And Counting

As you know, it's Friday. And as you also probably know, the baby has yet to slide on out of there! What the heck baby, throw an auntie a bone! Seems like he'd want to join the party - Giuliana and Bill, Snooki, Hosana, Tori Spelling..

But truthfully I can't complain. I heard his heartbeat the other day. It was strong, beautiful, and consistent.

But if he does come this weekend, I promise to post the news. :) Have a beautiful weekend friends - stay cool!

And....

Nothing. Absolutely nothing to tell ya. -_-

No baby news yet, even though today's post is supposed to be telling you all about it! I wonder if all the other babies in this family will get quite the same amount of attention and love that this little boy is receiving? Haha, probably not.

But this week hasn't been in vain. I've gotten to spend time laughing, dancing, and sharing with my favorite people. I know such cool people. :)

And even though I've been staying at mom and dads, I haven't really seen them. I came home to this precious note in my bathroom. 

You may think you have the best mom, but I gotta tell ya - I've got the best mom in the whole wide world. :)

The Final Version

Have you seen the baby's room? Here's the final version. So cutie cute cute.

Baby due in one day but doc thinks he might stay in there longer. Last night Blane, Aimee, Melissa, and I watched real births on youtube. I'm not sure that was the best idea. Blane got weak in his knees. :/ Hope he makes it through the real thing!

Fishing!

Highlights from the weekend:

1. Watching Josh teach his little cousin, Andrew, how to cast at the lake. So patient, so gentle.

2. Watching my brother-in-law, Luke, fly fish. Beautiful and fluid.

3. Walking and talking with Auntie Kerri.


4. Seeing Josh take care of everyone during the hike.

5. Luke doing the heavy lifting all weekend without a word of complaint.


6. Little Marilyn's joy and wonder

7. Down time with a puzzle and my mother-in-law

8. Riding home in the car with my father-in-law. Not much we didn't talk about.

9. The beauty in the bigness

10. And some pictures for extra credit :)

It's been great. 

Where else can you take off your shoes, dip your toes in the water, close your eyes, and hear nothing but the rustle of the trees and the gentle lap of the waves?

Heaven.

On the Road Again

here

Tonight after work Josh and I are headed to Yosemite and we're driving right on through to meet the fam on the eastern side of the Sierra's for the Annual Family Fishing Trip. So fun.

Hope the weather treats you well this weekend. See ya Monday, from LA!

Choices, Choices

Josh is watching last year's games in preparation for this season. Are there other guys out there that crazy? The first game is next Saturday and he's flying in Friday night. I asked him if he would choose meeting the baby or going to the game? Can you guess what his answer was?

"The baby, of course. I'd go see him Friday night and then go to the game on Saturday." -_-

Random Tuesday

My mind is full of random thoughts so here they are on display for you. Do with it what you will.

1. Today USC officially opened their new Athletic Center. It's purrty and outfitted with all the best, like iPad's in each locker. Absolutely necessary don't you think? :) Tons more photos here.

2. Yesteryear (I say that because yesterday felt like it was forever ago.) I was rolling through the muck of tedious chorus, loans, government workers, and paperwork. I text Josh  "I need boba" in an attempt to explain my feelings about it all. Lo and behold, after work guess who walked in with boba? I LOVE MY HUSBAND.

3. Couldn't sleep last night (boba was worth it) and found these pictures from A Well Traveled Woman that left its mark.

 and 4. Baby's still in there. 

5. Last night I made a killer dinner, if I do say so myself. An unintentional thank you for that boba. Recipe here. 

Kid Rooms

And because it's on my mind, some lovely kids rooms for you via Remodelista. 

The Two Hand Countdown

Folks, we are officially less than two hands away from meeting the wee one. 9 days! Only 9 days!

The soon-to-be parents have finished the baby room, installed the car seat, and packed the overnight bag. Everyone is on high alert. It's a fun and exciting time for all of us outsiders. Blane can't seem to make a phone call without the person thinking it is "the call" (myself included), his parents have stopped by their house every single day for this reason or that, and it's baby talk all the time.

But I don't feel bad for them. It's tough when so many people care so much. :p

I'm praying that this little one holds off his debut until I'm in town. I would just be so sad if I missed it. This moment is coming when the dreams of a family Aimee and I so often talked about actually happens. I have rooted for her from my inner most my whole life, as if she was an extension of me. And now the most amazing thing is happening for her. And I wouldn't want to miss it.

But then babies aren't on our timetables are they? :)

9 days.

9 days.

I can't wait.

Dinner

Creative title, eh?

Have you ever heard of Oyakodon? It's a yummy mix of chicken, onions, and egg over rice. Basically Japan's greatest contribution to cheap food and my tummy. 

It looks gross but it isn't. We had it for dinner last night and you should have it tonight. It's that good. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

The Ugly, The Bad, and the Great - An Olympic Review

The Ugly

1. My biggest beef this year - NBC's delayed coverage - I would have relished in fighting to stay awake at 4am to see Michael Phelps get his 19th medal or waking up at the crack of dawn to witness Gabby take the women's gold. Those moments are super special and worth it when it only comes around every four years. The games lost much of their luster since I knew who won way before the broadcast. People say that NBC isn't up on the new technological movement but I don't think that's the case. Sadly, I think it was all about ad sales and revenue. Shame on NBC for putting money first.

The Bad
1. Terrible USA outfits. What in the world? Josh put my thoughts to words when he stated, "Nike needs to remember they're not above the world." The nations flag and its colors aren't a trend people. -_-

2. Track and Field Coverage - I just wasn't drawn into it like I was the first week's events. The commentators voice was hard to listen to and I wished for more background info on the athletes earlier. Did you find this to be true too? 

The Great
1. The swimming announcers, Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines, the gymnastics commentators, Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegel, I just LOVED their voices. And I appreciated how they educated me on what was to come or could have been. I wished more from Bob Costas and appreciated the tough questions from Andrea Kremer. I hope all of them are around forever and ever. Don't you agree?

2. The Games. Absolutely, what will keep me coming back no matter how bad the coverage is, are the games. Being a naturally competitive person (say what?), I love seeing shocking finales, life altering loses, and most of all hearing our national anthem played in the triumph of the win. Brought tears to my every time!

3. Olympians on Twitter was so fun. I felt like I had an all access pass right here in little 'ole San Jose. Especially loved all the pictures!

4. London's choice of colors and venues. I know they didn't have The Cube, but I loved the neon colors! The bright purple outdoor volleyball court, the bright pink gynmastics floor, bright blue handball arena, and all the rest. Perfecto!

5. And I couldn't do a whole Olympic review without mentioning the Royals. Loved seeing Kate, William, and Harry in the stands. They were the cherry on top.

London, thanks for the memories. Thanks for keeping it safe and well planned out. Top notch and cherrio.
Rio, see you in 4.

Big Tiger vs THE UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPION

Saturday night, after a full and exhausting day of back to back parties (oh, the tough life we lead) I found myself in a rousing game of "make up a game" with my brother-in-law.  What began as a catch up conversation over leftover Titos Tacos salsa, ended up in an all out war to best one another. 

Made up game number one: Who can multiply faster

Made up game number two: Who can add faster (we are soooo creative)

And the tie breaker: Who can run through the carpet without touching the white lines 

Aimee was the facilitator (and secret picture taker). And Blane (Big Tiger) and I (THE UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPION) were the contestants. 

Yes, we gave ourselves our own names. 

All kinds of hilarity ensued including, but not limited to - screaming, yelling, laughing, running, snorting, jumping, arguing, adding, and multiplying. 

Don't laugh - this is what you find yourself resorting to when your sister's water is on the edge of breaking and you're delirious from long car rides and small talk with strangers.

Blane multiplied faster, I added quicker, but believe it or not, we still don't agree on who won the tie breaker. The debate rages on through Instagram.

When Josh came to pick me up at 1am he said he could hear our shenanigans from outside.

That is all (bow). And on that note, happy Monday!

Guide to Driving the 5

Josh and I would boast we are experts on driving the 5 freeway. Our ridiculous jaunts to Los Angeles have given us that privilege and so I thought I'd share with you the secrets to the best bathrooms, best food, and ....well, come to think of it, there aint' much more! So, please don't hold your breath in anticipation any longer. Here you are lovelies, a guide to driving the 5. 

First things first - the rules of the road change as soon as you leave Santa Clarita (heading North) and enter the Grapevine. People way older than I used to tell hideous stories of the Grapevine - of their cars breaking down and overheating and other ways the treacherous route bested their beloved Lucy. It doesn't seem so bad now but the Grapevine does narrow to two lanes and pretty much stays that way all the way up the five so we come to the first (and only) rule of the road. The left lane is for passing and driving faster, the right is for everyone else. This may seem like common sense to you, but you'd be surprised how many people drive in the left left at cruising speed. They can't be blamed really. In the city, the left lane is the fast lane. Meaning, anyone going the speed limit (or a little above) is a-ok to be in there. But on the 5, when there are only two lanes, going the speed limit does not entitle you to be there. That's why you'll often find yourself being tailgated even though you're going 65. People - don't be disgruntled at that car, you need to move over.

Ok, on to the good stuff.

Tejon Ranch is the first large place you come across after the Grapevine and it is all sorts of wonderful - just ask every-single-car-who-drives-the-five knows. No kidding. It is the biggest but also the most crowded, and for good reason. It is the only place you'll have food options that consist of In-N-Out, Panda Express, Chipotle and Starbucks. Be careful though, getting in, getting through, and getting out could easily add 40 minutes to your travel. It is that crowded. 

Josh and I do stop at Tejon. If you skip the peer pressure and turn left instead of right, you'll find the best bathrooms and gas station at the large Chevron in the corner. The bathrooms are clean, the station large, and the trinkets more varied than any other place. So good that I've labeled it, THE BEST BATHROOMS ON THE 5. (P.S. now's a good time to circulate the air in your car. And if you're a speeder, watch for cops to and from Buttonwillow.)

Buttonwillow is up next. It's like the reject Kettleman. It smells and it's hot. But it is not as crowded as Kettleman. They do have a Starbucks but it's always filled with flies. If you have to go, stop at the Travel Center - it's not the best but the bathrooms are usually stocked and clean. 

Kettleman City, the place everyone stops when traveling - including all the buses. But that's exactly why Josh and I do not stop there. It is very crowded and the layout is not conducive to the amount of traffic that goes through. 

Paso Robles, the place no one stops because they just got gas at Kettleman. Even though it smells a bit like Buttonwillow, it's a great place to stop. It has plenty of gas and food options (including Wendy's!) and the streets are laid out to handle the traffic. Trucks come through here, but buses don't so there aren't as many people. 

Harris Ranch is the big dawg in town (they have their own air strip so I think that means they win). Great place to grab a tri-tip sandwich from their restaurant if you're not in a hurry. Eat it before you get on the road though because you'll soon see where that meat came from and it's not a pretty sight. :) 

* Keep that air circulating and don't give in until the Harris cows are a few miles behind ya.

**Also, watch out for cops near Harris Ranch!

At this point we usually take the 152 West so this brings us to a close. Good luck. Be safe. And if you're driving at dusk, enjoy that beautiful horizon!

taken somewhere along the 5 with my little camera phone

Saw This

Saw this while out and about. 

Oh, and saw this from mommy Mifumi.

What is it about men and babies? Slays me every time.