Yearly Update

Oh, hi. I bet you thought I was over this whole 'blog' thing, right? I mean it has been 8 months since my last post. I am hard to get rid of, so for now an occasional update will have to suffice.

To recap what has happened in the last 8 months, well it's been busy and honestly things are looking up compared to this time last year.

We moved (yes, again) but this time we purchased our first California home and we absolutely love it. I love every part of this place- from its 1970's ornamental white rocks in the front yard, its crazy gophers in the back and the butterfly tiles in my master bath.

The Lil is in pre-school and talks our ear off. Her hobbies include watching the same movie 72 times, only wearing princess dresses & uggs and smooshing play-do into the carpet (Seriously who the heck ever thought that creating colorful goop for kids to put their crusty little fingers in was a good idea? What kind of crazy parent buys that stuff for their kid!).

Ben is now officially halfway done with law school. Can I get a fist pump for that one?! Just a few more semesters and one huge ass test left on the path to being a certified lawyer.

Then there is me. Let's be honest, shall we? This time last year I was struggling with my foray back into the world of working professionals. Have you ever watched the movie, The Devil Wears Prada or better yet the September Edition? I started watching these movies and quickly realized I was no longer entertained because I lived that life every single day. Needless to say, craigslist and linkedin became my not-so-covert buddies as I desperately combed the employment opportunities on a regular basis. After a few months of searching I landed the dream job for an unnamed, major, retailer with HQ in San Francisco (don't really want to publicly write out the company name because they have a whole department dedicated just to monitoring blogs written by employees to make sure that we are not revealing any top secrets). My new job is challenging, the people I work with are super smart and best of all I am full-time employed without a regular work schedule. I show up at 10am and leave at 1pm. Or some days I just work the whole day in my bed in my jammies. I am incredibly blessed.

2012 is still up in the air without any major plans. But we are going to be celebrating a few milestones including our 10th Wedding Anniversary (what?! I must have gotten married at 15, right?!), living in the same house for more than a year and purchasing a whack of cute clothes for the entire fam (due to the new job). I will repeat myself again just for good measure. We are incredibly blessed.

Family shot from the Happiest Place on Earth back in October.

To Be 3

"Is my Birthday next?
"Is my Birthday today?"
"Are my friends coming now?"

We were asked these 3 questions every morning for nearly two month before Lily's 3rd Birthday.

She would whisper to willing checkers at the supermarket about her princess birthday party. She would share about her impending party plans with the child card helpers at our little church. She would inform new friends on the playground that it was her birthday ' next.' This kid knows how to party and in true Gulbrandsen fashion our not-so-little Lil had an entire weekend dedicated to her 3rd Birthday.

Cake Time at Party #1 with Cousin Forest and Auntie Tiff

 She begged for a Strawberry Cake.

 T Strong AKA Nona wore her wedding dress circa 1977 to the big party. That's what I call recycling.

 Don't mess with the Birthday Girl when she has a bat in her hand.

 Posing Cousins.

 Great-Grandparents. Grandma Cookie donned another gorgeous gown as the Queen Mother.

You would think that after months of dreaming about her Princess Birthday Party there would be significant let-down the day after the festivities cease. Not the case with our girl. She lay in her bed the night after her Princess Party and told me 'no more my birthday.' Then she grinned at me and said 'Mommy's birthday next.' Always the optimist. Always looking forward to the next big party.

No Way!

Life is precious. Lil reminds us of that every day. We are still so grateful for what we have even when our 'precious little princess' acts like this.....

Christmas in... January?

Yeah, I know that I am about a month too late. But everyone loves a little Christmas cheer, right?

We had the pleasure of spending some time up in Victoria with Ben's family this past Christmas. Ben and Lil braved the weather and drove the thousand miles (each way) along with the Booth cousins all the way to Canada. A little bit crazy with a 2 year old? Probably. But we will chalk it up to saving some serious cash and the ability to see new parts of the west coast. Our trip to Canada consisted of eating ( food that we did not have to cook), catching up on some Chick Lit (me), playing  XBox (Ben) and running up and down the hallways of the 'Big House' (Lil, maybe sometimes Ben too). While up north, we also gained a future brother-in-law! Ben's sister Heidi will be marrying her German prince charming this coming June. Lil is pumped to be a flower girl.

January has been... hectic. I think that we are all still feeling the growing pains of our new busier lifestyle, but we are blessed. Life is boring when you just stick to the norm, so we might as well make our brief hours count.

  Christmas time Sushi. Japanese Village is the best.

 Couple of cute Christmas Cousins.

 The Christmas 'Prom' Shot.

 Woo-hoo! The soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Weber

 Christmas Morning

Doing her hallway laps with her new ' princess running shoes.'

Christmas Cookies

A couple quick pictures of the cousins baking cookies with grandma.

 
Lily 2 1/2. Anders 4. Mattias 22mths.

December Update

I have been devoting my creative energy to my new blog http://www.bartblogger.wordpress.com/  lately and neglecting this little space of the Internet. So here I am flaunting pictures of Lil and her Chripsmas (that's how we say Christmas in 2-year-old) fun!

So excited to put up the tree!



With Daddy at the Danville Tree Lighting.



 She just found out that Santa was going to be there.

 She received a couple of presents early because our family is celebrating Christmas in Canada this year.

The other night while doing some 'Chripsmas' errands, I asked Lily what she wanted for Christmas. This is how the conversation went.

Lily: "A Chripsmas Carpet."
Mom: "A Christmas Carpet? You just got a new pink carpet in your room."
Lily: " A Blue One. A Blue Chripsmas Carpet."
Mom: " Are you sure?"
Lily: " Yeah, uh-huh. Yes."

So my kid wants a Christmas Carpet. Not sure what to do with this information. Thankfully her long-term memory does not extend more than a couple of days, because I am not too sure that a Blue Chripsmas carpet would integrate well into the rest of our decor.

Check It

New blog people https://bartblogger.wordpress.com/

The family blog will always be a staple. This is just an additional little creative outlet.

Deep Breath

Almost down the home stretch. After 2 weeks of pure chaos, I am on the precipice of a much anticipated 4 day weekend. Weekend. It could be just about the sweetest word ever whispered upon the lips of a weary worker.

You know what? God is good. He is faithful to me. He has totally provided for our family. The transition from working at home into a typical workplace has been relatively painless. I am not quietly sobbing tears at my desk. I am not muttering curses under my breath (well usually not!). For the most part working in a team is very natural for me. My new company stretches my creativity and challenges me in ways that I could only dream possible.

Three cheers for the weekend! It's finally time to eat some Turkey, unpack more boxes and cuddle my kid!

Our Cottage Near the City

We are here. The disarray of our new house makes me want to hyperventilate but I am too tired to do anything about it. A couple of life lessons learned in this move:

1. Stop accumulating misc.crap. It's seriously lame moving boxes of junk from one place to the next.
2. 2-year-olds adjust way quicker to their surroundings than their elders. They are ready to run around the house naked and switch on the gas stove within the first 24 hrs. of residence.
3. Heating a 70 year old house is a daunting task. No central heat means getting really creative with warmth. Never pictured myself using a wood burning fireplace on a daily basis.
4. Old oak floors don't show dirt. I have not even touched my broom yet and they look pretty darn great. Just don't wear your bright white socks in my house.

I would just like to throw it out there that I am in denial that I will be returning back to an office setting for the first time in 2.5 years on Monday morning. Excited about trading in my ratty lululemons for some sleek threads. Not super excited about waking up in the wee hours of the morning just to share my air with passengers on cramped public transit. Thrilled that Lil will be able to spend lots of one-on-one time with her dad over the next couple of years. Bummed that I couldn't be there every moment too... but I will deal. The fact that I have a free lunch at a swanky restaurant my first day on the job helps with the pain, just a little bit.

On with the next life Chapter... stay tuned.

One Week!

We got it! We got the house that we were hoping for in the town of Lafayette. It's quirky but it's cool.
The house was built in the 1940's, so it has a lot of the original features-but it also has an awesome remodeled kitchen. The best part about the place is it's walking distance to everything-including public transportation that will take me to work.

Because we live by the seat of our pants, we decided that we're moving in one week. So I guess that means packing this weekend! Life moves vey quickly.

All We Do is Move!

So the Title pretty much sums up the last few days. We have been furiously looking for a new home. Between nutty landlords, tiny spaces and indecision this process has proved to be taxing. Craig and his list have become my best friend.

Because by nature I tend to be high energy (and maybe a tiny bit intense), I am losing sleep over the big hunt. I wake up in the early hours of dawn eyes wide awake with my mind racing over which house we will be living in. We just sent in a rental app for a quirky, old house that has sort of a hippy living vibe in a quaint little town last night. But we still have a couple more options in the works.

I know that we will be taken care of, I just get jittery (as though I am constantly hopped up on caffeine and uppers) throughout the process.

Making it Count

I am sad to say that I voted for the first time.... ever. I know, don't give me your lectures about the importance of contributing to the electoral system. Cut me a little slack, I have been in Canada for 10 years and those guys didn't allow me to vote.

So with a little pressure from my highly political husband (I guess that's why he is going into law), I dragged my sorry butt over to the voting 'pool house.' That's how we roll in California. It was 75 degrees today and I voted at a subdivision pool house.

I felt a little overwhelmed since I didn't do a whole lot of research beforehand and I am not big on voting for an individual based soley on the party with which they are affiliated. So I just started voting for people who sounded credible because of their past experience. It was a little bizarre, the candidates running for office came from vastly varied backgrounds- retired nurses, accountants and business owners (whatever that means). I later learned from my intelligent husband that I could have left some of the bubbles blank and vote for only the few candidates I actually knew. Sigh... live and learn.

As a walked out of the pool house I felt strangely giddy and a little bit excited. Proud to be an American. Well at least today I did. Other times I feel embarrassed by what my government inflicts upon others and my fellow citizen's over-inflated sense of self-worth. Ahh.. but that it is a whole other my friends!

Secret Language

Lil has gotten pretty decent with her 'words,' but she still finds the word 'coloring' a little tricky. Check it out....

Fall Recap

Here is a big fat re-cap of all of the fun we had in October! Daily Princess Costumes, Multiple Pumpkin Patches, Cousins from Canada. Does it get better than that?

Live, Love, Trust

I am back! After a brief October hiatus, I am ready to share my thoughts, kid pics and bizarre tidbits of info.

The other day I had a close friend email me and ask 'so, you have not updated the blog for a long time? What's actually going on?' Ahh... this sweet friend knows me so well. There has actually been a lot going on in our lives during the month of October and quite frankly I do not usually share the inner workings of my personal life via social media.

When I take a break from blogging it's usually because I am concentrating on 'life' stuff and unable to share openly. I am  not one of those people that announces to the world over facebook updates like 'I just got in the biggest fight of my life and now my husband is leaving me.' THAT DEFINITELY DID NOT HAPPEN- just an example of the types of updates I have actually read. I think that when people update in this manner they are either 1. lonely 2. a bit narcissistic 3. just really, really open with their personal stuff.

Onto, my update.
As many of you know I have been hunting for a job for about three months. When Ben decided that he wanted to pursue law school, I said 'cool, let's figure out how to pay the bills.' I have been blessed to be able to work for myself through http://www.twistconsulting.com/ over the last couple of years, but it made me quake in my pants to think that I would be soley responsible for my family's livelihood based off of being self-employed. So, I am basically a wuss and decided to figure out another work situation. I have been praying over the last several months very specifically about what I wanted 1. A job that was fun (I can't be bored out of my mind). 2. A job that will adequately take care of our finances. 3. A job with a decent work/life balance (so I can still see my kid every so often. )

I am thrilled to say that we have been completely taken care of and I just landed my dream job that perfectly meets my criteria. Starting mid-November I will be commuting into San Francisco and working for a multi-national cosmetics company doing their marketing. I couldn't be happier! There have been many ups and downs in this process but I feel immensely blessed and totally provided for.

Next on the agenda.... looking for a new house! We need to be closer to a BART station (that's the subway system to those of you Canadian readers) so that I don't have to spend all of my days commuting.

Royalty

This is what our days look like. Princess Lily has full reign over our domain.

Aloha

My mind is still back on the lush, tropical beaches of Kauai, but my body is sitting here at my kitchen table.
I guess that's what a good vacation is supposed to do? Rest and relax your mind so that you still feel like you are on island time. We even did an impromptu family swim today at lunchtime to keep the Aloha spirit going back at home.

Here is a brief rundown on how the week went:

- Awesome rental house.
- Way too many mosquitoes
- Amazing jutting, green, mountain backdrop by a pristine beach.
- Naked kids everywhere.
- A husband making a serious beachwear fashion statement.
- Passion fruit we picked ripe off the trees.
- An 8 mile hike along the Nepali Coast through muck, jungle and rivers in an attempt to reach the most surreal, prehistoric-like waterfall setting that I have ever experienced. Totally worth the next-day sore legs.

Most of my readers are also friends on Facebook, so I am only going to post a couple of my fav Hawaii shots.

 If you are considering a tropical trip (everyone should make this a priority in their lives to take as many tropical trips as possible) I highly recommend the north coast of Kauai for an authentic experience.
Mahalo!


Gratitude Project. This is the last day of my gratitude project seeing as how it is September 30th. I found that it was a cathartic experience to constantly be reflecting on the blessings in my life. So thanks for hanging in there while I bored you with my musings.

81. Passion Fruit. Who knew those slimy little seeds would taste like nature's version of sour patch kids?
82. Portable DVD Players.
83. Kind older kids that are happy to play with 2 year old Lil.
84. A loud family. Silence is way overrated.
85. Multiple interviews. God has been faithful my friends.
86. Deep sleep.
87. Insect Repellent.
88. Avocado
89. King size beds.
90. Blogging.

In a Barbie World

Sometimes my life feels like a bizarre scene out of a Malibu Barbie dream sequence.

This morning I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and joined a flock of women for a spin class. If you have never tried spin, you basically toil on a bike for about 45 mins without the climax of actually arriving at a destination.

The female citizens of my fine town are big fans of this self-torture. When I arrived for my class there were already 37, jittery, borderline starving, silicone injected housewives standing in a line that snaked around the corner of the gym. It's a little like waiting in line for the Teacup ride at Disneyland- except instead of waiting to lose your lunch from swirling in a giant cup and saucer you are waiting to lose your powerbar from pedaling your legs faster than you ever thought possible.

When we were finally let into the 'spin studio,' a dimly lit, sightly damp workout chamber, the housewives' chatter burned my ears. "We listed for 2.3 million," to my left. "We're cutting back this year and only spending 3 weeks in Aruba," to my right.

Just as we are about to start pedaling, the instructor announced that an NBA player was joining us in class before he began his pre-season with the 76ers. The women perked up like peacocks and little giggles tittered across the rows of stationary bikes.

Umm. How did I get here?

After being back for nearly a year in California, I am convinced that I have been placed among these 'real housewives' to be a gentle reminder that there is more to life than workouts, lunching and making sure that 'Billy' gets into Stanford in 15 years. I might be guilty of bleaching my hair, but it's time to get real ladies. Malibu Barbie is plastic and her lifestyle only satisfies for a nano-second.

The Gratitude Project Cont.
71. Sleeping in.
72. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.
73. My two-year-old's princess dance shows in the middle of our living room.
74. A healthy heart. Both physically and spiritually.
75. The ice maker in my refrigerator door. I feel like the kind in trays never tastes as good and soaks up the scents/flavors of the freezer.
76. Joy.
77. Airplanes. Not only does Lil enjoy pointing them out every time one passes by, but they make our world so much smaller and accessible.
78. Parties. All types of parties. They make our lives way more fun and exciting.
79. My camera. A visual reminder of a full life.
80. Meeting new people at where they are at in their life.

Kicking Back

I think that I have already said too much this week, so I will just leave you with a couple of cute kids kickin' back. Lil likes to take it easy when her friend Griffin comes to play.

Gratitude Project Cont.
61. Warm fall weather.
62. A two year who tells me my bracelet is 'cute.'
63. Netflix.
64. Dill Pickles.
65. Anti-Bacterial soap from Bath & Body Works.
66. Stevia (I will dedicate a whole post to this another day).
67. Grandmas willing to book a last minute international flight for a weekend visit.
68. Natural bug repellent.
69. Surprise checks in the mail.
70. Clean sheets.

The Rant Part 2

I must have honed in on some type of self-discovery current that is zinging through the Bay Area.

Just this morning at a mothers group that I attend, the speaker's topic was centered around figuring out how to be the best version of you, in order to be the best parent that you can be. Bingo.

The speaker took it a step further and said that if the best version of you means hiring a babysitter once a week so that you have time to allow yourself to think... then do that. Go for a run. Take a pottery class. The options are endless and completely a personal preference.  If that means working or volunteering part-time, full-time, whatever it might be- do that. Children sense when you are unsatisfied and miserable. It's your job to exemplify what a centered person looks like and acts like.

I also figured I might as well throw in another topic while I am on this introspective rant.
Guess what else is vital to having a healthy family and child? If you are married you have to make time to connect with your spouse. I am not just talking sex either (even though most men will tell you they really don't require anything else). Why do we hear stories about empty nesters splitting after 30 years of blissful marriage? Because the children become the only thing they have in common and once the kids take off there is nothing left in the relationship. They are strangers to each other.

I do not ever wish to be sitting across from Ben, strumming my fingers on the kitchen table, wondering what I ever saw in saw in him. Pay a babysitter people. Cut the umbilical cord and dare to do fun activities with your spouse. If you are on a tight budget you can even have a date night at the gym and stick the kids in childcare. If you are nervous about finding a responsible sitter start talking to friends and relatives for recommendations. Heck, if you live in the Bay Area you can even message me if you need a few references. Maybe if you bring me copious amounts of sweet treats I might even watch your rugrat for you.

Ok. My tirade is done. I will lay this topic to rest for the time being.

The Gratitude Project Continued:
51. Compelling public speakers.
52. Tiny toilets.
53. Green apples.
54. Talented graphic designers.
55. Discovering new boots purchased months earlier in my closet.
56. A husband who laughs in his sleep.
57. Second interviews.
58. The fit of Lululemon pants.
59. Hair dye and bleach.
60. Naps in the middle of the day.