The Big "O"

Introducing the Big "O" (aka Oscar), a bengal-manx mix and his brother Alfie. These two handsome boys live with Morgan across the street.

Oscar


Alfie


Not suprisingly, Oscar weighs in over 25 lbs!!! Alfie on the other hand is in the high teens but does not feel as heavy as Namir does these days.

We have been checking in on them while their mommy has been out of town. It is necesary to put Alfie's food bowl on top of the fridge because there is no way Oscar can get up there...

Three of my favorite things right now...

1. Yerba mate. I was first introduced to it on my trip to Argentina and now I drink it everyday. I drink it in the morning instead of coffee and in the afternoon for a pick me up. I love it hot out of a mate gourd but I also drink it cold. There are several companies that sell iced mate but I like it unsweet and that is not always an option. I have also bought some mate tea bags but I don't get the same pick me up effect as I do from the gourd.

2. Whole vanilla beans from the bulk department. For those of you who have tried to buy whole vanilla beans in the store, you know how darn expensive they are. I have scoured the markets for beans I can buy in bulk. The store closest to me sells them for about $1.29 ea when they have them in stock. (I am commenting in the suggestion box every time I am there now to get more vanilla beans.) Other places have them for$2.50 each and even $7 a pop at Fred Meyer...woaa. Unfortuantely my ice cream concotions have suffered due to the heavy price of vanilla beans but my latest coffee ice cream was out of this world. There will never be a shortage of bulk whole coffee beans...(Thanks for ice cream book Kim!)

3. My other favorite thing right now is the new printers and printing system at Costco. They can even print 12x12!! The colors have been coming out really nice and at $.17 its not a bad deal. Kudos to Costco! (At least the Tigard store).

I'd love to hear what your 3 favorite things are right now. Leave a comment.

New Jersey in August

Here are some pics from our "annual" August visit to NJ. We decided we are not going back east in August again!! It takes a lot to get use to that humidity. We'd much rather go in the cold and snow when we can at least go see a NJ Devils game.

We took Alex to Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk for his birthday. We played a little Skee ball


...a little mini golf



...made friends with a pirate wench


...and played a little more mini golf

Matt was the overall winner and I was the overall loser...and he wonders why we never played mini golf before! That is why we stick to bowling on the Wii!

We also spent time with my other nephew Brandon.


But what we will remember most of all is our new Rock Band "The Butt Monkeys"...coming to a Wii near you.

The city that never sleeps...

Matt and I just got back from our annual pilgrimmage to NJ. It seems we always go back for special occasions - this time is was my cousin Mike and Marie's wedding. We had the luxury of staying in Times Square for 2 nights, which we had never done before.

Here is Matt in the street after midnight - yet it looks like the middle of the day with the lights and the number of people around.

The next morning we walked past the Empire State Buiding (as well as a fabulous trimmings store were I bought a ton of ribbon for my cards and scrapbooks).


The wedding was at Tavern on the Green so we spent a little time in Central Park before the ceremony.



I got to spend a lot of time with my sister Lauren on and off the dance floor (since my husband will only get out there once maybe more if there are light sabers involved).


We did have a great time, all the better spending it with family we don't get to see too often.

And a tradition we try to do when all the cousins are together is to take a picture by height. We have been doing this since we were very little and it is interesting to watch the order change. Now we can start a new line up in front with the next generation. (Back L-R: Brian, David, Mike, Jackie, Leigh, Lauren and Front L-R:Alex and Brandon).

Somewhere in Utah

Here are a few pics of my long lost husband somewhere in Utah. Just one more week and then he will be home...