Let us count the ways to celebrate my 36th Birthday!

This was a treat from my spouse..

Bodies Revealed!

This was to remind me , at my old age, of mortality.. A long tour of cadavers. It was actually awesome. I worried about throwing up before we went in.

What could be better after browsing sliced and splayed cadavers for an hour than going out for some Italian food at Buca di Beppo , lasagna anyone?(thanks Ben, I really did love it )


It didn't stop there, Sunday My husband's family all had a "dinner" at their house for me!! It was also pretty cool, like 30 people all for me!
And....Wednesday we are having a "Girl's Dinner" for my birthday. Man turning 36 rocks.. Usually I barely even know I had a birthday.

Princess and the Pea

The main advantage to having an artistic husband, lovely art..
I'm impressed.

Rain, If you can't beat it enjoy it!

Notice Nolan's lack of rain gear, he loves rain. I am missing my umbrella, it is black & white paisley. Pops open with the push of a button. I hate getting wet. Those pink boots are by Sperry, they make suede lined rain boots. They are very very cozy.


Leah's outfit was originally Ana's . Ana never wore it too much girliness for her, Leah LOVES it. So much so, she woke up at 3am excited to wear it in the rain!


These are my favorite, yet not as cozy rainboots..
.

UPCOMING RUNS.....
Feb. 23rd will be the the 1st in the 2008 Elk Grove 5K FUN Run series. A mere $5 entry fee gets you into this fast, flat and accurate 5K. Age-group winners earn a place on the perpetual honor board located inside The Running Zone. Raffles follow the race which include a pair of running shoes, 2 sport watches, and other cool "stuff". Race day registration begins at 6:30 a.m. with race start at 8 a.m.

http://www.zinsli.com/events/ElkGroveFunRuns.pdf
I'm running it with Ana to celebrate my 36th birthday!

Not sure which March Run yet. Though Nutrition Fuels Fitness 5 a day run is a contestant.


This one looks too fun not to do:


Sat May 3rd, my first attempt at 1/2 Marathon!!



This one is a family deal:
July 26

Alzheimer's Aid Society Memorial 5K & City of Sacramento 5K Championship


Does anyone want to start supporting my run habit..it can get EXPENSIVE..

Purple Hair.
At church someone asked Nolan, "What color is your mommy's hair?" She asked futilly a few times, then I said, " I don't think he even knows what it's called." I like it. The hair color looks right , but I am not that white or at least I hope not.

Gabe Lost some Teeth.

eXCELLENT WAY TO THROW UP!!
I hate this ride at the park, I get sick just watching them spin around. I tried it once , never again.

LEAH BALLERINA!

Some pictures from her class. I love this teacher, she is real deal , no goofing off ballet. Leah tries so hard.Leah is wearing black.

Valentines Day



I walked up to the front door where a note was hung. It said " To my wonderful Parents, read this before entering" Ben and I opened it, I knew something was up.
As we opened the front door music , some cute cafe type jazz tinkled through the sparkling clean house. I paused to see the dining table fully set. Ananda approached us , menus in hand, sat us in the "lobby".




Gabe was pretending to play the piano, Leah would be our waitress. I cried.

The menus offered:

Appetizers
yogos
apples
bread

Main entree
Pasta
PB&J
pizza

drinks
juice
milk
water

dessert
ice cream







you get the idea.
We were even entertained while waiting for our meal. With a spongebob re enactment. I have to say, it was the best Valentines Day gift ever!!

I got it!!! ohhhhh! I will be semi MIA , my eyeballs hurt.

Really nice Sunny day pics.

This is a fun park near the new house. There was another picture to this ..I will add it later. We are tentatively excited about buying our first home. So far everything is a go, I'm just always hesitant to get too ready before we have keys. So, Keep your fingers crossed!

Leah's 5th Birthday!
Thanks to all who came, I was barely wanting to move as we have all had the flu but the party turned out great!

SNEAK PEAK

This is what we are anticipating for June.

I wish i videotaped all the feverish children in my house when they wander out speaking gibberish.. It's sad but hilarious. Ananda was first ..very high fever, like 103 ish..she came out

"He's yelling at me!!!
Us "Who?"
"THe Rat, he won't stop yelling at me"
Us, " tell him we will step on him"
" Noooo, he's so mad.."




This went on for a while, you might think this is cruel but we are no strangers to kids waking up with night terrors. Though with the Flu this week we have had 3 night terror kids, 2 of them more than once this week alone. Nolan wasn't as fun..he would stare at something somewhere shaking and screaming. He was afraid of us too.

Leah kept mumbling about her tights and how she can't get them off. Not so bad. ( she had no tights on)
Addison used to actually leave the house. Ananda liked to talk about spinning things that made her do math problems. She hasn't had night terrors in at least a year.
We are hopefully almost done with being sick..I guess that would make it my turn. Let's hope the Zicam works.

I was dumb enough to lose my wallet at Raley's here in EDH. We have this wonderful cash only plan for our budget , so my wallet had this weeks gas and food CASH in it. I got a call, they had my wallet I go in to pick it up, ALL THE CASH WAS GONE !

oh, well. hmm crushed van, sick kids (and no van), stolen money..broken washer. I think we have paid in advance for this year.. Time for the good stuff.

SURVEY TIME

Ok if we could
a) buy a house for the same as or less than cost to rent

B) it would be a little smaller but not under 1600 sq ft

c) a house that last year was 2x what it costs now..

d) has granite counters etc, all refinished.

e) 1/2 block closer to the kids school.

would you do it?

After my game tonight, I realized true greatness is what you do when everyone else is sitting on the couch.

Sorry for the weirdness, I am bitten by the figuring out coding bug...I don't have a ton of talent for amazing design , but the coding is like a fun puzzle. We are without the van for the next month. I decided it would be a great way to walk a few miles every day. If I go to the store or take Leah to ballet or something it can be as much as 8 miles..so far it's been fun, ask me again in February..or if it rains.

Ana , Leah and Gabe made this out of the cups Melanie has been looking for.. Mel, you can have them back...

Wow , This is how we do New Years fake day!!! (film by Hyrum)

This tree was a big friendly Oak, kids loved to climb on it, first the Brinks then my own. We loved it's shade, and broccoli like character. First thing this morning, it happened at 4am. It was loud.









This many men to start a chainsaw.....


People randomly stopped all day...to take pictures!!!!

I found this, actually borrowed it from a trusted blog I read. It's how you make a book from your blog. Happy scrapbooking for all of us digitally but not real world blessed. The wind is tearing my house open I think...I can hear trees and something else not sure what hitting the house pretty hard, no Ben and it's getting worse.. that's why I'm up..


http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook

I began my soccer season today..well tonight, in awesome wind and a smattering of rain! I have to say I LOVE OUTDOOR soccer. My team won. I am on a team with 2 of Hyrum's sisters. The whole team is great and a lot of fun, lot of talking on the field , which is a good thing. I stood there waiting for a throw in realizing the wind was blowing hard, felt sprinkles cooling my face and heard chirping..crickets or frogs. It really was super fun. Indoor , you're banished! Pic to come soon.

We all went to a Fisher Family dinner girl's side. I guess it would be siblings and cousins. Ana came as she is finally old enough to count as a young woman. It was so nice to spend an evening out with everyone, almost everyone. Nicole, Norie and Kendal Audrey too...were missing. We ate at Bucca di Beppo . It was a fantastic splattering of wonderful Italian food, served family style. I hate to mention cost as we all love closet thriftiness but it was about 10$ / person!! Amazing. What a really yummy pleasant night. Thanks to Cheleyne and Mel for their planning. Contact Cheylene for more pictures.

Slide

New Year 2008
We had so many really nice "times" with the family this year. Christmas feast went very well, Christmas at Great Grand folks, equally nice. New Years mock celebration and family (extended) I watched with amazement thinking about all the families the Fisher group encompasses. Many lives. I am grateful to be a part of it all.

Our actual New Years Eve .. and day, well Ben and I woke up, then woke Ana up 3 minutes before the ball fell. We couldn't find the remote the channel was replaying New York's ball drop. We were too tired and cold to run outside and bang pots.. I read somewhere that " young age is being priveledged enough to stay up late on New Year's Eve, Middle Age is being forced to." Exactly.

Healthy Aspirations..@ 2 weeks of good stuff..

I hope to document my progress. I hate people discussing weight so I won't do that.. just pics and dates..

I am hoping to add a Thurs night run to the exercise schedule.. and perhaps train for a 5k?

Healthy Aspirations

This photograph was me last year..after having four kids and not paying attention to my physical well being....what a wake up call , I had always been thin without trying.


I am going to somewhat document my work here
I run Mon, Wed , Fri at leats 1 mile.
I play indoor soccer Mon nights
We eat a healthy home cooked meal every night.. NO eating out..
Switched to whole grains, Kashi cereal and yogurt etc. fruit. lots of water...

Ben is passionate about computer art now, I my violin..Ana will begin piano soon. Leah will play violin with me..We have a new van..Things are smooth..

Sadly, I am bored. Why does that happen. Do you think maybe it's because
A. We have no cable.
B. We only have 3 kids for the next month. ( all under 4 though)
C. It's 108 degrees outside.

hmm, I wonder. Why isn't summer fun . I think we need waverunners or a paddle boat..or anything thats floats and would hold us on it. I need a passion. It really isn't cleaning right now, I really don't feel like mopping the floor again for the 3rd time this week.

You know, yesterday life felt heavy. I looked out the window at the flowing trees, glistening sun, I could hear water trickling in the distance. I felt as though nature was mocking me. Or perhaps it knows something I don't about my life. Gentle promptings everywhere around me tell me things are not what I think they are. Such beauty, peace cool breezy nights. Life so full of promise and gorgeous creative children. I just need to have patience and faith. patience and enduring faith. :') Focus.

They stole our radio. I laugh, really . Sometime between 3:30 pm and 6 45 pm, some rancid meth addicts wandered the 102 degree heat, knowing full well sane folk are holed up in their air conditioned houses...and the ripped that Sony stereo out of that OLD Volvo. For real. I think I am stunned, oh and they stole my 8 year old's choco cat wallet too. Gotta have some choco cat change purse to give to yo hottie. LOSERS!!!

One might say that I am a little Obsessive. No, really. I understand this is unbelieveable, but I find myself in "streams". When I like something, I consume it. Right now I like Ghost in the Shell : Second gig ....a lot. I have GITS wallpaper on my desktop, I sing the opening song...all day long. I write the acronym GITS , who would know that means anything!!!? I do , because I am in love. I was researching today and uncovered the fact that the third season will begin in June...ahhh, summer romance.
I have other obsessions, like NOLAN. His sweet buttery softness. He sings "the song" with me. He knows what mama likes.. ( imagery here is scrawny woman smoking , do rag on head)
I think for food obsession, I have gone from dark chocolate covered cranberries, to brownies, that I can make myself. This is BAD for a couple reasons, when women have cycles they crave things. Since I am done having children , my body has decided to become very cruel. It is tormenting me with hairloss, acne ( I have NEVER had acne!!) and strange chocolate cravings. I don't have the "gee a piece would be nice" craving ..no, I get the " I must eat all of the bag now, the whole 3 LB bag" craving. This is all really new to me. I'm 34, and this is new. Guess you are never too old.

The other reason is that if I can cook it easy, I don't have to go anywhere to have all the fattening brownie I want.

I really feel bad for my husband some days. He gets this "new" wife. I am a GITS watching fat nerd , who eats brownies all day, while singing "we are soldiers stand or fall", and has acne. NICE.

"Leah, DO NOT EAT FOOD , IT WILL MAKE YOU THROW UP CHEERIOS!!!!" good thing we have our 4 year old boy, the rule follower and leader of all good and just to enforce any hinted at parental regulations.

OMgosh, I'm so cute

I am kinda mean, I love Nolan's sad face so much I try to make him sad on purpose. I yell, scream at him , whatever it takes to see my favorite face.

True Love

pic08
Originally uploaded by bluefishga.

I had to post this picture . This moment makes child rearing worth while. He loves me...