We've Been TAGGED!

so 7 random things about us huh? we were "tagged" a little over a week ago (thanks Meg)so now we need to come up with and post 7 random things about us. it has taken us some time to find 7 random things, leaving us to think that number one should be....

1. We Are Not Very Random People: we live a simple life, basic blissful marriage, sprinkled with lots and LOTS of laughter, and spending as much time as we can together...which is often difficult since Paul works in Salinas and spends his work week in Hollister at my folks house, only coming home on his days off. this basically leaves us all craving each other and looking forward to when we are all under the same roof again. couple this with only having Jordan 50% of the time (alternating weeks Fri-Fri with her mom) and there is no wonder why we make the most of our time together. but as mentioned in a previous blog there is an end in sight. Paul has a transfer date...DEC 31....wooo hooo!! (i hope we still like each other once we really live together)

2. We Tend to OVER Celebrate: we are those people who make a huge production over just about anything. a lot of this has to do with Jordan. i think since Paul was a 'weekend daddy' for so many years of Jordan's life that she is used to her time with him being filled with adventures and basically as much as the answer "YES" as possible. she is just now getting into the swing of 'normal family life' but still is always keeping her eye out for the next big day...maybe this is why she wore her birthday girl ribbon for a whole week?! (how much free stuff can one little girl get? a whole lot!)

3. The Song "Game": We will call it a game but in reality it is just another 'party for one'. Paul is a master at getting a song stuck in my head. all he has to do is hum a few bars of something and my musical tourettes kicks in and hours later (unless he gets me again with another song) i am STILL singing the song. the worst part? sometimes i don't even know the song. Paul really loved the time he got me humming the Star Wars song...after the 3rd time humming it i finally asked, "what is that?" he pretty much died laughing...since i am not a "trackie" or whatever they call Star Wars fans.

4. Reality TV: Yep i am pretty much all over it...if it is someone elses business i am there. my new favorite Kamora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane. it's awesome, i want to be her new BFF. We enjoy Big Brother 8 too. yep its pathetic but if it is reality TV i wanna see it...drama, drama, drama. ya know i wasn't going to mention this (because it makes me look lame) but i have also been watching 3 VERY embarrassing reality TV shows on a semi regular basis... Scott Baio 45 and Single, Hey Paula (total train wreck) and Rock of Love with Bret Michaels....all 3 seriously pathetic. i think i watch because they make me feel better about myself and they have no idea that i am sitting on my couch laughing my butt off watching them make fools of themselves. cheaper than therapy.

5. Jim and Carla: My in laws...we would pretty much rather spend time with them then anyone we know. sound odd? then you don't know my in laws. they are the funniest, most genuine, loving, generous people i know. AND they like spending time with US too...yea really!! i often think about how lucky i am that i am not one of the MANY who have Mother in laws from hell. i can only think of a handful of people who truly like there mother in law. yep they pretty much rock and we feel very blessed to have them. not to mention the fact that they are AWESOME grandparents to Jordan...truly blessed.

6. Paul Knows EVERYTHING About Me: and loves me even more because of it. Paul is he one person in my life that i have been 100% myself with. there is nothing he doesn't know about me and i have to tell you THIS is the true meaning of love. he knows the embarrassing details of my life, my deepest darkest secrets and biggest dreams and wishes...and STILL he loves me...more everyday i think. he is the best man i have ever known. and FINALLY i met someone who makes me laugh...all the time. seriously, we crack each other up on a regular basis...i think i love this most about him, and the list of things i love about him is very long. it's nice to finally be living my happily ever after.

7. HolleeAnn has a SERIOUS need to be validated:
This is Paul, here to finally put down into words what HolleeAnn means to me, but since this is a random list I will include something incredibly random about HolleeAnn that I love. One thing HolleeAnn does that I think is very adorable is when she comes out dressed down in her opinion but she is seriously cute in a sweatshirt, pig tails and a baseball cap. I married a beautiful woman and even when "dressed down" she is a knockout!


ok so i am suppose to TAG someone else...the blogs i regularly read (stalk) are Meredith's (cuz she is really funny and wants to be Kamora Lee Simmons friend too) and Monica's (she is my sister in law and is a new blogger soooo this will give her a topic for a new entry) SOOOO TAG You're it girls!! Seven Random Things please!

Chocolate Cake for BREAKFAST?!?

Well if you have HolleeAnn for a mom and it's your 12th birthday..YES, chocolate cake for breakfast!! Oh and ordinarily we do not eat on TV trays in our family room, but construction has begun and the dining room, kitchen and hallway floors are being torn out and replaced. i have a feeling this will be a VERY slooooow process on a very long job. BUT Bob the Builder aka Paul says he has it allll under control. so we will see...Meg where are you?!

Jordan likes to create traditions. For Christmas last year it was all about starting new family traditions; S'mores and Charlie Brown Christmas (because "at the end they talk about Jesus"). This year she has decided a good tradition for her bithday would be to have birthday cake for breakfast...hey i like the way this kid thinks soooo today she had a nice thick slice of chocolate birthday cake complete with a candle and yet another birthday wish (by the she says she is using all birthday and fountain wishes on a baby brother or sister, but sometimes wishes for twins; one of each please).

here are some early morning Birthday pics of the Birthday Girl. by the way this is like the longest birthday week ever!!



sorry puppy Zoey, no cake for you!!

Jordan's Birthday Bash

Jordan turns 12 and my goodness all of the sudden she looks like a preteen! oh and the birthday ribbon has been worn EVERYWHERE this weekend because of potential 'free stuff' and 'maybe they will sing to me and bring me dessert'. she totally takes after me...the girls loves the spotlight and being the center of attention. i can relate and support this behavior...lol.

Saturday was her birthday party and it was a GREAT time had by all!! so so so so much fun. she had a fantastic turn out and all the kids seemed to have a great time. All of the gifts she received were very thoughtful and perfect for this little girl! here are some pics...even tho they don't begin to show how much of a fun day it truly was!


Grandpa and Grandma Machado led all the kids (umm and the adults that act like kids) in cannonball competitions.








We are missing more than a few kids who attended in this pic, but i could not drag kids from there own fun to get a full group picture. it was a lot of fun to meet some of Jordan's new classmates and their parents.


You haven't lived until you have Karaoked High School Musical baby!! OH and just so you know, i rocked the party that rocked that party!! YES i know all the words, what kind of cool mom would i be if i didn't?!? AND we are going to see High School Musical on ICE in October...yes of course i will blog it! yee haw!




Happy Birthday dear Jordan, Happy birthday to you....make a wish.





we love chocolate yes we do, we love chocolate how about you?! Thanks Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Hal for bringing your chocolate fountain and setting up a VERY yummy (and super cute) display!!

Boys, Chocolate and Swimming...all things good!

it was so much fun to have my nephews come and play before, during and after Jordan's birthday party. Mark and Melinda's boys Garrett, Zack and Brock haven't been over for a little while and had a great time being the little fishies that they are. Amy's boys Parker and Ty loved meeting the puppy and swimming in the pool for the first time since last summer. EVERYONE loved the chocolate fountain at the party and well...here are some pics for y'all to enjoy.

Tyler (need i say more?)

So we had 2 of my sister Amy's boys for an overnight this weekend. I have spent time with these little guys and i know they have VERY creative imaginations but as they get older the get even more creative. Tyler is pretty much brilliant and has a sense of humor that far surpasses most children his age. It has been said that Tyler should have been born to me...but he could not wait for me to get it together and have him sooooooooo he came via Amy. Seriously this is the kid my mom said, "i hope you have one just like you" about. He can be a little naughty, but we didn't have any trouble with him at all....hmmmm not sure why...


so he ASKED if he could "try out the dog house" and we didn't lock the door (even tho he asked us to) ALSO please also consider this pic (and any other pics you see in this blog) the "BEFORE" of our super-ugly-makes-me-depressed-everyday-just-having-to-look-at-it floor. More on this later (of course) but my honey loves me so much that he has decided to replace it himself...should be interesting.

Tyler really bonded with our puppy Zoey. Perhaps they bonded over their mutual naughtiness...BUT I often found him laying on the floor just talking to her. Zoey really loved Tyler too...here they are sharing a smooch.









soooooooo there ya go...Tyler, and his weekend here in a nutshell.

Happy Childhood...indeed!!

So the other day as i was printing up pictures of Jordan for one of her school projects (a getting to know me kinda thing) and i have TONS i mean TONS of pictures of her doing her various kid things. and i got to thinking that the world of digital and being able to have pics on your PC makes it REALLY easy keep track of childhood memories. i can honestly say that i know i have pictures that i have taken of her on a regular-go-get-it-developed camera and i can't imagine where in my house i stashed them for safe keeping. this makes me want to apologize to mom for wondering why i have very few pictures of myself as a child. if i can't keep track of ONE kids pictures how could i fault her for not keeping track of FIVE kids pictures. i am grateful for the few that i have of me as a child...really i am. i was a REALLY cute kid...pale but cute. check these out...oh and to my siblings...post your kid pics on your blogs...just for giggles.

oh and mom and dad...thanks for loving us the way that you did. i look back and i think we had it pretty darn good. i am especially grateful that dad had a job that made it possible for you guys to parent us as a team. i grew up knowing what a united front was and i wanted that for my kids. AND i never doubted that you gys loved each other OR that you were hot and horny for each other...making out in the kitchen, 'taller woman', 'stopping short', "get a room!!"..."we did, we picked this one". LOVE IT!! yep we were pretty lucky growing up...you seemed like a pretty good example of what Happily Ever After looked like...i am glad i found MY Happily Ever After FINALLY....(third times the charm right?)

enjoy the pics...


is this the photo shoot that i refused to smile? i love this picture!!...love it!

ME...looking ADORABLE, in my little 70's dress, at Grandpa and Grandma Tenney's house in Gualala...BEST childhood memories ever...i love them and i love that little town...to me it was a pretty darn magical place...or was that the grandparents? it is what you make it right? i love them.

LOOK!! it's foxy lady...our puppy. how many days did we have her? my most vivid memory (please don't tell me i made it up) was when the cherrios went flying and mom let her in to "clean up" the mess...cute puppy.

someone please tell me we are standing on the hood of a car or something...seriously can you say amazon children?? or was the tree and house REALLY that small?? can you belive 5 kids were raised in that little house...proves you don't need a lot to be happy.

AWWWW....look Mark likes me, he really really likes me.

check out AMY'S gum on the chair....awesome! "Oh that's where my gum is"

First day of Middle School

It has been an exciting morning in our home. Today is Jordan's first day of Middle School at a brand new school here is Ceres. We are especially excited about being able to spend this momentous day with her. Paul and I have never been able to do the whole "first day of school" thing and it was a true blessing to be able to share this with Jordan today. Moving here has been hard for us but days like this remind us of how important it is that we are here. It has been a year, this month, since we moved to Ceres to be close to Jordan and have more influence in her life. She has grown by leaps and bounds. Yesterday she told us "This is the first time I have ever been excited about going back to school." We are confident it is because for the first time she is REALLY prepared. We have her in a school with smaller class sizes, one that caters to the individual needs of the students and we have hired a private tutor to help her with homework every day in our home after school (even on her mom's weeks, Laura will pick her up here after she gets off work). Jordan has compared getting ready for this school year to riding a horse...she is all tacked (saddled and ready) up and ready to ride. We pray that this year will be a year of more growth for Jordan, that she will have many wonderful sucesses and see that a little bit of hard work pays off. We love this kid so much and we feel more than ever that this move was the right move for not only her but for all of us. Sacrifice is hard, being apart from each other is hard, but the reward far surpasses anything Paul and I are giving up...Jordan is worth all this and so so so so much more!