Happy New Year

This year for New Years, we are having my Dad and Tami, since the rest of our families are busy. I was trying to think of what we should do. Then I started thinking of when we were little and how we would celebrate in

We would go to a big parade...where they dressed up in very traditional Japanese clothes and played music and banged on big drums, which as a kid sort of frightened me a bit.

We always ate traditional Japanese soup, called Udon. Mmmm...so yummy.

Then we would watch TV, where we would watch an old history series that was on at that time of year. And of course, the temple priests banging the big bells in the temples...people would actually watch this. (I looked up, and they hit them 108 times)

So, in thinking of Japan and the olden days, we are going to have Udon and good old Japanese fare. (I'll bet your glad you're not coming to our house).

Hope you have a wonderful New Year celebration and a fabulous New Year in 2011!

So, grab your loved ones...

open a bottle of champagne...

Get your party gear...

And have a Happy New Year's Celebration!

7 year itch?

Jarod and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary yesterday. When we were at dinner, (awesome Tami babysat as we went out), Jarod said, "well, we made it through without the seven year itch".

It's very strange how 7 years seems to have flown by, but at the same time, it seems like we've been together forever. I love this man for so many reasons, and couldn't imagine life without him. He is generous, thoughtful, hilarious, always yearning to love God more, and a the best dad out there! He loves me and Will and Oliver so very much, and I count myself among the very blessed to have such a wonderful marriage. So, thank you, Honey, for the past 7 years, and am so happy to spend the rest with you.

As I was going through our pictures, to see what I have to post, I realized that we do not take any pictures of the two of us. These are almost all of the pictures that we have of the two of us from the last 7 years. Pretty pathetic...I know.

Love you, Mr. Man

Tis the season...

...of the Christmas card.

I wasn't sure what we were going to do. Do to the fact that we didn't have one family picture from the whole year...we don't take many pictures. I don't have even one picture of Jarod and myself together. So, I called Tami, VERY LAST MINUTE and asked if she could do our picture. She said that she just finished another family in town and was on her way. I was already in my car with Oliver, going to do some errands in town. So, I turned around, went back home and picked up Tami at our house, grabbed a sweater for Will, and a coat for Jarod, since he had just his work stuff on. I called Jarod, who had Will with him, and asked if he could meet me in town.

We met at at an old Manor right by the post office, since Jarod was at the post office. And got run off by a lady that works there. She told us that you have to have a permit to take pictures there. Then she informed me that my infant had no socks on...which I knew since I was the one that got him dressed that day.

So, we drove off the property and took the picture right by the gate, since I was not about to drive around town to find a spot to take a picture...and I can tell you, neither was Jarod. We took this picture in less than a minute, got in our cars and drove off. I have to say, it was the fastest picture we have ever done, and we are usually fast.

So, a BIG thanks to Tami for taking our picture and then putting our card together! Don't know what I would do without her...in many ways...but this year, I probably wouldn't have gotten a card out, if it wasn't for her. Thanks again Tam, for always being so willing to help out...especially so last minute!

Merry Christmas to all of you who read my blog and blessings to you this coming new year,

Random act of kindness in memory of Sandy

Here is a post from my sister Tami's blog...please read....and act.

Here's Tami's post:
My dear friend, Sunita's mother, Sandy Kupferschmid, passed away a few years ago after fighting breast cancer. Sandy would have been turning 50 this Saturday and whether you knew Sandy or not, we'd love for you to join us in honoring her life! Please read the following note from Sunita as we'd love to have at a minimum 50 people involved...

December 11th (TODAY) is my moms birthday. She would have been turning 50. This day has been really difficult for me for the last two years. This year I want to celebrate her life I want to celebrate the amazing woman she was. I am wanting (at a minimum of) 50 people to each do 1 random act of kindness to honor her life. Not only will it pay tribute to her, but it will give me something to look forward to on her birthday.

You can do anything for anyone...your family, co-worker, students, stranger...anyone! We'd love to hear about all the special things that were done in honoring her life! So excited to hear about your experiences no matter how "big" or "small". Please either leave a comment here or on Sunita's facebook wall in letting us know about your experience!!!

Thanks SO much for getting involved in this!

My little Eskimo

Will and Jarod went outside to enjoy the snow the other morning around 8 a.m. I was not about to get bundled up to play in the snow that early...

...so we stayed indoors.

Most wonderful/frustrating time of year.

Well, it's that time of year again...time to decorate for the Holidays. I find myself loving and hating decorating for this time of year...because of what I said a few posts ago about being indecisive. And instead of having as long as I want to be indecisive, I have only a month! Why not decorate the same every year and do away with having to be indecisive, you might ask. Well, I have a curse that my Mother and both my sisters have...we can't do the same thing over and over, we have to move furniture every few months, we can't keep the same picture in the same place for years on end, we have to switch wall colors whenever we can afford to, or when we don't think our husbands will notice...etc.

Once I have my house decorated, I might post pictures. But I am going to post some pictures of things that I have been looking at for some new inspirations.

Like this fabulous tree! I love the sugared gum drops and lollipops on the tree and in the kitchen, no less! So so cute!

I LOVE this mirror wreath from West Elm...so many possibilities.

Cute idea for an Advent Calendar.

Love this frame for holding pretty greeting cards.

And if I could change the ornaments on my tree every year...which I have almost mastered doing...I would get a bunch of these hot air balloon ornaments from Anthropologie. Love them!

Happy Decorating!

Where was the architect?

Does this strike anyone else as completely strange, and inconvenient?! I think of all the times I fly up and down my stairs in my house, and can't help but think this is just an accident waiting to happen.

I wonder if the person who designed this thought it would start a trend?

Thanksgiving news

This last week we had a full weekend of celebrating Thanksgiving with Jarod and my family.

I didn't take any pictures...not doing so well with my new years resolution...I guess it's not the new year yet though.

It was great to have these two...Mark and Kristen back from Phoenix to celebrate with us, since they won't be back for Christmas.

They are also expecting baby no.1! We are all so stoked! (as my cousin Whitney says).

Congratulations you guys!

Love the lips

Happy Friday

I can hardly believe I am posting twice in one week!

I have been thinking it would be fun to do a post on decorating, since I love decorating. I love to look at pictures, talk about, think about, just pretty much anything with decorating.

So, you'd think I would take every opportunity to decorate. Well...no. The reason isn't so much that I am lazy, but that I am indecisive. I can't ever decide what color, or what fabric, etc. So, Oliver still has the same wall color, same bedding, same wall decal, even the same furniture arrangement...which is pretty hard to believe when you know my family.

WHen I decorate I get a lot of my ideas from inspiration. Now I never do exactly what I am inspired to do, because of budget, indecisiveness, or in the case of Will's room a rough ceiling...

THIS was my inspiration for Will's room, and I wanted to do the ceiling, but that meant I had to have smooth ceilings...which we don't have. So, instead I went for yellow and strips on the bedding and bed frames.

So, here are some pictures of some of my favorite nurseries...just because I think it's fun.

I love the giraffe on this wall.

I think this crib is so fun, but looks like it would cost a fortune.

Isn't this so sweet? I love this room I think the bed is hanging from the ceiling though and that would make me a bit nervous.

Love the ceiling in this one...as you can tell I love texture or paint on ceilings...too bad my whole house has rough ceilings.

Such a fun room for twins!

Love the wallpaper.

I LOVE this whole room, from the slant of the ceiling, to the light fixture, to the pillows on the floor!

Love the chairs and the chandelier.

Wish I had a big mirror like this one! SO many possibilities with something this fabulous!

Loving the colors.

Last but not least...if I had a little girl, I would have to do these wonderful pom poms on the ceiling!!! Sooo cute!

Have a happy Friday!

Life Lately

Well, it's been a while since I've posted. A few things have happened since the summer.

The best thing that happened was that we had our little Oliver Zenichi (after my Inoue Grandpa). He came 2 1/2 weeks early and still weighed 7lb. 11oz. I was so glad he came early! He has been the best little baby anyone could ask for.

Everyone has been asking how Will likes him. He really likes him, but is not overly excited either. He asks to hold him about once ever three days or so and when he does, he holds him for a few seconds and is done and off playing again. I think his favorite thing is having someone to sit with in the car, and Oliver's swing...which used to be Will's.

I also realized I hadn't posted a couple pictures from the end of the summer. We went to Chicago to see Thomas the Train...Will's favorite thing to talk about, other than Lightening McQueen. Here is a picture of me in horribly hot weather. I didn't realize how HUGE this place was, and wore a shoe with a bit of a heal...BAD idea when you are more than 7 months pregnant and hotter than hot and walking around a place that was more like Fair grounds than a museum...like it was advertised.

Jarod and Will with Thomas.

A couple days after we brought Oliver home from the hospital. The boys on our bed taking a nap. Such a fun new phase of life we are going in to.

This last week I took Will in to the Dr. to get an infected bum looked at. After a quick peek, the Dr. admitted him. I felt terrible, since I didn't think it was a big deal, and didn't take him until he was complaining of a sore bum. We ended up being there three days and he had to get minor surgery done. He was such a fabulous little patient and I was so glad. Thank you to all who prayed for us! I was going to take a picture of him in the hospital, because I figured he would think it was fun to see someday, but again, I am the bad Mother who rarely takes pictures. My new years resolution...I know a bit early...is to take more pictures.

So, there's a bit of an update. Maybe I should make a new years resolution to post more too.