We're On Island Time!

We're On Island Time!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Back To Blogging



Kayla said she'll start a blog, so I'll make sure to hold her to her word.


Last night Bem came to play:
I forgot how much fun giant boxes are for kids!

What a cutie-pa-tootie

After we put emma down we started watching The Changeling. Long movie! We watched half of it, so far so good. Nice job Angelina.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

This Is A Protest!

I will not make another post until Brandon and Kalya secret bloggers/parents-to-be create a blog. Kayla we need to hear all about your pregnancy and regularly updated photos of your tum!
You're a writer, I bet you have lots to say!

Monday, February 23, 2009


I got one of those new viruses, I think they call them colds. This weird stuff keeps coming out of my noise and it makes my head feel mushy. Stay AWAY Stay FAR AWAY.

32nd Annual Seafood and Wine Festival

We had a ton of fun in Newport this weekend. My Uncle Bob and Aunt Angie invited us to camp with them in their rv just a short walk from the festival. It was my first time so I had no idea what to expect. It was 8 rows of booths about 2 football fields long? Im not a good estimator. 200+ booths and about 3000 people? again Im not the best estimator.

Tastes of wine were 50cents to $2, glasses of wine were $4+. It was fun sampling all different kinds, I dont have a mature enough palate to discuss the complexity and character or the tannins or aroma... I did swirl and sniff but I didnt know what I was smelling :) I did buy the coolest glass marker, its a magnetic frog, isnt it cute/poisonous looking?


Food on the other hand I understand. We had lobster gumbo, fresh dipped corn dogs, crab melt, oysters on a half shell, smoke salmon, clam chowder, olive tasting and a crab cocktail. Great Food.
Things to remember for next time:
  • $70 in ones per person is a bare minimum for one day(20 to get in).
  • Its more fun to go with a big group of people but makes sure to all wear matching out fits, wigs, shirts, costumes... most popular were pirates and crustaceans.
  • You can bring your own glass and decorate it, dont forget your wine-glass-holster that you wear around your neck.
  • every time someone drops their wine glass the whole tent yells at you
  • pick up a list at Newport Chamber of Commerce booth that shows you all the wines that were issued Gold/Silver/Bronze for the festival so you can taste them.
  • dont bundle up too much, it may be freezing outside but its hot in there
  • wear comfortable shoes
  • Its ok to to be wearing lots of beads, tatoos and stickers from each booth
  • wine makes people really freindly
  • you'll most likely run into at least one person you know, we saw adam, vara and b-con.
  • most people are carrying around a baguette. Taste some wine rip some bread.
You wanna go with us next year? We'll need to discuss our costume options.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Bad News and Good News

Bad News:
Jenn got the bad icky sickness, poor friend.

Good News:
Pete came over last night with The Bad and I convinced him she needed to have a slumber party with us.

Bad News:
Emma woke up with a big poop for her Auntie

Good News: Emma had a healthy appetite afterward. Almost cleaned her plate of toast, Egg, Banana, Grapes, Avocado.

Bad News:
Auntie Noodle doesn't have any bibs.

Good News:
Who needs a bib when you can cut a hole in a towel?!

Bad News:
Emma wanted to eat the bowl of chocolates but uncle Phil told her no.
Good News:
She actually listened...sorta.

Bad News:
Last night Emma started crying because she was afraid of Jeff.

Good News:
They made up this morning.

Bad News:
Auntie Jenna hasn't stocked up on toys quite yet.

Good News:
She has a photo book full of photos of dogs...well one dog, Jericho.
And 20 cork coasters that are fun to rip in half and use to cover your eyes in peek-a-boo
Bad News:
Emma wanted to play with everything that was against the rules. "Emma dont pull on that it might fall on your head."


"Emma don't eat those, yucky"
Good News:
Every time we said the words, "Thats not for Emma," she gave us this adorable mischievous grin..EVERY TIME.


Bad News:
Once again Bem Bem wants to nuggle Uncle Phil and not me.
Good News:
I figured it out... I just need to grow a beard.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Excited For The Weekend!


I'm looking forward to Newport Seafood and Wine Festival! I've never been...what awaits me in that big white tent?

We are camping with my uncle in his RV. He got a great spot at the boat dock close by. I hope our tax returns come tomorrow, momma needs some spending cash!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Best Renters Ever

Yesterday Phil traded walker a full days work for his scooter. They spent about 8hrs in the back yard clearing the garden beds....there is still a TON of work left so feel free to help ;)

I was thinking what good renters we were...this isn't our house! But its important to us that it doesnt look trashy, lucky IPMG.

Its nice that they got the back corner cleaned up really well, I should have taken a before picture, it was bad. Now its just trees and tulips.Can you see the gate on the right? thats the gate to Abby & Denny's Street. Can you see their house straight ahead? This is sooooooooo fun!

My garden beds. There are 5 and 2more behind for the herbs. I'm really excited to get plantin'. My friend Sara spent the summers working on organic farms in CA. She is going to help me get started.
The hard worker guy. Thanks Walker you're awesome!
We got a special visitor. The Bem came to see us!

But of course she wanted to see Jericho.Our little special friend.
Such a funny expression. She looks like a cartoon.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Settling In

I'm happy to say I've had 4 successful nights of sleep at our new house.

Jeff and Whitney started moving in last night. Our once bare living room now has a huge red couch and a HUGE tv! Seriously its huge!

Its nice having roommates, I don't think I would have done well going cold turkey and living alone. Hey, I work from home, I need people around! I'm sure going to miss my friend/mom Nancy Kelley. I'm going to miss our morning talks. I'll miss someone sitting at the bar talking to me while I'm cooking. We made such a good team! Multiple times a day I would think of a question or comment and wander from my office to the other side of the house to her office... maybe I was annoying?

We got the approval to paint...but I get so overwhelmed when its time to pick colors! I think I'll wait until Ruby gets here, she is better at that stuff.

Wanna come see our house? How about I throw a party? This weekend is the seafood wine festival.. so how about the weekend after that?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Emma Who Do You Like More?

Auntie Noodle is the one that babysits you, changes your diapers and feeds you.

Uncle Phil is the one that always calls you bad.
But for some reason you love to cuddle him and not me!


You even like the this dog better than me. Emma he isnt smart. Who sleeps half standing?
Emma whats a dog say? "Puh puh puh puh puh puh puh puh puh puh!"

Moving Update

So the house.

All the utilities are officially hooked up and installed as of today, surprising I called a week ago and it took a whole week.

Chimney Update:
We're not sure if it will every be usable. A cleaner/repair guy came out and had lots to say to Phil about why it can't be fixed but also why it still works. Doesn't make sense and we don't know who's word counts, the fire marshal or the Chimney repair man? I guess thats for IPMG to decide. Boooooooooooo! My poor guy! He put so much stinkin work into his wood shed, I hope it all works out!

The Moving Process:
It has been awesome to not have to rush out. Each Day Phil and I get a room unpacked and set up. This is the way to do it! So much better than moving all the boxes at once and living in a horrible mess for weeks. All we have left is my office, our bed and bathroom stuff. Yay! So Phil will transfer those things today while I work.

Tonight, official first night....maybe. Nancy keeps making amazing breakfrast in the morning, I dont know how I could possibly leave!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It Really Happened

Before moving into a new rental you want to give a thorough inspection of the property for damages that occurred before your occupancy.

We've been given 10 days by IPMG to fill out the "green form" to note any such damages....



Last night after a hard days work for Phil chopping and stacking fire wood in his new wood shed it made perfect sense to start up the old wood stove for heat, (Gas doesnt get connected until Tuesday).
After a wonderful walk across the street to the grocery store Jenna started to prepare their first dinner in their new home while Phil proudly stoked the roaring fire. While water boiled on the stove that roaring fire soon sounded more than a cute romantic blaze but an actual jet engine in the middle of their living room.
"Babe, what is that sound! Why is it doing that?" Jenna exclaimed as her and Phil both stood dumbfounded staring at the origination of the troubling roar.
"I think, its a flu fire!" Phil quickly responded as he ran outside to discover clouds of black smoke rolling out of the chimney.
Jenna had heard of a flu fires but wasn't sure what they were or how bad they were. A quick phone call to her dad would answer her questions. He confirmed the roar was indeed a flu fire. She learned everything would be fine as long as you shut off the oxygen to the stove and no smoke seeped into the house meaning interior burning...
While Jenna was outside on her phone Phil did a quick inspection around the perimeter taking the warning of interior smoke seriously.
Seconds had passed when Phil bolted out the front door, "Smokes coming out of the back room call 911!"
Frantically fumbling with her cell phone, images of last winter flashed through her memory. The familiarity of Jenna dialing 9-1-1 because of a fire that Phil started put a knot in Jenna's stomach.
Three minutes and 3 fire trucks later the crowd around the house grew to numerous firemen and curious neighbors. If there was anyway to meet all your new neighbors at once this was the way to do it, and boy were they friendly and soooooooo funny... a blog post in itself.
Crap, the water on the stove! Jenna yelled at Phil to have the firemen go in the kitchen and turn off the lost pot of top ramen.
The firemen worked on the house for an hour. They couldn't just spray water down the chimney, it would only cause more damage and cracks so they had to genlty cool down the magma. After the smoke settled and the mud from their boots dried into our fresh cleaned carpets we got the word, we had more issues than the flu fire, the chimney is actually cracked in the attic and our house almost exploded! Again memories from last winter, "you house almost exploded," the knot in Jenna's stomach tightened. Good news the back bedroom smoke wasn't interior burning but smoke from the cracked chimney, pheww.
Starving, Jenna hadn't eaten since breakfast so she saught shelter at the Kelley Parent's while Phil continued to stand watch. Jenna of course immediately called Jenn to fill her in on the funny event, funny neighbors and not so funny memories of last winter. After hanging up with Jenn Nancy informed the starving girl that Phil needed her to go back to her house to make sure that the fire didn't start up again so Phil could make it to his weekly Timberhill b-ball game.... the knot that Jenna had been suppressing since 6:51pm was released. Waves of uncontrollable emotions poured out of her eyes and tightened her throat, "all I wanted was top ramen, Im so hungry!" Completely irrational all she could say was that she wanted top ramen. Nancy quickly responded hugging her offering her dinner only to make her cry and shake harder. A Nervous Breakdown.
Jenna half laughed and cried. "I never want to call 911 again!"


from my cell phone:



Day One:
  • Wood Stove: deemed unsafe by the fire marshal. there is one big X on the "green sheet".

Monday, February 9, 2009

Friday, February 6, 2009

Random Thought

One really exciting thing about moving is my first trip to costco!

I get to buy big containers of everything!
dishwasher detergent
paper towels
toilet paper

you get the point.

ITS OURS! ALL OURS!


We got the house, the bulldogs arent so bad after all! Phil got the keys today and we'll be moving this weekend!

Tid Bits



Phil got his boaters license. I life time certificate that allows him to drive a boat. The test was taken online. It was asking really funny questions about the panama canal and the Mississippi River, Phil's prepared for world boating.

It has been special having him around. I give him an A+ for helpfulness and niceness. He made me a cute lunch yesterday, I just had to take a picture of it.Craft Night was a success, make sure you come next time!
I got all of my seats recovered. I'm pretty excited.

The next step is making pillow slip covers, Mum helped me make throw pillows out of old pillows!

Im learning to sew!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Is this in our future?


Phil and I are always looking on craigslist for the perfect rental. Its hard to find a place that meets our needs and we refuse to settle!

Phil's requirements:
Garage
fireplace/wood stove
large yard for the dogs
parking(our first duplex had NO parking)

Jenna's Requirements:
within walking distance to something: friend, store or park
dishwasher
washer dryer (never want to go to a laundry mat ever again)
2-3 bedrooms (my office, our room, emma's room)
a separate dinning room
not stinky or dark
prefer wood floors

budget: 900max. anything higher we might as well pay a real mortgage but dont want to commit quite yet.


AND WE FOUND IT!!!! Kind of an eye-sore from the street but meets our needs on the inside and is really close to Abby and Denny's & I can walk to safeway....
except it doesnt allow pets. We begged the property managers to reconsider. So we are the first application in and they said they will call the owners and get back to us 2-3days.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Tickets Are Purchased

Phil and I are going to the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival this year, Feb 20th-23rd. I've never been! We bought the 3 day pass and we are going to camp with my Uncle and Aunt in their motor-home. Maybe we'll see ya there?