Mrs. President

Well yes.... I am Mrs. President...as of last night I am the President of the Monterey County Fair Board of Directors. I am rather proud if I do say so myself.....the board position is Governor appointed so I feel that I am making my mark at a very young age.

The first meeting of the year went great! IT lasted 50 minutes, had great discussion and I was congratulated on a GREAT first meeting by all on the board.....I am really excited!

SO mark you calendar...."Ride the Wave" to Monterey County Fair August 12-17, 2008!!

Many blessings

What a great month January has been...oh and just a tad busy...sorry for the delay in posting!

January started off with a bang by celebrating my husband birthday on the 4th. A great family dinner with my parents of crock pot pot roast made it complete. After dinner my dad and husband had to run off to the country club to try to save a lake from overflowing....thanks crazy storm for cutting the birthday celebration short! But, we had a great time after he saved the day. He is such a blessing not only to me, but to my family! Love you honey!!

Then on the evening of January 6th, I flew to San Diego for the Western Fair Association Convention. It was a great convention with Monterey County Fair winning 5 awards, including Best Commercial which brought a tear to our eyes. There is nothing like seeing the commercial on a big screen during the closing Awards Dinner to make it feel like all the work has been worth it! The only bad part of this whole thing was the the Hotel and Conference Center we were at was NASTY....and NASTIER! I hope we never have to go back there! So I arrived home Friday morning and ended up having a little tummy flu over the weekend.

Which leads to today...planning for the rest of the month.....

Tomorrow is my first Board Meeting as President of the Monterey County Fair Board of Directors. I am excited and scared all at the same time. Saturday is going to be the best...shopping with A! I can't wait and then the calendar just seems to be getting fuller and fuller! On the 26th is A's baby shower. I am so excited to be helping with it, but sad at the same time as I know everyday that goes by is another day closer to her and her hubby moving 2 hours away...oh but then little baby W will come soon and I will just have to be up there a lot to help...because that is what an Auntie Courtney is for!

So I hope everyone is having a great 2008 so far....I have been blessed beyond words already!

Oh how important a bathroom is.....

Family and friends have been asking for pictures of our FINALLY completed bathroom! So here is the story. Before Brandon could move into our house, we (actually he) had to do a little remodel to our bathroom. It all started because the toilet would no longer flush! So here is the before and after. It took us almost and entire year to finish it...the Artwork on the walls was the finishing touches...and I I took all four of the small photo's....I guess I have a wish I was Ansel Adams!


The beautiful bathtub





Oh what a great vanity

The problem!!


And does it look different..................................

Time to Play!

As it is the day after Christmas...it is time to play with all of our awesome gifts! I had a great time last night shredding paper with my new paper shredder with my new slippers on! Thanks honey for giving me all the gifts I asked for on the Post-it note!

But, tonight Brandon started to see what the new Pentax Digital Camera I bough him would do. How awesome are these pictures...plus you can see the new lights in my kitchen and our little tree. I really have enjoyed our little tree. Any ways, I hope everyone is enjoying the gifts they received.

Panoramic View of the New Kitchen Lights! I can see!!!!



Panoramic View of the living room



Our little tree and Santa! Thanks mom for the decorations!

A Blessed Christmas Tide

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (King James Version)

What a blessed Christmas it has been. After being sick Thursday, Friday and finally feeling better on Saturday, I was so glad that I started all my Christmas preparations early. With the way that Christmas fell this year I had three solid days of church. Sunday was church in the morning, for the 4th Sunday in Advent service. The final day of preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior. After church I came home to do all my house chores and sitting in my living room were a ton of boxes. I thought Bran had unloaded his work truck to keep some things safe, but NO...he bought me new light for my kitchen and the back yard!!! Oh what an awesome Christmas present and so unexpected!!! SO we hung lights and then went over to Mom and Dad's for a little BBQ.

Monday was Christmas Eve. Brandon spent the morning at my Dad's shop helping with with some electrical issues, oh and he took the dog, so I decided to clean my nasty house! After installing the lights in the kitchen it really needed to be cleaned and moped! so I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. It felt so great to get my house in order after being so sick! Brandon and I both got ready and headed back to my parents house for Christmas Eve dinner...thank you Papa Murphy's! Neither my mom nor myself felt like cook and we had such a big dinner planned for Christmas Day. But after dinner the whole family went to church. Both mom and I sing in the choir, so it was just wonderful to have Dad and Bran there as well. It was a beautiful candlelight service and it helped to remind me once again the true meaning of the season. After service, our The Roche Family came over for a little pie and fun! And then off to bed so that Santa could come!

Christmas Day....well it is still Christmas Day. It has just been the most wonderful first Christmas EVER for Brandon and I! I was up early and back to church to sing in the choir. It was wonderful to have our old Pastor take part in conduction the service this morning. I ADORE our new Pastor, but there is nothing like the old and the familiar! After church I came home and my wonderful husband had cleaned the house after the whirlwind of two little ones over here the night before! We then packed up Ralf and headed to Mom and Dad's to see what Santa had brought us! We had a wonderful day. SO many blessing all in one day. We made Monkey Bread, ate, opened gifts, cooked ate and opened gifts between my brother and Monica and the family. They gave us a Home Depot card...so actually they gave Brandon a Home Depot card so that he can finish moving the water heater so my washing machine can leave the kitchen and move to the garage!! Then to cleaning up the mess of the day and then to load the car and come home and put away all the great stuff we got. I can't even begin to explain how spoiled we are, but thanks to my mom and dad...you spoil us to no end!

So as my day draws to a close, my husband and puppy are sound asleep, I bid you all a Merry, Merry Christmas. May the Birth of Christ light your coming year.

Thankfulness

I am so thankful for so many things in my life, but I am really thankful for my husband. I have been rather sick for the last two days. I have been fighting a sinus infection since I got back from Las Vegas in November, but decided that I need some meds so I went to see my Dr. yesterday.

So I was down for the count yesterday afternoon and then had a fever last night. Brandon made breakfast for dinner cause it sounded really good and the he did all the dishes and put clean sheets on the bed for me! I adore my husband. This morning I was still not doing too go, but I was a tad bit better...but the coffee didn't sit well on my stomach! I went running to the kitchen sink to puke so he wouldn't have to clean up after me. I made it and then all the warning signs on the antibiotics started to kick in. I guess there really is a reason for all those little yellow stickers! I was dizzy and they made me sleepy so lets see it is 5:52 and I am still on the couch and still in my pj's. It is nice when there is someone to take care of you!

But I think the best part of the day has been watching my husband put all new light switches in our house!!! My grandparents build this house in 1949 and well lets just say it needs a little updating! Brandon found melted wires and a wire that looked like it could just catch on fire. Thank goodness I have a handy man that has fixed all of the issue in one room and gave me lighted switches in the hallway!

To all of you as the Holidays approach; Merry Christmas and may the birth of Jesus Christ be the center of you celebration this year!

Best Friends Birthdays and broken water pipes, NO!

Today is by Best Friends Birthday. Actually I consider her my sister more the a BFF!!! But, A and I got to start celebrating her birthday last night. He husband had dibs on her actual birthday night...how dare he :-)! Anyways, we went to one of our favorite Mexican food places for dinner and I think we were so full that we rolled out of there and then went to Target for a little shopping which turned out to be very productive! Then back to A's so she could open her birthday present from me! I figured she needed a little pampering so I got her a new set of makeup brushes, a bottle of Grace perfume and a gift card to go and have fun at Sephora! What a great night we had....until I called home to let my husband now that I was on the freeway home.

When I went to dial the number I saw that I had missed a few calls from him..oops! I always pick up for him and I guess I just didn't hear the phone ring! So I called in a panic and well ..........the main water line that is under our house and feeding our entire home with water BROKE!!!! I love our home, but something is always broken around here since my grandparents build the house in 1949 and never really did any upgrades. So I stopped by my parents house to use the restroom on the way home, so I could get through the night and now I am heading back to my parents to shower and get ready for my day. My husband is under the house fixing everything and I hope to have water back this afternoon. But, I must admit...it is so sexy to have my husband fixing all of these things!

So to broken water pipes...oh well, BUT...Happy Birthday to my Sis! God Bless!!