a new 'do

That is if weblogs had hair! I've not only updated my Mess, but also changed the look. It was kinda feeling blah to me; what with such a mundane subject and no colorful stories or pictures to help spice things up... I was looking for something a little more fun, with some flair and spunk. Something to better reflect me! And for now, I'm liking the way it turned out.

I also posted the meals for the month and a handy dandy protein shake recipe. But I'm still working on the shopping list and some more random recipes (protein bars, granola bars, sleepy muffins... just to name a few!).

But if you're curious, don't be afraid - I'm not a cat killer! Get it?! Oy!

"Oh the cleverness of me!" - Pan the Man

ps- and yes, i'm still working on my à la made... wait for it, wait for it.... soon my pretties, soon.

my mood in music...

...although not necessarily fitting with the lyrics... but aren't they amazing! Their percussion is tap dancing, which I foolishly forgot to mention before... albeit, FABULOUS!

promised photos (just a few...)

Hey, I'm working on it! As I've promised to many people (including myself) that I will post more pictures, especially of Willie! So I purposefully went out and snapped some photos and simultaneously came to the conclusion that it is near impossible to get a clear-cut pic of a toddler! As you can probably guess, Monk does not stay put or remain still for very long; he is ALWAYS on the move! But I guess any pictures are better than no pictures. Just don't judge me because I take blurry photos (judge me because my subject matter is rather cute!)!

And on a side note, I'm not a huge fan of character clothing-wear, and this outfit happens to be his only one. However, he looks so cute and boyish in this sweatshirt, regardless of Elmo (no offense to Sesame Street, because y'all know we love it!), and it was awfully cold and dreary that day. So it gets a thumbs up, as I'm sure you'll concur.

i've finally done it!

You are now reading the words written-slash-typed by the hand of a student enrolled in the Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition program! Woot woot! I will also be concentrating in nutrition and lifestyles. I am SOOO excited to finally be doing this. It's about time some of you might say...

For a while I had been going back and forth between this and medical transcription. But I continued to feel a persistent nudge in the nutrition direction and ended up making up my mind. Besides, nutrition is and always has been my main goal and passion in the health field, so it only made sense to not prolong the inevitable any longer! I plan on graduating with my MS, and I just might continue on to get a PhD... who knows! Another idea I have is to certify as a personal trainer and nutrition specialist, so that I have both the program and certificate that will make me marketable and competitive at gyms, spas, health stores and personal clients.

My dreams would be to (1) go to a gym/personal trainer and offer them assistance in planning meals for their clients, based off of their personalized nutrition and weight management programs- thereby helping the clients to stick to their diets and health plans vs. getting sick of just plain chicken and steamed veggies (aka. blah-ness); AND (2) I would LOVE to write articles for magazines and perhaps a book/cookbook one day. Heck, I could do both and all of the above that I've mentioned. The possibilities are endless.

Once again, WOOT WOOT!!!!! Yippee! Woohoo!! Hooray, hurrah, huzzah!!! and so on and so forth, etc. etc. etc.

play.listen.enjoy.

will & his gramps

PS- click on the image for a close up (so you can read all the *junk*)!

in memory of

Pepper Borgia

March 15, 1999 - January 21, 2007

Also known as: Pep, Peppy, Peppita, Pita

I'll spare you the details of her passing but she was a wonderful dog. And in the words of Elder Adam Borgia, "It seems a little silly that a small dog could have this much effect on people. But loss is hard with any member of the family, which we all can agree Pepper was."

And all I can say, or more appropriately, add to what's been said or linked (below) is that I've missed her since leaving home years ago; but what's more is that the thought of trips home without her wiggly welcome is a sad one (for Will too, as he loved getting Peppy kisses- open mouthed, nonetheless!).

So here's to Pita, my puppy, my "faithful canine companion and bed warmer extraordinaire."*


*My aunt also has some quotes relating to Pita here.

talk about some inspiration!

Okay- I think it's pretty safe to say or admit that I am a surfer of the net. One day that will transfer over to the ocean, but for now it's all about cyberspace! My current metaphorical surfboard: blogs. It all starts with a few friends and family... and then you start checking out their friends and family and so on and so forth until you come upon some really amazing stuff that you just can't casually skim through, you have to link it! I know almost everyone is a little guilty of this kind of perusing so no pointing fingers! Anyway, some may have noticed my ever-changing blog. (But then again, others may not, because most of the changes are over on the left.) So I'm just mentioning this because I wanted to give some credit to some random girls that I've never met but have truly inspired me. They can be found under THE ADMIRED Go and check them out and be prepared to be amazed!

Looks like I have to "raise the bar" in my creative department...

ps- it also looks like i'll be attempting to re-familiarize myself with my gimp program to see what i can do with digital manipulation. be prepared for test runs of any experimentation... bloggers beware!

just a bunch of hooplah...

...OVER THESE!!! Finally, I have proof of those Christmas ornaments I made way back when. It seems so long ago. I'm a lil' torn as to whether I love these or my (er, Will's) ABC blocks more... hmm, the alphabet blocks I think are a personal treasure to me. But in both cases, some darn fabulous paper is where the magic lies!

I've taken two pictures of each block so that you can see all four sides. The tops and bottoms are covered in crinkled tin foil (a personal decorative favorite of mine, as some of you well know) and we used some more-industrial-looking-than-I-wanted wooden hook screws, that are also much too large for my taste, but oh well. And I just used some cross-stitch floss for the ties (hopefully to be replaced with something a little prettier and stronger, like ribbon; when the budget allows). These were created out of the same wooden blocks as Will's were, and with the same method (ModPodge and also have yet to be sprayed with Acrylic, which is a must since Will loves to grab these and chew on them- rips the foil right off! And the throwing and smashing and banging them all around doesn't help either...).

So without further adieu and any more hype, here they are!!! (PS- Only four are featured here, because the other ones are at home in AZ with the rest of my new found Christmas decorations. But these are my four favorites.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This one is my absolute favorite! It is the main reason that I've gone toward a new direction of Christmas colors; a palette of retro colors and just all around funkified. If I haven't made a big enough deal about my future plans, then here I go again: SO E-X-C-I-T-E-D!!! Just you wait until I unload it all on you guys!

My second favorite. I was a little more resourceful with this block and it turned out great! The mainly red side is fabric, which is a painful medium to use when ModPodging, but somewhat worth it. If I had had the paper, let alone the money, I would have tried to find some similarly dried, designed, and colored tree-pulp. Besides the foil and fabric, I also used paper from a thank you card, which is where the green argyle comes from (thanks Ashley, for last year's thank you card! Now I will always remember it and will always have it on display, not in a file...). Oh, and can you tell how much I'm loving the retro flower motif???

Another reoccurring theme you have probably noticed, the beautiful plaid! Absolutely gorgeous! And I was able to hand select and cut the plaid out by its different color sections, so they would match their respective blocks (even though it all comes from the exact same, single sheet of paper!). I must also admit that I was resourceful, once again and used some old wrapping paper and an old gift bag (in second picture). Not my most favorite combination, but it worked. But I love the unexpected shamrock looking flowers! I chose it because it was retro, and had green, brown and blue (colors found in my new Christmas "bouquet" along with red, of course! Mustn't neglect my favorite color...).

Last but not least (and not really last, since there are more out there, just not pictures of them for me to post) is another crazy combination of colors and designs. I really wanted to mix up the different kind of patterns and colors and designs and tastes of all the blocks. So here we have another red robin (so cute, and adds just enough of that crafty charm... but not too much! Had to be careful, because I'm wanting new and fresh, and a mix and match of things going on.). And we have the unexpected retro pink, with my new colors and a bit of pink, to match the large floral print adjacent to it (which was also used from a bag... a favorite look of mine since high school a la Waverly). Gotta love the sweet polka dots, too! One of my favorite scrap purchases, and one that wedged its way into my mind, where it whispered sweet nothings and encouraged future additions, ultimately bringing me to my doom and the sugar-coated despair of "crapping."

"Ah! woe is me, woe, woe is me! Alack and well-a-day!"

For pity, girls, find out that hobby
Which bore my cares (and money) away.
- based on Robert Herrick's The Mad Maid's Song,
with a little of my wit thrown in.

i'll cry the day that i take the "tree" down...

What with a toddler and all, only so much could be done in the decorating department. It's not much and it is indeed a little late to be sharing this... but I barely took pics of it all so I can finally take it down. It'll be a sad day because it's certainly added a hint of charm, warmth and whimsy to our place. Hmm... perhaps I'll keep the garland up as a holiday garland, for me to hang stuff on for Valentines Day, Easter, etc. We'll just see about that!

Here's a nice little close up of some of the decorations. But I took this pic to mostly focus on her, my Krinkles Queen; a tree topper, but mostly used as a huge decoration or centerpiece on my part. I have quite the collection of Krinkles ornaments because they are my fav! Love them! You might also notice how loaded down my garland is... I love a loaded Christmas tree with just a bit o' green peeking through. Don't know why, just know how 'cause I do it every year (thanks in part to a steady increase in my collection of ornaments... just you wait till my future post about future Christmas plans, where I'll talk all about my new fangled decorations. So.E-x-c-i-t-e-d!!!). And let's not forget to give a wee bit of credit to Bradley's collection of ornaments from his childhood; there are four in this here close up (can you guess?).

And here's our little table-top tree, also bedecked in Krinkles. I believe there are four on there. The others are random tiny ornaments that I had that would actually fit on there. And I am on the lookout for the perfect topper... I just might have to make one myself, gosh dang it! Oh, and that bag there is filled with wonderful and oh-so-cute Christmas cards from my equally wonderful and oh-so-cute friends and families! Thanks so much, I enjoyed every minute of reading, rereading, looking and re-looking at all the letters and photos! On a side note, I'm still hoping to get out a digital New Year card/email. It is still considered the new year, although now half way through the new month...

And finally, I took a picture of a leftover garland strand that I strung from our beam. I seriously tried to find any and every place I could Christmas-ify. Don't you just love the loverly backdrop of pots and pans? Oh, and there's an overall picture of our entertainment system sporting the already mentioned garland. One of these days (before OR after the holiday email) I will get some pictures posted of the inside of my place. As for the outside, go to my "real" first post to jog your memory. Beautiful ain't it? Makes you want to come and visit, huh?!

~belated~

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

presents and pictures galore!

Santa was extra good to us this year! You can't really tell what's going on in these pictures, so I will explain it all, with excruciating detail and all, just for you! Awww... I shouldn't have...
PS- remember those traditions I was talking about? You can kinda see the nametags/placeholders I mentioned in these pics; in case you were wondering, or cared.

This is my loot. I got lots of presents and almost everything I wanted... all I really wanted for Christmas was a house. *sigh* But Brad got me everything else I asked for: housing blueprints magazines, a 9 lb. weight bar and Reese's Puffs (sweet nectar of life!). He also got me Rachel Ray's 365 recipes cookbook! Sweet!

Bradley's collection of presents is somewhere in this somewhat funkalicious picture. He got his P90X and things to go with it (like a mat and protein powder). He asked for it and he received. He also got some cool shocking stocking stuffers like a new wallet and a shakable flashlight. Brilliant!

Will made out like a banshee! But here are some of the highlights: His very first Build-A-Bear, scooter, lots of books, puzzle-cards, his blocks and lots of magnets (my two completed craft projects), and of course, clothes!

FYI- These little animal magnets used to be a mitt. But thanks to some planned creativity and to a fabulous bargain, and not to mention my mother's handy sewing skills (I was busy working on the infamous blocks), they turned out pretty good. I'm thinking I might add some ribbon to the bottom with the animal's sounds- MOO!!! He also got ABC & 123 magnets - not by me, although bought by me; also a bargain! Woot woot for bargains!

a boy and his scooter

By far his favorite present to date! Thanks Nana and Gramps!

I should probably mention a few of the crazy things going on here (just more evidence of me putting off more Christmas posts)... it all started last Sunday...

Apparently, our pipes froze. We woke up to get ready for church (which is so early and needs to be changed!!! We're the only ward there for Pete's sake! And our area is what, 30 miles?! C'mon!) and as luck would have it, water was MIA from our faucets. It's getting pretty cold here (for here), like 20 degrees. So, our pipes froze and "silly" - I'm being facetious here - us, we didn't have a drip going. Never had a problem in "Iceburg" and we are in the golden state now...

So, "Did we go to church, and if so, how did we manage?" you might be asking yourselves. Yes, we went to church and just let me describe our methodology of getting ready: lots of babywipes and handfuls of baking soda (and perfume/cologne). Needless to say, my hair was in a ponytail and Brad looked like he had some sort of granular pomade in his hair. Shoot, we hadn't showered since Friday (it was the weekend, give us a break!), so this all made for an interesting Sabbath.

Our meetings went just fine and I think no one's the wiser (unless they come here and read this, and then perhaps experience this here joy of me answering any silent hygenic questions they might have had for us that day). But just you wait; we come home to a faucet running over and a nice soggy carpet in our so-called kitchen. We had fans going nonstop for two days. Let's all hope for the best.

Later that night, after a lovely dinner with the Domans, we find a loverly trail of ants. For some reason, the fact that they're trudging through our carpet disturbs me more so than if they were gliding across tile flooring. We whipped out the vacuum and the killer spray, only to leave us with a reocurring scene (of three times today)! I guess it really bothers me, because I am a clean person and I vacuum every day! Darn those resiliently (not a word, until now...) hungry pests!

Other than all that, we're still happy here... Good thing it's so gosh-darn gorgeous here!

oh the joys & fashions of motherhood

You know you've arrived when you find your face crusty - courtesy of sweet potato kisses - and that your shirt is bejewled in oatmeal. Is it any wonder why pajamas remain my garb of choice?

PS- In case you can't tell, this is an old picture, dated 9:23:2005. Tomorrow he'll be 17 months! And then he's a tip-toe away from 18 months... I'm thinking of doing a b-day party/thing, because it just seems so monumental...

did i hear someone mention food?

In case my "fans" read this before any of my other "stuff," I've just updated my Mess, once again. I'm going to have a pre-post on there every time I update, which will look the same, but it isn't. Basically, if you are following along at my recipe site, then make sure you keep checking back there, because I am updating and posting there, even if it doesn't look like I do (which is why I'm posting info about it here...).

I'll probably mention it every time I update it on here, too, just briefly.

And if you haven't checked it out -not ever- or haven't checked it since its debut, I'll just fill you in on what it really is: it's not only recipes, but also meal plans, diet plans, shopping lists, shoppings tips, etc. If you feel like it might be of some help, then feel free to check it out. Just a little FYI. Thanks!

attitude is everything

Got this from an email and LOVED it! So I'm sharing it (it's much easier to copy and paste something that's already thought out for you, rather than writing about yourself and getting caught up on your journaling and photo-sharing like you ought to...).

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

our family traditions

We grew up with lots of traditions, just as any other family! In my family, we counted down Christmas Eve just as excitedly as Christmas Day... the Eve was filled with all sorts of tasks and fun projects. You see, my mom was able to trick us into cleaning the house the day before Christmas in the name of Santa! Then we would run all around town, dumpster diving for our Christmas boxes. Mom would help us pick out the right size because she somehow knew what dimensions were needed for each child's needs... :)

Here we have Will demonstrating how it's done. Then you place unwrapped gifts in your personally wrapped and decorated box, thereby keeping the floors somewhat clear of clutter and everyone's stuff to themselves. I quickly became the boring one and would wrap my box in a single sheet of paper whereas my brothers would piece theirs together, being the creative geniuses they are (there's Kory in the background). Then we would use the leftover flaps from our box to create nametags to mark our territory, decking them out similarly to our gift-containers.

The rest of our traditions heavily revolve around food (Italian Sausages and homemade raviolis), movies and other "normal" family activities fit for the season: temple lights, scripture reading, The Night Before Christmas reading (thanks Hallmark!), to list a few. We would also set out our pajamas before dinner only to have the elves replace them with special ones. Then we'd open one present from our siblings and then have a slumber-party.

Brad remembers his Christmas' with lots of family and friends. There's a Summers Christmas Party every year (huge get-together) and they'd always have the neighbors over the night before to share in food (Taco Soup) and nativity skitting (not a word, I know- just made it up 'cause it seemed appropriate). And the Summers family shared the Borgia's traditions of new pajamas, Christmas readings and siblings-sleeping-fests!

As we both grow older, and grow closer together as our own little family, I think some memories grow dim to make room for our own traditions. We've tried meshing a few of them together and creating some of our own. And to tell you the truth, that's the best part!

our holiday ham

Just some random pics of Will (with his beautiful hair...). Actually, these pics were taken the morning of his haircut, after Christmas! But I had to have a captured Christmas photo, for posterity (aka. scrapbooking), and he had to have long hair in the picture because he had long hair on Christmas! Needless to say, we got what we were looking for and then some!

crazy for blogging

More like, crazy because of blogging! I just spent the past, oh, I don't know, 50 minutes reviewing my blog! Turns out that my posts kinda stayed the same... Some of the pictures and the carefully arranged layouts I set up didn't stick to their perfection after switching to the newer version. And being OCD and all I had to fix it!

I also realized that there was a serious shortage of pictures. I'll try to be better in that area.

Oh, and for optimal viewing of this site, I recommend Mozilla Firefox, because that's how I determine what looks right and it drives me crazy that there's even a space difference between Firefox and Explorer!

Breath, just breath...

Oh well, just enjoy it as is. It doesn't have to be perfect, right? Right?!

let us add some linkage

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have updated my blog. Yes, I have switched over to the new version (which apparently is no longer beta...) and have already made some changes to my layout.

I've also added links (finally!) to all the websites and blogs that I visit regularly. I do this for a couple of reasons: perhaps some of you fancy the same things I do AND I have a one-stop-shop for myself. That's right, I'm being selfish... again. My bookmarks folder was overflowing with this information and I was starting to forget some web addresses. So voila, my links list. It's sure to grow. And the only way it will shrink is if you tell me to...

more resolutions

Turns out I'm not only updating this, the family blog, but also my Mess. So check it out!

You'll soon find out that we are changing our ways, for the better and healthier. We have a new and improved diet plan to follow and Brad has a weight-loss program that's going to kick his butt! And I've come up with one for me too (I just didn't have to pay for it, monetarily speaking).

So, once again, if you're interested, then keep reading my next publicly displayed resolution: to be healthier!

Beth's Personal Exercise Program

1. Walk with Will every day (except Sunday, of course) for an hour. Somedays Will isn't too happy and a half hour will have to cut it. The nice thing about talking myself into walking everyday is that I love it because it is so gorgeous here! The bad thing? I try to think of ways to get rich so we can stay here! And I'm currently in the mindset of wanting to live in our little guest house for the entire duration of law school... it's sure to change, this mindset of mine.

Also, we may not live close to the campus' gym, and Brad can't babysit Will for me to work out for hours on end (I wish, I wish, I wish... Sometimes I miss my single status days at the gym), but there are some great hills here in our canyon, so my butt gets burned!

A little more detailed information: I focus on hills and said butt burning on M-W-F and take the flatter (although not entirely void of inclination) routes on T-Th-F. It all makes sense with the rest of my plan...

2. Push-ups: done till failure after aforementioned walk, every day (excluding the Sabath, once again).

3. Yoga three times a week, M-W-F. I absolutely adore yoga and I am constantly trying to talk a certain someone into trying it (you know who you are, if you even read this)! Once again, no money and no easy access to a gym with instructors, but I do have Rodney Yee in the comfort of my home!

Over the summer I took some yoga classes in Seattle and the master instructor of it all was the "(great?)-grand-daughter" of Iyengar, so I was really able to practice the poses correctly. However, one of these days the RS group will get up and running and we can do yoga on the beach (seriously, it was a suggestion, and one that I whole heartedly concur with)! Gotta love the Pacific Palisades! I sure do!

4. Workout Routine*: do this workout three times a week, T-Th-F. Increase reps for strength moves by two each week.

• 5 minute warmup: march in place
• 3 minute cardio: two sets of 50 jumping jacks
• 3 minute strength training: 30 to 50 push-outs and 20 to 40 kickbacks
  
• 1 minute cardio: 75 to 100 knee-ups
  
• 3 minute cardio: two sets of jumping jacks
• 3 minute strength training: 20 to 30 bent-knee sit-ups, 20 to 40 vertical scissors ,and 30 to 50 leg raises.
• 3 minute cardio: two sets of jumping jacks
• 1 minute cardio: 75 to 100 knee-ups
• 2 minute cool-down: march in place; follow with stretching

-Push-outs (for upper arms) : hold a light weight bar (4-9 lbs) or broom at chest while standing, hips width apart. Push-out on exhalation and bring back on inhalation.
-Kickbacks (for triceps): See pictures above. It's pretty self explanatory.

-Knee-ups (for glutes, lower abs, calves): March in place on your toes. Make sure to bring your knees up high to chest level.
-Bent-knee sit-ups (for abs, hips and thighs): the title says it all!

-Vertical scissors (for thighs, lower abs): Refer to pictures above.
-Leg raises (for quads, hamstrings, abs): Uh, any questions? Ok, ok... lie on your back and tuck your hands under your butt to support your back. Alternate legs to right-degree angles, without touching ground (don't go too fast or swing them; slow and steady).

* As outlined in Woman's Day: Remake Your Shape, which is from Dr. Jackowski's Escape Your Shape.

a second protestive acquiescence

I bet you're all relieved that I've moved on from the famous face recognition...

I've decided to submit to blogger's pestering and switch to the newer version. Stupid beta.

Not only has my internet been down for the past two days (apparently a wire was cut in Malibu, so even the campus was affected), which meant no blogging, no email and no phone (stupid Vonage); but also annoying was the last day it was working, blogger was freaking out on me. I couldn't post, I couldn't comment, etc. So frustrating. But those who had beta seemed to be fine. I guess it was just a problem with the old and obsolete version.

So I'm old now and I'm going to switch. I'm nervous, because I'm worried that it won't let me fiddle around with my site's html and junk and I'll be locked into a set template. I'm done protesting (for now). Now I go to acquiesce, as alluded to in my title. *sigh*

PS- speaking of being old, some guy stopped me at Costco and said, "You look too young to be that kid's mother. How old are you, 12?!" And just like everyone else who has said similar things, I'm sure it was just a compliment... like asking what year I was in school and when I said a senior, they automatically assumed it was high-school... or the one time a lady told me that I would appreciate in 20 years how young I look, when I was 15, to which I replied (in my head), "So what makes you think that a teenager right now, wants to be told how young she looks? Save your comment for twenty years and then we'll see how I feel about it!" But I am old, according to blogger. So I'm off to acquiesce in beta-land.

please pass the head cheese

A couple of nights ago (the night of the fire in fact), our land lady invited us over for a Scandinavian holiday feast. We had a surprisingly nice time and it was the first time I've ever had four full courses. The food was interesting, borderline gross, but the company was extremely pleasant, which made for a wonderful evening.

On the menu for that night: pickled Herring (three different kind: spiced, dill, curry), head cheese, chicken liver patte, lots of different bread and cheese, purple potatoes (my new favorite!), pickled beets and cabbage, and an apple cake (NOT like an apple pie...). Everything was as good or as disgusting as it sounds! But Brad and I stuck it out and can now say that we've tried everything listed above. Will, however, was a horrendous dinner guest, spending most of his time feeding the dog, throwing his bottle, banging on the table, and yanking on our place-settings. The rest of the time he wandered around the kitchen area, threatening to destroy anything within his reach.

But other than that, it was a really lovely dinner and we got to know our LL even better (on a more personal and positive level... no business talk). We left feeling happy and bloated, and Will bestowed a gracious and oh so-sweet kiss on her cheek at parting... you guessed it; she melted! What a charmer!

let the resolutions begin!!!

There's sure to be many a posts of all our new goals and resolutions, so if you're interested, stay tuned!

But to start off, I've decided to be more organized, live a more structured life, etc. Some my find this hard to believe (especially my mother and mother-in-law), but I've always enjoyed organizing my stuff and especially, my time. So I'm posting my daily routine, which may seem silly, and indeed it is! But you see my dears, this is a journal, albeit an online and extremely public one. Nonetheless, I want to have this saved safely somewhere so I don't have to rewrite it. Besides, they always say that sharing your goals helps you keep them!

Will has just completed his first day with one nap (3 hours baby, yeah!), so this routine has now officially started! Mock me if you must, but I'm posting anyway!

Daily Routine
(not to be confused with a schedule!)

6:00 Wake up! It's bottle time for Will
6:30 Breakfast
7:00 Family Scripture and Prayer
7:30 prep for lunch/day (Brad leaves for school)
8:00 Television mingled with cleaning
8:30 continued
9:00 Breakfast for W, followed by play time
9:30 music time/ dance
10:00 unwind, reading time
10:30 Nap for W (blogging/work/school for B)
11:00 continued
11:30 continued
12:00 continued
12:30 continued
1:00 Lunch for B, bottle for W
1:30 walk OR outside time (bubbles, ball, etc.)
2:00 continued
2:30 continued
3:00 Lunch for W
3:30 shower and/or get ready (or walk if not done earlier)
4:00 continued
4:30 continued, along with other stuff
5:00 prep for dinner (movie time for W)
5:30 continued
6:00 continued; if finished, teaching time for W
6:30 dinner, bottle (6:15)
7:00 Bedtime for W; workout (scriptures and/or Sun. lesson prep)
8:00 continued
9:00 continued; Get ready for bed
10:00 in bed, ASLEEP

fire on the poop deck!

Photos Courtesy Paul Clark & Dustin Long

Malibu Bluffs fire contained

Jaimie Franklin
Assistant News Editor

Firefighters are now cleaning up what remains of a fire that began in Bluffs Park Monday that attracted a large crowd in Alumni Park where flames were visible.

“The neighborhood looks like a war zone,” County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said.

“Anything that was down there that could burn, did burn.”

Fueled by Santa Ana winds of up to 25 mph, investigators say the fire began in Bluffs Park at around 5 p.m., jumped across Malibu Rd. and then destroyed four ocean-front mansions and one guest house. The fire was fully contained and Pacific Coast Hwy. was reopened by 9:30 p.m.

“It was moving really fast,” student Rico Tucker said.

Officials initially reported that 10 structures were destroyed but the number was later reduced once a better assessment was possible, according to Inspector Ron Haralson of L.A. County Fire.

An unidentified individual was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and released and there were no reported injuries among firefighters. A dog sustained leg injuries but has been treated.

The Los Angeles County Arson Unit is still investigating the cause of the fire.

A red flag warning will remain in effect for the Southland until Tuesday afternoon according to the Los Angeles County Fire Dept.

Submitted 01-09-2007

PS- Just to let you all know, we're fine. We're about five miles away from it and up the canyon. Around 5:30 pm Brad called me from school and said, "I'm not going to be able to make it to the store, because it looks like its on fire..." So he got to see the coastline in flames from a balcony on campus. Pepperdine is about a mile from where it happened, and on the other side of the PCH, so they were safe too. But it was crazy to see it on the news and of course we were worried. Our first family beach trip here happened to be on Malibu Road! Weirdness. We are so grateful to be safe and that it wasn't worse than it was. But those who were affected remain in our thoughts and prayers.

not a gosh dang rerun!

This was sparked by a comment made by dear Amanda: "Although, I'm surprised it didn't list Reese Witherspoon for you. I've always thought you look similar." And I realized that they actually had mentioned it before, but I was having problems saving and loading, and re-saving and re-loading... So I uploaded the same picture, but just my face. And I ended up with similar results, but a few more faces appeared. Voila!

http://www.myheritage.com

I did say that I would try this again... and I must admit, this is mostly for my enjoyment and you must all just suffer through it. Soon I'll be posting normal stuff again. Patience is a virtue my dears (and I'm a hypocrite, so no comments on how I should have been patient).

ps- remember how Brad and I shared a common male look-alike? Turns out we share a common female one, based on this updated version: Demi Moore. Just goes to show, that we really are made for each other. Aaaawww....

the kind of face a mother would love (and then some)!

I think it's a safe bet that Will might not grow up to look like any of these people! A safer bet would be this, mixed with a little bit of that (aka. his parents). But I do like how he was matched with mostly classics- not to mention Uma Therman, twice! I disagree whole-heartedly! And hence, she was not selected for his collage...

Oh, by the way and sadly enough, Will never made it to the babyGap semifinals... I'd be tempted not to buy their clothes anymore; good thing Nana does! :)

my name is b-rad.

"Not Robbie van Winkle. I like my [steamers] non-fat and don't fo-get the sprinkle." - Brad Gluckman

Actually, that cute kid Ricky Ullman showed up under my face look-alikes! Looks like Brad and I really do match, eh? Oh, and they also said I looked a lot like Matt Damon. If you gotta look like a male, those two aren't half bad!

nah, i'm from the 'bu, yo!

Hey, look at me and all the different, famous variations of myself!

"Try additional photos later on to see which celebrities appear more than once!" Hmm, maybe I'll have to try this again...

Don't be hatin'! Wannabees click here.

a tribute

To my baby's hair. *sniff*

When he was born he had lots of hair-fuzz and then quickly lost it. However, he was, still is and always will be beautiful to his mother, regardless his hairstyle.

My baby has lost his curls. *sniff (a reprise)* It was getting so long! But it added to his sweetness. He was like our very own little angel...

and then...

it was viciously hacked off by none other than Ashley Roberts-Hansen! Actually, she's a sweetheart, a dear friend from high-school and she did a fantastic job. Thanks Ash! And thank you mom for being there and for all your support through it all!

So there you have it. Will has not only lost his angelic air (it was so beautiful! Why?!?!?! *sniff-redundant, I know*), but has also seemingly lost his angelical ways. Don't get me wrong, he is still super sweet and we are just now getting use(d) to his new look. Yet it feels like we've lost our baby's innocence and it feels like he's getting more mischevious by the minute (and I'll soon have pics to prove it)!

Will's head-o'-hair would have made lovely, golden locks fit for a girl if we had left it to its growing... you better believe I have those curls saved!