Puff ... Revisited

Cleaning out closets and reorganizing cupboards is an annual tradition in our household. It seems that over the year it is all too easy to shove clutter into the closet under the stairs and forget about it for 12 months. And this year was no exception.

The other day my husband and I were busy sorting throw piles of scarves, hats and gloves; organizing the wrapping paper bins; and deciding what coats have been outgrown. While digging deep in the closet my husband pulled out his old guitar and began to tune it. We hadn't seen that thing for a while and it sparked some nostalgia in both of us.

The real excitement came when he began to play it for the kids. My daughter jumped up and down and begged for him to teach her how to play. My son's head bobbed to the beat as he giggled. Suddenly our home was filled with new found joy and music!

Yesterday I was drinking my morning tea when I heard the sound of strumming and the beat of a metronome coming from the family room. It was my daughter! There she sat strumming a guitar that was three sizes too big for her as her daddy patiently instructed how to properly hold a pick. My son lingered nearby, enjoying his sister's efforts.

My daughter carefully strums away - we just might have another guitar player in the family.

It has now become a bedtime tradition to have a song before going to sleep. Last night I put in a request for Puff the Magic Dragon as I so cherish the memories of my own dad playing that on his guitar for me as a child. My husband played while I sang, and the kids laid back and enjoyed the show. What a great way to start the new year!

Happy New Year everyone and have a very blessed 2010!

Goodbye, Dear Rocker

Goodbye, Dear Rocker, you have been grand,
When you first arrived, we put you together by hand.

You came to my house on a day that was warm,
Just two days after my daughter was born.

With a pillow at my back and a blanket on my lap,
A sleeping baby on my chest made for the perfect nap.

With barely a creak, a crack or a crick,
Your smooth motion calmed us when we were sick.

Many a night you soothed my childrens' cries,
It is hard to let you go, no matter how hard I try.

Now my babies have grown older, as have I,
So now it is time to say ...

Goodbye.

Meet Paul & Louise

"Hey, how would you like a 90 year-old boyfriend?" he hollered over the back fence. A little curious and otherwise speechless, I headed over to the fence with fresh baked cookies in hand. I offered him one, which he took with obvious delight, and then he invited my husband and I over to his house to see his clock shop. This is how I met Paul.

Not long after moving into a small rental house in Eugene, Oregon, we had become acquainted with our elderly neighbor. Finally after I was the object of a few of his harmless advances, my husband and I did head next door to see his shop. He had converted his garage into his workshop where he had clock of every kind, size and age. Then we met his wife, Louise - a very petite lady with tight gray curls. She was obviously used to Paul's flirting because one inappropriate remark from him caused her to shake her head and roll her eyes.

We moved a year later when we bought our first house, saying goodbye to the funny couple next door. As we moved our belongings into our new home we discovered that the previous owners left behind a pair of cement squirrels that sat on the front stoop. Although they weren't the most attractive of yard ornaments, we fell in love with them and affectionately named them: Paul and Louise.

We have since moved twice and brought our little friends with us where they sit in our front yard supplying whimsy and good memories. Louise is the one in the front, being chased by the wily Paul. Her head is turned to one side, looking for a way to escape while an amorous Paul is in hot pursuit. And Louise's tail is cracked, evidence that Paul captured her a time or two.

Louise

Paul is gaining speed!

It's been eight years since our meeting and I don't know if Paul and Louise are still on this earth. But I know that they will live on, their essence forever remembered ... in our front yard.

9.3.99

Today I have been doing a lot of reminiscing. I've been thinking back to ten years ago on this day and remembering what I wore, the butterflies in my stomach, and an overwhelming sense of excitement. Ten years ago today ... I got married.

It was a lovely evening - what I can remember of it - and it has been an even better ten years married to the best man I know. I am truly blessed. I wrote more about the details of the wedding last year for anyone who is interested.

In my nostalgic mood, I pulled out my wedding dress and decided to snap a few photos of it. It is so beautiful! Unfortunately, our wedding photographer didn't take any photos of the dress or the shoes, and the details are well worth capturing. So, since I can't wear the dress around town (and since it doesn't fit anymore due to expanded ribcage and bustline, thanks to the kids!) I hope you will indulge me a little bit.

I am far from being a frou frou kind of a girl, but I couldn't resist this bow! I'm sure it looked stunning as I knelt down for communion with my husband.

My bridesmaid's gowns were certainly not apricot taffeta with matching hats! I chose simple navy blue matte satin dresses.

I wish I had more clothes with such impeccable detailing. The embroidery and pearl accents were so lovely.

Although the dress was quite stunning, I think the details of my life with my husband are even more so. It is my prayer that the next 10 years of marriage will be just as amazing.

To my husband: I love you ... more every day.

Picture Perfect

For months now I have been suggesting to my husband that we take some family portraits. I prefer to have spring portraits and fall portraits, but this year things got so busy in the spring and summer, it didn't happen until yesterday. It was a beautiful day and we made a commitment to go for it.

We are big "do-it-yourself" people. We have had professional photographers take our family portraits before, but we didn't like them. In fact, we didn't proudly display them anywhere because of our great disappointment. I'd say we have these "professionals" to thank for forcing us to buy a decent SLR and start experimenting with photography. To be fair, there are photographers out there that do a phenomenal job of capturing a moment and producing gorgeous pictures - and they charge accordingly (as they should). But, alas we are cheap and creative and just do our own thing.

We are pleased with the photos we took, but there were quite a few obstacles to get us these shots:

1. My daughter always seems to have some ugly fake tattoo on her bare arms when we take photos. I don't know why, but it works out that way. A lot of Photoshop work was required to remove the martial arts graphics from her forearm.

2. The location we chose was beautiful and worked well for taking photos, except we had to go off road to get there. Plus the structure we were shooting from had bird poop EVERYWHERE, not to mention bees and grasshoppers.

3. Kids are virtually never cooperative. This time it was my daughter who was acting like an ornery five year-old. She was mopey and constantly complaining. But she looked beautiful!

4. Lighting can be unpredictable. It helped greatly that we were standing under a roof and with a flash and umbrella it kept the lighting even. In just a short time the sun did creep into our space and we had to change our positioning.

Here are the fruits of our labor:

These pictures captures our kids' personalities and (thanks to matte photo paper and my Epson printer) we do have these photos proudly displayed in our homes.

Saturday In The Park

The last couple of days, a certain song has been playing over and over in my head: Saturday in the Park by Chicago. It just seems like a very fitting song for my day at the park with family I had this last weekend.

Now, I don't recall there being a "man selling ice cream" and it was the 11th of July instead of "the Fourth of July", but it was a "real celebration"! It was great fun meeting up with my mom, my two sisters and brother-in-law. There was picnicking, playing, smelling of the roses, laughing and chatting. Since members of my family are spread out between Oregon and Colorado, it is a rare treat to come together. It is my hope that the next time we gather that everyone could be there. We just need more reasons to celebrate, that's all!

It was warm and overcast on this day, which made for ideal conditions to take photos, walk around, play with ladybugs, and wear sandals and shorts. Unfortunately, my son got some gravel in his sandals (as seen in the lower middle image).

Here my sisters and I pose (silly, and then serious) for a rare photo of the three of us. And yes, we are related though we look so different!

A wonderful family portrait (and very lucky that everyone was smiling)!

Ah, it was a good day indeed.

She Says "Totally" Way Too Much

My daughter threatens to give her aunt a smooch!

My little sister. Well, I have two so I should say my littlest sister. Except she isn't that little - today she turns 25. Needless to say, I am in shock, but mostly because that just means I am now truly old. While I am reeling from that concept, here are some things that make me think of her:

Duracell / "totally" / coffee / Bon Jovi / hangin' with the niece and nephew / long red locks / dimples / more coffee / Denver / fun jewelry / blue Toyota truck / mad barista skillz / C & C Music Factory / music editor / "... Adorable" / "Good job Gee, good job!" / American Dream Pizza / music editor / "Where did you get your red hair ...? / watching The Sandlot ... about a million times! / holding my newborn daughter

Happy Birthday to you little sister, I love you!

My son seems quite happy perched in her lap.

It Was Just Beachy

After seeing our new nephew, the second leg of our vacation began ... we went to the Oregon Coast! I had been nearly three years since I had seen the Pacific Ocean so this trip was long overdue. We stayed at Surftides in Lincoln City, which is right on the beach. We chose to be economical on this trip so we opted for the least expensive room, and that meant one king sized bed and a partial ocean view (in other words, a small strip of the ocean was visible over the rooftop in front of us). We also took a cooler packed with sandwich makings and milk and it was a godsend! I don't even want to imagine all of the fast food or expensive food we would have had otherwise.

Here is a list of memorable things that happened on the trip:

- warm chocolate chip cookies in the lobby of the hotel

- the salty air

- sharing a bed with our daughter, who despite her young age, snores like and old man

- flying the kite in perfect beach weather

- microwaving Easy Mac and forgetting to add water (imagine the smell of burnt, dry pasta!)

- drinking "Three Buck Chuck", or the Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's that only costs $2.99 a bottle, from the hotel mugs - classy!

- stunning sunsets

- watching our son sort of freak out when introduced to sand

- eating sugared cereal as a special vacation treat. Mmm, those Golden Grahams were as good as ever!

- going to a yarn store that took up the bottom story of a house. The yarn was gorgeous and tempting, yet I didn't buy any.

- eating at Mo's. You can't go to the coast without making a stop there. I even ate clam chowder and a bite of my husband's fish 'n chips despite my aversion to seafood. I am very proud of myself.

- making sand castles

- driving along to coastline and admiring the cute little cottages and not so little vacation homes that over looked the ocean.

- going to the hotel swimming pool. Unfortunately it wasn't very warm.

- the kids took a bath and my daughter made a bubble tiara for her brother and called him a "boy princess".

- my daughter's first tooth came out. The Tooth Fairy managed to find her way to our hotel and left some money.

- wearing earplugs to drown out the sound of my daughter's snoring, only to be thwapped in the face repeatedly - she is a very restless sleeper.

- driving down Highway 101 to Newport in the typical coastal weather - overcast, windy, and drizzling.

- having a massive headache due to the weather; just call me a human barometer.

- going to the Devil's Punchbowl and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

- driving along Newport's historical bay front and seeing that things have changed very little over the years.

- getting home safe and with very minimal whining from my son.

The kids, happily getting sand up in their britches.

A wonderful moment: Daddy teaching his girl how to fly a kite.

I think my son enjoyed his first trip to the beach because it was okay to get dirty!

Yeah, I'd say we all had a great time ... especially my daughter to is begging to go on vacation again ... she likes to stay in a hotel ... she likes to sleep with Mommy and Daddy!

I'm glad to be home.

A Day to Celebrate ... Not Solitate

My mom and I when I was 3 weeks old. 1976

These are just a few things that come to mind when I think of my mom:

Franklin planners / chicken and rice / Quincy / red / pansies / breakfast at Elmer's / at the birth of grandbabies / crochet / Red Rose tea / mother/daughter trips to the craft store / Volvo / amethyst ring / red chili enchiladas / pens, pens, and more pens / Moleskines / cone headed 'Dancing with the Stars' / green Jell-O alien eyes / colorful coffee cups / long phone calls / yellow macaroni and cheese spoon / true stories about stepped on white Keds and dogs who drive cars / Strand / Fossil wallets / three lovely daughters / Rosebud lip salve / making up cool words like "solitate" and "sneedling" / HGTV / perfect handwriting / B & R platter / a comfy bed for sick kids / The Shed / my friend / Mamaw

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

My mom and I in 2006. I had a cute kid of my own on his way when this was taken!

The World-Wide Day of Wonder

My sister in her senior portrait.

On Facebook someone asked my sister what is so special about today and she jokingly responded, "The World-Wide Day of Wonder". The truth is, today is her birthday. Here are a few things that come to mind when I think of her:

Candy / peacocks / Aphrodite / basil / painting / Boulder Tea House / "Bobber" / American Dream Pizza / artichokes / long locks / Ireland / kitty cat sweaters / poorly performed cartwheels / art supplies / little girl mullets / opal pendants / rainbows / ferns / Zooropa / hanging with the niece and nephew / avocados / Arabian Nights / saffron / Hellgate jet boat excursions / sunset pink nail polish / silver VW Beetle with leopard print seat covers / Farsi / Lee press-on toe nails / Paddy McGinty's Goat / silver / Yogi tea / prisms / "Fernessa Star MacPhisto"

Happy Birthday little sister, I love you!

My sister and I on January 3rd, 2009.

History Repeats Itself

I remember getting an Easy Bake Oven from my uncle when I was seven years old. I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico visiting relatives and when I was at my great aunt Nana's house, there was a very large gift under the tree with my name on it.

1983 Easy Bake Oven. This is just about how I remember it.

It's funny how large boxes are so exciting when you are a kid and small boxes are more appealing when you are an adult.

Of course it was so thrilling to receive such a large and impressive gift. In fact, of all the gifts I received for Christmas as a child, that was probably one of the most memorable. It's not that I used it much or even really knew my uncle. I think it was the gathering of family, the snow, and being in the town in which I was born that made me remember it so much.

This year my daughter received an Easy Bake Oven from "Santa". She will have different memories associated with it - if any. It has been updated significantly since my model back in 1983, but still produces the same little cakes and brownies.

My little domestic diva, checking on her muffins.

Word to the wise: if a child offers you some blueberry muffins from the EBO, kindly except it, take a bite or two, then say you are pretty full and suggest that the baker enjoy the fruits of their hard labor ... they are really very disgusting!

There Once Was a Man From Gildersleeve ...

My dad and I, sometime in 1976.

A few things that come to mind when I think of my dad ...

Gildersleeve / Big Alex and Little Alex / mustache / three lovely daughters / the Oldsmobile / golf / black and orange / Kenny Loggins / Miagi / black and gold / Harry Chapin / playing Puff the Magic Dragon on the guitar / Peter, Paul and Mary / Go BEAVS! / Coca Cola / shrimp cocktail / Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl / breakfast at Elmer's / meticulous car washing / A Horse With No Name / lemon drops / Angus / ham and eggs (over medium) / Outback Special / farmer's tans / Back to the Future / falling asleep during movies / orange high-top Converse tennies / Daddy/Daughter dates to the Cinnabon / getting "ears lowered" / meeting newborn grand babies / black coffee / Peepaw

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you!

My dad and I, 32 years later in 2008.

Blog Fodder

The Good Old Days

This last weekend we had the opportunity to head up to the Bend area to see some friends from California. We stayed at a house in Sunriver, a resort not far from Mt. Bachelor. It was gorgeous there - the aspen trees were stunning as the leaves were changing color, we had picturesque views of the mountain, and we saw deer everywhere. It was something out of a Disney movie! On Sunday it rained, but I didn't mind, and Monday the weather was sunny and cool.

It is always a great thing to catch up with old friends. Sometimes it seems that time hasn't passed; that we are the same people we used to be in college. Then we see each other's offspring playing with our own and realize that things really have changed. We have families, careers and homes. Fortunately a package of Halloween Oreos and a chick flick can take us back to the good old days.

My son's first Halloween Oreo. Yummmmm!

Fall Festivities

When we were in Bend we stayed with my in-laws for a night. It's always fun to go to Meemaw and Boppa's house. I am always amused by how my daughter forgets about me when Meemaw is around and wants her to put her to bed, but my son still wants his mama.

We went to the Bend Fall Festival where we heard the Gospel Choir of the Cascades perform (Meemaw is part of the choir), and they sang a U2 song which made my day. There were craft booths and mazes made of hay bales and my daughter got to ride a pony. I'm no expert but she looked like a pro to me!

My daughter's first pony ride. Yeehaw!

A Disco Bride

Last week after I went to the gym, I called my house to see if my husband wanted me to pick up some dinner. I asked him what crazy things were going on around there and he said "Well, your daughter is wearing a wedding dress and we are listening to Saturday Night Fever." That's a sentence you don't hear too often!


Whatever, Cable!

I have Dish Network and don't get the Fine Living Network channel. I wish I did, there is a show on there called Whatever, Martha! that looks hilarious. Martha Stewart's daughter, Alexis and a friend, watch old episodes of Martha's television shows and comment. Their comments are not always nice, but they are amusing. I imagine it must have been very hard growing up the daughter of the domestic diva.

Autumnal Splendor

Do you like the title of this post? I think it sounds like it should be a symphony or something. I also think it best describes the day ... the first day of Fall! I am sure I have mentioned before that my favorite season is Fall. The changing leaves, the cooler weather and trips to the pumpkin patch. Mmmmmm.

While writing this post I wanted to do it right. I am curled up on the couch with a blanket, I have a cup of steaming hot tea sitting on the table beside a lit "Mulled Harvest" candle, and my favorite movie - You've Got Mail - is on. The only thing that could make this moment even more perfect would be an overcast sky ... and a plate of pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting!

Even the drive to preschool this morning was wonderful. It was cold, there were patches of fog and we got to wear sweaters and jackets for the first time in months. The best part of it is that the frost last night killed off all of the nasty midges, and there are no longer black curtains of swarming bugs; it is now safe to wash my car.

My son and I quickly embraced the new season by wearing our toasty sweaters!

Fall always sends me back to my school days. I think of when I wore my Halloween costumes to Jefferson Elementary School. I remember my favorite tree with the orange leaves that I would walk by on my way to Art History class at Oregon State University. One of my fondest memories is from my freshman year at George Fox when I walked to my dorm from class, barefoot and in the pouring rain. Yup ... those were good times!

Hello, dear Fall ... you are very welcome here.

Nine Glorious Years

Nine years ago on September 3rd, I married one incredible man. I am so proud and honored to be the wife of a person who lives his life with integrity, intelligence and humor. Since our wedding day we have moved four times, bought two houses, had two children, and have laughed a lot.

Our wedding day. September 3, 1999.

I love to look back on my wedding day. I admit that much of it was a blur as I was so nervous and full of excitement. My wedding was beautiful. It was inspired by Audrey Hepburn and her simple sophisticated style. My hair was up, my dress was ivory with embroidery and pearls, and my flowers were ivory roses and pearled stephanotis. We were married at a bed & breakfast in my hometown of Corvallis, Oregon and the best part of it was God was with us that day, and so were our friends and family.

I can't quite fit into this dress anymore as my shape has changed a little bit since having kids. I would choose this dress if I had to do it over again - just in a size bigger.

There is very little that I would change about that our wedding. If I had to do it all over again I would probably get a more artistic photographer, wear a little more color on my face, and choose more color for my bouquets (they were very beautiful but I think a pop of color would be nice), and I would have insisted more photos be taken outside in the beautiful courtyard.

We were both in college in those days and had to work with a budget. I wouldn't change that because it made us be creative with our resources and money. The result was an elegant and lovely affair (thanks to help from my parents), a very fun honeymoon in Tahiti (thanks to help from my husband's parents) and an amazing marriage (thanks to help from our Lord).

After years of marriage I still love to look at wedding magazines and websites. My favorite things are wedding cakes, stationery and bouquets. I think there need to be more occasions to carry bouquets like going to the grocery store, going to church, taking the kids to school ... it would make life a little more special wouldn't it?

This would be a perfect "everyday" bouquet. I could take it with me to the bank or when taking the dog to the vet.


The muscari (blue flowers) in this nosegay would have been perfect at my wedding since my bridesmaids wore navy. It was late summer however and they weren't in season. This bouquet would be perfect for a dinner out with my husband.

This arrangement demands attention. I would save this for a special occasion like shoe shopping.

She's So Unusual

In a recent post, I mentioned that my husband brought home a record player from a garage sale. It was only $5; and I didn't mind the player but he brought home a Harry Chapin record much to my shigrin. Well, I have found that we have been using this record player quite a bit since it's purchase. My husband has quite a collection of records ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Julie London to Kiddie Songs to the Bangles first album - can anyone say Walk Like an Egyptian?

This evening we were cleaning up after eating dinner when my husband puts a record in the player and let me just say ... I was overcome with giddy nostalgia! The beat of the music, the quirky melody, that unmistakable Betty Boop-like voice instantly took me back to when I was seven years old and buying my first record album with my own money. I was in the local Fred Meyer store perusing the titles, pretending to give everything careful consideration even though I already knew what I was going to get. Then I found my coveted treasure with a girl splashed on the cover wearing layers of thrift store finds and flaming multicolored hair. That's right folks, I picked Cyndi Lauper's She So Unusual. It was 1983, what else would it be?

Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual

Tonight as I listened to my newly rediscovered treasure, I was surprised at how many of the lyrics I remembered. I was also reminded why I used to only listen to side A as it has all of the totally rad, awesome and cool songs on it. The B side - with the exception of She Bop - is forgettable and not nearly as interesting. I also think that this album sounds so much better on LP than a CD. It just doesn't have the same feel if it has been digitally remastered.

Seriously, what’s with all of the Overalls? A Journey through Kelly’s Closet - Part 1

Recently I have been in the mood the clean and organize. Sometimes I just get a bug up my butt to sort, arrange and purge my belongings. My latest venture has been to organize the closet in my office that is overwhelmingly overrun with quilt batting, unused stationery, and several incomplete projects. I have stacks of Rubbermade tubs containing fabric, art supplies, and photos. Tons of photos.

I spent hours pouring through pictures from high school Mexico trips and various college activities. I smiled when I saw old friends … and cringed when I saw myself. Now that I am 32 years old and those days have long passed, I look back and see a simple, naïve, and unsure girl … with a really bad sense of style!

So, journey with me through my fashions of the 90s (I’ll skip high school as this is embarrassing enough!) and see the good, the bad, and those “what were you thinking?” moments.

My wardrobe staples of the decade:
Oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts
Stripes
Overalls
Keds

OVERSIZED

I bought this behemoth of a sweatshirt when I was a freshman at George Fox University. In those days I weighed 115 pounds. For some reason I thought it looked good with cuffed jean shorts and white Keds. I still have the shirt somewhere.

Here I am in jean shorts, white socks and Keds again. This time I am sporting an oversized t-shirt on my tiny frame. At least I think my hair looks pretty.

STRIPES

My collage of stripes. Also pictured: Keds and overalls. Are you detecting a pattern here?

OVERALLS

Ah, what a lovely pair of shortalls. At least my t-shirt is more fitted here. I wish I still had those black t-strap sandals.

More overalls! this photo is from the summer of 1997. These overalls were three years old and I still wore them. I don't know what my style statement was here, but I wish someone would have sat me down and told me how ridiculous I looked!

CHIC

Not everything I wore from that decade was hideous. In fact there are a few moments where I looked pretty good.

Here I am in a church talent show. I still like the fun 60s style shift dresses (both were mine), and my haircut was cute too.

Taken in the late summer of 1997, I was only 21 years old. A simple black wrap top and long straight skirt made me look sophisticated. I admit that I felt pretty in this picture.

Audrey Hepburn. Yes this is a costume I wore to a Halloween party, but you can't go wrong taking a cue from Ms. Hepburn's style.

After seeing me in my Breakfast at Tiffany's ensemble, I was pursued by the man who eventually became my husband. Can you blame him? Who wouldn't fall in love with Audrey?

There you have it. A brief visual display of my fashion choices of the 1990s. I am nothing if not consistent. Why did I display such comical moments you might ask? Why not. I can laugh at myself, embrace my inner dork, and learn from such blunders. What are the good things I have learned from this experience? I really look good in sunglasses; black is always a good choice; and maybe I should start wearing red lipstick again.

It's a Cruel, Cruel World

Oh no! It happened. I thought I had escaped it, I thought I was done with it forever. But no. It is back in my life I am not too pleased.

My husband, who can't resist a good garage sale, brought home this:

Harry Chapin - Verities & Balderdash

Not only that, but he brought home a portable record player to play it on! Not only that but he has played it already as my children danced to 30,000 Pounds of Bananas! Dad I know this must give you an incredible sense of glee that your music once again is in my home. Invading my audio senses. Seeping into my psyche.

I hope you are happy! It's a cruel, cruel world indeed.

Oh So Young, Oh Such Bad Fashion Sense

My son has a world map and a map of the United States on the wall of his room. This morning as I was changing his diaper my daughter started pointing to certain places on the maps and was asking questions about them. Then she blurted out “I want to go to island when I get big.” I asked her, “Do you mean Ireland?” “No, ISLAND!” - I think she has watched Barbie as the Island Princess one too many times!

So I told her that I have been to an island. Her eyes got big. I told her that I went to an island for my honeymoon with Daddy after we got married. “Honeymoon? What’s honeymoon?” After explaining that it is a trip people take after getting married, I told her that I have pictures from my trip I could show her. She got really excited about that! She got so excited she mentioned it on the way to daycare. She mentioned as we were walking to her classroom. She mentioned as soon as I picked her up from daycare. She reminded me about it as we pulled into the garage. And she was so worried that I might forget to show her the photos after I put her brother down for a nap, she reminded me yet again once we got inside the house. Yeah, she was excited.

I dusted off the old scrapbook and began showing her our adventure to the Tahitian island of Moorea. I showed her the palm trees and the pineapple plantations. She saw Mommy with a flower in her hair and Daddy with a snorkel mask on his head. But as I was looking at these photos – taken almost nine years ago – I was astonished at how much nine years of marriage and two kids have changed us. Our priorities are different now especially with little ones. We don’t like the same movies or music anymore. Our grocery budget has expanded from $140 a month. I was a lot skinnier. And the fashions of 1999… yikes! My style certainly has changed.

Here we are on Cook's Bay in Moorea. Those particular short alls aren't so bad - I had other pairs that were much worse!

Swimming with the sharks on the Motu Boat Tour was fun. That, however, was not my favorite bathing suit.

Look how skinny we both were! Two kids later I finally have curves. And we got rid of my husbands pleated shorts - thank goodness!

It is fun (and sometimes a little scary) to look back at the different stages of my life. I was 23 when I got married. I was young. I was naive. I had no money. And I wouldn’t change a thing. But if I could go on a second honeymoon to Moorea, I would bring a digital camera and my clothes would not consist of short alls and $8 elastic sandals!