[seven]

happy birthday to our oldest niece, sophie!

she is 7 today.

the sweetest girl we know.

can't wait to celebrate tonight with her!

stephanie.

stephanie is a good friend from middle school and part of high school 

and then she moved to colorado.

we played volleyball together and had tons of fun on club volleyball trips.

right now she is in the middle of the battle of her life, for her life.

go here to read all about her journey:

derailing my diagnosis

and here to donate and help stephanie fight her battle:

help stephanie fight 

06 december 2003

the very first date.

movie at desert ridge during the day.

i grabbed his hand first.

saw his auntie mai & little cousins dani & nikki at the splash pad.

then, dairy queen to share a cookie dough blizzard.

 also, had to make a stop at safeway and pick up soda for my dad.

then he went to work.

 

the end.

5-25-13

we have a date people!

and apparently i have never posted a real pic of my ring, enjoy!

introducing...

my newest niece, niece #5, makes me an aunt for the 12th time!

kate indira temple

11-17-12

7:25 pm

7lbs 9 oz

20 3/4 inches long

she is absolutely adorable!

can't wait to meet her :)

election day.

i voted today. did you?

no matter how you vote, it's a privilege to be able to vote.

you have a voice, let it be heard.

**O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave**

the proposal.

 i asked boyfriend fiancé to type up his version of the proposal, seeing as it was his he prepared -
this is is what he sent me:

then he sent me this:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

I rushed home after work to start setting everything up for the proposal. As soon as I walked through the door to my parents house my sisters started to freak out excessively.  Almost excited as I was.  We rushed outside to start setting up candles and flower petals near the outdoor bar.  We also placed one candle on each step going up to the balcony, as well as flower petals. I had thought about making a large heart made out of candles on the balcony so we started to do that as well. Then I placed flower petals in the heart and all over the balcony.  We realized it was was a little too dark out so we ran down stairs and grabbed Large candles(2 feet tall) and placed them around the perimeter of the balcony for more light. I then got dressed in my Black suit and went down stairs to talk with my sisters. I told my sister Christina to stay in her room so there would be less people down stairs and for her to help me light the candles when Jaime showed up.  I told Donna and Megan that when Jaime gets here to ask her to grab some water bottles from the outdoor refrigerator for their movie night. (My sisters invited her over for a girls movie night) When she would walk out there she would see an arrow made out of candles leading her to the balcony where I would be standing. Explaining that to them made me so nervous.  All of a sudden Megan tells me she got a text from Jaime saying she is on her way over. My sisters then started to freak out with excitement all over again. Before we knew it we saw Jaime's car pull up in front of the house so I immediately ran up stairs to the balcony to wait. Then I start hearing noises coming from my sisters Donna's room which looks out over the balcony. I walk over real quick and notice my 3 sisters and cousin Jessy looking through the window to watch everything, which made me even more nervous.  I walked back to my spot behind the candled heart and waited for Jaime to come up.  Before I knew it she was taking her last step up to the balcony with a huge smile on her face.  I then started to notice my cheeks hurting from the huge smile I was making.  She slowly walked towards me and I to her. I told her I brought her up here because this was the first place I had told her that I was in love with her. Also that I want to spend the rest of forever with her. (there were other things I said but I'll keep that between us) I then went down on one knee and asked her the question we both wanted me to ask. "Will you marry me?" Thankfully she didn't keep me waiting too long and responded with a wonderful "Yes".  I rose back to my feet to kiss her and lift her feet off the floor with a hug. 

A night I'll never forget.

last picture taken as a girlfriend - hair colored & cut by Jessie the morning of with no idea it'd be perfect for that night

the walk up

where it took place

we're engaged!

so happy :) :) :)

happy halloweenie!

all hallows eve.

have a fun & safe halloween.

tomorrow brings november!

a new niece!

burbank.

LA.

megan's birthday.

clint's birthday.

khara comes for a visit.

breaking dawn pt 2.

my birthday.

thanksgiving.

fiance's birthday.

i love november!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PERSON!

JULIE!

THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST FRIEND A GIRL COULD ASK FOR.

I HOPE TODAY IS AMAZING!

I LOVE YOU.

XOXO

first comes love. then comes marriage.

we're engaged!!!

OCTOBER 24, 2012

*engagement story to follow shortly*

julie!!!!!!

julie flies in tomorrow night!!!

so excited to have my best friend in for the weekend right before her birthday!

we will have so much fun & eat WAY too much food.

this weekend will be AMAZING.

flos.

chik-fil-a.

my popcorn kitchen.

more flos.

more chik-fil-a.

YAY!

LUCY.

lucy is mine, ALL mine. (my car, & now it really is all mine)

she is completely paid off - and paid off extra early :)

 

new years resolution #1 (check)

new years resolution #2 (check)

new years resolution #3.... eh working on it.

 

read up on my new years resolutions here

adventures in san francisco

sept 16-21

heaven on earth, 1lb box, Anna's of San Francisco oatmeal cookies.

boyfriend is obsessed with hot sauce, brought this mini-a-ture one home for him.

if i never see a name tag again, it'll be too soon.
biggest debackle of name tags EVER! up til 3:30 am correcting.

1st hot chocolate of the season! it's freezing in san francisco.

laregest fly i've ever seen, real size, not enlarged here.



our "pimpin" ride to dinner tuesday night. very eric packer.



 

dinner & a show - biscuits & blues



ana popovic, amazing, AMAZING guitar player.

day view from the 19th floor at the st. regis.

night view from the 19th floor at the st. regis.

some more hot chocolate for this freezing weather.

goodbye st. regis, onto kensington place for the last night.

ut oh.  time for iPhone4s 2.0

prince harry doppleganger?

Never forget.

In remembrance of those lives lost 11 years ago...
9.11.2001.


newspapers i collected 11 years ago

are you ready for some football?

goodbye baseball,

hello football!

the time is finally here to break out the foam fingers & pennants. 

this is the day boyfriend looks forward to every year the minute the super bowl ends.

he especially can't wait for sunday, the season opener for the chicago bears.

so you know where to find us from now on: couch, food, bears,
or screaming & clapping  & jumping up & down.

this year is extremely special because the bears play the arizona cardinals on 12/23/12 in phoenix!

heck yes we will be there!

da bears. 

chicago, instagram style

orange line into the city

connect to blue line towards o'hare

welcome drawings from nephew

#throwback, sisters, 12/22/04

make up sesh

lunchtime with mckenzie

blue-eyed josephine, let's hope they stay!

malnati's salad, the best

"'scary' ice cream place" - channing

sibling love - channing, charlotte, & josephine

awesome garden, yummy veggies

homemade crepes courtesy of my b-i-l,  clint

18 frozen pizzas delivered to phoenix 

josephine mae

today i am headed to chi-town!

3rd time this year, i just can NOT get enough of it.

i get to meet my newest niece for the first time!

josephine mae walker

july 22, 2012 

12:35 pm 

9 lbs. 3 oz. 21 in.

born in the car on the way to the hospital!

josephine's birth story by her mama, jennelle:

"Quick version of her birth story: we started timing contractions at 11:27am. They were only 1-2 mins apart and lasting for 1 min. So, Clint took the kids to a friends house down the street. We left a little after noon for the hospital, which is about 20 mins away. Josephine just couldn't wait even though Clint ran a few red lights on the way! She was born just a few mins away from the hospital. My mom caught her and put her on my chest right before we got there. We guess her birth was around 12:35pm. Fastest and easiest birth!"

 i get to spend the whole weekend with my awesome sister & family and the newest lil' nugget

josephine mae

'our story'

today i ended up on this website:

picket fence films

and clicked on over to their blog:

picket fence films blog

i've watched 394723523 of their videos & am obsessed with the "our story" videos.

so completely wanting to make one of boyfriend and i.

absolutely adorable!

 

what details should be included in an "our story" video?

any ideas or questions about our story to be in video, let me know!

:)


___________________________________________

feliz cumpleanos a mi hermana dalila!
xoxo

last night.

yes i did have another very real, very vivid dream.

this dream had tons of family & friends and one random:

mike boogie, from big brother...

 

these dreams. quite crazy i tell you.

_____________________________________________________


happy birthday to the chubbiest of us all!
my youngest, older brother jon.
love you.
xoxo

did it or didn't it?

so i dream, seriously. every. single. night.

and they are real vivid: like, did that happen or didn't it? when i wake up in the morning.

and i am very lucky because i've had some pretty cool co-stars in my dreams.

last night's co-star: robert pattinson.

 

others from previous dreams:

kristen stewart

daniel cudmore

will ferrell

taylor lautner

 

on the postive, i have met 4 of the 5.

so they're not complete strangers, right?

 



bid adieu

to an era... 4 decades of hard work!

 this weekend i have one thing planned:

sunday night goodbye dinner for my baby brother!

he goes off to school in about a week. 

[cries, i remember the day he was born! 

-and we still have the recording of the news story that day of my mom using

 midwives and having 5/7 children at home, baby bro was a superstar from birth]

my parents will finally be empty-nesters after a short 40 years

of constantly having AT LEAST one child in their home.

[almost 40 years to the day, as my eldest brother turned 40 on AUGUST 22nd.]

so a big

  CONGRATS 

to my parents for a successful 40 years of constant diapers, tears, hugs, birthday parties, barbies, legos, hot wheels, cheer, volleyball, football, soccer, softball games & try-outs, drivers ed, summer vacations & summer reading programs. 

hooray for making it out alive & keeping us all alive and on the right track in life. 

thank you for being amazing examples in your faith & hard work ethic and for being incredible parents.

NOW for the fun part:

BEING GRANDPARENTS!

[11 grand kids & counting]

time to spoil them like crazy & send them home at the end of the night ;)

oh, and break out the barbies, legos & hot wheels again!

CHEERS TO MY PARENTS.

_______________________________________________

normally it's TGIT [thursday]

as i normally work 4 ten hour days,

but today i am filling in for the sick, so TGIF

bonus, it's a very short day, only 4 hours.

phone me, yes?

 or call me, maybe?

love this song, hear it everywhere i go...

radio, or you know that girl in the grocery store singing it.

even that boy passing out his "business cards"

i've jumped on this band wagon late, but it's ok.

and here i come to find this amazing video featuring two of my faves!

justin bieber & selena gomez.

 

ENJOY :) :) :) now it too can be stuck in your head all night.

 



instagram catch up

boy have i been loving this summer.

i think i was home for maybe 2 whole weekends since memorial day.

been so busy, i apologize for lack of updates.

here's some instagram of an amazing summer

best friends bracelet from my BFF sarah, who turned SEVEN in JUNE!

told jacque i had a dream with taylor lautner in it,
next evening she sent me a good night pic & message

took julie to the bean in chicago

brought 10 frozen lou malnati's pizzas home to AZ

stayed at amazing hotel burham in downtown chicago last weekend of june

cutest chitown babies ever! channing & char-char

- my one weekend home in june -
taught myself bella's lullaby on my keyboard, need to practice some more

first weekend in july, first road trip solo, destination: los angeles
- cabazon on the way-

i made it! HOLLYWOOD

put my feet in kristen's feet prints, same size :)

2nd weekend of july - beautiful sunset on flight to san francisco

discovered my older sister jennelle sitting on ari's lap,
yes ari from the bachelorette,
this was back in high school

july 22nd, jennelle gave birth, in the car, on the way to the hospital
hello, josephine! can't wait to meet you on the 30th!

back to san francisco for second time in july
bay cruise under the golden gate :)

#allaboutsteve - swear it's sandra bullock in costume

jacque's birthday lunch at hiro sushi

the olympics everywhere! U-S-A!

lucy got a new stereo :) 

driving home from vegas second weekend of august