Our first week and a day

We've been in our house now for 8 days. We love it. We're really, really, really happy. We have nothing on the walls and a few unpacked boxes, but it's already starting to feel like home. On Saturday, we'll be taking our first trip to Ikea and I've already scoped a few things out that I wouldn't mind investing in...

This past Saturday we took a gander around the Spring Valley swap meet and sadly to say, it was quite disappointing. Unlike Koby's, it was littered with trash, full of stolen tools, and most of the other items available were worthless. We did end up walking away with a new iron, gas can and blower. We did a little yardwork while Gabriel was sleeping and it was felt so good to take care of our own house!

I'll post pictures once the house starts coming together...

Peace!

Moving forward and moving out

I'll admit, I'm a little nervous. Tomorrow we start to function on our own again without the protective wings of our older, wiser family. We've done this before, I know we can do it again. But still, there's a little nervousness, anxiety if you will. When we were living in Ventura, we were throwing so many balls up in the area and hoping we'd be able to continue juggling them, however fast and messy it could become. We were wrong. Bills piled up, saved money dwindled down, and soon we Adrian was jobless. You know in movies when someone is falling down some huge gaping crevice in the ground and even after they're gone, you can still hear the echoing of the scream? That's a little how it feels. I know those days where we literally had nothing-not a cent to our name-are done and gone, the crying and the yelling and the stress is still a whisper in the back of my mind. I know we're fine. I know we're capable. We've gotten smarter with money and in life and yes, we learned a lot from it. However, I never, NEVER want to get back to that place again, where I wouldn't even look at phone calls before I would push "end" (bill collectors) and voicemails would pile up to 24 within days (more bill collectors). 

Anyway, enough. We are as ready as we'll ever be and prepared to take on the world.  We can't hide behind family and live with doubt anymore. I'm looking forward to a new beginning.

 

Day 3 (or whatever day I want it to be!) - List the five songs you would have with you on a desert island and why.

I wouldn't consider myself one of those people whose lives revolve around music. Yes, there are songs that speak directly to my heart and I've included them on this list, but I don't know that it's the music that moves me from day to day. However, sometimes there's just that perfect song from that perfect day and hearing it can take me back. That's what all of these songs are for me.

1. The Joker by Steve Miller Band: This is my ultimate, favorite happy place song. It gives me that tingly, light feeling of days past, the ease of sunny days in Malibu and the freedom of summer.

2. Mr. Brightside by The Killers: All I can say is B and Vegas. This is another one of those happy place songs for me.

3. Hard Sun covered by Eddie Vedder: His voice is like sweetness to my soul. The only song I had ever heard by Pearl Jam was The Kiss, of course a beautiful song, but I never thought I would like their other music. Turns out I do! They just so happen to be Adrian's favorite band and he has opened up a whole new musical world for me.

4. Anything on the Garth Brooks No Fences album: It reminds me of my childhood, driving in my mom's van and screaming the lyrics to Friends in Low Places, which in turn reminds me of one of the perfect moments at our wedding reception where everyone was on the dance floor swaying to the music and belting out the words. It was amazing.

5. Three Little Birds by Bob Marley: Probably one of the greatest artists of all time and his entire Legend album could be on this list. Could You Be Loved, I Shot the Sheriff, One Love, Stir it Up, Jammin'...the list goes on...

I want to be the next food network star!

...just kidding! Although I love that show and I'm watching it right now. FN is definitely one of my favorite channels...I get so inspired every time I watch it!  Now I just want my own kitchen to cook in. Today for dinner we had--get ready for it--mac and cheese and hot dogs. Pathetic, right? After making that tonight, I realized how much I have regressed in my food preparation over the past six months. I used to not know how to cook; boiling pasta was the extent of my abilities. And then we moved into our condo and I had a baby and wanted to be all "housewife-y" and had time to watch Food Network all day while I had a nursing newborn acting as an additional limb of my body. I started experimenting with food, boiling, baking, frying, stewing, slow cooking, and sauteeing. I found that cooking brought me a lot of joy and relaxation, and I especially felt satisfaction in knowing that I would be able to put a home-cooked meal on the table for my working man. 

I made braised short ribs (with gnocci, my favorite recipe!)...

 And fresh, homemade lemon bars...

And lots of fresh salads...

I loved experimenting with new spices and foods once I started to understand how different flavors worked together. All of that cooking I was doing counteracted all of that breastfeeding I was doing, but it was so worth it! We ate some really yummy food. Moving forward I'd like to get inspired by magazines such as Cooking Light and some of the Weight Watchers recipes. I'd really like to start building a recipe box to save some of the more successful recipes I've made and to have something to hand down to my own kids someday, Velveeta and hot dogs not included! Anyway, when we move into our house the next two weeks, look forward to some successful and not-so-successful cooking stories :)

Blog FAIL.

As you can see, I'm obviously not very good at following through my commitments, especially those of the blogging kind... It isn't that I don't want to blog every day or that I can't find the time/opportunity to; I'm a little shy when it comes to my writing and when my husband is laying next to me, peering over my shoulder, I just can't spit anything out. I may still follow that blog project a little because I think the topics are interesting and inspiring! My favorite blog-time is Saturday morning around 9am--Gabriel is asleep and the husby is sleeping in (I get Sundays, he takes Saturdays). It's peaceful, quiet, and I can sip on my coffee while coming up with something mildly creative to share.

Maybe I'll just use the excuse that we've been way too busy for me to squeeze in some blogging. We were in Camarillo last weekend checking up on our tenants/giving them the boot. Thank the high heavens we will no longer have to support their family. It'll be weird to start living with an extra chunk of money in our pockets! We still have to find tenants, but based on the response we received when we posted it, I don't think that will be a problem. We were lucky to spend some time with a few of Adrian's sisters and their families, swimming, dinner, relaxing and menudo...needless to say, I came back about 3lbs heavier! We decided to come back Sunday, enjoyed a leisurely drive, stopping at Pizza Port in San Clemente, and then hung out with my family on Monday. We laid by the pool, drank some champagne, and toasted my brother, Mikey, and the sacrifice he has made to serve our country. All in all, a very nice, albeit tiring, weekend.

We have a new "move-in" date; I like to think of this day as more of a fluid concept...with escrow, you never really know when you'll be done and we're waiting on someone else's escrow, making it even HARDER to be patient! Currently, we're slated to move in June 19th, the weekend of my sister's graduation party of course! This month and next are going to be so busy! We have my sister's graduation, the party, the Relay for Life (DONATE!!!!!!), a bbq/event with Adrian's work, a family reunion, a possible trip to Laughlin, my birthday, Father's Day, my brother and sister's birthdays...and the list goes on and on and on....

Lastly, Gabriel brings such energy and love to our lives. I was talking to my bff from college (who I miss more than words can express and love our convos every now and then) about how I never imagined what mushy-gushiness a child would create within me. In college, after thinking my love life was officially over, I lost most of my ability to have emotion. Crying was less than a rare occurrence. But now, I find myself tearing up over a smile, a thought, a dream, a giggle--essentially anything that reminds me of just how precious that little boy is to me. He is learning so many new things, and coincidentally learning many ways to act out. But of course, as a mother who believes (already!) her child can do no wrong, I accredit it to the two canines bursting savagely through his gums and the fact that just maybe he is having tummy issues. Regardless, his signing is improving as is his vocabulary. He's walking. He runs to his daddy after a long day away from him. He hates meat but loves fruits and veggies. he loves to chew on his blankies and abhors having his diaper changed. He is growing up so quickly, I just can't keep up!