Joy Card

Glitter Glamour Joy Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Thanksgiving!

We had a fun Thanksgiving, did you?

Food, pie, more pie, cheesecake...more food.

Pool games on the in-laws' new obsession.

Rice cereal, banana and guac for the littlest!

Naps for the mom (interrupted by leaf blowers -- one of the great evils of humanity!!!)

Christmas tree getting with the in-laws (Ryker spreading his holiday cheer at the store...)

Getting hubby home for several fun days!

Lots of laughs from the O'Bear and watching him have a blast in his jumper.

I would call Turkey Day 2010 a success! And even did a wee bit of shopping on the Internet -- sooooo much better than 4:30 in the morning in the stinkin' cold!

Now, bring on Christmas!

'Tis the Season for New Fridge Art

Over the years, we've all started getting photo cards from our friends and family for the holidays. I love this trend so much, because I have something to add to my fridge. I get to look at all your smiling faces every day, say a prayer for you, think how big "Bobby" or "Katie" is now, and wish we all lived closer.

This holiday season, I have decided we too, have something photo-worthy to share with you on a card this year. That's right, Mr. Owen! His cuteness outshines us all, even Ryker. We've also had some awesome photos taken by our friends Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and we're ready to share.
One great place if you're looking to design your own cards this year is Shutterfly! They have tons of Christmas card and holiday card designs! And with an awesome holiday giveaway opportunity or just great discounts, why not give it a whirl!

You can search by color, number of photos and price! Here's an example of a brown, $, one photo card!And for those of you who just had new little bundles...they have tons of cute birth announcement designs!

So, get busy and send me some fridge art! Can't wait to see all your smiling faces soon!

A Girl and her Dog

I need this right?

Can't you just see me and Ryker sporting about town in this? How cool, right?
I could win this!
You could win this!

Go check it out! It'll make you smile! Madsen Bikes!

Family Pics

Here's a few more of my favorite pictures from our photo shoot with Mr & Mrs Smith! Thanks again guys!

To Brush, or Not to Brush

...that is the question.

How bad is it that I can't brush my teeth during the day if I want to go somewhere. The minute Ryker sees me putting tooth paste on the tooth brush, he is gone. Under a bed, in a closet...somewhere cowering in fear from the impending doom of being put outside. So, invariably if I try to brush my teeth, it will take me an extra 10 minutes to get out the door after I wrangle the pupster.

So, should I just start brushing all the time throughout the day to desensitize him? Should I keep brush-ups in the car? Should I just carry around a tranq gun?

Oh Lordy! It's always something with this guy. What a nut.

And, yes, NoNoBadDog hadn't shown up in a long time, till Owen and I had to go somewhere the day Joe left on his last business trip. That's when NoNoBadDog decided to bite through the MIDDLE of a SINGLE board and wriggle out somehow. SERIOUSLY?? How do you do this? I was going to take a pic, but didn't have a chance before Bro-in-law fixed it for me.

The Power of the Written Word

There are movie lines and book lines we can quote by heart:

"Here's lookin' at you, kid."
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
"Luke I am your father."
"As you wish..."

But, what may be the hardest, most memorable thing is the first written sentence that one reads. It makes a classic a classic. It turns a story into a statement. It sears it into your memory, perhaps our collective memory -- forever.

Here's a few of the world's greatest written first sentences. Then click on the link for a few more. Perhaps it will entice you to read something new or something you've never even heard of. Perhaps you will write the next best first sentence...

1. Call me Ishmael. —Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

2. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

3. A screaming comes across the sky. —Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow (1973)

4. Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. —Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967; trans. Gregory Rabassa)

5. Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. —Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (1955)

6. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877; trans. Constance Garnett)

7. riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs. —James Joyce, Finnegans Wake (1939)

8. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984 (1949)

9. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

10. I am an invisible man. —Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)

11. The Miss Lonelyhearts of the New York Post-Dispatch (Are you in trouble?—Do-you-need-advice?—Write-to-Miss-Lonelyhearts-and-she-will-help-you) sat at his desk and stared at a piece of white cardboard. —Nathanael West, Miss Lonelyhearts (1933)

12. You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. —Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)

13. Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested. —Franz Kafka, The Trial (1925; trans. Breon Mitchell)

14. You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a winter's night a traveler. —Italo Calvino, If on a winter's night a traveler (1979; trans. William Weaver)

15. The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. —Samuel Beckett, Murphy (1938)

16. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. —J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

17. Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo. —James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)

18. This is the saddest story I have ever heard. —Ford Madox Ford, The Good Soldier (1915)

19. I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me; had they duly considered how much depended upon what they were then doing;—that not only the production of a rational Being was concerned in it, but that possibly the happy formation and temperature of his body, perhaps his genius and the very cast of his mind;—and, for aught they knew to the contrary, even the fortunes of his whole house might take their turn from the humours and dispositions which were then uppermost:—Had they duly weighed and considered all this, and proceeded accordingly,—I am verily persuaded I should have made a quite different figure in the world, from that, in which the reader is likely to see me. —Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy (1759–1767)

20. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. —Charles Dickens, David Copperfield (1850)

The rest of the 100 Best Lines

It's from the Internet...

...so it has to be true, right? =D

According to the Better Homes and Gardens color quiz:

Your color personality is: Yellow
Like yellow's strongest symbol, the sun, you radiate warmth. Others love to be around you because you have a gift for always looking on the bright side, and your ready smile can be infectious. Chances are your calendar is packed -- yellow lovers tend to be always on the go!Your signature color indicates someone imaginative and creative, so don't be afraid to express yourself through the way you dress and the way you decorate your home. Cheerful yellow is the ideal hue for a kitchen, laundry room, or any room that needs some extra brightness.

(a pic from our trip to the arboretum this spring!)

When I was Little

When I was little, I had an escape plan in case the bad men came.

I had a giant window right over my bed, you see. And I had a fear that bad men might come in, never mind my sister had the same giant window and she was the first room in the house.

So my plan was to hide under my bed right next to the window wall and wait for them to leave, then I would crawl out, jump out the window and run to my neighbors' house.

Weird, I know. But these are the things you worry about when you're a little kid.

When I was Little

thiWhen I was little, I LOVED to read (I still do). I hated to put down my book if I was really into it.

I would read in our tree. I would read under my bed. I would read in my bath tub.

One day I decided to read on my bike.

I was going over to visit a friend, and I thought, oh yeah, I can totally do this. So I started reading while riding my bike. I used to be super cool and could ride without using my hands. All was going good until it wasn't.

I ran into a parked van. Yep. I did. I'm pretty sure I even left a dent in the bumper.

So, what did I do? I looked around, didn't see anyone, and pedaled away as fast as I could!

From this I learned, I cannot read and ride! Wow, is this like a medieval form of texting and driving? Hmmm...well, good thing I don't do that!

And, for whoever's van that was all those years ago, sorry about that! =D

When I was Little

When I was little, I said I would ALWAYS wear shorts when I got older.

I never understood why grown-ups wore shorts when it was hot outside. Now I do. At least I understand why women don't wear shorts all the time. I think it has something to do with the burden of frequent shaving.

It all becomes clear, or should I say, fuzzy.

Fun with the Flip

Took this video the other day with our new Flip camera.

It is currently titled, Brotherly Love. But, perhaps, another title could be Why They Say Living with Dogs Boosts Your Kids' Immune System.

Enjoy...more to come I'm sure!

Random Act of Kindness

This Saturday, Joe and I had the hankering for kolaches from the local bake shop. We even had a coupon, to boot! So, off went Joe and Ryker while I fed the baby.

Hubby and pupster return, and Joe announces the kolaches were free. Free?? I knew we had a coupon, but it wasn't that good.

Turns out, Joe's card refuses to swipe at this location. It's happened before. And we are not cash-carriers, so Joe told the lady he'd go across the street and get some from the bank since nothing was working. She said that would be fine, she trusted he'd come back.

Then steps forward, random nice guy, Ben. He gave the lady a couple of dollars and said it was on him! Joe said, that that wasn't necessary, as he really could just run across the street to the bank. However, this nice gentleman said no problem, have a wonderful Saturday.

Wowzers! Totally not called for, but what a blessing and nice thing to do for someone! Thank you random guy! Thanks for reminding us there are still friendly people in this world and for passing along a little cheer on a Saturday morning!

The Holy Spirit Hour

Many of you may have heard the old phrase, the Witching Hour. A European term referring to the 12 a.m. hour or early hours where supernatural things happen. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that is dark outside, which makes just about anything creepy.

Well, I would like to introduce an new phrase, The Holy Spirit Hour.

You ask, "Now, what the heck is this?"

This is the hour where your animals go bonkers.

It shall be called this for a number of reasons. Like most Godly things, it is out of our understanding why our creatures find the spontaneous need to rampage through our house like their tails are on fire. Also, like the Holy Spirit, it can descend at any time, no matter the hour. So, be prepared.

The Holy Spirit Hour occured at the O'Brien household about 9 p.m. last night. RykerDog caught the spirit and went tearing up and down the hall. Squeaker Men were flying. Gummy Bear toys were flung. There was much hootin' and hollerin,' spinning of claws on hardwood floors and ruffling of carpet.

This is not just limited to my puppy. I have seen it in my dearly departed feline friend, Tailer. I have seen it in my outlaw pals, Bonny and Clyde, just to name a few. Let's face it peeps, it's real!

And I like it!

So here's to the Holy Spirit Hour. Proof once again that God has a big, big sense of humor!

Happy Birthday Buddy!!

Happy Third Birthday, RykerDog!!

We love you so much, and are so glad you are our pupster!

While I am not totally convinced you are three years old exactly, we'll run with it.

You have been such an awesome big brother to Owen. You've been a faithful friend to me during pregnancy, nursing and looking after this crazy kid. Your dad loves going on walks and runs with you, even if you are still out of control most of the time.

You are not perfect, but you are ours! Happy Birthday Buddy!

(and yes, in dogs years you are 21 this year, BUT we are NOT taking you drinking!)

((Thanks Lyd, for the awesome pic!))

My Generation

Have you seen the previews for this new ABC show, My Generation?

It's about Class of 2000 high school graduates from Austin, TX (ha! right?). I AM a Class of 2000 high school graduate.

According to the previews, we should already have taken over the world, made our millions and be content. However, we get to see that for a bunch of these 'losers' it hasn't happened that way yet.

IT HASN'T PEOPLE!!! I didn't know I was supposed to have everything figured out in 10 short years after graduating high school. Do you know how silly, and full of ourselves and crazy ideas we were at 18?

To be honest, it really has depressed me a bit. Every time I see a commercial for it, I think, what did I do wrong? Did I do something wrong?

I probably did do several things wrong, but I don't think I'm someplace I'm not supposed to be. I love my family and our lives together. There are definitely things I would like to change, but I don't think we should be made to feel guilty for not ALL being the president of the United States. Because, you know, that's only a one-person job.

I don't know if I'll tune in this fall. I guess it depends on my mental state. But, to all those other 2000 grads. I love you, keep on keeping on. And kudos to you for graduating high school!

Totally Wrong, but Interesting!

So, I was talking to my dog the other day, (yes, there is NOTHING wrong with this) and I realized something.

My dog, my wonderful red-fluffy-bunny of a crazy mutt, Ryker the WonderDog, NoNoBadDog, is smarter than my child.

Yep. I said it.

But really, he knows his name.

He can roll over by himself.

He can hold his head up.

He can go to the potty by himself.

He has a vocabulary.

Think about it:

Sit

Stay

No

Wait

Outside

Water

Go for a: ride, walk, get the mail, etc.

He's a genius.

Little dude??? Well, all I can say is we're working on amending this post soon! =)

FYI...

For your tummy's entertainment and your pocket book's delight, CHEESECAKE FACTORY is having it's anniversary special tomorrow for facebook fans and Friday for everyone else!

Oh yeah buddy!

Now, the real dilema comes down to, do I stick with the old tried and true Dulce de Leche, which has a special place in my heart, or try the new Reese's version?????

And, also, does Owen count as a person so I can get a slice to take home to Joe? =)

Wowzers!

You see this guy?

This guy is a month old today.

Let's break down what this little guy has learned in a month.

1. Eat - check

2. Sleep - check minus - sometimes we're a little iffy on this one

3. Poop and pee - CHECK PLUS

4. Cry - check plus on this one too - He has what I like to call a pterodactyl cry that he likes to pull out when he's really not happy and really hungry.

We're also slowly adding being able to focus on a face. But other than his totally way-too-strong neck muscle, we're still in our blob stage. BUT we're a month closer to something else right!?

Happy One Month, Mr. Owen. We love you.

News Flash

!!!News Flash of Epic Proportions!!!

It has been over 3 weeks since I have had cheese enchiladas!

I repeat:

It has been over THREE WEEKS since I have had cheese enchiladas.

Combined with a lovely hospital stay, lack of appetite for a while, wonderful meals provided by friends, and well, a hardship in getting out, I have NOT filled my enchilada tank in quite a while.

Tonight we are planning to have homemade chicken enchiladas at Aunt Jenni and Uncle Jamie's house tonight with the O'Bear in tow (his first adventure). They're pretty good and cheesy, but not the same. We'll remedy this injustice very soon I know. But for those of you that know me, this is a big deal!

See how I sacrifice for my child already? Sheesh! Mother of the Year over here!