Last Time.......

Okay. So I am going to try to start this blog one last time. I have made a commitment (with myself) to really make an effort to update at least once a week. Honestly, I don't hold out much hope but I have set an alarm on my new android phone to remind me to post.....we'll see what happens.

So a lot has happened in the year and a half that I haven't posted.
I'll just list the highlights.....

I moved to an apartment in Fairfax and lived with my friend Sean for a couple of months, (yes.....platonic....get your minds out of the gutter)


I moved my best-friend Brenda from California in March to live in my apt bldg...... one floor above me (BEST 6 day road-trip ever.....NOT),


I quit my job and I started a business Maid Especially For You (www.maidespecially.com),

I turned 40 and had the BEST birthday ever,

We sent my mother on a mission to SLC (to the Church and Family History bldg),






I attended my forever friend Christina Wolfe's baptism,


I went on the 2nd Annual Myrtle Beach Extravaganza with my cousin Michelle (also during BIKE WEEK),








My friend Sean moved out and Brenda and her newborn Colton moved into my apartment in July,










I attended my brother Travis's wedding in Utah,


oh....and I got hit by an SUV while walking across the street. I have pics but they are not appropriate to post. (Yah.....that was the best ever) It's been a busy year and a half and I am SURE I am leaving out some really fantastic things that happened.




I have started watching a little more Judge Judy than is acceptable and somewhere deep down inside, I wish she was my grandmother. I also like the show on BRAVO called "Flipping Out". That Jeff just cracks me up.

"The Keeper of My Heart" is still "The Keeper of My Heart" and he has sworn to take care of me in my old age if I never get married. His idea.....all on his own. He said I could move in with him, his wife and kids. (He is currently 8 years old) So, I just don't think I will ever get married because I want to live with him in my "old age". He loves Colton and is so dang cute with him. I ADORE this kid and I could hang out with him 24/7. He will always be "The Keeper of My Heart."





So....stay tuned for more "Adventures of Yaya". I can almost guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Especially with how things have been going lately. AHHHHH...it feels so good to be blogging again ;-)

My Trip to California

I went for a long weekend to visit my friend Brenda in Costa Mesa, CA. I had a GREAT time! I had never been to Southern CA and I can now say I've been to Orange County.

The first night we went to Malibu and ate at Paradise Cove.

http://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/beachcafe/index09.html

There have been tons of movies, commercials and television shows filmed there. We loved it.




This was on the way to the LA Lakers vs. Clippers game.









Brenda and me at the game.










Game - Lakers won!









We went to Coto to try to find the Housewives of O.C.








DENIED!!!! You have to pass through a guarded gate AND you have to be on a "LIST"......we were not on the list. :-(








This is my new favorite deli!










My B.L.T. - you can't tell from the picture how big it is....plus...the macaroni salad was phenom!









We went on a tour of the stars homes. We had to meet at the Kodak Theatre. It was RAINING!! Yes.....raining.












Grauman's Chinese Theatre












Michael's alive!











Meryl Streep - I think she is a great actress.









Finally.....my new haircut. I went to Modern Salon in Costa Mesa and Kathy cut my hair. I even got a deep conditioner treatment and I LOVED it.

So, my trip was a lot of fun and Brenda took me everywhere. We went to several beaches and she took me anywhere I wanted to go!






On the plane ride out to CA...I read such a good book. It's called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I recommend it to anyone! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!










On the plane ride home I read The Alchemist. A charming book - very thought provoking. It's easy reading and the story is one that you will think about for a long time.

T.V.

Since I've been home all week and I finished all my organizing, I have been wasting away watching reality t.v. and I have been thoroughly entertained. I have watched hours of Wife Swap, Desperate Housewives and The Real Housewives of the O.C. - all very different and all very entertaining. I can see how people get sucked into these shows. I'll be going through withdrawals when I go back to work next week.

Organized OUT!!!

So, since I've been home and will be home for the rest of the week, I have been organizing my life for the year. I want to have a "plan" for a budget, physical fitness, and overall mental health (yah...I know....baby steps...right?)

Well, I can say that I am officially organized OUT. I have shredded old documents (non-incriminating and incriminating), planned a budget (wish me luck), planned an exercise regime (when I get rid of these stupid shingles), organized my closet, and started planning my vacations for the year!



I have nothing else to organize. What will I do for the rest of the week?

January 2010

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be a better blogger for 2010. I am welcoming 2010 with great enthusiasm even though I am in bed right now with shingles.....which I ever knew was a form of chicken pox. I am using this week to relax, catch up on movies and things like blogging.

My theme for 2010 will be a quote from Mark Twain:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Welcome 2010......prepare for adventure!

Our Dear Sweet Shawnie

So, it's taken me almost two months to be able to post about Shawnie's passing. My sweet sister in law (Travis's wife) passed away unexpectedly and suddenly on May 1st. It was shocking and devastating and we are all still walking around in disbelief. She left behind my brother Travis and three little boys: Drake - 9 yrs old, Luke - 6 yrs old and Mason - 4 years old. It is always sad when someone passes away and my family has sure had it's experiences with death of loved ones however, this passing has affected us all in such a strong way and we have all said it's like nothing we have dealt with before. We miss her terribly and we ache for my brother and his three little boys.

This is one of the last pics that Travis and Shawnie took. They took a week vacation - just the two of them- to Cancun in February. They had a great time.







This is the last Granny's Goombata that all of us were together. It's very fitting that Shawnie is in the center of the picture.



Travis and the boys are doing okay. They are living day to day. My mother lives with them and has taken over helping Travis raise the boys. Dori and Brian moved down to Lake Ridge and will live just 2 miles from Travis and the boys. Dori's kids and Trav's kids will go to the same elementary school. Dori and Brian live right across the street from the school so ALL the boys can go to Dori's after school. It's hilarious to have all the boys together ALL the time....they are so funny and Dori and my mom are in for an adventurous summer! The stories they will be able to tell!

I think it's going to take a long time for us all to feel "normal" again but it helps to have all the kids around and hopefully we can all start to put the pieces of our broken hearts together again!

It must be in our blood

So, this is Robbie and Shane in their sparring equipment. I LOVE this picture. They just got their yellow belts a few weeks ago. My mother gets her black belt in 2 weeks. My nephew Drake (10 years old) already has his black belt along with my older brother Dustin who got his YEARS ago. I'm thinking family reunions will be fun from now on - we could start it off with a good sparring match! I'm thinking in order to survive in our family I should get mine too!