Preparation...

I'm preparing for a glorious weekend. I know you all probably think I can't wait to eat some yummy turkey, have some pie and don't get me wrong...what could be better than this?

But I'll just tell you that I only get up before 5 AM on one day of the year. That's right folks, The day AFTER thanksgiving.

They don't call it black Friday for nothing people!

I've spent the last 360-odd days preparing the following:

1. Special cart maneuvers
2. Elbow throwing
3. Starbucks ordering (you have to be quick!)
4. Super List: A mix of Christmas presents and my own personal wants/needs ( I use the term loosely)
5. Training to spot % off signs
6. How to balance your purse, coffee cup, and list in one hand whilest picking through a pile with the other ( This is actually a hard thing to do! My secret is the "over the shoulder bag")

This is some serious action folks. I know you think I'm crazy, but I've converted non-believers. Its amazing and its less than a week away! I better go, I have more prep work to do! Will I see you at Fred Meyers? :)

Almost Thanksgiving...

Well its almost that time again. Time for turkey and potatoes and pies and holiday cheer. It would be totally awesome if I could get over the new weather pattern of depressing grey skies we seem to have encountered. For as much as I love the holidays, I seem to be sad to see the blue, clear skies gone this year. It almost pains me to leave for work when its dark and get home when its dark as well. But this is enough of this!

To cheer myself up I put up my christmas candles, kitchen towels (one new crate and barrel one got coffee all over it, but its ok, Steven saved it), snowman dishes and some other knick knacks.

This also makes me happy:

Photo "borrowed" from June and Rich... Thanks guys!

Yay for babies! June and Rich posted some new pictures of their new little one. That's me and Tara with Justin. He's very handsome, and was a very good boy for us, despite our fighting (jokingly) with each other over who got to hold him :)

Also, I bought a christmas cookie cook book. This way I can make festive cookies. Nothing cheers me up more than cookies...and cake, chocolate, sugar, yum yum! See, I'm already in a better mood just thinking about it.

Happy November!

Catching up....

Phew...its been a long few weeks. Our weekends seem to have just flown by!

Recently we've spent weekends out at the farms (both of them now),

Football games...
Watching way too much tv....

I seriously *heart* Jim and Pam from the Office...

And just in general being away from home. We took this last Sunday off to relax and catch up on the pile of movies we seem to have accumulated (among them, Fracture, The Queen and a bunch of others), then my Christmas Cookie Cookbook came in the mail and I'm dying to make some delicious cookies...and so did the Young Adventures of Indiana Jones (I couldn't resist buying it, I know the holidays are close!)... so we spent the better part of the day wrapped up in blankies watching and catching up with being home. ( Yes, that includes like 5 loads of laundry and vacuuming)

We've been enjoying the "homebody" feeling for a few days now. Its nice to have a few days down. Especially when I know that Thanksgiving, Christmas and all the fun festivities that go along with it are right around the corner, and I refuse to miss out on holiday fun! Also, having a cold will force you into hiding...if only to please your co-workers.

Anyways, here are a few things that need to happen in the next few weeks...

On our to-do list:

1. Find DJ
2. Find Officiant
3. Finish pile of movies and return to owners
4. Make lots of cookies (ok, its not really a "to-do" item, but I cannot resist)

If anyone has suggestions for DJs and Officiants we are looking!

Here's hoping everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. We'll be handing out candy between watching Pushing Daisies and Private Practice. Hope that we'll be seeing you soon!

~S & J

Ok...Awesome!

So, September came and went...but it was jam packed with football games, tv premieres, visits from friends to the new apartment and our first wedding consultation. We've settled in to the new place now and are pretty well acquainted with our new surroundings. I think we're both pretty happy to be much closer to work and what not, but we both miss some stuff about our old apartment. Oh well, we all need a little change sometimes, right?

It seems like the summer had one big burst (of 90 degree days) and then it fell flat in the bleak (60 degree) ness of fall. Now, we're gearing up for the holidays. In fact, I just got an invitation for my holiday office party this week. I can't believe it is already that time again.

As a recap, I spent most of the first 4 months of this year studying for my test, Steven studied for his test, we both passed and then went on vacation, got engaged, had birthdays and family reunions and then....bam, its now. Its holiday time again. I can't even believe it all....before we know it, the wedding will be here.

But before that can happen we have a bunch of stuff to do...photographers, officiants, florists, attire...ect. So, I guess we better get a move on it, right?

To this next quarter of the year I say:
-Holidays
-Wedding planning
-Apartment decorating
-Big job projects?

To the leaves turning crunchy, to your hot tea and apple cider, to hot showers after a rainy walk, to reading a book all day with a big blanket, To opening presents and eating turkey and seeing old friends and family and candles that smell like food! OK AWESOME!

Best wishes to those of you who will go slightly out of your way to step on that crunchy looking leaf, Jewels

Moving...the Shakespeare of it all...

So, we finally found a new place to live. Yay! This comes after having spent two whole days driving around Tigard/Tualatin/Sherwood/Parts of Lake Oswego, familiarizing ourselves with map folding techniques, arguing about which Boones Ferry Road is which, throwing up our hands in protest of ancient baseboard heating and the like.

The real treat of it was getting nice and cozy with our Thomas Guide. I managed to find a "Shakespearean" named street near the majority of places where we stopped of to look. Some examples:

1. House on Hamlet Drive...
2. Apartment complex near Tempest drive....
3. Apartment complex near Shakepeare drive....

Odd? Possibly. Funny? You bet. We had a good laugh as we realized we'd been driving by the same places and used them as landmarks. We'll be getting settled in tomorrow and this weekend. I'm still holding out that we'll be able to sneak off to the beach and enjoy one day of the long weekend. You never know!

Happy Labor Day! ~ Jewels

Birthday, Uncle Glenn and Moving...

Well, we celebrated my birthday yesterday and over the weekend. We did dinner with Larry, Marlene and Tara on Friday Night at Bryant Station. The food was really really good. Then, my friend Iva took me to see Mandy Moore in concert on Saturday night. We had a great time at that as well.


Sunday was a little bittersweet, as Uncle Glenn past away Saturday Night. We all rode out to Mom and Dad's new place and got to see the house and have a BBQ. Dad had to leave after dinner to go see Aunt JoAn and Janet. We'll be doing the memorial service on Friday. This is Glenn with Robert at the Reunion a few weeks ago. My best memory of him right now is him, in that orange shirt, riding that bike in the background. Such youthful spirit. I'll really miss him. Perhaps I can take on the ice cream making from here on. It probably won't be the same, though.


Last night Jesse and Lindsey met Steven and I at the Portland City Grill for my birthday celebration! We had drinks at happy hour and those gigantic cookies. It was a great end to the day and a good way to celebrate. Thanks again guys!

In the midst of all these things going on, Steven's accepted a new job in Sherwood OR. So, we'll be needing to find a place and move in the next two weeks or so. We're looking for a townhouse or larger apartment in the Tigard/Tualatin/Sherwood area. If you've got some information, please pass it on!

~Julie

Baby Showers and Dress Shopping...

Two totally unrealted topics.


First, baby showers!



We gave a lovely alphabet themed shower for June Feucht! That's me with Tara and June back in July. What a lovely Sunday we had!




Next was one for Janice Bee! We did it at the annual family reunion in early August. Here's her cake! Yummy! So cute what they did for the baby buggy...




That's me taking down the particulars of who gave what (the card inevitably gets mixed up from the gift)...

Then this weekend we had one for Brenda Lee! I (stupidly) forgot my camera. No pictures of this one yet :( It was fun getting to see everyone and eating all the yummy food ( I had way too much). We have one more for Melissa in September. All these babies will be at the wedding next year, so come ready to hold them!

In other news, I'm pretty sure I found the dress that I want. Going back to try it on this week and possibly buy it. One super big purchase down....countless smaller details to go!


Julie