what it's like to be me, as someone else

Last Friday Brad and I went to our first adults-only- no-kids-allowed Halloween party! We decided (well, I decided and Brad was willing) to go as Quasimodo and Esmeralda. Thanks to the Summers family's dress up clothes, we were stylin'! Some may think that those gorgeous locks I'm sporting are au naturel, but au contraire mes amis! I wish I had such luscious locks; they look a lot like my cousin Kate's hair. *sigh* Now I understand why it's so fun to have such big hair! So sexy!

Here's a close up of my handsome husband's face. Check out the wounded eye area! I'm quite the artist, eh? Sadly, the party was exhibiting dim lighting, and no one was able to admire my work of art... Brad was such a good sport, that he even let me put girly makeup on him! No respectable Halloween makeup here, just pure CoverGirl! I used eyeliner, eyeshadow, contour powder, blush, and foundation. I myself was amazed, and Brad wore it quite well. Not nearly ugly enough to play the infamous hunchback, but I'm not complaining!

And here are some group shots of our friends from the ward (all law students + spouses). Since the pics are kind of fuzzy and small, I'll point the matching couples out. You've got Garth from Wayne's World, paired with his dream-girl, rocker-chick; then we have Hans paired with Gretal; then there's the benevolent pirate couple (they gave us a larger toaster oven for our "kitchen"); and let's not forget Zoro and his beautiful dame; and last but certainly not least, we were all pleased with the presence of Mugatu and Katinka Ingabogovinanana.

drill bits and pumpkin guts

I've been perusing through some magazines lately... it's a new hobby of mine, something I do with all my free time. I cut out pictures of decorating ideas, furniture, etc. for my dream home portfolio. But enough of that. So I was looking through and saw a picture of a jack-o'-lantern with holes instead of a face or picture. Pretty awesome I thought, so we gave it a whirl! We were pretty pleased with the end result. I've always loved carving pumpkins, every bit of it. But drilling a pumpkin is even more fun! The power, the ease, and especially the by-product: pumpkin curly cues! Definitely recommend it.

casting call

Am I wrong to believe that my kid has what it takes to be a star? I know that any child is beautiful in the eyes of his/her mother, but how do I make sure judges are wearing the same pair of glasses I am? I almost entered Will into a contest when he was about 8 months. What happened you might ask? I missed it by 5 minutes!!! Well, I'm not going to let that happen again! I got a little notice from Kodak about a babyGap casting call. Here goes...

As for my absence these past few days, we've had some more visitors. Shout out a celebratory yay!!! Brad's parents stopped by for the weekend and it was great to see them. I think that Will and I got to see them more than their son did. Such is life when you're a law student!

I'm working on getting some Halloween photos together before the end of the month. We've got a couple of parties before it all ends *sniff, sniff* - Pics to look forward to: pumpkin carving and comparative Halloween outfits (last year vs. this year), including costumes! Another yay, y'all!

weimaraner woes

For the last two weeks our land lady has gone missing! She's somewhere in Europe. We haven't filed a report, because we're pretty sure she's coming back. Joking aside, she's gone on another one of her trips. And when she goes on vacation, boy does she go! For weeks at a time... Consequently, we've been hanging out with her dog. Our first experience, about a month or so ago, was not so good. But this second time around, I've discovered the magic and noninvasive power of a water spray-bottle! Works like a charm.

So we were actually able to get her to sleep in her own house during the night, without her throwing a whine fest outside our building (and disturbing skunks in the process... I'll just leave it at that)! If this is any indication as to how it will be with multiple children, I'm in trouble! I'm always saying, "Sasha, down! Stop eating Will's food!" followed by, "Will, stop feeding Sasha and stop sitting on her!" But here's the best part: our land lady's scheduled arrival is today!!! I won't be in the dog house anymore! It'll just be back to me and Will... all alone, waiting for the very next visitor to come our way... (Pepper and Bailey are also welcome).

couldn't help myself

If you will kindly refer back to my very first post, you will see that I foresaw this happening... it's an obsession! I just had to go ahead and post again today. Toss my pride out the window of a moving vehicle and throw caution to the wind! So without further ado, here is some of the interesting art in my aforementioned humble abode.

If you think I purchased these, how wrong you are! And if you have just now discovered that you are mistaken, then I'm curious as to what you think my taste/style is? I can appreciate these pieces as art, and they therefore belong in a museum, not my home (major clashing going on, as you can imagine... if you know me). But this little house isn't really mine, so I'll give them a break. They are inanimate objects and are not to be blamed. However, there was another display of talent that I just had to move. I won't place it here, for the subject was a charcoal-drawn wolf, with red, female (human) body parts adorning the top half - if you get what I'm saying. I had to draw the line somewhere. So it now safely rests behind a cabinet in our "storage" area...

Don't worry, you will be getting some more pictures on here of the rest of my place, but I had to taunt you! You know, leave you with wanting more... or is it less now? Stay tuned!

PS. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves as to what is actually going on in these paintings. As for me, I've grown partial to the brighter colored of the two and my take on it is of a futuristic centaur, with a disconnected rocket-head and the body of an E. And the other one: "I have no response to that."

tallyho, daddy-o

I believe this is only the second time Will has ridden on Brad's back... the first time I accompanied Will, and Brad was only able to make it once around the coffee table! Will has a great time though; he sure does love his dad. As soon as Bradley gets home, William drops everything and starts insisting that Brad pick him up ASAP! Actually, Will's been quite clingly lately. And come bed time, he cries when Brad leaves after family prayer. He quickly calms down and goes to sleep, thank goodness, but it's a heart wrenching minute beforehand. I think it's safe to say that both Will and I love Brad very much and the highlight of our day is his homecoming!

never say never

Isn't that a double negative? I'm no English major... anyway, this will be the first time I post twice in one day! I know, crazy. I usually try not to, which I believe is just a manifestation of my undiagnosed OCD. So really, there is no explanation as to why not... I believe it might just be because I didn't like the way it looked.

But the show must go on! I just got a "Galactic Greeting" from our friends at Disney. I thought these would be fun to share, and it goes along with my previous post. And I'm happy to report that I beat all the boys in our group (which includes my husband, father and brother). Who knew I was so trigger-happy?!

You can't really see my face, 'cause I'm really into helping destroy Zerg! Must I point out again, that such intensity is the reason I won? Perhaps not. Regardless of who the losers were (namely Brad Summers, Phil Borgia, and Kory Borgia), we all had fun. Agreed? I do concur.

where dreams come true

My family, the Borgia's, were able to come and visit for a few days. We went and took a tour of the campus, where we got to sit in on a mock trial (three little pigs) and one of Brad's classes. And then... we went to Disneyland!!! We spent all day Saturday at the happiest place on earth! It was a very long and fun day. And in my honor, the entire place was decorated Halloween style! I managed to capture some photos for you (but I'm not displaying the illegal one).

This is the sickest ride in the entire park... I'd be tempted to say I'd rather take a spin inside Space Mountain. But it's the only picture I have of Will on a ride. By the looks of both our faces, we were more than happy for it to end. Actually, I was more than thrilled to get off. On the other hand, Will quite enjoyed the wheel, of which I forced to turn the other way in hopes of slowing the unforgiving forces of physics!

"Boys and girls of every age/ Wouldn't you like to see something strange?"
-Shadow

That's right, it really was a dream come true! Disney got some of their creative juices flowing and transformed the Haunted Mansion into a Nightmare Before Christmas splendor! Nevermind they needed the help of Tim Burton to be innovative in the first place... but that's a topic for a later and non-existent post. Anyway, it was one of our last rides, but boy was it worth the "wait," thanks to our Fast Passes! If and/or when I have my very own mansion, it will be decked out thusly.

Our first family photo at Disneyland... unless you count any pictures of us at said theme park when I was pregnant... don't worry though, there will be more (pictures that is)! Please ignore my hair, and outfit for that matter. It was a rainy day, so they (hair & outfit) were a hopeless cause from the beginning. And I'm all about the sloppy look - from the mouth of my loving husband. Hey, we were there for one reason only: to have fun as a family; not to impress the characters. Mission(s) accomplished.

just plane fun

Sorry it's been a while... excuses, excuses, excuses. Last week Grandpa Summers flew the Husky Charter and we were able to jet down to LA and visit for a couple of hours. I got a tour of a plane not-in-motion, inside and out. I have to say, very impressive. And I'm not being sarcastic (for once)! I know everyone checks this site for pictures, so I'm happy to report that we have some live ones here (because we all know that pictures of a show and movie don't count).

My family is here visiting for a few days, and we have some fun planned. So there should be some good posts to follow... this past week has been busy, but only with more of the same ol' homemaking stuff. Brad's parents will come in a couple of weeks, too. Looks like this month is not only the month of haunting, but also a month of visiting! How exciting, real conversations!

so say we all

This may come as a shock to some... brace yourselves. What I am about to tell you might frighten you. Are you sitting down? If you are standing, please place a pillow wear your head might land. Ok, here goes: I'm a nerd. Wow, that feels great to get that off of my chest! You still with me? Oh well...

I may catch an episode or two of Desperate Housewives (better on DVD) or Grey's Anatomy (if I know where and when it's on), but the series I'm presently excited about: Battlestar Galactica. Brad best described it as a soap opera, set in space, with military background and legitimate issues. In any case, I'm a fan. I blame my conversion on my husband and brother. But what can I say, the SciFi channel is out there for a reason. And that reason is to spend Friday nights at home! Woohoo! Here I come comfy couch and friendly remote! My eyes and ears are ready; they better be after all those anticipation-inducing trailers!

sloths anonymous

Hello all you over-achievers out there! Aren't you exhausted?! I sure am. If you know me as well and dear as you think you do, then you know how my grand ideas always peeter out. I always have the best of intentions. May I blame it on the season? I wish I could, but I don't want to disrespect my lovely Autumn by holding it responsible for my laziness. No, the only one worthy of the pointed fingers is moi. I figure that the best and first action would be to admit I have a problem. When I commit, I need to commit. Please accept my apology if my laziness has personally affected you. So here's to a clean house, getting ready for the day, thank you cards, phone calls, visits, book reading, emails, taking/sending pictures, etc. Let's hope I can kick this, and if I can't, please feel free to do the kicking!

In other unrelated news, we watched our first Halloween movie! Well, about a month ago, Will and I turned on "The Nightmare Before Christmas"... but that doesn't count, that's an anytime movie!!! Anyway, we went to rent "Hocus Pocus," which turned out to be quite the trip. In the end, I bought it. Stupid Blockbuster. So we spent our first night of many, celebrating the upcoming holiday. We went to Starbucks where I got a free pumpkin cream muffin (let's hear it for ugly food) and a pumpkin spice steamer. That's right, Starbucks does steamed milk!!! It was such a discovery, it made my week. Now you know and you can try all those fancy flavors guilt-less!* Ooh, I also picked up some Pumpkin ice cream at the store to savor all month long! There's nothing wrong with being a little obsessive in the name of festive!

* calories not included

it's pumpkin time!

Happy October!!! How about our model here? I've decided upon yet another nickname for our William: Jack-O'-Lantern. He only has four teeth, with just the right amount of gapping on top. It just adds to his personality!

I had a great time in Arizona and I was able to see my parents for an entire day, thanks to their wallet and the patience of my husband! But it's great to be back. It's so gorgeous here, I really wish we could come into some serious money so we could settle down here. *Sigh* Where's a civil action when you need one?

So, who's excited for Halloween?! This is my favorite month, quite possibly because it contains my favorite holiday (and it's the quintessential month of Fall)... And in the words of my brother, "There's something wrong about you, Beth." It's true. Christmas runs a close second, but there's nothing like the gloominess of All Hallows' Eve!

home sweat home

Before you tar and feather me, I meant to spell it that way. "Oh the cleverness of me!" Based on the title, I am visiting my sunny and hot Mesa. I hate the heat, I really do... But I do love the memories of my childhood home (part duex). I'm here hanging out with my bro while my parents are away. A fact that my husband keeps forgetting. And if he's reading this, no honey, my mom is not here so I can't be having fun with her. Yes, Brad is back in California, studying. He had his first midterm today, of which I am dying to hear how it went!

Anyway, back to ranting. You know what else I hate? Dial-up. Anytime Brad starts whining about how slow it is, I try to defend it. You know me, always trying to be fair. Well, no more. It's official; I despise it. I mean, it takes FOREVER! Consequently, there will be no pictures today (I made an honest effort people, but I didn't want my head to explode... I just fixed my hair). Also missing from this page: a post with a theme. Unless you count random complaints, mingled with insignificant news. There you have it!

all in a day's work

WARNING: heavily detailed! Not for those with a lazy eye or an eye patch, and certainly not for anyone with a short attention span, including ADHD. But I will spare you of any bathroom trips or diaper changes...

I just thought I'd fill you in on what I spend all my free time doing. And I'll be using this very day as an example. Woke up at 5:30 am. No, Will was still asleep, but husband wasn't. Brad's been waking up early to get in some more studying... normally I sleep through it, but we had gotten to bed really early the night before (due to some tasty, but not so yummy in the tummy, home-made mac and cheese). Anyway, couldn't sleep, so got some finances done. Woohoo...

Will woke up an hour later and we made some breakfast for Brad. Not a usual occurence, sadly. During this time, I put on some Christmas music. That's right, you read right. I'm not ashamed to admit that once it starts feeling all holiday-ee I break out the carols! Hey, if you can see your breath in the morning, then it's time for soup and songs, regardless of sunny 84 degree weather! Sent the student off to school and chilled with Will.

While Willlie took a nap, I got some cleaning in, a little time on the computer, and then some yoga! Yay yoga! However, this morning nap was shorter than normal, and the Monkey (or Monk for short) joined me for some downward facing dog. Wanting to finish my yoga session, I set the kid up with a biscuit and some juice. But, my stamina quickly waned and Willie was done and it was time to clean him up, and his work station.

Since crumbs don't resort to staying nicely on the table or in his mouth, our next mode of action was to vaccuum. After cleaning up the rest of the house that Monk had used to preoccupy himself, I got some dinner in the crock-pot. I am officially the queen of crock-pots, seeing as we have no stove (just two hot plates we plug in) and no oven; it's just easier this way. Made a nice mess but forgot about it while we went on a nice long walk. I'll have to post some pics of what I like to call Memory Lane, because I want to commit all the homes to memory so I can build one later.

Upon returning home, I decided to wash some dishes. But before I could do that, I had to Will-proof everything. So, I went about securing some baskets to our shelves. As the pictures suggest, Will had discovered that these baskets come off of the shelves, along with everything they contain, falling to the floor. I was getting real tired of picking these up, 10 times a day, so I decided to do something about it. I whipped (or heaved) out the hammer and pinned them down. Needless to say, my child was not too happy when he realized he couldn't yank them off. Yesss! Mom:1, baby:0...

Next task was to lock the cabinet door with all of the baggies and cleaning supplies. I hauled out the drill and proceeded to put the whole locking system together. In the meanwhile, I had to put Will under bedroom arrest, because he kept trying to sit on my lap while I had a live screw in my hand! And then, the biggest task of them all: washing dishes. It's true, we have no dish washer, and everything needs to be done by hand. It takes about an hour, with Monk whining in the background and finding free-range collanders, pots, pans, bottles, pitchers, etc.

By now it's 3:00 pm. Doesn't sound like much has happened, huh? Certainly not anything of real excitement... but is there anything to report that will make all of this worthy to post? Not really. I now sit here, typing up a novel about my ho-hum day, after fixing the bed and picking up the toys, of course. I was able to get Will down for his afternoon nap, which is looking like there's some potential. I'll probably waste the rest of the day reading, packing, and showering. And I don't want to hear, "You're getting ready for the day? And what time is it?" As for this being a long-winded post, congratulations for making it this far. One look at my page would have told you this was an eye-full! I'm partially torn, because when I started this whole blog thing I didn't want to bore anyone. But at the same time, this was to be a memoir. It's not my fault if I have an un-eventful life! Then again, maybe it is...

home of the waves

Brad may sleep in the guest house, but his real home is Pepperdine. When asked if he's ever distracted by the scenery while at school, Brad simply replies that the beauty makes it easier for him to stay focused! According to him, he can take ten seconds and shift his gaze from Torts to the ocean, and automatically feel refreshed and ready to hit some more books! Crazy, I say; but he insists that studying is much easier when it's pleasant all around you...

Any time we take a trip to campus we agree that there is a wonderful feeling and atmosphere here. We are glad that we made the right decision, that Brad enjoys law and doesn't mind going to school (in shorts, flip-flops, and a face full of hair, no less)!

I've included some photos capturing Pepperdine's charm. Some of you may not realize that Pepperdine is a Christian school, affiliated with the Church of Christ. And yes, deer. Deer greet you as you cruise up the hill. And there's a picture of Brad's studying point. Hard life huh? Somehow, I don't feel too bad for him...

in celebration of the new season

Most of you probably know that my favorite season of all times is Fall (also known as Autumn, my more preferred name. Don't ask me why). I can't quite explain why I love it so much or describe how I feel about it. But I love it! The colors, the scents, the crispness, the laziness, the food, etc. So, I'm devoting an entire post to my favorite season, since it is now officially Fall (as of September 23)! Hip hip hooray!!! Let's give it up for some artistic display!

Autumn Poem

Honied yellow dripping gold,
Leaf of autumn
in the cold
Dancing on
in crisp despair
Whirling on
enchanted air
Falling silently to
earthen tomb
Away from tree's
rooted arm
Perhaps the silence
broken then
By hollow cries
of autumn grief
Synchronized with
the falling leaf

- S.K.Lindeman


"Autumn" by 'Slime'. Image courtesy of slimeland.com

just call me curious george

He's a monkey. Our boy is growing up fast and displaying his maturity... in finkness! Turns out he's got his father's charm and his mother's wit. He gets in to everything and has the audacity to ignore me! But he gives the best hugs and kisses; nevermind the noses he bonks in the process! Yes, Brad and I are whooped. This little monkey (with ears to match, compliments of both parents) sure does have us wrapped around his finger; right before he sticks it in the nearest outlet!

welcome to our humble abode

If you call $1,500 a month humble... which in Malibu, it is! Man, we could have bought a house in Rexburg and we'd be paying our mortgage right now, not just throwing it down the crapper! But at least that crapper leads to an ocean, eh?

Anyway, here are some pictures of our "new" home. I'm just showing you the outside first, as I'm striving to break you all in gently. I'll be posting pictures room by room in the days (or weeks) to follow. But for now, this will just have to wet your palate...

The Welcome Gate
I have yet to hear the story behind the design. But I bet it's a good one!

Our Rustic Cottage
If cottages and guest houses alike have no real kitchen, then we qualify!

My Herb Garden
That's it, in the background! You all know how excited I am about this feature!

Our Eccentric Aunt
This is the home of our very interesting, single, scandinavian land-lady.
We call her Aunt Lena (long story).

Well, that's it for now. Once I have our place decorated to my liking, or to the best of my ability, I'll post pictures of the inside and give some more details. But as of this second, I'm very happy with where we are. Most likely because I just took the pictures and the time to appreciate our beautiful surroundings. Money, mold and lack of appliances aside, we are very blessed to have found this charming home for our family.

acceptance is required, and embraced!

I've finally agreed. To blog that is... The phrase "everyone's doing it!" has never been so attractive until now! Those darn friends and relatives, all with their own blogs! Email will soon be replaced by personal web page shout outs... What's a girl to do if she wants to comment? Well, to accept defeat and join the club!

But seriously, I'm not bitter, just sarcastic. I'm quite excited about this new avenue of time wasted/saved. You see, I'm terrible at keeping a journal only because I'm writing to an unknown audience, by hand! But shoot, I'm good at typing and I always update (sooner or later) via email. Why not combine my love hate relationship of technology and geneology and do something productive! Besides, I can't write 30 emails a day. Contrary to popular belief, I have to have a life beyond the wonderful world wide web...

I also realize that that last statement will most likely come back and bite me where the sun don't shine! You all know that I'll be addicted to this new hobby and my new life will be blogging! Let's just hope I don't bore anyone. And on that note, enjoy!