Monday, May 28, 2007

Memorial Weekend

Oh how I am so sad this long weekend is almost over. That one extra day off work makes a world of difference!
Friday night Brian and I had a BBQ that was a lot of fun. It started out with just Sara and Travis coming over to hang out and then continued to grow, we ended up having quite the turnout! We grilled some burgers, steaks, and corn on the cob, we had a delicious salad and yummy fruit too. So we are all hanging out, it's about 11:00, and it's a little warm in the house so we have the windows open. Apparently that was a mistake because we got the cops called on us!! We were in shock, now I am not going to say that we were all whispering by any means, but we were also not yelling or blasting music over our small speakers. Brian went out and talked to the officer who I think could tell we were not being that loud, he gave us a "warning" and was on his way. That made the evening rather eventful, I just cannot believe we got the cops called on us, how college does that sounds?!?! LOL! Brian went and talked to the neighbors across the street from us as we are friends with them and they said they didn't hear a thing from our house, we were relieved to hear that and are thinking it might be the lady next door. Guess we'll have to have people over for early BBQ's so we don't make her mad!!
Anyway, we had a good time with our friends. Amy and Bauer came down and brought Porter (their little miniature pincher) because we were watching him this weekend as they were headed to Vegas. We knew MJ would be excited to have a playmate all weekend! As I am typing this they are wrestling around and having a blast.

Here is Porter and MJ playing in the yard together
Hanging out at the BBQ, my brother Lance is waiving at the camera
We tried to get the heat lamp going but to no avail :(
From left, Erika (Sarah's best friend) , Sarah (co-worker and friend), and me
Saturday we woke up and went to my Grandpa's grave site with my mom & Randy, Jaime & the kids, and Lance to clean it up and put fresh flowers out there, it looked really pretty when we were done. I brought my camera but only caught one picture before the batteries died, bummer :( After we were done there we went to pizza at American Dream which is delicious! Our favorite pizza is called the Bent, it has bacon, meat, pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives, yummy! Except I pick off the mushrooms, ick.
The one picture I was able to get at the cemetery


Later that night we went to 2 more BBQ's and had a great time. The wind was pretty chilly and we needed to get home to the dogs so we called it an early night and headed home.

The rest of the weekend has been pretty chill, did some shopping with my mom in Portland which I haven't done in forever! It was really to spend some time there, except I kind of stranded Brian. I took the BMW as he was going to work on the Mazda. One little thing I forgot to do before I left was take the Mazda keys out of my purse, oops. So I told him to just take the Bug since the keys were at home, but the Mazda was parked behind the Bug so he couldn't get out. Man, I felt really bad!! He got a tiny glimpse to being a stay at home Dad with the 2 dogs, he said he had a hard time keeping track of both dogs and making sure they weren't getting into to trouble. He has always wanted twins and now he is rethinking that and said he just wants 1! :)



Well, I think I am going to go sit on the couch with my man and paint my toe nails, sounds like a good evening to me :) Have a wonderful week!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The early bird gets the worm.....or coffee :)

Tomorrow is an early morning, I am leaving my house before 6 am!!! Ouch, that's gonna be a doozy :0 But, I'll get off around 3 ish, so it will be nice to be home early and maybe get some laundry done and a few house cleaning chores, on second thought maybe I won't rush home ;-)

My friend Sarah and I went for a run on our lunch today, it felt really good to get some exercise. You are probably thinking, "Gross, you went for a run and then came back to work?!" and the answer is yes. They actually have a girls locker room at work so we can freshen up real quick before we go back to work. Plus, we went at 2 so by the time we got back at 3 there was only 2 hours left. Our goal is to do this at least 3 times a week, I've gotta get ready for Jenny and Kyle's wedding in Hawaii, it's less than 4 months away!!

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, I won't tell you how old she is but I'll give you a hint: Last year she turned the big 5-0 :) Hehe. She looks and acts like she's 29 though, she's the coolest!

Alright, well since I have to get up early I want to get to bed early, so goodnight and have a great Wednesday!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Office Pictures...

I forgot to post pictures of our new office color that Brian so graciously painted all by himself!



The rest of the office is not quite clean so I didn't want to post more angles, hehe. We like how it turned out. We found out that you can put a scent in your paint which we have been wanting to tryout but were kind of chicken. So Brian thought this would be a good room to try it in since it's an open room and it's upstairs, he had the guy at Miller mix in a lavender scent to it and it smells really good.

Alrighty, that's all, just wanted to post those before I forgot!

Soccer Champs

So my little sister, Abby, is on a soccer team and they went into their last game on Saturday undefeated, it was a pretty exciting game, but the little Starbursts (their team name, so cute!) came through and won!!! It was so adorable to see the little 6 and 7 year olds running around. Their coach is the coolest, he is so nice and totally gets into the games, the girls have a lot of fun.
There's Abby in the pink uniform, she's getting really good!From left: Jaidyn, Kailey, and Cassidy enjoying the game.
Abby's #2 on the far left
This is their coach giving Abby her medal and trophy!
She was pretty excited!

This weekend has been pretty uneventful, we have just been hanging out, hoping this crappy weather will blow over. It's been raining all day and is cloudy and gloomy, blah. We did get to go to a friend's BBQ on Friday, I spent the entire time holding their adorable 5 month old little girl, Allyson. She was such a sweetheart, I didn't hear her cry once and she would just let me hold her the whole time. She even fell asleep in my arms and it took me a good hour before I could put her down, she was too cute! Meanwhile everyone is outside socializing and playing games, and I cannot get myself to part with this little precious girl, ahhh babies, I love them.

Well, it's Sunday night so I want to get as much time with the hubby in as I can, since the week is about to start :(

Have a great night and wonderful Monday!

Friday, May 18, 2007

TGIF!!!

I wanted to get on really quick to say I am soooo glad it's the weekend, yay :)
I came home to the most wonderful surprise, Brian didn't work (that's not the good part of course) today so he painted our office/den room!! We had the color picked out but hadn't had a chance to get started. So I come home and it is completely done with all the pictures back up on the walls and everything!! It was like a mini While You Were Out! Thanks babe, luv ya :) I will post pictures ASAP, we are both thrilled with how it turned out. It is a dark blue/grey color that we originally tried in our bedroom but felt it was too dark for a small room, but the office has two windows and is more open so we thought it would go well in there.

This whole week has been gorgeous weather and now it is suppose to rain tomorrow and be cloudy on Sunday, can't a girl get a break around here??!! I WANT SOME SUN!

I went to work early on Wednesday because Sarah needed to be back in Corvallis for an appointment and we carpool. I was happy because I love to get home a little earlier than normal. I got home around 4, promptly went upstairs and got in my bathing suite, grabbed the Maui browning stuff I got on our honeymoon that is suppose to make you tan, grabbed a towel and a Mike's Hard Lemonade and headed out to the backyard. MJ ran around and played outside while I relaxed in the sun, it was simply heaven. (By the way Sara Holcomb and Heather Holcomb, do not tell mom!!!) So at least I got to enjoy the sun one day this week, it's better than none.

Well anyway, this is kind of a random post, but hopefully later this weekend I will remember to get on and post the pictures of the office. Enjoy your Friday!!

Monday, May 14, 2007

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all you mother's out there had a wonderful and relaxing mother's day yesterday :) Although the weather could have cooperated more, it was a great day over here! Brian and I had everyone at our house for a bbq and it turned out great (hopefully everyone else agrees!). Everyone brought food with them which was so nice, I felt bad that mother's had to bring stuff, but we have such a big family it's nice to have everyone bring a little something. Plus, they all make such good food! We provided the cheeseburgers with all the fixings, chips, and some pop, my mom and Randy brought over margarita stuff, a delicious fruit salad that had mangos, pineapples, grapes, and kiwi with a honey sauce over it, yum! Jaime and Schuyler brought over strawberry lemonade (which was delicious and a huge hit!), and 2 chocolate pies that were so good! My dad and Anna brought over an enormous caesar salad that was gone as it was sooo good. They also brought over the kids table which is essential and a bunch of toys for all the kiddies which kept them busy :) It was so fun to have the kids running around in the back yard playing soccer, Brian at the bbq, and the girls in the kitchen getting everything ready. We really wished Brian's mom and sisters were there as that would have completed the mothers day gang! She was in Portland spending the weekend relaxing with her eldest daughter, Heather. Brian thought she was going to be there until Sunday night, but she came back sooner so we wish we would have planned something for her to let her know how much we appreciate everything she does for us. She is so supportive and loving, I feel so blessed to have been so welcomed into their family, she makes me feel like I am apart of it and that is so important to me as I love spending time with all of our families!
I also want to tell my mom how much both Brian and I love and appreciate her. I feel so lucky to have such a great example of a mom while growing up, she raised 4 great kids, if I do say so myself! And now, she continues to give and give. It is from her that I learned how to be nurturing yet disciplined, organized and efficient, emotional yet strong. I love you mom and know my appreciation will continue to grow for you, especially when I become a mother myself.

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day:
From left: Kailey (4), Jaidyn (6), and Porter (2)
Brian and I
Jaime, my mom, and I
Porter cracking up!
My bro Lance
Speaking of becoming a mother, Jaime and Anna continue to give me all their baby stuff that the kids are growing out of. Our future nursery now has a crib and matching changing table, a bassinette, a Johnny Jumper, a play pen, and a glider chair. You'd think we were pregnant! But we are saving a lot of money by not having to go out and buy all this stuff so it is more than worth it to store it :) I always get so excited when they think of more and more things to give us that their kids have outgrown!

Our 1st anniversary is coming up, July 15th will be one year from the day we got married! I can't believe it's already been a year, it has truly been a wonderful and blessed year for us. We are planning on going to Seattle for the weekend and enjoying some nice dinners and just walk around, I am really excited to get away for a little bit, just the 2 of us :)
Here are some pictures from our first BBQ of the year :)
Brian and MJ

Brian flipping some burgers

Brian and I, sorry to blind you with the whiteness!

We also gave MJ a haircut this weekend, we like it and she is much cooler!

We painted our bedroom a light blue/grey color and are really happy with how it turned out:

That is all for today, enjoy your Monday!!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Tagged :)

I got tagged by Emilie so here goes....Enjoy :)

I am: a lover not a fighter
I want: to live a long and happy life with my best friend, Brian
I have: been blessed with an amazing family and wonderful friends
I wish: that it was time for Brian and I to start a family :)
I hate: being laughed AT. I love to make people laugh but I don't like when people laugh at me.
I miss: loving my job
I hear: Paris is going in the slammer for 30 days!
I wonder: when Brian and I can start a family
I regret: nothing
I am not: losing weight!
I dance: whenever I can, I love to dance!
I sing: in the car to Brian, he pretends I don't sound horrible :)
I cry: when I feel a gust of emotion (I loved your answer Emilie!)
I am not always: rational
I make with my hands: meals
I write: numbers all day
I confuse: my wants with my needs (so true!)
I need: my husband and family
I should: tone up my body and lose a few pounds
I start: getting anxious about work on Sunday nights
I finished: college last June, Go Beavs!

Now I am going to tag Kari and Jaime, have fun!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Birthday Wishes

First, I intended to blog on Sunday, May 6th, strictly to wish my sister Jaime and her best friend, Julia a HAPPY 30th Birthday!! How incredible that they have the same birthday, they were meant to be best friends :)
We celebrated Jaime's 30th on Saturday at my moms house, the whole clan was there, Jenny drove up from Bend and my Dad and Anna walked down (they live right up the street, you may think that's weird, but it's so convenient!!). We had agreat time sitting outside, sipping margaritas, and talking. For a present we all pitched in and got her a mountain bike, she was really excited! I think the kids were excited too now that mommy can ride bikes with them.
We headed out around 7 to Tiff and Eric's housewarming/cinco de mayo party and had a great time. The whole gang was there and it was fun to talk with everyone. Miranda, who lived in Japan for 4 years teaching English, and now resides in Bend, is a very talented artist. She was given about 8 colored sharpies and promptly turned into a tattoo artist for the night :) I had her draw a gerbera daisy on my ankle and it turned out really pretty. Although if I ever get a real tattoo I wouldn't put it on my ankle, I think it would be on my lower back. I know, typical, but that's where I would want it. Nate & Amy, and Travis & Sarah joined us and I think they had a good time as well. We stayed pretty late and got home around 1:30 am, I was soooo tired!

Sunday was very lazy, we watched Band of Brothers, which by the way is soooo good. It was an HBO series about the 101st airbourne in WWII. It is a true story and is so powerful, I highly recommend it.
We decided we should be somewhat productive, so we went grocery shopping and spent an absurd amount as we had not gone for 2 weeks, ouch! When we got home Brian mowed the lawn and I cleaned the kitchen. Then we promptly went back to the couch and watched The Secret Garden, which is a very cute movie. Our couch is just too comfortable not to relax on, plus we need to enjoy this relaxtion time now since I hear once you start a family you don't have much of that!
Then the dreadful hour of bedtime came and I knew the week was about to start, sigh. The weather decided to be gloomy all weekend (except for a few blue skies here and there) and now it is 80, sunny, blue sky, and I had to sit in an office all day. Not to mention the guys in the office think if it's 80 outside it should be 50degress inside, so my summer attire is not fitting. Brrrr.

Lance is still recovering from his wreck. The good news is he doesn't have to have surgery to put a pin in it, yay! But his ankle is broken and since it's an open wound he has to clean it daily, ouch. He is still in a lot of pain and really tired of it, it's hard because I feel so helpless. Poor buddy :(

I am looking forward to Friday, 1) for the obvious reason that its the weekend! 2) I am getting my hair done, nothing special but that is always a good feeling, and 3) we are going to a play, A Mid Sumemr's Nights Dream at a local theatre. Craig's girlfriend Caren is in it which makes even more fun! Plus, I read that play in high school and college and really enjoyed it.
Sunday Brian and I are hosting Mother's Day at our house, I feel so grown up! We are planning on BBQing up some burgers, have a salad, some chips, and drinks in honor of what will hopefully be an 80 degree day!

Well, I think that about covers things with the Holcombs, hope everyone is having a good week and the sun is shining for everyone!

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Work Work Work

I do not enjoy month end at all. It lasts at least 4 days and it entails 10-11 hour days, no breaks or lunches. I left for work this morning at 6:30 am and got home at 7:30 pm. I at a piece of toast at 4 pm while still plugging in numbers. I am so tired and as you can tell, grumpy!

Scary news
My brother Lance got in a dirt bike accident yesterday. It was really scary to get a text from my mom saying she was in the ER because Lance had gotten in a wreck. He was on a gravel road and hit a pothole and slide on his right side. The peg from the motorcycle put a hole in his right ankle so deep you could peel the skin back and see the bone. He also has two holes in his elbow that are just as deep. Since there is a high risk of infection they did not stitch him up, so even with all the bandages and wrapping they did yesterday, he was still bleeding through it last night. The right side of his body is all bandaged up from bad road rash. Luckily he was wearing a helmet and he is okay, I hated being an hour away from him because I really wanted to go see him in the hospital. He of course was in great spirits when I did get to see him last night, tough guy my brother is.

Here he is in the hospital, it looks 10 times worse in person too!
WARNING: Graphic picture below!
Here is his ankle, ouch!

We could not be more grateful that he is okay, love you buddy!

Well, I'm tired and I've been on the computer all day so I think I'm gonna relax with my hubby. He's the only thing getting me through these days, just knowing I get to come home to him is inspiration enough for me! Sorry for the grumpy post, work is weighing on me!

Have a great week!