Name that movie!
Yep, it's Bridget Jones's Diary in all its awesomeness. When I was in the car today the song "All by Myself" came on the radio. I don't think it's possible to hear that song without thinking of that movie. Love it.
Other wonderful quotes:
Interviewer: What do you think about the El Nino phenomenon?
Bridget: It's a blip. Latin music's on its way out.
Mark Darcy: I like you, very much.
Bridget: Ah, apart from the smoking and the drinking, the vulgar mother and... ah, the verbal diarrhea.
Mark Darcy: No, I like you very much. Just as you are.
Bridget: Look, are you and Cosmo in on this together? Because every time I see you, you seem to go out of your way to make me feel like a COMPLETE idiot. And you really needn't bother: I already feel like an idiot most of the time anyway - with, or without the fireman's pole.
Mark Darcy: Mother, I do not need a blind date. Particularly not with some verbally incontinent spinster who drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney, and dresses like her mother
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
One Year Ago....
An aerial shot of the house/property before the fire.
An aerial shot of the house after the fire, before the debris had been cleared.It was one year ago today that my parents' house (and my childhood home) burned down in the southern California Witch Creek fire. On one hand, the whole event seems like an eternity ago...I feel like the picture of that house that I have in my head is getting less and less clear as time goes on. I wonder if one day I'll hardly be able to remember what it looked like. On the other hand, it seems like it all just happened. Sometimes when I think about my parents, or when I talk to them on the phone, I picture them sitting in that house, perhaps down in their office where they spent so much time. But after a year (and several visits to the house they're in now) I can usually remember to picture them in their current house. It's less weird to visit there now than it was a year ago, but still...everything is so different. There's hardly anything in that house that my parents owned before the fire. But my family still lives there, so it's still feels like home to me.
Wildfires are a threat every year, and I remember being evacuated on multiple occasions growing up. With the Witch Creek fire, while it seemed a little scarier, I didn't actually ever think that the house would actually burn down. I was obsessed with getting as much news about the fire as I could. My grandparents, my dad (my mom was in Boston for the birth of grandson #3...poor Maren, what a thing to have happen 3 days after you have a baby!) and the foster kids evacuated at 5:30am. Early that evening, I got a call from my dear friend Liz while I was shopping at Burlington Coat Factory (I was looking for something very specific for Andrew, maybe it was a coat...I don't really remember now) and she politely listened while I babbled about what little news I had, that so and so's hose had burned down, but last I knew my parents' house was still fine. As I was walking past the shoe section (isn't it weird the details you remember?), Liz told me that her dad (a volunteer sheriff) had been out and seen that my parents' house was gone. Poor Liz had to sit there and listen to me cry, I was so shocked. I got off the phone with her and called my mom, who hadn't heard the news yet.
Most of my stuff has been out of that house for years, though I did still have some things sitting in my old closet and the garage. But my dad got out the very most important things, thank goodness. And everyone was safe! I'll occasionally remember something random that burned up...like my wedding bouquet. And I mourn the loss of the beautiful baby grand piano that I wanted to inherit. And while this event added more stress to my already overstressed parents, I think everything happens for a reason (hehe, isn't that easy for ME to say since I'm so removed from the situation?). My parents were able to experience an incredible outpouring of love from the community, and it was a great thing to see.
So anyway, happy one year anniversary! ;) We miss you, house; good times were had by all.
Wildfires are a threat every year, and I remember being evacuated on multiple occasions growing up. With the Witch Creek fire, while it seemed a little scarier, I didn't actually ever think that the house would actually burn down. I was obsessed with getting as much news about the fire as I could. My grandparents, my dad (my mom was in Boston for the birth of grandson #3...poor Maren, what a thing to have happen 3 days after you have a baby!) and the foster kids evacuated at 5:30am. Early that evening, I got a call from my dear friend Liz while I was shopping at Burlington Coat Factory (I was looking for something very specific for Andrew, maybe it was a coat...I don't really remember now) and she politely listened while I babbled about what little news I had, that so and so's hose had burned down, but last I knew my parents' house was still fine. As I was walking past the shoe section (isn't it weird the details you remember?), Liz told me that her dad (a volunteer sheriff) had been out and seen that my parents' house was gone. Poor Liz had to sit there and listen to me cry, I was so shocked. I got off the phone with her and called my mom, who hadn't heard the news yet.
Most of my stuff has been out of that house for years, though I did still have some things sitting in my old closet and the garage. But my dad got out the very most important things, thank goodness. And everyone was safe! I'll occasionally remember something random that burned up...like my wedding bouquet. And I mourn the loss of the beautiful baby grand piano that I wanted to inherit. And while this event added more stress to my already overstressed parents, I think everything happens for a reason (hehe, isn't that easy for ME to say since I'm so removed from the situation?). My parents were able to experience an incredible outpouring of love from the community, and it was a great thing to see.
So anyway, happy one year anniversary! ;) We miss you, house; good times were had by all.
Standing in the general area of my old bedroom.
Ah, the beloved piano...
From what was the top story, looking down...
Where the office used to be.
Andrew's checking out the things that were found in the rubble. Look, a cupcake pan!
Driving out to the house....there were some really lucky people whose homes just barely escaped the fire.
Lucky people...
A Mangum family Christmas.
From the pool area, looking towards the back of the house.
Second garage/grandparents' rooms.
This was taken the day of the fire, before my family had been out to see it. The caption on the news website said "No one was around to see these house at 18111 Old Coach Road burn."
Where the garage used to be.
The garage, in all its mouse-y glory. :)
Pretty pool...
Not so pretty pool...
Before shot of previous picture.
Front door area.
Front door area before fire.
My wonderful in-laws came down from Utah to help sift through the debris.
My parents and in-laws during the debris sorting. I wish I could've been there! Hey look, you can see Michelle's shower!Sunday, October 19, 2008
October Adventures
We've been keeping relatively busy lately, enjoying some fun outings now that the weather is cooling down and it's not unbearable to be outside. Two weeks ago we went to the pumpkin patch with some friends. Andrew got to run around like crazy, jump in bounce houses, go on a hayride, and just have fun in general. Grant just sat there in the stroller, tolerating it all. What a trooper. It was a really fun day! Here's a slide show of our pumpkin patch adventures:
Last week we made a trip to the main fire station here in Denton. They have a little museum, which was mostly full of stuff Andrew didn't care about, though there were some fun hoses, hats, and uniforms that the kids enjoyed. A very nice firefighter took us on a tour of the entire station, and the kids were in heaven! In the living quarters there was a large display case FULL of firetrucks, Andrew desperately wanted to play with them. When we finally got to the actual firetrucks, Andrew was really scared. The firefighter opened the driver's side and said the kids could get in, but Andrew just wouldn't do it. He liked looking, just not touching. We also got to see the Hazmat truck, the bomb squad truck, and the search and rescue boat. It was pretty awesome! After the firestation we went to the park for a picnic, which is always fun. While our toddlers were playing, we sat and fed our babies (yep, all three of us have babies under 8 months...it's the Denton 4th ward baby boom!) we were approached by a woman who handed us cards--breastfeeding licenses, if you will--and told us she thought what we were doing was so great. Good for us for nursing in public. She was really nice, and I kind of got a chuckle when she said she and the other parents were from the Denton AP (attachment parenting) group. I could tell, because some of them looked a bit like hippies...like the guy with the really long hair wearing a Moby Wrap. The day I catch my husband wearing our Moby Wrap, I will die of shock. Anyway, it was nice to get a positive reaction for nursing in public, because I've definitely received some not so positive looks before.
And in super exciting news, Andrew is now fully potty trained. Woo hoo! I love not having two kids in diapers. He's been using the potty for the past year or so, but a few weeks ago we got really serious about it. Then about two weeks ago, he was just done with diapers. It was great! He (knock on wood) hasn't had any accidents since then (even at night!) and does great when we're out of the house too. Some times I don't love the whole underwear thing though, like when we were at Wal-Mart (shudder...it's REALLY too bad they're the only ones who carry my tortillas!) and Andrew told me he had to use the bathroom. Ugh, the Wal-Mart bathroom! I guess it's worth it though. :)
Grant is five months old now and reaching some fun milestones! He rolls all over the place, so we really have to watch him now. And he's starting to love solids (especially carrots and pears) and only need to nurse once at night (thank goodness). I finally found a Bumbo for him and he loves it, so hopefully he'll be able to sit up on his own soon. He also might be trying to crawl...he does this hilarious scoot thing where he puts his head down and his butt up and then pushes forward. He doesn't get very far, but I bet he will soon. My favorite thing is that he sucks on his toes, it's hilarious. He's a flexible little guy! He's SUCH a happy, smiley baby and such a wonderful addition to our family. And here's another slide show, this time of the fire station and other cute, random pictures:
So, life is good and we are really excited for the upcoming holiday season. My parents are coming for Halloween, then we get to go to Utah for Thanksgiving and California for Christmas. Exciting! Poor Andrew will be so bored come January, I know he'll be begging to go see grandma and grandpa. And by then he'll be 3....holy cow!! Time flies.
Oh, and please help give either John or I get "I told you so" rights by voting in our poll (to the left).
Last week we made a trip to the main fire station here in Denton. They have a little museum, which was mostly full of stuff Andrew didn't care about, though there were some fun hoses, hats, and uniforms that the kids enjoyed. A very nice firefighter took us on a tour of the entire station, and the kids were in heaven! In the living quarters there was a large display case FULL of firetrucks, Andrew desperately wanted to play with them. When we finally got to the actual firetrucks, Andrew was really scared. The firefighter opened the driver's side and said the kids could get in, but Andrew just wouldn't do it. He liked looking, just not touching. We also got to see the Hazmat truck, the bomb squad truck, and the search and rescue boat. It was pretty awesome! After the firestation we went to the park for a picnic, which is always fun. While our toddlers were playing, we sat and fed our babies (yep, all three of us have babies under 8 months...it's the Denton 4th ward baby boom!) we were approached by a woman who handed us cards--breastfeeding licenses, if you will--and told us she thought what we were doing was so great. Good for us for nursing in public. She was really nice, and I kind of got a chuckle when she said she and the other parents were from the Denton AP (attachment parenting) group. I could tell, because some of them looked a bit like hippies...like the guy with the really long hair wearing a Moby Wrap. The day I catch my husband wearing our Moby Wrap, I will die of shock. Anyway, it was nice to get a positive reaction for nursing in public, because I've definitely received some not so positive looks before.
And in super exciting news, Andrew is now fully potty trained. Woo hoo! I love not having two kids in diapers. He's been using the potty for the past year or so, but a few weeks ago we got really serious about it. Then about two weeks ago, he was just done with diapers. It was great! He (knock on wood) hasn't had any accidents since then (even at night!) and does great when we're out of the house too. Some times I don't love the whole underwear thing though, like when we were at Wal-Mart (shudder...it's REALLY too bad they're the only ones who carry my tortillas!) and Andrew told me he had to use the bathroom. Ugh, the Wal-Mart bathroom! I guess it's worth it though. :)
Grant is five months old now and reaching some fun milestones! He rolls all over the place, so we really have to watch him now. And he's starting to love solids (especially carrots and pears) and only need to nurse once at night (thank goodness). I finally found a Bumbo for him and he loves it, so hopefully he'll be able to sit up on his own soon. He also might be trying to crawl...he does this hilarious scoot thing where he puts his head down and his butt up and then pushes forward. He doesn't get very far, but I bet he will soon. My favorite thing is that he sucks on his toes, it's hilarious. He's a flexible little guy! He's SUCH a happy, smiley baby and such a wonderful addition to our family. And here's another slide show, this time of the fire station and other cute, random pictures:
So, life is good and we are really excited for the upcoming holiday season. My parents are coming for Halloween, then we get to go to Utah for Thanksgiving and California for Christmas. Exciting! Poor Andrew will be so bored come January, I know he'll be begging to go see grandma and grandpa. And by then he'll be 3....holy cow!! Time flies.
Oh, and please help give either John or I get "I told you so" rights by voting in our poll (to the left).
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Match-o-Matic
So we found this political quiz (thanks Katie!) and I think you should all go take it. It's very interesting...it matched me up with McCain (who beat Obama 7-6) and it matched John up with Obama (who beat McCain 7-6). So go, GO take it. And then come back and share your results. :)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A night in the life...
I am so unbelievably tired I can barely function. Grant is being....less than good at night lately. I got home from Young Womens at about 9pm last night, fed Grant, and had him in bed before 10pm. I was excited that he ate so late, I thought he'd sleep until 3 or 4am. Well, I was irresponsible and stayed up late to watch Pushing Daisies (I couldn't help myself!) and didn't get to bed until almost midnight. Stupid thing to do when you have to get up with a baby. Anyway, Grant woke up around 1am, which was extremely irritating. I sat on the couch with him until 3am, trying to stay awake long enough to feed him (obviously didn't work very well...) and went back to bed around 3:15. When my alarm went off at 5:15, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to go workout (due to a stupid incident involving my foot and a tape dispenser...yeah, so cool) and so I sent a message to my workout buddy and went back to sleep. 20 minutes later, Grant cried. What?!?! UGH! I was so frustrated. I went and got him and started to feed him, hoping to be able to put him back down to bed after he ate so I could get some sleep. As I was finishing feeding him, however, Andrew woke up and that was the end of my dream to go back to sleep. I'm SO tired. It's only 10am and I'm really hoping I can make it through the day...
In happier news, some awesome pictures from our recent adventures are forthcoming. Stay tuned.
In happier news, some awesome pictures from our recent adventures are forthcoming. Stay tuned.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
I love Fall
What's not to love about Fall? Temperature cooling, leaves changing colors...not that any of that happens here, but hey. That's not what excites me about Fall (though maybe it would if I lived somewhere where it happened). What excites me about Fall is the new television season. Wahoo! Something good to watch every night! And yes, I do watch too much TV when the Fall season starts....I can't help it! Heroes, Pushing Daisies, ANTM, Ugly Betty, The Office, Fringe. Fringe! Has anyone else seen that show? So good. And I've finally seen Chuck, which was also very good. Oooh, and Samantha Who starts soon...yikes, so much TV. I just love it though. Let's have no more strikes this year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)