32.....it's the new 31!!!

So, I turned 32 today. How did that happen? Sheesh. Yahoo! just happened to have a 'what happened on July 16 in history' link up today, so I browsed. The Catcher in the Rye was published (kinda cool). The District of Columbia became the seat of our government (obviously important). The first parking meters were installed (eh). Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy so that they might later embark on their historic moonwalk (obviously cool). Oh.....and Sadaam Hussein was elected President of Iraq! So, yeah...I suppose we take the good with the bad. And I don't like to brag, but I was also born on the very same day as Orville Redenbacher AND Corey Feldman! Icons, people! ICONS!

More importantly, I got to spend my weekend surrounded by good friends and family and lots of yummy food! I got some really cool gifts. My camera is dead, so I'll be sure to post some pics when it's good and charged. I have some crafty friends!

Also, my Jen came to see me! She brought Becca with her, so we got to spend some time doing digi-scrapping and catching up, and the rest of the time having fun with our girls. The girls are so in love with Becca! She's older, and can spin and hop. That's HUGE in their book. They were starstruck and cried buckets when she left. I wish I could see them everyday. Jen taught me so much today, so I was inspired to make a new page with some of the elements that she taught me. Hope you guys like.

Playing with templates...

I'm just learning how to use pre-made templates in photoshop. Since I have no eye for design, perhaps this is the route I should go. This is my first attempt at using that, and it's quite a bit 'busier' than I would like it to be. But it's fun to play. Cute Char.

Bedhead....

....and a nuzzle with Daddy. This is the part where you go, "Awwwwwwww!"

Grandpa is on a mission...

First, it was the headgear, and now we're on to the old over-sized shoe bit. It's a good thing they're such big hams. Oh, and now Grandpa is "Puh-Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


And I just think this one is cute.

Partying Like Rosckstars

...we had a Girls' Night on Saturday, and the girls got a special treat. The bedtime sanctions were lifted for a night so that they might frolic and scream with their crazy pal, Kara. They even got to nibble on some of the best cheesecake I've EVER had. Good times.

The ringleader. The hair says it all.

Toes Gone Wild!

The girls have these cute little Robeez shoes with vents, and they're so good for early walkers. Sometimes, however, our big toes just bust right out! Scandalous!

Godspeed...

Today was a landmark day. The girls watched their first ever shuttle launch. Take a moment today to not only think of those who have fought and who are still fighting for our freedom, but of those who risk their lives in the name of science and exploration. Have a happy and SAFE 4th!

Let the countdown commence!

....t-minus 4 days until our next Megan visit. You know what that means? It means new (and surely gorgeous) quilts for the girls, games, movies, The Movie/Actor Game (at which I believe I am the reigning Queen), and lots of fun. She's getting married in November to her sweetie, Seann. Or as I like to call him: He Who Makes Garlic Bread To Die For! Aren't they sweet? Also, Seann just got a job in Portland, so they'll soon be moving out of state. *Sniff*

Ripping off Amy's "Music" Post....

...Amy had such a cool post about how we relate songs to certain moments in our lives. I loved it! So, after reading it, I began to think of songs that were tied to key events in my life. There have been so many. I thought of how "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" will always remind me of the first time I came through the tunnel to see Candlestick Park. How "Pretty Fly For a White Guy" reminds me of dancing with the girls at Jen's wedding, and "Chop Suey" reminds me of my OWN wedding, where my husband taught me that, YES, you can head-bang at a wedding! "Unbelievable" will always remind me of flying down 101 (notice I didn't say THE 101, Megan?) in Megan's flying deathtrap of a car, clinging to Donavan for dear life!! Sting's "Fragile" will always be tied to 9/11 for me, as it's what Adrian and I heard in the car on the way home from Monterey, during the live telethon. Amy wrote of holding a brand-new Spence in the hospital, hearing "Home" by Coldplay. I recall the moment they sat me on the operating table to administer my spinal for a C-Section that was happening 6 weeks too early. I should have been a wreck, but I wasn't. The atmosphere in the OR was so relaxed and light, and someone had turned on a Shuffle. As I received the spinal, Alison Krauss and Union Station's "The Lucky One" came on. The song has very little to do with babies or families, but all I could think was, "I am the lucky one (as corny as that sounds). That song put me in just the right frame of mind. I can listen to it endlessly, as it will forever be tied to the moments leading up to meeting my daughters. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the song that was playing at the moment that they took the girls out was "Rock n' Roll All Night" by Kiss. So that was the first song the girls heard in their new outside world! We just had to laugh. Thanks for the memories, Amy!

Visiting with Daddy...

Rachel discovered her dad's laptop bag and seized the opportunity.

Wandering about....

Bermuda shorts? Check.
Sister? Check.
Yellow backpack around neck? Check.
Shirt? uh............

There is...

... a great letter to the editor in today's Sun-Star by my pal, Toni (who really should be blogging!). I couldn't agree more. Amen, sister.

Rumor has it, there were TWO tiaras!

My dear 'friend-in-law' Donavan is turning 26! Much to her delight, this is turning out to be a month-long celebration! She got a bash last weekend, has been getting goodies and movie dates, has a cake and ice cream get together on Tuesday, gets to see "The Devil Wears Prada" with moi on Friday, and who knows what else! She deserves it, and much more. She's just lucky that I didn't use some of the other pictures I have...mwahahahahaaaaaaaa! Happy Birthday, Donnie!

Daddy's shirts

....we're having fun today, cruising around in the shirts that Daddy picked out at The Children's Place (at Fashion Show in Vegas--big sale!). Alas, the cute purple bubble skorts are still a tad big, so we substituted some green cropped pants. They coordinate well with our new pull-along caterpillars!

Double Doh!

Alright. In an effort to make myself seem like uber-Blogger and change my banner, I've somehow made my archives go bye-bye. I've still got the posts, and I know what I've done wrong, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to fix it. So for those of you who are just SO caught up in our lives that you've clicked on the archives, only to find yourself nowhere fast, I do apologize! Help is on the way! That is, after I've wrestled with my girls some more, picked up the 9,000 Cheerios on the floor, put them down for a nap, and read another couple chapters of Twelve Sharp! Meanwhile, enjoy some pictures of our cute new halter tops--thanks Grammy!

Happy Father's Day from the Floating Babes

I hope all of the fathers out there had a wonderful day. We took my own wonderful Dad and our very dear Adrian (Daddy) to Wah Sing last night. It was supposed to be about them, but every outing to a restaurant ends up being the girls' show, all the way. I'm not sure if anyone ever talked to us before we had these two in tow. They are still a big attention-getter, and the waiters at Wah Sing are a bit smitten!

Today, Adrian got a nice, relaxing day on his computer. He spent some time cuddling with his girls, then we headed over to Grammy and Grandpa's for some swimming. They ended up getting into the cold jacuzzi in their floaties. Grandpa tried to model holding the breath and going under. They just looked at him like he was nuts. Enjoy the pictures!

Doh!

So Adrian and I just got back from Vegas. Lots of fun, but it's good to be back to my girls. Dork that I am, I took my camera--and left the memory stick in my printer! Instead, why not enjoy this adorable picture of Charlotte! My funny girl.

Busted!

So we have this kitchen gate. It's supposed to swing closed on it's own, but it's a bear to get perfectly balanced. Sooooo....we've all made the mistake of not making sure it closes behind us. Boy, do these two know an opportunity when they see one! Grandma Terri caught them redhanded! The look on Rachel's face says, "Someone said we could go in here!" Needless to say, we're taking extra care to close everything behind us.

Oh, and today offcially starts my summer vacation! Wooohooooooooooo!

I've been tagged....

...so Amy has tagged me for Ten on Tuesday. This Tuesday's Ten: Ten Plans for the Summer.

Here goes!
1. Finish the trim in my living room and entry. Paint the hallway. Paint the master bath. Paint, paint, paint....
2. Schedule all of those Dr.'s appointments that there are no time for during the school year
3. Organize the humongous pile of infant clothes to be taken where some of the biggest grouches on Earth dwell--Once Upon a Child.
4. Fill the cute calendar scrapbooks that Jen gave us.
5. Read the stack of books by my bed.
6. Enjoy Vegas with my husband.
7. Go to Edward Jones and start the girls' 529 plans, as well as our 203B.
8. Go on adventures.
9. Turn 32 (*sigh*)...AND celebrate the 800 birthdays coming up this summer!
10. ENJOY MY GIRLS!

...oh! and 10B. Help organize a Dr. Song Mommies dinner for Kelli and all of her referalls! (wink, wink, Amy).

Okay, I'm tagging Jen, Donavan, Megan, and Sabrina. Hit it!

A bit of history....

Grammy and Grandpa Price took us to Open Cockpit Day at Castle Air Museum today. I love planes and I'm fascinated by the history that goes along with them. It was a beautiful day and there was a great crowd. They also had classic cars there, so I drooled over the Mustangs! Here is the link to their site. Everyone should spend some time out there. There were Tuskegee Airmen and original crew members out there. What a place.
Grammy and Charlotte
Grandpa and the girls in front of the C123...he took a lot of rides in these in Vietnam.
Oh! My car!

Chaffee Zoo

Because Grandma Terri couldn't make it to Bonfante Gardens with us last weekend, we took her to the Chaffee Zoo. Kind of a gloomy day outside, but lots to see. Charlotte was clapping at the elephants, and everything else was pretty much "kee-kee (kitty)."
Charlotte and her Grandma Terri, looking at something interesting.
Me and my Rach. Motherhood makes for some goofy smiles! ...and big hair, apparently.
Big girl with her juice box. We weren't supposed to have straws in the park....shhhhhh!

We Love Us Some Sue!

My cousin Sue is so great. I'm the baby cousin on my dad's side of the family (of my generation, at least), and Sue and my cousin Kelly were my teenage icons! Often was the time that I would sit on Sue's bed (as she slathered my 7 year-old lashes with mascara, mind you) and stare at her Van Halen posters. She had hair just like Laura Spencer on General Hospital...I was so envious! The Prices will tell you that Sue has always been--shall we say--very self-assured! She knows exactly what she wants and doesn't settle for anything less. I'm constantly wishing I had a little more moxie like Sue. The truest part of Sue is her heart of gold. She loves her family so very much and has been all that a cousinn should be. She was excited about the girls as soon as she found out I was pregnant with them. She showere us with gifts the Christmas that I was pregnant, but the girls had never met her until recently. She lives in Oregon and had finally managed to give herself some vacation time and make it down our way. Rachel took to her immediately (kindred spirits, I think). Charlotte was right behind her, and it's unanimous--they love their Cousin Sue!

I'm sorry, but....

..we're just too cute in our pool. I had to post more. I know I'm supposed to post walking video. I'm working on it.....I SWEAR!

Happy Mother's Day!

Me and my cute Mom. Don't know what's up with my crazy tabloid Britney Spears-like roaring smile. I think I was laughing.
We had to fake sitting on a horse before the ride started.
Darn pole.


Once again, Happy Mother's Day to all of the mommies out there. We had a nice time at Bonfante Gardens. What a beautiful place! Such cute little rides, too. The girls were still not quite big enough for most of them, but we took a turn on the baby carousel. We're looking forward to going back with them when they're bigger. They were such good girls, though! Plus, they got to snag some garlic fries from my plate. We're just prepping them for all of those Giants games! I got to spend some quality time with MY mom, too, which was special. Such a wonderful Mom and Grammy.

The highlight of the day, however....WE'RE BOTH WALKING!!! Charlotte had sort of given up after her first few steps. I think seeing the other little ones walking and playing in the water today inspired her. ...or made her insanely jealous! So she just sort of took off when we got home. Our jaws were on the floor. Especially when Rachel took off right after her! It's like the lightbulb just popped on. They still aren't aces at getting up on their own, but they're happy enough pulling themselves up on furniture and parents. I'll post video later.

dabble, dabble, dabble....

...don't know what I really tried to do here. I wanted to play a bit with the 'crop shapes' in the cookie cutter tool. My scrapper friends are probably thinking, "hmmmm....interesting, but......yeah." I'm so excited, though. Jen and I are going to meet halfway at Borders next Sunday and do some scrapping on our laptops! I can't wait to have some Sal and Jen time!

Also, Happy Mother's Day to all my mama friends. We're heading to Bonfante Gardens tomorrow with the Grandparents Price. I've never been, so I'm really looking forward to it. We took Adrian's mom and grandma out to dinner this evening and had a really nice time. I really wanted to get a picture of them with the girls, but we plum forgot.

Bad Friend! Bad!

Our friend Carol had a birthday waaaaay back in March, and we were all set to go to her birthday dinner on the night that Rachel ended up having her finger mishap. It was supposed to be a farewell dinner before she and Steve moved to San Diego, so we were sorry to miss it. They were, of course, very understanding. I promised to ship Carol's gift, but life got in the way. I just managed to ship it LAST WEEK! Scandalous! Hopefully it got there alright and Carol will someday forgive me. She starts med school soon! Woohoo! This picture of her cracks me up. It's from her bachelorette dinner at Foreign Cinema in SF. Silly girl.

Check out The Fergs

My friend Kelli and her sweet family moved to Tennessee not too long ago. Check out their blog! You know that phrase: "He/She is good people?" Well, the Fergs are those good people. Such a nice family. Kelli is crafty, creative, and oh-so-talented. She's the girl that you want to just swoop in, organize your life, and decorate your house! Brian seems to be having a blast blogging the kids' adventures, and it makes for some fun reading! Enjoy!

A Day at the Zoo

We met good friends Jen and Dan at Micke Grove Zoo today. It's our first official zoo visit, so it was very exciting. We've been meaning to do a 'meet halfway' trip for ages, so the time was ripe. Becca is an old pro at the zoo thing, so she taught us a thing or two. If you name the animal--she can make the sound. We were so impressed! The girls were enchanted with her....they love mingling with their 'people.' After our little zoo tour, we had lunch in the park. It was bubbles, bubbles, everywhere. Jen made us gorgeous first year month-by-month albums to fill in. She spoils us rotten!! We both got lots of pictures, but I haven't had time to sift through all of them. Here are a couple of favorites.

You can check out more great pictures at Jen's blog. I love the one of Becca and Adrian. What a face my husband is making!

We might just have a walker....

...Charlotte surprised us tonight and started taking steps after we set her down. We've been wondering when she'd take the plunge. She's our risk-taker when it comes to the physical stuff. Rachel's the Talker and Char's the Walker! Murphy's Law--my camcorder was dead, so I took an itty movie on my camera. Dork that I am, I shot it sideways. Plus, it's a little dark. ...AND, you can't totally tell that she's walking. But she SO is!!! Check her out!

If that doesn't work--try this.

still playing....

...with the digital stuff. I'm one of those people who just has to play with things and explore, vs. actually reading my Photoshop book! I could probably be doing things that are so much cooler by now! This picture just cracks me up. I tried my best to edit out Rachel's snotty nose and the bruise on Charlotte's melon! Dontcha love the Jack o'Lantern teeth we've got goin' on?

Is it swimsuit season already??

We got these cute swimsuits at Target, and of course we look smashing in them! The girls have a pool at Grammy's and a pool here, and they love the water. I have a feeling we'll be kickin' it poolside quite a bit this year.