tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35086004518826768762012-01-27T11:39:43.002-07:00My life, in Arial 9 pt.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.comBlogger3211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-56591304066847409622012-01-27T11:39:00.002-07:002012-01-27T11:39:43.014-07:00

Here's a fabulous story about when Facebook actually has ads that pertain to me! Jake Shimabukuro is coming to Tucson on February 9th, just two short weeks away!! Jake is an unbelievable musician that makes amazing music with the ukulele. I fell completely in love with him when a friend sent me a youtube video of him playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps in Central Park several years ago. We

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-87114705619065795322012-01-26T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-26T08:00:08.913-07:00

Somehow, I find myself writing my last Thankful Thursday post of the month already! How did that happen?? The weeks seem to be flying by, what with baby preparation classes, interviewing pediatricians, and trying to get enough sleep to feel somewhat rested in the morning. Here are my Thankfuls for the week! Summer Sanders' Prenatal Workout DVD I've traded running for walking (though still not as

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-50511942153444885002012-01-24T14:30:00.000-07:002012-01-24T14:30:01.605-07:00

I mentioned in my previous post that my dad sent a second print, one that we had chosen while we were back in California for Christmas. It's a black and white print for our guest room, and I'm so happy with it! The print is 20"x30", but it includes a mat that he had printed -- basically a fake mat so the picture is smaller. We bought a black 20"x30" frame this weekend for the guest room, and a

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-10651898801427721752012-01-20T10:00:00.000-07:002012-01-20T10:00:07.227-07:00

I'm finding it hard to keep all this baby prep stuff out of my blog as the countdown to meeting our little girl gets shorter and shorter. While I don't want to sound like the pregnancy and the baby are taking over my life, they have officially taken over my life! So I'm going to go easy on myself and share things that are exciting to me, even if it's related to babies. After all, this is a blog

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-62762541556446947632012-01-19T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-19T08:00:04.264-07:00

Happy Thursday, everyone! Not much exciting stuff to be thankful for, but I'm thankful nonetheless! Amazon Prime I don't know that I would pay the $79/year for Amazon Prime, but it turns out you can get it for free for 3 months if you sign up for Amazon Mom. The awesome thing about Prime is that you get free 2-day shipping on all orders that are marked "Prime"! And we can actually extend the

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-4901965838057832052012-01-17T20:00:00.000-07:002012-01-17T20:00:02.528-07:00

A while back, Todd and I purchased a couple of really cute ABC/123 prints for the nursery on Etsy from seller loopzart. At $20 for the set, it was totally a great deal compared to other prints, and the numbers print started with a 0, which we love as engineers. =) [source] We finally got around to buying frames for them this weekend, and got a white mat board to cut our own! The tools we

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-83066350967850318932012-01-16T09:00:00.000-07:002012-01-16T09:00:11.723-07:00

You know how some weekends, you don't feel like you got a weekend at all? That was us this weekend! We were pretty non-stop, and even though we got an ass-ton done, I still wish we could have rested a little. I'm definitely slowing down and my energy levels aren't what they used to be. It's right on cue, too -- today, I'm officially in my 3rd trimester! Friday, as usual for this year, I worked

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-34399299508590780122012-01-13T10:00:00.000-07:002012-01-13T10:24:47.803-07:00

Note: I wasn't going to post anything on this, but it occurred to me that these nifty little closet organizer things might be helpful for any closet, not just nurseries! Nothing is really particularly novel about these, but I do love before and afters! Yesterday, our order of closet organization materials from One Step Ahead was delivered!  As great as they look, we didn't really want to put in

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-90154515557697960302012-01-12T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-12T08:00:10.343-07:00

I feel like this baby is already taking over our lives and home. This week, we've had to do so much baby related stuff, and I don't see it easing up in the coming weeks, either! Anyway, I hope you're having a good week! "America the Beautiful" Quarters These suckers are a lot more elusive than the 50 States + Territories quarters!! I never really collected the States ones, but bought a little

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-15017026540121179752012-01-09T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-09T08:00:13.436-07:00

Last week, I was super surprised and touched when Teena gave me this little gift at lunch: I love the colors, too! It's an omamori, which is a good luck charm, and this one is an Anzan omamori which is specifically for pregnant women, wishing them a healthy pregnancy and an easy childbirth! I have always had an omamori for my car (apparently called Kōtsū Anzen) since my aunt and uncle would

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-24644551162740349232012-01-06T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-06T08:00:13.606-07:00

Even after 7 years of living in Arizona, I still tend to call San Jose home, especially when it comes to the holidays. It was so wonderful to go home for a week this year to spend it with my family! We got to see a few close friends and a lot of family, plus some quality time with my dad, soon-to-be-Jiichan (grandpa). =) [Warning: Picture-heavy post!] We arrived the afternoon of the Wednesday

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-48911767360456085982012-01-05T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-05T08:00:03.940-07:00

Happy First Thursday of 2012! You know, some years, it's kind of nice to get back to a routine after the holidays. But this year, it's been really tough. It's only been two days back at work, and I'm ready for another break! I had to dig deep to think of things I'm thankful for this week, but I'm determined to keep this up in 2012 (at least until our daughter-to-be sucks away all our free time =)

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-35688521604134528262012-01-04T09:00:00.000-07:002012-01-04T09:00:09.571-07:00

Happy 2012, everyone!! Wow, I can't believe how fast 2011 flew by. It seems like a long year and a ridiculously short one at the same time! Here's my photo recap of the past year. =) We kicked off 2011 in Bismarck, staying through the first few days of January so that we could celebrate Todd's mom's 60th birthday and Todd's grandpa's 82nd birthday! I was able to meet more of Todd's family that I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-28491779916511444252011-12-29T18:00:00.000-07:002011-12-29T18:07:28.671-07:00

The last Thursday of 2011! I can't believe it, but it's true! While I'd love to have prepared a wonderful Thankful Thursday to sum up my year, it's just been too busy with travel and visiting with loved ones, so just a simple one for now, and a Year in Review in the near future (as well as a post about our trip back to CA for Christmas)! These all happen to be related to being pregnant. =) Tums

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-66865781129259446232011-12-22T08:00:00.000-07:002011-12-22T08:00:03.279-07:00

A quickie this week, I hope you don't mind! =) Ritter Sport Chocolate It's become a tradition of  mine to get a Ritter Sport chocolate bar at the airport whenever we fly somewhere. I used to get one almost every day I worked at REI for the first few weeks back when I had a summer job in college. Unhealthy, but delicious. Of the few flavors they have at the Tucson airport, my favorite lately has

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-8039578356843488322011-12-21T10:00:00.000-07:002011-12-21T10:00:10.931-07:00

12/11/2010: Wicket is not pleased after taking a bath. On Monday night, when we took the ferrets out to play, Todd noticed that Wicket had a swollen mass protruding from his back. It didn't hurt him, but it felt like it was probably the same mass that we noticed before his vet appointment about a month ago, just growing really fast. Since his ferretonin injection, we hadn't seen any fur growth

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-43912180959522553132011-12-15T08:00:00.000-07:002011-12-15T08:00:00.052-07:00

Oh man, is this week over yet?? Holiday-itis hit on Monday, and it's only gotten stronger. I'm hoping that I'll be able to work from home tomorrow *and* Monday, and then I'm off for the rest of the year!! All the lab stuff I've been doing for our team has made me fall slightly behind on my own work, and I hate ending the year slightly behind. It would be nice to work from home and get my own crap

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-88013951018917377342011-12-13T18:00:00.000-07:002011-12-14T11:04:49.069-07:00

My dear husband is so good to me -- even before I got pregnant, but even more so now. He's been telling me that he doesn't want me doing so much lab work starting in January because of the types of machines we work on, and that he thinks my department takes advantage of the fact that I'm nice and I'm one of the only ones that still comes on to the site to help remote employees (especially in

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-36322204388610883062011-12-12T18:44:00.001-07:002011-12-12T18:54:59.696-07:00

I got home after a looong and hectic, stressful day feeling pretty lousy. But when I grabbed the packages from our front porch, I noticed something from one of my favorite bloggers! Penga from sakacon (of weddingbee fame) had not only sent me one of her awesome Christmas cards that I coveted, she sent me this adorable gift!! A little Mario mushroom, good for growth of our little one!! I love

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-16209806516456073712011-12-09T17:00:00.000-07:002011-12-09T17:04:01.275-07:00

I was going to avoid blogging about this in case it turns into a total disaster, but I'm just too excited not to! Todd had today off, and has been hard at work designing a custom cross-stitch for the baby! While we've dropped the idea of a Totoro-themed nursery, Todd is still hoping to incorporate some Totoro style into it (which I love!). And this cross-stitch is one of the ways we're going to

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-72171090392005834242011-12-08T08:00:00.000-07:002011-12-08T08:00:02.778-07:00

Ahh, cooler (and even downright cold!) temperatures have found Tucson, and the last week has been wonderfully chilly, with even some rainy days, as well! It has made it feel more real that the holidays are fast-approaching, and I've managed to finish all our holiday shopping! Now I'm just waiting for all the packages to arrive, either at my dad's house (for kiddies in California that we'll get to

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-78356710185990572072011-12-03T15:33:00.001-07:002011-12-09T17:01:45.285-07:00

While Todd was on working a customer problem this Saturday, I finished the DIY project that I started last weekend -- a crib skirt! We didn't really see any crib bedding sets that we liked, plus we didn't really want them to become a "theme" in the room. So when I came across this DIY posting for a no-sew crib skirt last week, I was really excited! No-sew is very important as I don't have/can't

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-5473929155219275032011-12-02T14:00:00.000-07:002011-12-02T14:08:27.956-07:00

Wicket's Ferretonin Implant came in to the vet's office this week, so tomorrow, we'll be taking him in for his injection. Hopefully he'll see the same great results in his coat that other ferrets in our doctor's office who have gotten it. His fur loss is due to adrenal disease, and while it won't cure the disease, this Ferretonin (melatonin) should help his fur grow back. We're hoping that it

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-7637312639039079032011-12-01T15:00:00.000-07:002011-12-01T15:00:03.085-07:00

Whoa, the first Thursday of December already! And it certainly feels like a change in seasons in the Old Pueblo today! Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day in the mid-70s, and today is cloudy in the mid-60s (maybe lower -- it got cooler during lunch). I'm actually quite happy with the change in weather. I've had a hard time telling myself that it's time to be Christmas shopping, even though I've

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-67439754384258842862011-11-29T08:00:00.000-07:002011-11-29T08:00:07.501-07:00

I'm starting to feel silly that I incorporate origami cranes into so many of my crafts ever since I was wedding planning and folding my own senbazuru. As if using them as part of our wedding favors wasn't enough, I'm about to show you some DIY Christmas ornaments that I personally find really festive and pretty. But I do fear that you guys will think I'm unoriginal with yet another crane project,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-70726603320763638162011-11-28T18:00:00.000-07:002011-11-28T18:00:02.440-07:00

We had a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving and holiday weekend! It was just us two, and while neither of us had ever had such a small gathering for T-Day, it was wonderful, delicious, relaxing, and productive, all at once! We actually had Wednesday off, as well (lucky us!)! We had to wake up a bit earlier than we would have liked because we had Big Brothers Big Sisters coming to pick up our old

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-19246723448253696482011-11-24T08:00:00.000-07:002011-11-24T08:00:08.291-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! On this, the most thankful Thursday of the year, I'd like to talk about our family's traditional Thanksgiving foods I'm most thankful for! (I considered writing about the big things in life that I'm very thankful for, but it would be a really, really long post, and I'm sure I'd still forget something or someone very important.) Last year's Thanksgiving spread back

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-70837510350689419972011-11-21T20:00:00.000-07:002011-11-21T20:00:02.999-07:00

Since I mentioned that Wicket and Winnie had their appointment this past weekend, I thought I should at least follow-up briefly! Wicket was checked first, and he does indeed have an enlarged spleen, which is not necessarily a problem in itself. His fur loss pattern, while different than Wiley's, still appears to be a fairly classic symptom of adrenal disease. Dr. Bohnke also found some swollen

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-16377728938910119662011-11-17T08:00:00.000-07:002011-11-17T08:00:09.502-07:00

Wow, next Thursday is Thanksgiving already!! Cuh-razy. I feel like last year was the opposite, where there was a lot of planning and lead-time up to Thanksgiving. Not this year! But it's kinda fun realizing every few days that next week will hopefully be quiet at work because a lot of people take the whole week off! =) Nail Decals I stumbled across Cina nail decals at a Sally's Beauty Supply

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-30977073302572095612011-11-10T08:00:00.000-07:002011-12-09T17:02:10.152-07:00

Another week has passed, and it was actually a pretty big week! I've actually been avoiding a specific subject on my blog because I didn't want to jinx it, but after this week, I'm ready to at least say on my blog that I'm pregnant! We're refraining from posting anything on Facebook for now, but for my loyal blog reader(s), I wanted to let you know. You'll see it in pictures soon, anyway. =)

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-25915663326766810072011-11-03T17:00:00.000-07:002011-11-03T17:00:00.432-07:00

My work week has been really trying to keep me down in the dumps. And when there are frustrating, annoying, really unfair things going on, it's really hard to calm down and focus on things that I'm thankful for. So I'm trying my best here, because I know it's weeks like this that really make Thankful Thursdays meaningful! Trick-or-Treaters I had a fun time handing out candy with my hubby to the

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-90518723213228109052011-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-27T08:00:09.894-07:00

Yay, my first Thankful Thursday as a 32 year old! I had a whirlwind weekend, complete with out-of-town visitor, my good friend Aaron! I've known Aaron since 2nd grade, and our parents actually still live right around the corner from each other. =) Anyway, since we had a guest visiting us, we did and saw a lot of things that we don't normally do or see. Here are things that I'm thankful for in our

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-13856597748962392422011-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-25T10:34:40.458-07:00

I received my birthday gift from my sister Erika in the mail yesterday, and I have to say, she did a fantastic job. =) Not only is it something I love, but it also fits that she is a Genetics & Plant Biology major! She found an Etsy seller who sells Marimo Balls, which are balls of algae that tend to grow in spheres, and are very easy to care for. The neat thing is that my grandma had a few back

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-48643202164953892932011-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-20T08:30:12.332-07:00

This is my last Thursday as a 31-year old. This Sunday, I get a year older (and wiser?)! I have an old childhood friend coming to visit this weekend, and as the week progresses, I'm getting more and more excited about the activities coming up! But enough of that. My Thankfuls this week are related to things from my past 31 years. Family Dinners Growing up, we had dinner as a family every night

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-58925465661572487832011-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:002011-10-17T13:39:09.945-07:00

This weekend, we went to Apple Annie's out in Willcox, AZ! It was our first time out there, and we were excited to pick our own apples and, of course, pumpkins. I was especially excited because they also had Asian pears to pick, though it was pretty late in the season for it. Unfortunately, thanks to the hard freeze we experienced last winter, the trees didn't bear as much fruit as usual, and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-50407364480202570232011-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-13T08:00:01.358-07:00

Somehow, we're already approaching the middle of October -- how is that possible?? Anyway, the temperatures here aren't so bad anymore (dry and in the high 80s/low 90s), and the mornings and evenings are nice and cool and almost ready for light jackets, which is pretty fun. =) At last Saturday's run, it was 40° and I actually wore my running capris and layers! It was just a fluke, I think, but

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-64889707752928796212011-10-12T13:00:00.000-07:002011-10-17T13:17:56.500-07:00

This weekend, we painted our new guest room! I say "new" because it used to be our ferret play room/miscellaneous craft room/workout room -- so really, the room where you close the door when you have guests over. But we have a friend that will be visiting in less than 2 weeks (yay!), and it was good motivation to get it changed into a more grown-up looking guest room! Todd got a picture just

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-30968211153719191592011-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-11T11:22:28.982-07:00

Here we are in October, my favorite month! Not only is it my birthday month, but it's one of my favorite months (weather-wise) in Tucson. It gets cooler, but isn't cold, the evenings are chilly enough for a light jacket, and once Halloween gets here, it's like back-to-back holidays until the new year! =) Morla's Intelligence Yes, I am thankful that once in a while, Morla exhibits some level of

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-78627630817018869012011-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:002011-09-30T13:00:01.934-07:00

Like I mentioned on my last Thankful Thursday, Todd and I went back to California this past (long) weekend to attend my Uncle Jim's memorial service. He died suddenly while visiting some family in Nebraska, so he had a funeral there pretty soon after he passed. This memorial was held in San Francisco, where he spent most of his life, so that his friends and our side of the family could pay our

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-17532597807028451382011-09-29T09:21:00.003-07:002011-09-29T09:21:53.687-07:00

This past week, we went to the Bay Area to attend my uncle's memorial service in San Francisco. We stayed with my dad for about 4½ days, and every time I go back, I feel thankful for so many things. Since Todd grew up in such a different area and environment, it's always fun to go back with him and do things we used to do when we were younger. So this week, things back "home" in San Jose that I'm

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-91346465927076028322011-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:002011-09-22T08:00:10.921-07:00

Wow, tomorrow is the first day of autumn already! I'm looking forward to sweater weather (or as close to it as Tucson can get) despite the fact that I've already been wearing some cool-weather clothes to work since it's so dang cold. Cool mornings and evenings to run in are also nice to look forward to, and are appreciated after a long summer of hot, humid runs! The Repeal of Don't Ask Don't

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-6078003626269632122011-09-15T08:00:00.000-07:002011-09-15T08:00:09.554-07:00

This has been a particularly rough few weeks in terms of bad news. Illness, hospitalization, and the unexpected death of my uncle a couple of weeks ago has led me to really reflect on the word "thankful" -- and not in terms of the more trivial things like funny websites and tasty comfort foods. This week, I'm thankful for the old relics remaining from when we were younger. I wonder how our future

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-14739895690026950922011-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:002011-09-12T08:00:03.960-07:00

We finally had a chance to meet our friends Stephen and Kate's baby girl V this past Friday! She's their first baby and was born on August 24th, but since I got sick after MN, we didn't go up and visit until now. But it gave me a chance to have their cross-stitch framed and ready, which was fun. I always love to see how the finished product turns out. It's always so much nicer looking than the

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-879280449952470162011-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:002011-09-08T15:28:23.078-07:00

I know, all I ever post anymore are Thankful Thursdays. Work has been hectic since I missed a few days on vacation and a couple of days while sick. But I'll get there. Here are my thankfuls this week! Old College Sweatshirts Comfortable, soft, familiar. I've been wearing my favorite college sweatshirt every day this week because it's so freaking cold in my office, even with the heater on all day

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-1941442353374136552011-09-07T20:00:00.000-07:002011-09-07T20:00:05.319-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we took a trip out to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota to visit our friends Chris and Holly! Chris was the best man in our wedding, and has known Todd since they were tiny. While they used to live in Tucson, they moved back to Holly's home state when they started thinking about starting a family. It was so fun to see them and their two young (adorable!) boys! It was also

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-4103502973090028362011-09-01T10:00:00.000-07:002011-09-01T10:06:10.774-07:00

Happy September! I know I haven't gotten around to sharing about our trip to MN, but I've been sick since last Thursday night! Todd had caught a small cold while we were there from the baby, and I started having symptoms as Todd was wrapping up (right after we got home). My cold then turned into a sinus infection, and here I am! Even though I already did a Thankful Thursday about being sick,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-84523008805970416292011-08-25T08:00:00.062-07:002011-08-25T08:00:01.957-07:00

Ahh, back from a fun vacation visiting friends in the Midwest! I'll write about that in a separate post, but for now, on to this week's Thankful Thursday (which all have a "vacation" twist to them)! Summer Vacations Since graduating from college, I've appreciated summer breaks more and more each year. Before college, we had long summers full of hanging out with friends and being bored out of our

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-34402219677847090262011-08-18T08:04:00.000-07:002011-08-18T08:04:23.486-07:00

Todd came home with flowers for our 13th month of marriage! Actually, it seems it shouldn't have been a surprise. I had mentioned on my blog that we weren't sure whether we'd continue this monthly tradition past one year or not, but apparently, I had never discussed it with Todd! Haha! So it was a nice surprise for me since I was still feeling blah yesterday.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-2033203852509646462011-08-18T08:00:00.001-07:002011-08-18T08:00:10.808-07:00

I'd been feeling sick the last couple of days thanks (I think) to my freezing office at work. So the theme for this week's Thankful Thursday is things that make me feel better when I'm sick! Saltines & Sprite Ahh, the old go-to crackers to nibble on! Plus the fizzy bubbles of Sprite, and these always help settle my rumbly tummy. Okayu This is a Japanese rice porridge that I remember my mom

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-69218690201580466972011-08-11T08:00:00.005-07:002011-08-11T08:00:02.321-07:00

Another Thursday! The weeks are flying by, aren't they? I feel like it was just yesterday I was working on my Thankful Thursday last week! =) A Green Summer What a great summer it's been in Southern Arizona this year! While we had the really dry, high heat in June (with the scary wildfires), the monsoons came along way better than the last few years, and it's been really keeping the days and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-47823465225301900062011-08-07T08:00:00.001-07:002011-08-07T08:00:08.533-07:00

Last weekend, we took our friend Kate out for her last Pre-Baby Girls' Night Out! The boys hung out and babysat (and ended up going to Chuck E. Cheese) while us girls went to Color Me Mine! Even though it took longer than we expected, we all had a great time chatting and painting and being creative. =) Our painted pieces (before firing)! The artists! On Thursday, I was able to pick up the

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-58282706595416468822011-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:00:06.959-07:00

Happy First Thursday of August! Hope your weeks are going smoothly! Here are some things I'm thankful for this week. Coffee Breaks I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I definitely enjoy going on our daily coffee breaks with co-workers! I get a coffee (or a tea, or a mocha, or a snack) and enjoy chatting about how our evenings were, something interesting we heard on the radio on the way in, or

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-77026915767124247502011-08-01T20:00:00.001-07:002011-08-01T20:00:05.516-07:00

The Nook Simple Reader is still fairly new, and while they have some nice covers made specifically for it, Todd and I didn't really like them much. I'm sure more will be made available in the near future, but we wanted a way to keep ours pristine now. We also wanted a way to easily tell which Nook was which. We bought some padded, fabric book covers (for paperbacks, not for the Nook) at Barnes &

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-44100687925506859682011-07-28T08:00:00.002-07:002011-07-28T08:00:07.747-07:00

Wow, it's the last Thursday of July already! We've continued to have some good monsoon storms with rain, and I hope it keeps up through August, too. I hope you've all been having a wonderful week! Loving What I Do I (almost always) really enjoy my job. I really appreciate that I get to use my brain creatively to come up with solutions and new function for this product that is so critical to our

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-11085395183549922042011-07-22T17:00:00.002-07:002011-07-22T17:00:03.355-07:00

A friend of mine posted this fantastic list of 100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About. It's gotten several lols out of me, so I thought I'd share the link and my favorites with you! As this article appeared on wired.com by Nathan Barry (aka GeekDad on wired.com), most of these references are to technology. Even though this was written two years ago, it still applies and entertains. My

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-72126052083151280952011-07-21T08:00:00.002-07:002011-07-21T08:00:07.597-07:00

After a fantastic long weekend away, it was hard to think of things to be thankful for that weren't related to time off, vacationing, and shopping. =) But I managed! Here are my thankfuls this week. What are yours? Neighbors I love our neighbors, and I know we're very fortunate that we do. They're all kind, fun people who watch our house while we're gone, check in on us when something seems

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-26134910881376385612011-07-20T08:00:00.002-07:002011-07-20T08:00:04.311-07:00

Wedding anniversary gifts have traditional and modern item associated with each year. The first year is paper (or clocks), and I had a few ideas back when I was thinking about gifts. Todd and I really loved the cuckoo clocks we saw at Epcot (and I have fond memories of the cuckoo clock my parents brought back for my grandparents from Germany), but they were ridiculously expensive, plus I would

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-79495563709983111542011-07-19T13:00:00.004-07:002011-07-19T13:00:03.769-07:00

For our first anniversary, Todd and I went just up the road a couple of  hours to the Phoenix metropolitan area and stayed at a resort and did a bunch of shopping, eating, and relaxing! We left Thursday around 1pm and got home Sunday at around 6pm. It really was a fantastic long weekend, and it just reiterated how much I love the man I married a year ago. Thursday, after checking in at the JW

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-79450494551734137902011-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:002011-07-19T12:00:01.386-07:00

Most of you know that Todd and I have taken turns buying flowers on each monthaversary for the first year. Each month, we've been putting our flowers in the beautiful vase that was our wedding gift from our dear friends Jenn and Darrell, per the instructions that came with the vase. Our first month's flowers were sent from them, and now, our first anniversary flowers were sent from them, as well!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-22747167246246721902011-07-17T08:00:00.001-07:002011-07-17T08:00:11.388-07:00

It's hard to believe, but it's already been a year since our wedding day. I can still think back and remember all kinds of details, but at the same time, the whole memory has a dream-like quality to it. Maybe that's how really momentous occasions are recorded in my head. (Maybe it's like looking at memories in the Pensieve!!!) Just married!! [Photo by Chris Richards] This past year, we had our

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-51044288776900488932011-07-14T08:00:00.001-07:002011-07-14T08:00:05.504-07:00

This week, my Thankful Thursday is about people I'm thankful for. Happy Thursday, everyone, and have a great Friday and weekend! Jake Shimabukuro My first experience with this artist's amazing ukulele music was on youtube, when my co-worker sent me a link to Jake playing his rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps on his ukulele in Central Park. So, I don't know the Beatles well -- music-wise,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-51210980015825354722011-07-12T09:00:00.001-07:002011-07-12T09:24:25.396-07:00

This past Sunday was the 3rd annual EveryoneRuns Run with the Roosters 5 Mile race out at Old Tucson Studios! Todd and I have run this all three years, and it's so much fun. It starts at sunrise -- this year, 5:08 -- so it means leaving our house at 3:30 in the morning to make the drive out to Old Tucson, but it's totally fun and worth it. Last year, the race was on the day that we were going to

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-38195125113962411592011-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:002011-07-09T08:00:09.367-07:00

Today is officially my 10 year anniversary with IBM. I can't believe it's been a decade! I started in San Jose at what was then their main site in the Bay Area back on July 9th, 2001. The site has since been sold (twice), then leveled to make room for a Lowes and supposedly some apartments and other housing. The site had a historic building that people were trying to save from demolition, but it

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-78451010762254996462011-07-07T13:00:00.001-07:002011-07-07T13:00:03.248-07:00

When Todd asked me to plan a Japanese menu for this week, I could only think of a couple of meals that I was willing to make. I kind of wanted to try something new, but I'm not a big fan of cooking something unknown (or, really, cooking in general). I was chatting with my sister and she recommended making okonomiyaki. This is a very nostalgic food for us. For me, it's a snack that my grandma had

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-65192938437223786302011-07-07T08:00:00.001-07:002011-07-07T08:00:01.055-07:00

After enjoying a long weekend, it's easy to feel like there's not much to be thankful about. Coming back to work is never fun after a break, though coming back to a short work week isn't half bad. But I dug deep and pulled a few things out of my hat. Happy Thursday! Dreyer's Strawberry Fruit Bars As the temperatures hover in the 100s, these delicious popcicles that have chunks of real

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-15330691931750034512011-07-06T08:00:00.002-07:002011-07-06T08:00:07.671-07:00

Back when Todd and I were merging households, I mentioned that I was attempting to organize our new household -- kind of a central place to keep some basic information about ourselves and the household in general. I had purchased a Life.doc binder and was excited to fill it all in, but when I got it delivered, I realized that a lot of it didn't really apply to us, and there were things that I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-21738725734888132932011-07-05T13:00:00.001-07:002011-07-05T13:00:03.655-07:00

Happy (belated) Birthday, America! This 4th of July wasn't too eventful because I was on-call and basically on house arrest from Friday through Sunday. But it was still fun and productive, and anyone who knows me knows that being stuck at home is far from the end of the world for me! =) While Todd poured 3 more 8 foot sections of concrete this weekend, I did a lot of cross-stitching. I'm getting

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-3293743553950626132011-07-01T08:00:00.006-07:002011-07-01T13:02:40.852-07:00

Before I moved to Tucson, my experience with Mexican breakfast was the McDonald's short-lived breakfast burrito they had years ago. (Yeah, not very Mexican, and not very good.) Now, my favorite breakfast is Mexican breakfast, and my favorite dish is Huevos Rancheros, hands down. And I'll have it for any other meal of the day if it's offered! Huevos Rancheros dishes can vary between restaurants,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-88382521428447803162011-06-30T08:00:00.001-07:002011-06-30T08:07:15.136-07:00

I can't believe the 4th of July weekend is creeping up on us already!! I've been on-call this week, and will be through Sunday, so I'll have to stay close to home for the long weekend, but that's okay by me. =) Just having a long weekend (and a short work week next week) is worth it! I hope you've all been having a good week! My Potato Mug My sister and I were gifted potato mugs by our aunt many

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-86118380542933201902011-06-27T13:00:00.000-07:002011-06-27T13:00:03.372-07:00

We're bracing for near-record high temperatures today, and even yesterday was quite toasty. We live just outside of Tucson and about 700' or 800' higher in elevation, but when it's this hot, it's just hot. Aiiiii!!! Since it's so dry here, any shade makes a world of difference. Yesterday, we made a little shady area over Morla's water hole, so as to avoid a cooked tortoise. She seems to like

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-29957958323714090652011-06-23T08:00:00.001-07:002011-06-23T08:00:12.525-07:00

Today's edition of Thankful Thursday revolves around food! Crystal Light Iced Tea I particularly love the Natural Lemon flavor! We always have a pitcher in the fridge lately, and it's nice when I want something other than water with dinner. (And it's perfect to mix my Benefiber into it -- the more fiber, the better! =)) CuteOverload.com The URL says it all. It really is an overload of cute! The

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-31199447047953355172011-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:002011-06-27T10:55:01.238-07:00

While it's hard to believe, summer has only just begun -- yes, even here in the Old Pueblo. We've had temperatures up in the 100s for several weeks now, and this is our outlook for the next 5 days: What is this, Phoenix?! No, this is Phoenix. Even for Arizona, it's pretty hot, at least for Tucson. At least the evenings are comfortable, and it's a dry heat! We had a long but dry spring (hence

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-25829693845674160282011-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:002011-06-19T10:00:03.084-07:00

I know I say this over and over, but I love my dad. I actually think that "love" is an understatement. I adore, idolize, pretty much worship my dad. He's my real-life hero who took all the crap life threw at him and transformed it into love and nurturing for my sister and me. I actually remember 3 different versions of him if I think back on my past. When we were little and Mom was still alive,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-72277521995905203172011-06-17T09:00:00.005-07:002011-06-17T21:13:30.918-07:00

Deep purply-red lilies, selected by Todd! It's so hard to believe that only a year ago today, we were fretting about RSVPs, sending out rehearsal dinner invitations, and paying our photographer for our wedding. It feels like years ago that all these things were in the forefront of my mind! And in that last month before the wedding, there was still so much to do (I had to go back to my wedding

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-63851301763363414832011-06-16T08:00:00.003-07:002011-06-16T08:00:05.893-07:00

Yippee! Today is not only Thankful Thursday, but it's also 10 years since I graduated from UCLA, as well as the IBM Centennial Celebration here on site (and in other sites across the country) this afternoon. Congrats, IBM! And now, on to what I'm thankful for this week. New Forever Love Stamps I recently went to the post office to pick up a package that they couldn't leave on my doorstep, and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-25111079029462756892011-06-09T08:00:00.001-07:002011-06-09T08:07:24.235-07:00

I'm really starting to look forward to writing up my Thankful Thursdays, so it seems it's really doing its job! It's so fun to try to think about little things that warm my heart or make the day seem a little better. =) Xtreme Wear Nail Polish I wear my nails pretty short, mostly because my nails are weird when they're long. They bend, fray, chip -- it's not fun. It also helps to have my nails

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-49676134598540652232011-06-07T20:00:00.002-07:002011-06-07T20:00:01.848-07:00

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I didn't learn about June Gloom until I went down to UCLA.* Since we were on the quarter system, we started fall quarter in late September or early October and spring quarter didn't let out until mid-June. It often felt like the weather was just commiserating with us students as we geared up for finals week. I wish I had some pictures to prove it to you

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-87391359831205517142011-06-06T08:00:00.001-07:002011-06-06T08:00:06.210-07:00

Here we are, almost 11 months into our marriage, and I finally finished our wedding/honeymoon scrapbook! I started this project last summer, when Jenn and I decided to try our hand at scrapbooking for the first time. It was fun, and I got the first few pages done right away because I had designated them for the proposal, the planning, etc. But when I got to the part about the actual wedding, I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-25808322896838889262011-06-03T08:00:00.001-07:002011-06-03T08:00:15.350-07:00

I have recently been turned on to a website called Pinterest by my friend Heidi. While you have to request and wait for an invitation to join the (free) site, once you gain access, it's pretty awesome! It totally caters to my need to make lists of, categorize, and collect ideas and images, all in one place -- perfect for today's busy blogger! The basic idea is that you create inspiration or

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-16093818492077412902011-06-02T08:00:00.002-07:002011-06-02T09:31:01.623-07:00

Happy Thursday, everyone! (Especially happy because it feels like Wednesday to me. =)) It's time for another installment of Thankful Thursday! Here are three more things I'm thankful for: Double-Walled Tumblers I recently acquired my first double-walled tumbler after participating in a K-12 event, and I'm in love. I don't really know how I've survived 7 years in the desert without it! No more

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-6332183547229542982011-06-01T12:00:00.001-07:002011-06-01T12:00:02.510-07:00

Today is National Running Day, and I thought it would be the perfect time for me to explain a bit about my relationship with running! At our graduation race, March, 2007! I joined a women's-only (at the time) beginner's running group with Fleet Feet Tucson back in January, 2007. When I signed up, while I wasn't really unhealthy, I wasn't physically active. I also thought it'd be a nice way to

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-52802332068927418002011-05-31T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-31T12:00:02.057-07:00

Boo, the long weekend is over already! I had a great weekend with all sorts of stuff I don't usually do. =) I got to see Bridesmaids with Jenn, who was the perfect person to see it with. (It was a hilarious movie!!) Todd and I went and hung out with our friends by their pool. And I ran my first (maybe last) mud run. We also got to see our friends and their two young boys yesterday, not to mention

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-14422317739946464622011-05-26T12:30:00.000-07:002011-05-26T12:30:01.019-07:00

I learned about "Thankful on a Thursday" on my friend Deidre's blog last month. She mentioned that it's a general  idea out there in the blogosphere -- maybe I don't read enough blogs to have noticed, but I think it's a fantastic idea! And, like Deidre, I will set aside the more obvious things I'm thankful for (husband, family, friends, health, home, job) and focus on the little day-to-day things

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-82485279512680522702011-05-17T10:00:00.000-07:002011-05-17T10:00:05.878-07:00

My turn for flowers -- tulips! 10 tulips for 10 months. As we approach the one year mark, it has dawned on me that being married suits me. I don't know when it happened, but saying "husband" isn't weird to me anymore. And at the risk of sounding enormously cheesy* and making people think that I'm just faking it for this blog, I'm really the happiest I've ever been in my life. Sure, we have our

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-16712898831671959852011-05-13T17:30:00.001-07:002011-05-13T17:46:10.955-07:00

Todd and I are currently recovering from a week-long trip to Orlando, Florida! This was a very-belated birthday present for me from Todd -- as in 7 months late, but it was worth the wait! On my 31st birthday back in October, I received a card while we were waiting for dinner, and inside was note he had printed up, telling me that my gift was to go to Disney World and the Wizarding World of Harry

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-11898364500610205082011-04-28T10:00:00.001-07:002011-04-28T10:13:54.265-07:00

This season, my allergies seemed to hold off longer than others, at least according to my friends' Facebook posts. I knocked on wood as I started noticing that while everyone else was taking every known allergy drug under the sun, I felt fine with my usual generic Zyrtec, prescription eyedrops, and Nasonex once a day. (I have to send a shout-out to my awesome allergist Dr. Min, who helped me when

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-54059531070327910682011-04-26T15:27:00.000-07:002011-04-26T15:27:15.492-07:00

Work has had me in a death grip for the last month or so. And it's not the work that I'm doing (which I love), or even the pressure of an insane schedule. It's a particular person I've been working with more closely than ever, and for an extended amount of time. And it is driving. me. crazy. I actually didn't realize just how crazy it was driving me until this morning. I woke up a little groggy,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-7914818862619634012011-04-20T08:00:00.001-07:002011-04-20T13:37:30.608-07:00

Our friends had their first baby almost two weeks ago, and we couldn't be more thrilled for them! We met through Scott, who works at IBM with us and is on Todd's team. His wife Alisha is a zookeeper at the Tucson Zoo! I was able to start their baby cross-stitch much sooner than I normally do because I knew that I wanted to do an animal-themed design, and most of them are gender neutral. Todd and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-52924089529520297902011-04-19T08:00:00.001-07:002011-04-19T08:00:01.434-07:00

(I got a little excited shiver as I typed the title of this post.) You may or may not remember a post I wrote back in October about purchasing a set of letterpress stationery from Twin Ravens Press (her Etsy shop can be found here). Well, earlier this year, as the precious stationery dwindled, I decided to get in touch with TRP owner Kristin to discuss what custom personal stationery would run.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-49434155086620807332011-04-18T13:00:00.000-07:002011-06-27T10:55:01.238-07:00

Yesterday was our nine month anniversary! It was Todd's turn for flowers this month, and he picked sunflowers. Sunflowers from Sunflower Market. It feels like month 9 was a long month, I think because of our trip to ND at the end of March. It feels like way longer than a month ago that we were up in Bismarck and my dad was visiting us here! But with the warm weather ramping up, we can tell

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-1083490488448395092011-04-12T08:00:00.001-07:002011-06-27T10:55:01.239-07:00

... only makes you stronger. That might not be true in all cases, but it certainly seems to be true in the case of our rosebush! Now, I've never had what anyone would consider a green thumb. I kill most plants* either by neglect or over-watering. When we planted our two hibiscuses and rose bush in the backyard last year, I was thrilled that they survived through the summer and fall. The

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-32847260244844296692011-04-07T16:26:00.000-07:002011-06-27T10:55:01.239-07:00

My husband is on a roll. I had come home sick from North Dakota, and was sick through the weekend. But Todd went off and bought a bunch of lumber and got to work on building a little counter area in the backyard. He finished this in just two days, and we managed to eat dinner on it and watch TV! =) In just 2 days!! We still have to treat the wood and stain it, but it's functional! We picked up

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-56464934011079632672011-03-31T14:28:00.000-07:002011-03-31T14:28:53.480-07:00

Last week, Todd's Grandma Grace passed away. While she'd been in various homes in the last 10 years or so dealing with advanced Alzheimer's, the end came relatively quickly. When the nurses notified the family that she had stopped eating and drinking, some of the family were able to make it up to Underwood, ND after the roads were cleared from a big storm. Todd booked a one-way flight that left

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-85559925187120950362011-03-21T09:48:00.002-07:002011-03-22T13:41:59.347-07:00

My awesome dad was here to visit for a long weekend, and it was way, way too short. I sent him off this morning at 8am, and I've been crying off and on ever since. It seems to get harder and harder as I get older to say goodbye to him, and this time wasn't any different. I am just so terrified of losing him, and I guess as I get older, I realize how much I'd be losing if something ever happened

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-22411756768444704092011-03-17T11:39:00.000-07:002011-03-17T11:39:37.272-07:00

Today is a day of many happenings! It's our 8th monthaversary, St. Patrick's Day, the start of the NCAA Basketball Tournament (about which Todd is much more excited than I -- though I'm glad my Bruins made it in), and my beloved father is arriving for a long weekend to visit us! He's on his way already. I've been watching his Spot check-ins, making his way toward our house from Organ Pipe Cactus

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-34131468495702621862011-03-11T12:00:00.000-07:002011-03-11T12:00:00.939-07:00

First, the heavy: What a terrible disaster that 8.9 earthquake in Japan caused. The images and videos bombarding the internet are so horrifying, and while Japan may be more prepared for earthquakes than some of the poorer countries, my heart sinks for all the victims (and families and friends of victims). I have some relatives that live in Tokyo -- my aunt, uncle (mom's little brother), and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-29925413103380695362011-03-10T08:45:00.000-07:002011-03-10T08:45:00.398-07:00

Today is Wicket's 6th birthday!! While I didn't bring him home until he was about three months old, his birth certificate from the breeder narrowed his birthday down to within a week, and I arbitrarily picked today as the day to celebrate. =) This morning, he was a little groggy getting up -- I mean, of course everyone wants to sleep in a little on his/her birthday! Both ferrets, sound asleep.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-30119029205383512692011-03-09T10:15:00.000-07:002011-03-09T10:15:21.505-07:00

Even though I don't have pictures, I wanted to give a shout-out to the Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole that we tried out of Martha's Everyday Foods magazine. Todd made this on Monday because we got home late because we had to go grocery shopping. It was quick and easy, and super yum! I grew up in a house where casseroles weren't in our vocabulary. Sure, we had green bean casserole

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-8878037623199992512011-03-09T10:00:00.001-07:002011-03-09T10:10:30.912-07:00

I'm a very lucky girl: Todd loves to try new recipes -- cooking them and eating them. He is a subscriber to both the Food Network magazine and Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, and he uses them to find new recipes and cuts out any that interest him. This past weekend, after our successful garage sale, he sat down and tried to come up with a way to organize all these cut-out recipes and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508600451882676876.post-24294037166131666632011-03-07T10:00:00.001-07:002011-03-07T10:00:08.723-07:00

Finally, a GPS watch for me! I have wanted one for so long, but every time a new one came out, there were deal-breakers. My list of requirements is not very long, but for some reason, they just wouldn't all fit into one watch. My list is as follows: Interval timer. I run/walk. This is a must. Real-time pace. Average pace of the run (so far or at the end) is useless to me. I can figure that out

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702721811960368944noreply@blogger.com1