The Ghirardi Family

Everybody Loves a Purse! :) Especially When it's FREE!

2008-10-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Go to www.handbagplanet.com and sign up to win a FREE handbag! They are giving away 24 super cute handbags in 24 hours so hurry and sign up!
(Thanks Reina!)

Lia's Ballet Recital

2008-10-05T09:40:00.009-07:00

Lia had her first ballet recital in August. Her ballet class had been working all summer to learn their little routine and when it came time to do it on stage, it had its moments, but was super fun to watch!

I was able to volunteer to go backstage with Lia's class along with another mom and help all the girls get prepared and lined up, etc. It was great being back there with her for her first performance!

Heres the little invite I did for her performance:

Instead of posting a million pictures on the blog, I have a new web page with all our pictures which makes it easier (thanks to some pretty hip ladies in NY for the idea: Meaghan and Regina). There is also a quick video I took from the side of the stage. Click the link below to see all the pictures and the video. Please leave comments! :)

Lia's 1st Ballet Recital (August 9, 2008)

Lia is in ballet again this session, however there will not be a performance (they only do that for the summer sessions), but she is really enjoying it and learning some new things!

I Don't Know Why...

2008-10-05T09:28:00.002-07:00

I honestly don't know why I find it so incredibly difficult to update our blog on a regular basis! I can't believe its been over 2 months since I have posted anything...I feel like I'm in the same routine, I come on, say sorry for not posting and that I'll get better, and then miss another huge time period!

I guess instead of making that promise, I'll just be honest and say that I'll post when I post when I think about it! ;) haha

So instead of boggin this post down, I'll do a series of smaller ones with the recent events!

If anyone has any tips on how to help me become a better blogger, I'll gladly take them! I'd love to have a better "record" of our memories and events going on in our lives!

A New Addiction...

2008-07-24T17:00:00.003-07:00

At a recent get together, some friends were mentioning that they are reading a great series of books and recommended that those of us not yet reading it give it a try.

They made one mention of "vampires" and I was out--but they said its not the cheesy vampire stuff and urged me to give it a try and that soon I'll be wishing I was Bella and that I had Edward in my life....so I gave it and now I'm hooked!

I've already plowed through the first book and I am now on the second of the series.

The 4 book series is written by Stephenie Meyer, an Arizona author, and consists of the following books:

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

and the last in the series, Breaking Dawn, is release August 2nd.

Friday night a bunch of us are going to Border's to the book release party as they will be having a big event and staying open LATE so that the book can be sold at 12:01!

So far I am really enjoying reading and taking some down time to get lost in such a fantasy world...

If you haven't read this series...give it a try! I highly recommend it :)

Our Day at the Circus...

2008-07-20T14:20:00.008-07:00

At the last minute we decided to get tickets to the circus that was in town for the 4th of July weekend.

We went on Sunday at 11:30 (which we now realize was probably not the best time to go...but lesson learned!).

We arrived early which meant that we could go down on the arena floor and explore, participate and watch some of the events they had going on.

Lia tried on a fancy jacket and looked mighty cute...

Next we had to get in the family picture :)

Lia was then invited to participate on one of the clowns juggling acts! She was beyond excited!! and she was certainly the littlest one out there!

I got this video of he debut circus participation...

It was a great show and Lia loved all the excitement! She told me that the elephants were her favorite!

but...as time went on, the excitement was not enough to keep our little one AWAKE! We were cutting WELL into nap time and it was very obvious that she was fading FAST!
She fell asleep first in the chair, then on me and then Joey had to carry her out...asleep. (See Joey--this is proof that our kid can sleep through anything---he always gets on me about making noise at night after she's asleep--but if she can sleep through the circus--she can sleep through the minor noise I make, ha! :))

Even though she missed the end, she still had a great time and talks about her trip to the circus to this day! They really did put on a great show and some of the stunts they did were amazing!

Mt. Lemmon

2008-07-20T13:10:00.010-07:00

The day after the 4th of July we decided to cool off some and take a drive up to Mt. Lemmon. I hadn't been up there in years (last time I went was with my friend Amy--we stayed at her grandma's cabin which is no longer there due to the fire--it's still so sad to think about the devistation that took place up there).

We loaded up and headed out and Lia was soon fast asleep for the drive...

I honestly forgot just how long it took to get to the top, but once we were there, it was so worth the trip. There were lots of people up for the long holiday weekend and it just had this wonderful cozy and welcoming feeling. People were walking the streets, riding 4 wheelers and just sitting outside at the restaurants and shops--it was a very fun and laid back vibe!

We drove down the road a little while and found the perfect spot to park the car and explore some!

We took the time for a family photo op!

Lia found a cute lil pinecone!

and Joey went "exploring"...

Lia decided she wanted to dip her feet in the water...

but didnt realize how cold it was going to be...
Here are some more pictures from the day...we had a great time--we went to the general store where Lia bought some rocks and we walked down the road to have some yummy pizza for lunch...Lia also decided to bring along her camera so she could take pictures just like mommy :)

It was a fun day and Lia was upset to leave...the weather was perfect (around 72 degrees) and was a nice break from the Tucson summer heat.

Lia ended the trip the same way she started it, asleep in the car...

Next Post to Come: Our trip to the Circus! Stay Tuned!! :)

Happy 4th of July (just a tad bit late...)

2008-07-12T12:53:00.007-07:00

Our 4th of July was pretty uneventful--it was nice to have an extra day off from work and we really just relaxed most of the day. It was just too stinkin hot to really go out and do much anyway.

The highlight of our day was when Lia and I went over to Grandma & Grandpa's house to feed Floyd (their parrot) and run the pond a little so it didnt get yucky smelling.

Lia LOVES going out to Grandpa's pond, so she was in heaven and really enjoyed throwing stuff into the water (sorry grandpa, haha) and just walking around!

Since we were in the backyard, we certainly couldnt miss the opportunity to play on the swingset---so we played out there for a while too..

Then...this is when tragedy struck....
We had entered the backyard through the gate near the front of my parents house--as we were back there, the gate somehow closed on its own AND, didnt have a way from me to open it from the inside (no string, wasn't tall enough to reach over, nothing to reach over with and unhatch it, etc.). So I thought, ok, no big deal, we'll go through the slider in the back patio--no luck, theres no keyhole on the outside. So I thought, ok, we'll go through the pool area around the other side of the house and go through the little door on the garage---no luck, the key didnt fit AND it was latched with a hook latch inside.
Panic slowly started to sink in, we had already been in the yard for a while at the pond and on the swing set, so we were already huge sweatballs and showing signs of redness on our cheeks---
So then I try this little gate they have on the other side front fence--no luck, it wouldnt budge! So I'm getting a little annoyed, frustrated and concerned at this time...so I do what I always do in that situation and called Grandpa :) and what did he do to help? LAUGHED AT ME! which of course didnt help matters and made me so much more frustrated and although I really dont want to admit it, it brought me to the point of tears (its actually quite funny now looking back on it). So this of course upset Lia as well! So finally he explained how to unlatch the double trailer gates to get out---then I had to go back in the house, through the garage door, back out to the yard and relatch the trailer gates--at that point I was just exhausted and so glad that we were done!
Lia became obsessed with the fact that the gate locked us in and continued to talk about it for the next couple of days and made it a point to tell Grandpa that he needed to fix it NOW once they got back into town (and being the great Grandpa he is, he took time out from watching his Nascar Race, LOL, and took Lia out with im to fix the gate!)

So after that ordeal, we went to get yummy ice cream at baskin robins, then Lia got to stay up extra late that night to watch fireworks from the street in front of our house!

Out in the Steet!:)

How did everyone else spend their 4th of July?

Back up and Running...

2008-07-12T12:18:00.006-07:00

So if you normally get to this blog via the liabella.net website--please bookmark the actual blog address soon, as I may begin to use the liabella for something else (other than a redirect to my blog)!

It has been over a month since I last posted, so I'll do a quick June update on this one.

Lia is still in ballet and loving it. Her teacher is WONDERFUL and all the kids adore him. They have just a few more classes left before it is performance time, so they are working hard to prepare and all of us parents are very excited for them to be on stage.

We made a quick trip to Scottsdale in early June to visit Joey's grandparents and had a nice time. Just a week later, Joey and my dad went back up to Scottsdale and installed all new sink fixtures and replaced the range and hood in Joey's grandparents kitchen as a surprise gift. They were super suprised and Joey was so excited to be able to do something they desperately needed done!

Hugs for Great Grandma!

Miss Sassy Pants at Great Grandma & Grandpa's House

Lia has also become quite the little rocker chick! Joey recently set up his drums in his office and has been showing Lia how to play---she LOVES it. I have some great videos of her playing that I will try to format down some (they are HUGE) and post, but for now, here are a few pictures of the rocker chick!

We've also started a small remodel on the laundry room/my office. Currently the laundry room is part of the garage, where you step up from the garage into about an 9x16 (I think) area that has the washer and dryer and not much else. Were going to close off the portion that opens up to the garage and put in a door there, so there is still access, then knock a walkthrough out from my office to the laundry room, so it will be part of the house not and get air conditioned! Were going to tile both rooms, put in shelving, cabinets and counter tops and create LOTS of storage space. Theres a lot more done on it now, but I need to take recent pictures (it is all sheetrocked now), but heres some before and just after the first few things were done to it...

So that's June in a nutshell...I'll post again soon on the beginning of July activities!

We'd love to hear from you and hear what you've been doing so far this summer---so leave us some comments! :)

Lia's First Ballet Class

2008-05-31T17:00:00.003-07:00

I know I'm SUPER behind on updating this thing--I've tried once to do a huge catch up blog and it got eaten--I was too frustrated to try again....so we might just skip the catch up and start again...

Today was Lia's first day of ballet. She's in Ballet/Creative Dance with kids ages 3-5. I think she's the youngest in her class. They will be working with their dance teacher Mr. Rogers all through June and July and the beginning of August at which time they (along with all the other kids in Tucson doing ballet) will have a recital (on August 9th).

Lia loved her class and did well...
Here's a little video of her first day (not sure how much more I'll be able to get since from now on, parents arent allowed in the room)....

Check out this video: Lias First Ballet Class

Add to My Profile | More Videos

So so so VERY behind...

2008-04-25T08:05:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I am getting complaints that I NEED to update our blog...I know I know, I am so behind...
I need to post:

-Easter
-Sara's Visit (My friend from CA)
-Lia's Last Day of Soccer
-Lia's Birthday Party
-Lia's Birthdday Trip to the Fair (with Grandpa & Mommy)
and probably so much more in between that I have forgotten.

I promise that tonight I will get on it and get some new stuff posted for everyone...it's just been hectic around here and on top of it all I just got sick---boo!

So stay tuned and I promise you something new and lots of pictures!

Thanks!!

Visiting Great Grandma & Grandpa

2008-03-14T17:47:00.002-07:00

A couple weekends ago we made a trip to Scottsdale to visit the great grandparents--Lia was beyond excited to go see them as she has been talking to them each night before bed!

The trip there went smoothly and we only had to stop 1 time for a potty break!

When we got there Lia enjoyed "cooking" for them and was just as silly as ever.

She was so full of love and gave lots of hugs and kisses. It really is special to see her interact with them and how much enjoyment they get from it!

We had a wonderful visit and can't wait to go back.

and an added bonus--Lia slept nearly the whole way home! hehe :)

Soccer Time

2008-03-02T18:53:00.003-07:00

Lia FINALLY started soccer yesterday! I made the mistake of telling her WAY too early that she was going to take a soccer class in March and she kept saying "I want to play soccer now and march in the band!" (she didnt get that "march" was a month and not an action, hehe).

So we got to the park with all the other little 2-3 year olds and soccer began!

They started with some streches and running and then Coach Rachael showed them how to dribble the ball and then stop the ball.

They got to kick the ball through a big tunnel and then crawl after it and kick it into the goal.

Lia insisted on picking up the ball every 2 minutes and didnt understand why she had to keep putting it down, haha.

At the end we did a parent tunnel where all the parents stood with their arms in an arch and the little ones ran through while we cheered for them. Lia then got stamps on her hands and her soccer shirt which she is very proud of and will ask to wear everyday from now on I'm sure ;)

We do soccer every Saturday until the beginning of April and on the last day of class they play a little game--so that should be interesting!

So far I think Lia likes it and enjoyed herself!

Remember When...February & April 2005

2008-02-19T19:47:00.006-07:00

I haven't done a remember when in a while...so I figured I would do one!

Date:
2/27/2005
I don't have many pictures of me pregnant (unfortunately), but the first one is from when I was 32 weeks! I loved being pregnant (with the exception of the HORRIBLE morning sickness at first)!!

Date:
4/8/05
I was 38 weeks pregnant here with Joey!

Date:
4/14/05
And at 39 weeks! I'm as huge as the cabinet!!

Date:
4/22/05
Finally she's here! Our first picture as a new family!

Date:
4/28/05
Lia & Daddy, so precious!

It's so much fun to go through old pictures and remember the days that seem so long ago now! I will continue to share some "Remember When" moments with you every now and then!

I really got to thinking today that Lia will be 3 soon...that just blows my mind--I'm not sure where the time has gone, but it has been a lot of fun and I'm so very excited for what every new day brings.

Rock out the Show!

2008-02-18T09:21:00.014-07:00

So I know I've been promising a video and this is not the best quality (and I was using a new camera, so its got some cut out of the sound in places--sorry), but it at least shows you the crazy little performer! She's singing her favorite Hannah Montanna song and going in circles in the living room! We just watched it back and she said to herself "come on Lia, sing!" LOL so now she sings more of the words, but the video is still cute!

Say You....Say Me

2008-02-18T08:59:00.004-07:00

So the other day, I was on this website I go to occassionally to get my "gossip fix" (popsugar.com). And on it, there was a little article/blurb about Fergie when she was a part of the Disney show Kids Incorporated and it had a link to a You Tube video.

As a kid, I dont think we always had access to the Disney channel, but whenever I could I remember loving to watch Kids Incorporated--it was the coolest!

So, I start playing the video and totally going back as I clearly remember watching all the kids performing...and Lia came into the office while it was playing.....since then I've probably seen the below video about 100+times!

My child is OBSESSED with this video/song and now knows ALL the words and sings along and even sings it on her own. I'm constantly being asked to watch "Say You, Say Me".

I played a bunch of the other Kids Incorporated vides from You Tube for her....ok and partially for me ;) hehe...and by far, the below one is still her absolute favorite.

I thought I'd share it with you and I'll try to get a video of her singing on here too!

It has been a while...

2008-01-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Well it has been a while since I've posted!
We've just been keeping busy busy busy!

I found a mommy's group, so Lia and I have been trying to make it to as many activities as we can with them.

We went to the Zoo and Lia had a great time seeing all the animals and hanging out with her new friends!

We also went to a birthday party and then a playdate to the park and then to get ice cream!

So were both enjoying the interaction!

Lia is still doing great on the potty training stuff...she's getting into going on her own, which is great!

She's also a complete chatterbox! She talks and sings non-stop! It's the cutest thing ever! I'm amazed at how much she knows and how many different songs she can sing!

Speaking of singing....she's in a Hannah Montana phase right now. We even had to buy a cd so she can jam out in the car. She practically knows every song off the cd already and sings so good! I need to video her doing it!

Well I think we've finally recovered from the holidays and we hope to start working some more on the house soon!

We have SOOO much to do to turn it into something we really love!

We've already redone the master bathroom, but every other room still needs lots of attention!

What have you all been up to?

Do you have any fun remodeling/decorating pictures or advise you can share!?

Am I Speedy? Are you?

2008-01-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

71 words

Chop! Chop! Chop!

2007-12-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

I finally did it---I chopped off my hair!

I went in with an idea of what length and I wanted and a picture and David (from Gadabout) took it from there.

I think when I go back for my next trim, I'll add more "style" to it, but for now I at least wanted something new and short and fun.

I am still trying to play with it and do things with it to see how I like it best (and since I've been off work and bumming--I havent really been doing it much lately).

The first few pictures of from the day I got it cut (friday) and then one when I did it "curly" and a couple with it messy (took them just before I went to bed, lol).

La Paloma Christmas Party for Work

2007-12-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago was my work holiday party at La Paloma. Joey and I got a hotel room there (makes it so much easier to just walk to the room after the late party than trying to drive home tired).

This year was a "Las Vegas" theme, so they had an Elvis impersonator, Show Girls, Slot Machines, etc. I got a picture with "Elvis" and Joey with the Show Girls--they came out cute!

We took pictures when we first got there (they take a professional one of every couple), so I'll poast that when I get it back. We had a yummy dinner and dessert and then it was on to the entertainment, in additional to the Vegas stuff, they had a comedian and an illusionist.

There was a big raffle for cash prize (which I didnt win :() and a dance contest--which was hilarious!

Then lots of music and dancing the rest of the night--I got out there with my girlies and danced, but Joey only came out to slow dance--party pooper ;) hehe

We had a great time and it was nice to get away for a night! We slept in the next day and then went to lunch before picking up Lia from Grandma and Grandpas!

Me and My Friend/Co-Worker Venus

This was Joey by the end of the night when I kept taking pictures! hahaha

Winterhaven

2007-12-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

On 12/18 Lia, Grandpa and I decided to go to the drive night at Winterhaven (it is a neighborhood that "goes all out" for the holidays and decorates).

Daddy was working and Grandma wasnt feeling good, so we loaded up and headed out.

We waited in line for the LONGEST time just to get into the neighborhood--but as soon as we pulled in, Lia saw Santa and it was all worth it! He gave her a candy cane and she was so excited.

As you can see she was enjoying a lollipop and the moved on to her candy cane.

Lia insisted that her window be open so she could say "HI!" and "Merry Christmas!" to everyone that was walking by.

Lia loved all the lights and decorations. She loved seeing all the candy canes, "shiny nose", Santas and especially the horses that were pulling the hay rides. We were stopped for a bit while a few passed and she was so excited. I tried to take pictures (w/out the flash) but they didnt come out so great.

Heres a silly one of Lia and Grandpa!

Overall we had a really fun night and Lia LOVED that Grandpa came with us!

Our Christmas Card

2007-12-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so hopefully everyone has gotten out Christmas card at this point :) And if you didnt, send me your address so youre on my list for next time!

Things have been busy around here w/ last minute shopping and preping for the big day(s)....I have some pictures to post of my work Christmas party from last weekend, but that'll be later.

So here is the card I made this year--the santa pictures came out so cute and I was able to buy the copyright to them this year, allowing me to make my own card and prints!

Enjoy--I'd love to hear what you all think too!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and gets a chance to spend it with the people that are dear to them! :)

My Own Design!

2007-12-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

So, as most of you know, I have a passion for photography and graphic design...something I really hope to either gain more exerpience in just by doing or to actually go to school for....

Each year I pride myself in making our own family Christmas photo cards. Last year, I made every attempt to get a nice family picture with no luck....so I turned the "outtakes" into a card too and it went over REALLY well. Most everyone with a little one can relate. (In case you didnt get one, here they are)

Well this year I knew that I was running out a time and a nice family picture might not be realistic, so I thought I'd just take some of Lia for the card....and this is what I got...These are the best two and with a little editing I think the hat one might have been super cute (these are completely unedited). Lia was just not in the picture taking mood (she never is lately--she tells me "no pictures momma!"). Needless to say, these wont be used...

So I thought I was going to have another Christmas card challenge...

Well I am happy to say that I think I have created a super cute card! Yay! and I found a new favorite place to print my pictures (Costco) that I never used before and I dont know why!

I wont be sharing my 2007 card until after I've sent them out (hopefully tomorrow) and everyone gets them--then I'll post it here...Don't want to ruin the surprise :) hehe

So, if you aren't on my card list and should be, please please please send me your address!

I've love to see everyones Christmas cards too!

Can't wait to post them and see what everyone thinks---they arent super special, but its fun to make them and share cutie pictures of lil Miss Lia!

Movers & Shakers Graduation

2007-12-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

I never posted these, but Lia had her last Movers & Shakers class a couple weekends ago. She has been taking this class for about 4 sessions now and loves it. She calls it her "Blue Class" because, well, its blue! :) (The mats, equipment, etc.)

She has a great time every class and runs around like a mad woman! It is such a fun place for her to go and interact with other little ones her age. Since she's not in any school or child care and since I have yet to find a mommy's group that I can participate in with my work schedule, this weekly class is great!
Lia got her certificate and was so proud!

Sadly, we probably won't be able to attend the next session---the first day of registration (the day ALL the weekend classes immediately fill up) was our last day of class---so registration started at 8:00 and we had class at 8:15. By the time we were out of class and I called in to register, the weekend class for Lia's age group was full. We are on the waiting list, so we'll see!
I do hope we get in since it would be something nice (and indoors) to go do during the cold winter days.
If not, I think we'll be visiting the Mall play area, another little gym that has "free time" a lot more. Hopefully I can find a mommy's group to not only allow her to make some playmates, but also allow me to make some mommy friends. Sometimes being a mommy is so rewarding and so lonely!

I think I may need to start looking into some kind of preschool---we'll see, I know she'd love it.

Those of you with little ones, do you have them in preschool or any other activities to keep them busy and socialize with other little ones?

Proud Mama!

2007-11-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lia is just over 2 and a half and we decided (or rather she decided with her words and actions) that it was definitely time for potty training!

We went shopping for her favorite character underwear--Elmo and Zoe and Curious George of course!

I decided it would be best to start it when I had extra time with her at home and since I'm off 4 days with Thanksgiving--we started yesterday.

To prep her, we've been "giving our diapers to the babies". She has put them on her baby dolls and the rest we put in the trash because "big girls dont need diapers"!

Yesterday started off ok--each time she started to go potty, we quickly ran into the bathroom and tried to finish on the toilet--she was ok with that for a while. Then, for some reason each time she went, it was SUPER dramatic and she'd cry while she stood there peeing (poor thing!).

Nap time was a little tough too--she wet the bed almost immediately after I layed her down and she was extremely upset about it. She ended up crashing in the "big bed" (our bed) and slept a good nap.

It was about the same after nap time, but we were at Grandma and Grandpas for dinner--so that was a little difficult. She went on the potty probably about 2 times proactively (w/out first wetting her underwear). We probably changed underware about 15-20 times total (I did laundry during the day so I lost count!)

This morning I ran in and got her as soon as I heard her up, but I was too late, she had already peed!

But...then today...today was awesome! She wore a total of 2 pairs of underwear! Thats it!

She woke up dry from her nap and we went in to the potty right away and she went. She was a potty machine and did SO well! She would say "mommy, potty!" and book it to the bathroom. I went CRAZY everytime she went and she was so very excited! and.....she even went poop in the potty today!

We are beyond proud of her and excited that she is catching on so quickly. I know we are far from being done, but this is an awesome start.

Thanks for letting me share our excitement---for those of you with little ones, I'm sure you can relate to just how exciting it is.

(Just had to add in a picture of our Big Girl!)

*UPDATE: Night #2 went AWESOME! She went down w/out a problem, slept all night (dry) and when she woke up, she called for me and we ran into the bathroom and she went potty! She stayed dry all night! wooo hoo!! We're finally going to convert her crib to a bed tomorrow since she'll need to easily get out to go potty (she still never tries to climb out, so we've just left it until this point). She really is our BIG GIRL!

Don't Be Shy!

2007-11-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I recently put tracker on this site to track hits and where the hits are coming from just to see what it did and what info it gave me.

The majority are from Tucson (probably my mom and some friends) and Show Low (My loyal visitor Tyla I'm sure ;)) but there are some others from the following places as well:

Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Mesa, Arizona
Eagar, Arizona
San Diego, California
Tijuana, Baja California
Chandler, Arizona

I think its fun to see where all people are visiting from....but it would be MORE fun to hear from these people and if they left comments!

So, if you visit, leave a comment and let me know who you are! :)

I'd love to catch up with old buddies and other family! I know a LOT of people are on Blogger and I'd love to catch up on your lives as well!

So....DON'T BE SHY!! :)

Playin Soccer!

2007-11-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

All day Saturday Lia kept asking me to "play soccer". I'm not sure what got this idea in her head, but she was set on it and didn't let up. After she woke up from her nap, she asked again...so we decided to take a trip to the park.

As soon as we got there, the idea of playing soccer quickly left her mind as soon as she saw the swings!

She was on the swings for the longest time, just enjoying the ride and watching some of the other kids.

When it was finally soccer time, she had a blast running around with daddy and kicking the ball. She did awesome and is our future little soccer star!

Go Cats!

2007-11-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I met up with my long time friend Brooke to catch the UofA game! It was kinda strange to be back on campus since I really haven't been there since I graduated in 2004. It was the same, but very different. As I walked from the parking garage WAY across campus (seriously the only place left to park on a game night) I realized how incredibly annoying all the "college girls" were! These obnoxious girls were behind me just talking about being drunk and being really annoying...I'm so glad I wasn't like that when I was in college ;) hehe

So, the UofA played Georgia for an exhibition game. Final score 96-73! :)
Go Cats!

(oh, the security dude--the one you see in most my pics--made me turn off my flash, so sorry for the blury pictures!)

Halloween Night

2007-11-03T13:14:00.001-07:00

Halloween night we decided to go over to Grandma & Grandpa's house for dinner and trick-or-treating.

Lia also decided that she would be a ballerina this night! (she had a choice between a princess and a ballerina)

We walked around a couple blocks and had a great time. Lia LOVED seeing the other kids and kept saying "there is a monster!" when she'd see kids with masks on!

She quickly learned the "trick-or-treat" concept and was always so polite, saying thank you, even to the dogs that came to the door (thank you doggies!).

We had a great night and got WAY too much candy!

Here are a few pictures from the night!

Halloween Festival (#2)

2007-10-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

So, as promised, we have pictures from another Halloween Festival from Sunday night.

Lia decided that this night, she would wear her "Princess" dress instead of her "Ballerina" outfit like she had worn the night before. She was so excited to hear that Grandpa was going to come with us!

We went to Grandma's and Grandpa's to pick up Grandpa and to go in and show Grandma how cute Lia was in her costume.

We loaded up and headed out to the festival (aka madness of children and parking nightmare) and see all the kids.

As soon as we walked into the little Trail Dust Town, Lia saw the carousel and immediately wanted to ride it.

We waited in line for a while until it was finally our turn.

Lia had an absolute blast on the horse! She was laughing and giggling the whole time. Every time we passed Grandpa she would say "Hi Grandpa!" as he took a picture.

She kept saying "yee-haw" and "Up and down" as she rode.

We walked around for a while and watched all the other kids. We hiked all the way over to the Target nearby and walked through there and then headed back to the car since it was dark and getting late.

It was a great night and really fun for Grandpa to join.

Thank You for coming Grandpa! :)

Painting Cookies

2007-10-29T17:59:00.001-07:00

Ok ok, I know I've already posted a ton of Halloween stuff (and there is more even after this one), but Lia is at that fun age where holidays are exciting! I love doing all this stuff with her and can't wait to to more for all the upcoming holidays.

On Sunday, after Lia's nap, I made cookies (we only had the premad chocolate chip, not sugar cookies, so we used those) and frosting in all different colors.

I sat Lia down at the table and let her go at it with the frosting. She had a great time and made some super sugary chocolate chip cookies!

She also decided that mid decorating, she'd take a bit out of one, then frost it! That is my favorite one! :)

Pumpkin Carving

2007-10-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

In addition to painting a pumpkin, Lia helped carve and clean the big pumpkin. She did awesome and was determined to clean every last bit out! We had a great time!

All the pumpkins came out nice!

Pumpkin Painting

2007-10-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Lia painted her special little pumpkin that she picked out at the pumpkin patch. She had a great time doing it and made it so pretty!

(We carved one too--I'll post those next)

Halloween Festival (#1)

2007-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last night the community center across the street from our house hosted a Halloween Festival.

After dinner I got Lia all dressed up and we headed over. It wasnt a huge event, but it was still fun for her to see other kids and it was another excuse to wear her outfit!

She played all the games they had out and was so excited when she "won". After she tossed the bean bags or tossed the rings she's shout "I did it!" after each one, then when she was all done, she'd say "Mommy, I won!". It was seriously the cutest thing ever. She then took her little bag and got prizes and candy for "winning".

We saw some clowns walking around and Lia wasnt quite sure what to think of them. She wasn't terrified, but she definitely was keeping an eye on them!

By far, her favorite thing to do was watch all the other kids and talk to them. She is little miss social and has to say hello to everyone and even gave another little girl (who was an adorable little fairy and was 1 1/2) a hug!

We had a great time and were planning on going to another one tonight. I'll post those pictures as soon as I can!

The holidays are so much fun with a little one!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-28T12:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch at Buckelew Farm! We were really exctied to take Lia this year since last year she was less than thrilled with the whole trip!

She had been talking about the "punkin patch" for the past couple of days, so we knew we were on the right track about getting her excited. I told her that we were going to ride the horses and pick out pumpkins, etc. and she was very excited!

When we arrived, we jumped right on the horse wagon that takes us out to the pumpkins. Lia LOVED this and loved seeing the horses. Once we got off and started searching for our pumpkins, Lia immediately found her perfect little pumpkin!

We jumped back on the wagon and rode back in. While Joey took the pumpkins to the car, Lia insisted on going in the jumpy castle. She had a blast, but kept loosing her pants! :)

We walked around some more and got some drinks and snacks and relaxed for a bit then it was time to start the drive home (Lia was already getting a little sleepy).

We had a great time and we were so happy that Lia really enjoyed herself this year!

And just for fun....here are a couple pictures from last year (not the best pictures, but then again, she wasn't having the best time either...haha)

My Pretty Princess/Ballerina

2007-10-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

With Halloween approaching, I was keeping an eye out at the stores to see what costumes might work for Lia this year...

I found a precious little ballerina costume that I knew she would just LOVE! I held off showing it to her for a few days (because I knew she'd want to wear it non-stop!) but then I just couldnt resist anymore--and she had seen it in her closet.

She instantly fell in love with it the moment I put it on her. She started twirling around and doing her ballet moves. She then ran to get her Princess shoes to wear while dancing!

At some point she decided that dance time was over and it was time to cook while still wearing her outfit!

She was requesting to wear her ballerina outfit so often, that I was afraid by Halloween time it would be rather worn....so I did what any mommy would do, I bought her another one (not the same one, but similar) so she can play dress up in that one until Halloween and then she'll have 2 to play with afterwards!

So Lia will be a Ballerina for Halloween this year. We've got some cute little tights for her to wear and we are going to attempt to pull her hair into a cute little pony with some clippys, etc. (Since it so curly and short, this may be a challenge--getting up will be ok, but keeping it up the whole night might not work out so great!)

I got some really cute video of her dancing in the kitchen, but it was dark when I did it so its kinda hard to see the video :( I'll have to get another that is easier to see and share her ballet skills with everyone!

Lia is really showing a lot of interest in dance (of any kind), music and singing. She's going to be our little entertainer!

At the Park with Grandpa!

2007-10-24T22:22:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, as I was picking Lia up from Grandma and Grandpa's house, Grandpa made Lia a promise...
He promised that he would take her to the park the next day!
Oh boy, was that all she talked about the rest of the day, all night and the next morning! She was so excited that Grandpa was going to take her to the park for some extra special play time!

I came to the park to pick her up after I got off work....she was having the best time with Grandpa!
She was a pro at climbing and must have gone down the slides 100 times!
She is always so silly and talkative and just makes every outting so much fun!

She had a fun day with Grandpa and loves the extra special time he spends with her!
Now...leaving the park, that was an entirely different story! She was beyond mad that we had to leave and definitely didn't want to leave with Mommy! So Grandpa, being the great Grandpa he is, loaded her up in his car and drove her home! She still wasn't thrilled with leaving, but she got over it fast!

Now that the weather it really cooling down (if only the crazy wind would stop!) Lia has really been playing outside and loving every minute of it!

Thanks for a special day at the park Grandpa! We love you!

And the Winner is....

2007-10-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Every year when my company releases its newest product, we have a "code" name (an internal name) for the release. This year, the "code" name was "KONA".

Just before Joey and I left for our vacation to San Francisco, my company started a contest to design a simple logo for the internal promotions.

The rules were the following:
-Must incorporate the following words: Kona, QuickBooks, 2008

-A maximum of 4 colors

-Must represent a "Hawaiian" theme

I wasnt really sure what exactly they were looking for, and I couldnt remember what our "internal" logos looked like from previous releases, so I basically just did my own thing and hoped it would come out nice! As most of you probably know, doing design work, picture editing, etc. on the computer it one of my "hobbies" and something that I truly do enjoy, so this was right up my alley!

Like I mentioned, this contest was released just before Joey and I were getting ready to leave for SF, so I had to make my design and submit it quickly! I submitted it and...then came the waiting! A team was to pick their top 3 favorite designs (all of my companies sites were eligible to enter) and then those 3 designs would be announced for everyone to vote on. The design with the most votes would be the winner!

The only bad thing was that the winner was going to be announced while we were still on vacation, so I had to wait until we got back to see how my design had done!

When I returned to work, I naturally had WAY too many emails to filter through and somewhere lost in those hundreds (yes hundreds--thats what happens when you are out of the office for 2 weeks!) was the fate of my design.....

I stumbled on the emails announcing the top 3, and to my excitement, mine was there! (Yes!)

Then I came to another email where a co-worker had sent me a copy of the "current standings" of the designs when he voted---and to my dissapointment it looked like I was just trailing another design.....My co-worker expressed his sympathies and explained "I tried!".

So I was starting to feel a little bummed that it hadn't won, but it was ok, it was just something fun to do.

Then, I got to another email, the email that was to announce the winner........and to my surprise, I had actually won (apparently my co-worker's "current standing" email wasnt the latest and greatest").

I was beyond excited! I knew it wasnt a "huge" deal, but it was cool to think that my co-workers voted for my design and liked it the best!

The company gave out t-shirts and mugs with my logo and used my logo on all internal publications for the new product release!

I just thought it would be fun to share with you all! :)

I would LOVE to be able to build more skills in the design area and be able to do something with those skills....who knows, only time will tell, maybe someday I'll get to explore my photo and design interests a little further!

Making a Beach!

2007-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Mommy, I'm Making a Beach!

The other day we went out back to play and get dirty!

(We don't go out back often due to the heat--but its finally cooling down--and due to the EXTREME mess that is our yard! We desperately need landscaping done! So if anyone knows a good landscaper or has some skills themself, we'd love to hear about it!!!)

Ok...so, Lia has a sand table out side that she LOVES! Lately she has been loving to dump sand all over the patio, in the rocks, etc.

She was just playing away and was so busy doing her thing....She was making multiple trips to dump sand onto the rocks just out from the patio.

She then insisted that I fill her purple little watering can time after time after time so she could water her sand.

Next thing I know, she's running in the house and taking off her shoes....

and then darting back outside to her sand pile!

She was SO excited to dig her little toes into the wet sand and kept telling me "Mommy, I made a beach!" (She has never been to the beach, but obviously we need to take her to one in the very near future--I don't know what she'll do with a whole area full of sand!)

She was giggling and having the best time with her little sand pile!

She loves her sand pile and continues to water it and play in it each time we go out!

I love that she isnt afraid to get dirty! As a kid I HATED being dirty and I think I missed out on a lot of fun because of that! I'm so excited that Lia wants to play and have fun--we typically have to take a bath after we play, but thats ok--I dont mind and she loves to play in the bath too!

Remember When...October 2005

2007-10-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Remember When...
Date: October 2005

October 2005 was a big month for little miss Lia. She was 6 months old (towards the end of the month) and met a few big milestones that month!

She transitioned to a new "big girl" bathtub ring!

She learned to sit up all by herself! We were so excited for this event we decided to give her a whirl on the swings! She had fun, but we soon realized she might still be a little small to really enjoy them!

She "crawled" across the living room! Her end goal in doing this was to reach the phone! We were so excited and proud!

She dressed up for her first Halloween as a darling LadyBug!

It is amazing how fast the time has gone and how much she has really grown!

Hope you enjoyed a few pictures from 2 years ago! :)

Time for a Family Visit...Great Gma & Gpa

2007-10-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Great Grandma & Great Grandpa on GGma's birthday last month. Lia was so excited to see them and to play with all of Great Grandma's bears and the balloons from her birthday!

Lia is always so busy and that makes Great Gma & Gpa nervous! They are not used to having a little one roaming around the house. We visited for a while, Lia had some lunch and we headed back home--its hard on everyone if we stay too too long, but we sure do enjoy our visits!

Lia knows exactly who they are and is always so happy to give them hugs! We had a nice visit and can't wait to go back!

We got some precious pictures that I thought I'd share! :)

(September 2007)

Wisdom...Removed

2007-10-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

So I finally got some dental work done that I had been putting off. Two of my fillings were "leaking" and needed to be redone and I needed to get my upper wisdom teeth removed. No fun! I'm a little sore, but hopefully it goes away quickly! I'm going to relax the rest of today and pop some advil to help! :)

On another note....its "bulky trash" pick-up day in our neighborhood. I didnt know this until I was driving home from the dentist and saw mounds of junk piled at everyones curb (apparently our notice never made it to our door).

Thankfully I had already started to clean the garage last week and had a huge stack of stuff just waititng for "bulky" day.

I put it all out on the curb...happy to get it out of the garage!

A little while later, the doorbell rings as UPS is leaving a package. When I go out to get it, I notice that 90% of the JUNK I put out for bulky pick up was gone. It amazes me what people will drive around and pick up....seriously, want to know what they took?

-a broken/cracked white patio chair
-2 pieces of a metal over the toilet shelf
-Lia's old fold out couch/bed that she threw up on...so I took the cover off to wash it and was never able to get it back on correctly
-a vaccum (which actually still "sorta" works ok)

Now...want to know what they left--as in, something that was not originally in my pile of junk, but now is...

-a Play Station 2 game console that certainly looks like it has seen better days (they just tossed it in to one of the boxes I had out there)...WEIRD!

I guess its a transfer of trash...they pick something up one place and as they are traveling for more treasures decide they no longer want/need it and toss it at the next house.

But hey...I don't care, I have it out on the curb for a reason (I DONT WANT/NEED IT) so if someone else can find use for a broken plastic chair, more power to them! :)

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Does anyone else have any fun trash stories? :)

~Crystal

Painting is Fun!

2007-10-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Lia loves to water color---this particular day, she was very animated and made some super silly faces! (June 2007)

Barney Boots!

2007-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Back in August, Lia and I were cleaning out her closet. That meant, trying on some things to see if they still fit, getting rid of the small stuff, organizing what was staying, etc.

Lia liked the idea of finding stuff that didn't fit, because that meant "we were giving it to the babies"!

She also found a few favorites that she insisted on wearing for a better part of the morning!

Item 1: A bright pink WINTER jacket that was size 12 months!(Keep in mind it was August in Tucson)

Item 2: A pair of Barney slippers which she so lovingly called her "Barney Boots!". (From that day forward, any slippers that look sorta like this are now called "boots".)

She loved walking around in that and probably would have worn it all day if I would have let her!

In the end, we had one organized closet and a big box and bag of items to sell/donate! :)

Swingin' & Singin' at the Park!

2007-10-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Flower Girl!

2007-10-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Lia LOVES flowers lately. Here are some pictures of Lia at Grandma & Grandpa's house playing with the flowers.

Hello???

2007-10-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hello?....Is anyone still out there?

Ok ok ok...so I have been TERRIBLE with keeping our friends and family up to date with this website...I think I just try to make it TOO complicated (for me to update) and I lose interest!

So, I have decided to go SUPER easy! I just linked up a standar blog to our page and ta-da-it's as easy as it can get!

Since I can easily update this online from anywhere, I hope to be making MORE updates and MORE frequently!