A Smile!

Working up to it...

One Smile!

Two Smiles!

Ok, that's enough.

An Informative Blog

Ok, so you know how when you want to leave a comment on a blog and that little Security Information popup appears that says "This page contains both secure and non secure Items..."? Well, my brilliant husband has figured out how to disable it. Follow these instructions to rid the box forever!

Step 1: Go Into "Internet Options"
Step 2: Go to the "Security" tab"
Step 3: Select "Custom Level"
Step 4: Scroll Down to the "Miscellaneous" section
Step 5: Go to "Display Mixed Content"
Step 6: Select "Disable"
Step 7: Select "OK"

It will ask it you really want to change the settings, and trust me, you do.
Please note that this tutorial was done for Windows Vista, although we know it works on other versions as well.

And here's the gratuitous pictures of Mason for those of you who do not comment.

Chillin' at Grandma's

Mason and I have been at my parents' house in Bear Lake this week. I think Mason has met no less than 5 new friends and family every day. He seems to be enjoying himself and even slept through the night for the first time this week. Not that it matters to me because my mom gets up with him every night so I can get a good 7 hours of straight sleep and it is amazing! I think Jake is enjoying it as well, I'm sure the empty house feels mighty quiet this week.

I've also noticed this week that Mason is showing a little more personality. Oddly enough, he is a very serious baby, he often looks like he is thinking very hard about something or that he is generally suspicious of his surroundings. The funniest thing about him is that whenever I laugh out loud for more than a couple of seconds, he starts crying. This makes me laugh harder which makes him cry harder. It's a funny/sad circle. I'm hoping he warms up to me laughing or I might just have to become a serious and suspicious person myself.

Here are some pictures of Mason so Jake doesn't forget what he looks like.

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Daddy,

I am happy that you are my dad. I especially like it when you bundle me so tight. It makes me sleep good, but not as good as when I get to take a nap with you. Thank you for being so nice to me, I love you the most.

Best Wishes for a Healthy and Happy Tomorrow,

Mason

Thanks for the memories, Bob!

I just finished watching Bob Barker's last Price is Right and I must say I am a little sad. I have watched the Price is Right for as long as I can remember and have many fond memories. Like in 1993 when I was a camp counselor in Colorado they asked us to pick nicknames for the summer so the kids would not know our real names. My name for 3 months? Plinko. We also made a Plinko board out of cardboard and nails that summer.

A couple of years ago I decided I was not going to move out of California without seeing the Price is Right in person. So Jake, Kyle, Tabetha and I went up to Hollywood and stayed in one of the most ghetto motels I have had the pleasure of laying my head. It actually had three full size beds in it. Anyway, we got up while it was still very dark and waited in line for most of the day. When we got our 15 seconds to impress the producers we realized that we probably didn't have much of a chance based on some of the whackos that had come before us. Although we didn't get called up to contestant's row, it was amazing to sit in the studio and see Bob Barker in person. Two things struck me about him: He wears a ton of makeup and he's kind of rude. But who cares? He's a legend!

By far my favorite memory of The Price is Right is when my grandma Portela called and said that she and my grandpa had gone to the show while they were staying in Arizona for the winter. She did not tell us how she did but she did say she made it to contestant's row. I was working at the DA's office in San Diego and at 10:00 a.m. I told everyone I would be in an interview room for the next hour watching my grandma on The Price is Right. Helen Portela, come on down! There she is, the item up for bid is a pool table, her bid is the closest to the actual price, she's next to Bob! She effortlessly wins a day bed, a living room set, a soda fountain, and a game. On to spinning the wheel...she spins, gives a shout out to all her grandchildren in various states, and lands on a dollar! $1,000 and a bonus spin! She spins again and lands on the dollar! $10,000! At this point I am beside myself and a half a dozen coworkers have joined me in watching the amazing Helen tear it up.

Obviously she has made it to the showcase showdown. Her showcase included a trip to Hong Kong and a trip to Dollywood, among other things. She bids, she's closest, she wins! Up comes grandpa in his trucker hat to hang out with Barker's beauties and Bob. It's just fantastic and one of my fondest memories.

To me The Price is Right will not be the same without Bob, he is The Price is Right. I will definitely miss him.

It's Summertime!

How do I know this? Because the Tropical Sno shack is finally open! Throughout the fall, winter and spring it taunts me by sitting empty in the parking lot by the Maverick where I fill my car with gas. I gaze longingly at it, wishing it were summer. Getting shaved ice, which I previously referred to as "sno cones" is truly one of my favorite things about summer in Idaho. I know you can get shaved ice in many states, but I have only had it in Idaho. Some people say I am a shaved ice snob because I will only eat the kind that has smooth ice that melts quickly on your tongue and holds the flavored syrup in the ice, instead of having it all sink to the bottom of the cup. I have had much success with the Tropical Sno shaved ice shacks around town, although none shaves the ice quite as finely as the one by our house. Every summer I start with the same thing, a small flat top (so as not to have the big ball of ice fall off in the car) with red raspberry and blue raspberry side by side. By the end of the summer I have had many more exotic combinations. I can think of no other place on earth that provides me as much joy for seventy five cents.

And now for some gratuitous photos of Mason, because he's just so darn cute!

Family, Food and Fun

Hello all, Jake here!

Well, we had a crazy week. We had my family over. From Wyoming came my sister Goldie & my niece Heather. From Montana came my mom Cynthia. They stayed from Monday until Thursday morning. They helped take care of Mason in the day, which was a real help. Even Heather wanted to lend a helping hand so we let her. It is always odd to see a seven-year-old hold a baby. Mason did not seem to mind at all! It was a good visit for a family that hardly sees each other.

Heather and Mason

Speaking of family I hardly ever see, we had my aunt Georgia my cousins Eric, Monique, and Sandy plus their kids and dogs over for a barbeque. We had burgers, chicken, hotdogs, potato salad, pasta salad, etc… It was a lot of fun. The dogs were so friendly and mild, which is a tribute to the proper raising from their owners. Sadly, I don’t have a home that is very interesting for children (No slip n’ slide, no Nerf balls, etc) so they were a bit bored. They made do though. Creating fun from nothing is a child’s specialty after all. I want to thank them for stopping by. You guys are great.

Our patio has never seen so many people!

We met up with my cousin Eric and his family at their home on Wednesday for another barbeque. They have a very nice house and we thank them for hosting. Eric lives about 20 minutes away from me and has for the entire time I have lived here in Boise. I make no excuses for why I have not contacted him in that time but we are in contact now. It had been near to fourteen years since we had last seen each other. This lack of communication is quite common in my family for those who don’t know. There is nothing wrong, no hard feelings and no real reason for it to happen. It is just our family’s way I guess. Regardless, I will make an effort to prevent another 14-year silence.

My mom got out the home movies after the night was winding down and played them on the living room TV. It was like a scene strait out of a movie where the grandma (so proud of her children) breaks out the home movies to show everyone everything late into the evening. Dusty, your vow renewal was the main piece. Just thought you should know.

A highlight of the week was the lasagna bake-off between my mom and sister. Each thought they had the tastier recipe so they baked their respective lasagnas and we had a blind taste test. Goldie’s one by a unanimous decision but I’m not sure that would have been the case if my mom would have remembered to put the mushrooms and olives in hers. Steph and I are the ultimate winners as we have a freezer full of lasagna and have learned how to make it for ourselves.

Lasagna Throwdown: Goldie v. Cynthia

Steph and I down by the river