High School Musical on Ice

fourth row seats for High School Musical on Ice= $200

matching BFF outfits= $30

hair color, glitter and face jewels= $5

dinner at Panda Express= $25

souvenir HSM Wildcat team pennants= $8

midnight snack on the drive home= $15

being the "coolest parents" on the "most awesome night EVER"= priceless

And So Begins ANOTHER BFF Adventure with Jordan and Emma

of course they had to have matching BFF outfits...yes i am seriously the coolest mom EVER!

who needs Club Libby Lu when you have HolleeAnn to rock your hair and makeup out?! (more proof of my total coolness...it will be a common theme in this post!)

the girls chose Panda Express for dinner on the drive over!

Emma's mom, Debbie, sent poster board for the girls to make a sign on the drive, cute huh?!

waiting for the doors to open...and being super silly!

they neeeeeeded the HSM Wildcats pennants, of course!

AWESOME seats...thanks Daddy and HolleeAnn!!!

spontaneous late night snack stop, because we ROCK the party!
sugar coma...OR...passed out from "the most awesome night EVER"!?!

if HSM on Ice is coming to your area i totally recommend going, the tickets are cheap and all the seats are pretty good. you will earn total cool points from your kids for going and the show is actually really good (thank you Disney).

Tagged...AGAIN!!

I have been tagged by my new bloggy friend Karen LyricsOfMyLife. I have been tagged before but you would have to dig to in my blog to find it so I will do my best to come up with 7 new random things about ME (last time I included my hubby Paul).

I Was BORN to Be A Mom… no doubt about it; THIS is my calling in life. I kind of knew this all my life. I have been waiting for motherhood to happen for me for many years…but the timing (and previous marriages) was all wrong. NOW I am in a happy, healthy marriage and I have a beautiful little girl. Jordan is a great kid and is pretty much the center of my universe. I use all of my birthday, fountain and shooting star wishes on giving birth to children of my very own (it’s so hard to share) and blessing Jordan with siblings. Then life will pretty much be perfect!

I USE to Be an Avid Journal Keeper….I say I Use to be because since age 11 I never missed a day of writing in my journal. It’s funny because I stopped writing daily a little over 2 years ago and seriously these last 2 years have been the BEST years of my life. Makes me wonder if all those other years of journal keeping were just my own personal ‘pity party’. Eh…whateveah…maybe one day I will journal daily again.

Apples Taste Better When Sliced…by my honey! Fuji apples are super good right now…super good! We have been eating a lot of them in our house. But really mine only taste exceptionally excellent when Paul uses our Pampered Chef slicer and brings me mine on a plate. I don’t know why they just honestly taste better this way…perhaps it is the L O V E…that or my inner need to be treated like the queen I am!

I Blog the Way I TALK…I am 100% sure this drives many of my readers nutty and has more than likely caused a few seizures. I can’t help it, I want to be all proper and use correct punctuation and grammar and all that crap…I just love a good dot dot dot and … well that’s just how I roll. I am really hoping that people can just overlook my laziness and read my stuff anyway, cuz sometimes I say really funny stuff…or at least I think so.

I am MY Number One Fan…and the president of my fan club…pretty much until someone else applies for the position I am cool with carrying out the duties of telling myself how totally awesome I am. Hey someone has to do it (I need the validation)!!

My Husband is My Best Friend…third time is the charm indeed. If I had known when I was 19 (and stoooopid) or 29 (a little wiser but still kinda stupid) that marrying your best friend was the ONLY way to begin a successful marriage I could have saved myself a lot of heartache. AND I could have not ended up wasting my good baby making years on men who were seriously unworthy of ME! That being said, I really love my husband and he is totally the best husband I have ever had (my sister Meg loves when I say that, and she agrees with me whole heartedly…none of my other husbands ever made her yummy melted ham and cheese sandwiches)

I Have a SERIOUS (I say that a lot) Proclivity to break out in SONG…loud; sing it like you are Mariah, Whitney or Celine singing!! I don’t really care where I am or who hears me…if the mood strikes I really S I N G!!! I am not NEARLY as bad as Joy from Til’ Death…but this scene was freaking HILARIOUS so I am embedding it in this post…just for giggles…seriously i am no where close to this it's more like I have musical tourette syndrome...but THIS scene is soooooooooooo FUNNY!!!



I am ALSO suppose to TAG 7 people...oh yeah..this is hard for me...but i choose a few new bloggy friends NobodyCalledToday , TheUpside and Tiff . AND i will tag 4 blogs i check regularly my brother Scotty , cute sister Meg , fun friend Emilie (who totally needs to blog more often) and Meredith because she makes me laugh...a lot and my friend Kirsten tooo ! yeah i know it's more than seven...but i never follow ALL of the rules so why start now!

3 Word Project

Happily Ever After

see more 3 Word Projects here

And the winner is....

every night we go to Jordan's room and listen to her prayers and tuck her in. it's that special time of day for our little family and i really love listening to her conversations with our Father in Heaven. all this week i noticed little torn slips of paper laying on her dresser and silently wondered why they were there...especially since Jordan is a VERY tidy little girl. last night i finally asked about them.

Mamarazzi:hey Jordan what are all these little pieces of paper about?

Jordan: oh it's from my drawing.

Mamarazzi: what drawing?

Jordan: i have a drawing every night to see which lovey spends the night with me and the rest of the lovies go in the purple chair, but i tuck them in and its a fair way to choose so no one gets hurt feelings.

Mamarazzi: makes perfect sense

Jordan: yea it's a good system

here are the "lovies" chilling out with our dog Zoey...anxiously awaiting for their name to be drawn.

and here are the slips of paper for Bunny, Sugar Cat, Brownie Cat, Love'em Pup and Dolphin.

yea she cracks us up too...read a few posts down for a good giggle!

10 Day Bloggy Break

Hello friends and fans of TheVasquez3 Blog. YES i am still alive, barely. thank you for the many emails and a few phone calls asking to see if i was OK (i never realized how many people actually cared...cool). i took a little time off from blogging while suffering, then recovering, from a nasty flu thing. i am feeling muuuch better now and have worn make up, washed and styled my hair AND put on a bra for 4 days in a row now...quite an accomplishment, considering how sick i was for so long...but on to other fun stuff.

i have lots of pics to share from a few of our latest adventures...we packed a lot of fun into the last few days my friends. on Saturday we took Jordan and her BFF Emma to Oakland for High School Musical on Ice. we had amazing seats (thanks Paul) and the show was actually really good (thanks Disney). the best part for Paul and me was watching Jordan and Emma enjoy the show. they kept saying over and over how awesome it was, they screamed for the stars and sang out all the lyrics while dancing in their seats. but more on all of that later...including pictures!

on Sunday took a trip to the pumpkin patch and Jordan picked out her perfect pumpkin to carve later this week, "when my daddy is home." i will take pics and post when we have the final outcome.

Jordan has been saying the funniest things lately...here is a sample of her preteen goodness...

we were having breakfast with my father in law Jim when somehow the topic of kissing came up. i think it started with how many kids Jordan was going to have and us telling her she better get a good college education AND marry a rich man. she said something about not finding someone to love her and marry her, we poo pooed that with her having her choice of men since she is so smart, funny and beautiful....

Jordan: but how many of them will i have to kiss to know its the right one?
Paul: you will just know (can we stop talking about this)
HolleeAnn: (sarcastically) just pick the best kisser
Jordan:(rolling of eyes...so preteen of her) OK but how do you breath when you kiss?
Paul: you just do (seriously enough on this topic)
HolleeAnn: through your nose
Grandpa Jim: you have to come up for air sometime (laughing thinking this is great)
Jordan: on Zoey 101 they say you can tell if a boy is a good kisser by how he eats an apple.
Paul: whoa whoa whoa...what? is this a show you should be watching?
Jordan: yea its a good show on the Disney channel
Grandpa Jim: yea really, maybe you should not be watching that show anymore
Jordan: maybe it is just because it is on for "Shocktober" this whole month is shocking shows on the Disney channel for Halloween.
(again...HYSTERICAL laughter followed by days of Jordan closely watching anytime Paul and i kiss...not as disturbing as it sounds...trust me)

we spent a few days in Petaluma a few weeks ago and Jordan made friends with my in laws new neighbors daughter Rose, who is 12. the girls spent a little time playing at Rose's house and Jordan got to play with their drums while she was there. she told her dad all about it when we got home:

Jordan: oh and daddy i made a new friend named Rose and she has a real drums set at her house and i got to play them.
Paul: cool are you any good?
Jordan: yea i can play that thing when people crack jokes pretty good.
it took us a second to realize she meant the "ba dun bah chhhh" (i am sure that cleared things up for you)

Back To The Top

my fans (both of them) asked for it so here it is...back up on the top. this photo montage that was created for my beautiful little girl Jordan. if you scroll down a little you will see it was posted a week ago, but it was flooded down by all my other posts and well...y'all didn't like that soooo here she is, turn your speakers on and enjoy this BFF adventure photo montage.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake...YUM!

OK so my sister Meg (holla!) asked me to post this recipe. it is a REALLY naughty recipe...i mean really, really. really...... N A U G H T Y! but it is the best thing you will ever eat, or at the very least ONE of the best things you will ever eat. this is NOT my recipe, it belongs to Paula Deen...so YES it includes 2 sticks of butter...because all yummy things do (unless they are yummy things that are deep fat fried, that my friends is a whole other kind of yummy). I am not a baker, baking involves too much science and math, but i love to cook and try new recipes and when my sister and i saw this recipe for Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake...we dove right in and made it...and then spent the day watching TV and eating several things-bad-for-us! OH and i was her boss AND it was a work day AND it was the best day of hooky i EVER played!!

this recipe is EASY and is perfect for the non bakers of the world like me....so give it a whirl as you celebrate Autumn...but be prepared for extra time on the treadmill...or do what i do, after all it is sweater season...BIG cozy sweaters can hide A LOT (i know they don't really, but i like to pretend they do...shhh i am in denial)!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake...YUM!

Cake: 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 tablespoons butter, melted (yes really , i told you it was naughty!)


Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons butter, melted (again? YES!!)

1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar (yep, a whole box!)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.


To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.


Serve with fresh whipped cream.


Variations: (i have not tired any of the following so if you do, let me know how they turned out)

For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.


For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.


For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Wordless Wednesday

Jordan found the perfect place to watch the Blue Angels in SF for Fleet Week. God Bless America!!! (ok so i added a few words)

MoreWordlessWednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Zoey Smiles...ahhh puppy L O V E !!!

MoreWordlessWednesdayPics

Should i GRAY...or should it go?!

i started getting gray hair in my very early 20's. it came in an a very "highlight-ish" sort of pattern and it never really offended me (tho it did bug my mom, she was too young to have a kid with gray hair...she colored hers!). when i was 30 i colored my hair for the first time...just just did a home highlighting kit thingy. and i have since done a rinse now and then, the kind that washes out after 12 or so shampoos. i can't commit to going all the way with my hair color. i feel too young to be gray, i am after all only 36. but then there is the part of me that says, "eh who cares, it's just hair". so i am putting it out there...gonna take a vote (i mean why not huh?)

so look at the pics...and help a girl out...take my silly poll to the right of this post! just got giggles....come on amuse me!

Look at me being BRAVE!!

OK so here it is...my "Legal Graffiti"...my assignment for WrappedEmotions . i am feeling brave. i feel proud of myself. i am pretty sure that some of my family and maybe even a few close friend will think i am a little nuts. but right now, in this very moment, i don't really care. wow, typing that felt awesome! it is 2am...i decided i needed to do this assignment before i saw anyone elses, just in case i saw something FAR too beautiful and chickened out.

Just a little side note...i have a friend named Cristina (who lives in Florida now) and i have always thought of her as the most brave, free spirited woman i have ever known. to me she has always been fearless and creative and she has always just jumped into anything soulful or artistic with what i viewed as almost reckless abandon. i envied that. i wanted to feel that free. i wanted to not worry about judgment. when i decided to jump on board with WrappedEmotions i thought about Cristina, as i often do when i take a leap out of my comfort zone, and thought to myself..."self, it is time to start expressing yourself, unwrap, dig deep, and FEEL. it is time to share your soul...come what may" this is my first completed assignment since i jumped on board late. (Cristina...if you are reading this i love you, look at me being brave!!)

to all those who are here to view my Graffiti...you don't have to understand it, because it belongs to me, but i do hope you find the beauty in it....because it belongs to me.

Montage Monday

My daughter Jordan and her BFF Emma remind me daily how precious friendship is. I have loved watching them grow closer to one another over the last year and have had many opportunities to join them (and be their photog) on some really fun adventures. The quality of some of these pictures isn't great but the sentiment is there. Please turn your speakers on, enjoy this little Monday Montage and take a little time to reflect on your childhood friendships...as well as the friendships you are enjoying now. How many of you are still in touch with your BFF's from childhood? I am, that's a montage for another day.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com