I've grown up with 3 brothers who are all sports fanatics). So even though Pat's a Red Sox fan through and through, we decided it would be fun to go watch the two bay-area teams battle it out. We made sure to arrive a few hours early, to give ourselves time to tailgate and save some money on $6 hotdogs and $9 beers. And we both made sure to wear neutral colors, as we determined before leaving the house that since our group would consist of both A's fans and Giants fans, Pat and I would be playing the role of neutral Switzerland for the day.

Supposedly because I brought champagne to tailgate (it was leftover from graduation), I'm a Giants fan.  I maintain my neutral stance.

My photographic skills went by the wayside once we actually got into the game (I may have slightly over-indulged in the aforementioned champagne).  But as you can see, I was in good company.  :)

Oh, and for all of you that care, the A's won, which was none too pleasing for the Giants fans.  I was neither excited nor upset by the outcome of the game.  However, fun was had by all. 

A Caribbean Dream

Ahhh Jamaica.  We fell in love with the island when we went there for our honeymoon a few years ago.  We vowed then that we would return at some point.  And what better time than for our 3rd anniversary, as a celebration of 3 years of wedded bliss (no easy feat given the major obstacles we've had to overcome in 3 short years).  Here are a few pics of our vacation adventures.  Most of the 6 days were spent lounging on the beach or in the pool, drink in hand.  We did, however, spend one day ziplining through the rain forest.  Unfortunately, that's the only day of our trip that was not documented with my camera, as I was a bit busy wetting myself (not literally, but my mind was preoccupied with other things, such as being scared as hell and visualizing both cables snapping and me falling 300 ft to my untimely death).  Enjoy the photos!  

Now onto planning our next adventure.  The wheels are already turning...

Survival and Graduation

After an extended hiatus from the blog, I have an important announcement to make. It doesn't feel quite right saying that I graduated (been there, done that, twice), so I'll say this instead: I SURVIVED grad school, and lived to tell the tale!!! Here is proof:

All of my biggest supporters came over to celebrate, and it was an absolutely perfect day. That time immediately following any sort of graduation is so precious, full of hope, excitement, and a sense that the world is your oyster.

My biggest supporter of all is my incredible husband, without whom I would have given up and thrown in the towel a long time ago.

_______________________________________________________________
Three weeks after my "survival celebration", we went home to Montana to celebrate someone else's achievement.

My little brother, Trevor, is now a high school graduate (an honors graduate, at that, woot woot!)

With 2 out of 3 of my brothers.  Cody wasn't able to make it to Trevor's graduation because of work. **This is where we really need my mom and her expert photography skills to Photoshop him in, maybe peaking his head up in the background (because that's something he'd so do anyway).

Being back in Montana was a nice chance for Pat and I to reminisce about the memories of college, and the place where it all began, Montana State University.

So these, my friends, were the wonderful days that came and went. Days of perfect sunshine, cold drinks, and making memories of celebrating big achievements with those that mean the most to us. Pretty great way to start the summer.

I am, in fact, still alive!

Thesis deadline is a week from today, YIKES!!! One week from now, I will be ready to rejoin the land of the living. Anxiously awaiting my re-emergence into the real world. I'll keep you all posted. Thank you all for your patience and support! :)

On Hiatus

Sorry guys, but my life has become completely overtaken by this monster that some call a thesis. I don't have the time or energy to put toward the blog right now, so it's on hold for the time being.

Three months and counting until I return to the blog world....

New Year, New Possibilities

January is one of my favorite months. I love the new possibilities that come with a new year. I love the sense of being able to start over fresh. 2010 was one of the best and worst years of my life. Pat & I had some difficult struggles, most of which I'd rather not talk in depth about in this forum. (Those of you that know us well are familiar with the medical problems and family issues that we were faced with this year.) But we've also had some incredibly wonderful times together, as individuals and as a couple. We were blessed to travel a ton this year (Disneyland, Vegas, Montana, New York), we survived a difficult year of stress and struggles that come with graduate school, Pat got a much-deserved promotion and raise at work, and we kicked off the end of 2010 with a whirlwind 2 weeks of seeing both sides of our family in New York and then Montana, and celebrated the end of 2010 with some great friends.

I have a feeling 2011 will be a better year for us. There are so many new possibilities ahead. I will graduate in May, we will be traveling to Montana in June to celebrate my little brother's high school graduation, followed by a much-deserved week of relaxation in the Caribbean. 2011 is full of promise for our little family of 2, and I can't wait to see what this year holds.



Cheers to the New Year! We sincerely hope your lives are as blessed as ours.