Happy Birthday!

So I am sure all of my siblings are going to think I am a total brown noser for saying this but I am going to anyway.

Well last Saturday we (my sister Sara her family and I) went to Seattle to celebrate my step-mothers (Sandi's) 50th birthday. The activity she had decided to do for her Birthday was to go to the LDS temple in Bellevue, WA. This is always a treat and not something we get to do very often because of distance and children. During the first part of our visit to the temple Sandi volunteered to stay outside with Sara's three small children while the rest of us got to go inside. Then she later took the kids and her daughter back home so that she could come into the temple with us to complete the work we had to do. Again latter that evening she volunteered to hang back so that I could participate in some of the work we were completing (which I seldom get to do). When we were done we went back to Dad and Sandi's house to collect the kiddos before heading home. My point of this post is this: While we went over to Bellevue to celebrate Sandi and her milestone birthday all of us were instead blessed by the service she rendered for us! Myself not the least of these to benefit from her kindness on her special day I would like to thank you Sandi for taking such good care of our father and for looking out for all of us "behind the scenes." I hope you realize you are appreciated and cared for.

This Sandie helping out at the school fall carnival taking her turn in the dunk tank. From what she said one kid even apologized after she hit the target and dunked Sandie.

So I got this in the mail the other day.





I think they are trying to tell me something...stay tuned to see what I decide.

And now the one the only...

Celine Dion!



Freyja a good freind of mine text me this week and said she had tickets to the Celine Dion concert this last Saturday and asked if I would like to come with her. Well far me it from me to pass up an oportuity like that so I accepted. I tried to keep from gushing I am not sure if I was sucessful. So last Saturday we left aroud 6:30pm to complete the 45 minute drive to the Tacoma Dome (my first visit to the venue by the way) Well about 90 minutes into it we realized our folley when we were still stuck in trafic and the concert was starting. The trouble all started when we hit I-5 and it took us 45 minutes to go 2 miles (trust me the irony was not lost on us that we could have walked there faster at that point). The worst part was I had downed the whole of my Wendy's lemonade on the way there and was becoming increasingly uncomforable as time passed. But we finally did arive and were pleasantly supprised to find out that we had only missed the opening band so Celine was just taking the stage when we got to our seats. As far as how the concert went all I can say is Celine knows how to put on one heck of a dog and pony show. Between the band, four back up singers, eight dancers, six costume changes (Freyja and I skeched them out after wards while waiting in trafic I will see if I can scan it in) two stage leanght conveyer belts, lighting and visual effects it was all amazing! I took some pictures with my cell phone some turned out some didn't but here they are.

First off I did not get a picture of this but it will forever be apart of my concert experience:



The trafic jam. Celine quite literally stops traffic.

Opening song: I Drove All Night.



She Sang All By Myself. I love Bridget Jones (sigh).



Freyja and me after the concert with the stage in the background.



The SIX COSTUME CHANGES as recalled by Freyja and myself while waiting for the parking garage to empty enough to we could pull out.



Anyway it as you have probably gathered it was more fun than a barrel of monkeys and I would totally recomend it. However for the male of the species be warned that they take your man card at the door.

Oh and by the way:



Did I mention I love Bridget Jones? Raise your hand if All By Myself will be suck in your head for the rest of the day.

Home Sweet Home.

Well as some of you might have noticed I have not been around for awhile. I would like to say I have been absurdly busy feeding starving children in Africa, but sadly the truth is not that altruistic. Since I last left you I moved into my new place it is wonderful and I love it. I moved about two miles down the road from where I was living. with a brief (two month) stop at Sara's house while my land lady got the apartment ready. My current residence is a down stairs one bedroom mother-in-law. The house has beautiful views of the sound and Bainbridge Island. The best feature this one has that my last one did not is beach access which I as of now I have not made use of, however it is on my to do list. The move went great with only one cake plate being sacrificed to the moving Gods. It also went very fast which I would like to thank everyone that helped me out. It is great to have friends that are there when you need them. Also a special thanks to Sara's husband Shawn who since I have no significant other right now has graciously helped me out several times since the move. I know he already has an extensive Honey do list at home and I appreciate all of his help on mine.

But I digress, I know you all are dieing to see it so without further adieu the Grand Tour:

First the view from the front door...



The living room...



The fire place...



The dining room...



yes that is me in waving at the mirror.

The kitchen...



If you say anything about the dirty dishes in the sink you are off the Christmas card list.

The bathroom...



The laundry room...



And last but certainly not least The Queens Chamber..I mean the bedroom...





It got dark by the time I got around to taking the picture so this is to be continued....