Adventures in Life

Yes, these are professional pictures. Yes, it is completely legal for me to post them on my blog. Yes, it did take me a while to post them (he is now 4 months old). Here are a few of our favorites.

Gabe, Stephanie, and Alex (hmmm...doesn't look so great when I reduce the image quality to post on the blog.)

Alex lounging around.

Alex in his model pose.

Serious Alex

Alex and his "ALEX" train. His onesie has "Alex" embroidered on it as well as a train, but it is hard to see in the posted pictures.

The day we had Alex's pictures made also happened to be our fifth anniversary.

Gabe's favorite picture of the two of us.

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Quaker Oats is offering a free sample of True Delights. Get yours here.

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Happy Birthday Melissa!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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Yesterday was wonderful weather for February. It was 91 degrees! We had dinner outside on our patio and then we went for a walk. It think we are going to start eating outdoors more often. It was really nice.

Gabe booked our vacation last night. We usually go to Europe in February, but we opted not to go this year. Instead, we are going to Alaska at the end of May. Neither of us have been, so it should be quite an adventure. I have a friend that went on an Alaskan cruise and he suggested getting a balcony room. Usually we just get a room with an ocean view, but this time we booked a balcony.

I also finished the quilt I was working on! It was finished while watching Still Waiting. It was the sequel to the movie Waiting. I am not sure why I rented it, because I didn't really even like Waiting. It made Waiting look like an award winning movie. It was a pointless movie about two competing restaurants and the people that work there.

Quilt

I made this tie onesie for Alex. I was going to wait to post it on my blog, but I already emailed a picture to Brandi (I asked if she wanted one for her son, Maddex).

Tie Onesie

Close up of "tie"

Alex modeling the onesie.

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Quiznos is giving away 1,000,000 free subs. Sign up, print out your coupon, and enjoy your sub. They are currently on number 274,331. The coupon expires five days after printing.

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Happy Birthday Brandi!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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Wow, I have a lot to do to catch up my blog entries!

Thursday Gabe, Alex, and I went to Ruby Tuesday to eat. We had a BOGO coupon, so we both had steak for under $20 tip included. Before this visit I was anti-Ruby. I did not like their menu. I am not sure if the menu changed, or maybe just what I ordered changed, but it was yummy. The salad bar was spectacular and next time I am thinking of just ordering it.

On Friday we went to a hockey game. The University of Arizona Icecats were playing the Arizona State University Sun Devils. As you can tell Alex was really excited.

Alex at the hockey game.

Clara hanging out at home.

Alex "riding" Clara. Gabe thinks it is fun to have Alex ride Clara like a pony. Elsa is in the lower left corner.

The weather here has been beautiful lately. So, we have been taking advantage of the mid-80's by taking Alex on a lot of walks. The high today is actually 88!

As far as American Idol goes, I am really glad that Danny made it to the next round. Go Danny!

Gabe and I watched Hancock the other night. I rented it because I thought Gabe would like it. I was a little hesitant about another Will Smith movie after I Am Legend. It turned out to be a pretty good movie about a lonely superhero with amnesia. However, I didn't like the ending. Hmm...my description makes it sound pretty bad when in actuality it was pretty good.

We also watched Surfer, Dude. I was advised it wasn't the best movie. It wasn't. There really wasn't a plot. Maybe a guy that wants nothing more in his life than to surf, sticks it to the man (a corporate rich guy that happens to be a jerk...just a side note that not all corporate rich guys are jerks). That darn Matthew McConaughey made me watch it. I am a sucker for his movies.

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If you have a redbox movie rental station and a credit card you can get a free movie today (Monday 02/23/09). Gabe and I have been renting free movies on Monday for a few weeks now. If you aren't sure where your closest redbox station is you can look it up on the website. Go to the red box station and choose the option to rent with a promotional code. Enter your code, select your movie, swipe your credit card, and go home and watch your movie. Your credit card will not be charged as long as you return the movie by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday (02/24/09). You can either return the movie to the redbox it was rented from or to any other redbox location. Here is this weeks code S39XKT. This code can be used once per credit (or debit) card.

If you are actually paying for the movie there is a neat option where you can reserve it and it will be there when you go to pick it up. This is particularly helpful if it is a new release. Unfortunately, this option does not work with the promotional codes.

The codes SHPNSVE2 or REDBOX are available for first-time redbox customers and these are ongoing codes that are available for use anytime, not just on Mondays.

The codes BREAKROOM or DVDONME are for a free rental and are also ongoing codes. They do not have to be used on Mondays.

SHPNSVE2, REDBOX, BREAKROOM, and DVDONME are limited to once per credit (or debit) card.

Posted by at 10:20 AM | Permalink

Kashi is sending out coupons for a free frozen entree. The offer is valid until March 15, 2009 (or while supplies last). It takes approximately 2-4 weeks to receive the coupon via snail mail.

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Laura went back to Peoria on Saturday afternoon. Before leaving, we had lunch at In-N-Out. My friend Tony loves them. You can even order off of their "official" secret menu or their other secret menu.

I finished Eclipse and I have started Breaking Dawn. I think I am on page 12, so I have a bit to read.

I have been working on Christmas presents. As of right now I have three finished and six started. I should have the six completed by the end of the month. The quilt for my grandma is one of the six. I am still working on the binding and I will hopefully finish it in two or three days. I usually work on it while we watch Ugly Betty and American Idol.

I am going to post pictures off all of the Christmas presents I am making after Christmas. I would love to do it as I complete them, but then everyone would know what they are getting for Christmas.

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If you have a redbox movie rental station and a credit card you can get a free movie today (Monday 02/16/09). Gabe and I have been renting free movies on Monday for a few weeks now. If you aren't sure where your closest redbox station is you can look it up on the website. Go to the red box station and choose the option to rent with a promotional code. Enter your code, select your movie, swipe your credit card, and go home and watch your movie. Your credit card will not be charged as long as you return the movie by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday (02/17/09). You can either return the movie to the redbox it was rented from or to any other redbox location. Here is this weeks code M7DM23. This code can be used once per credit (or debit) card.

If you are actually paying for the movie there is a neat option where you can reserve it and it will be there when you go to pick it up. This is particularly helpful if it is a new release. Unfortunately, this option does not work with the promotional codes.

The codes SHPNSVE2 or REDBOX are available for first-time redbox customers and these are ongoing codes that are available for use anytime, not just on Mondays.

The codes BREAKROOM or DVDONME are for a free rental and are also ongoing codes. They do not have to be used on Mondays.

SHPNSVE2, REDBOX, BREAKROOM, and DVDONME are limited to once per credit (or debit) card.

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Happy Birthday Barby!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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Happy Birthday Bree!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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The weather was nice on Thursday, so Laura, Alex, and I headed out to the zoo. It was a lot of fun to walk around outside and see the animals. We explored a part of the zoo that Gabe and I never found. It is a pretty big area and we usually go to the right when we enter. Next time we go, we are going to start with the left. In the evening we caught up on Ugly Betty episodes. We went to Spanky's diner for dinner. It is a pretty fun place that is reminiscent of Greece. I kept waiting for John Travolta and Olivia Newton John to jump out and start singing.

Coyote

We had dinner at the Cow Palace tonight. They have pretty good steaks. Across the street is the Long Horn. My goal is to Gabe to eat there with me at some point. He always wants to go to the Cow Palace.

I am making pretty good progress on my quilt. I have been working on it in the evenings while we watch T.V. I would say I am about 3/4 of the way through with quilting. After that I just need to sew on the binding and then I will be finished. I probably have around 3 or 4 days left at a minimum.

I have been reading while feeding Alex. It takes him 20-30 minutes to eat a bottle, so I have been reading and I am almost finished with Eclipse. Breaking Dawn is next in line.

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Happy Birthday Jessica!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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I cannot believe that Tatiana made it as one of the top 36 contestants and Jamar was sent home! What were they thinking? I don't know if I can handle all of the drama that she will bring to the show. She is this seasons Sanjaya, but much, much worse.

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I finished the pillows for the couch in our bedroom, but I don't have picture to post right now. Laura, Gabe's sister, arrived in Arizona Friday night. It was pretty late when she arrived, so we didn't do anything Friday.

Saturday we got up and headed to Tubac. It is an artsy community that was having their annual craft fair. We walked around the fair and looked at the booths. We didn't purchase anything other than food. We had Gyros and a funnel cake. We headed home for a little while before heading back out again.

Next we headed to the ASARCO copper mine and we went on the copper mine tour. It was really interesting to see how copper is mined. My favorite part was the copper bubbles.

Copper Mine

Alex, Gabe, & tire used on the 240 ton haul trucks. The tire weighs 7,600 pounds.

Copper bubbles

After the copper mine we went to Sushi Cho for sushi. Yummy!

Yum...sushi!

Sunday we went to the San Xavier del Bac Mission. It was really interesting and a great place to take visitors. I think Gabe and I might go back and watch the 25 minute video when we have more time. After the mission, we went to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. We purchased a couple of things. I am starting a rock collection for Alex. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant Gabe and I both like, La Placita. I have discovered that the single taco dinner is more than enough food for me.

San Xavier del Bac Mission
"The White Dove of the Desert"

We rented a few movies on Monday using the Red Box at Wal-Mart. I will give you more details about renting free movies next Monday. We watched Pineapple Express Monday night and it was bad. I did not realize it was a movie about drugs. I don't recommend it.

Tuesday Laura, Alex, and I stayed home and worked on a project. I am currently making a quilt for one of my Grandmas for Christmas. We also watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and The Good Student. Umm...the second Sisterhood movie was not as good as the first and The Good Student was not my favorite movie, but it did hold my interest. The Good Student is about a "relationship" with a student and a teacher. The student goes missing and the rest of the movie is spent trying to find her and it is also spent exploring the odd relationships between various members of the community.

American Idol was on last night and of course I watched. I was very disappointed when Tatiana was not sent home. I was pretty sure she was going home when she was switched from her original holding room to another one. As of now, my two favorites are Danny and Jamar. The only problem is I don't know who I would root for if they both make it to the final. I am looking forward to tonight's episode.

Today has been another "at home" day. We watched December Boys. I recorded it on our DVR because I like Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliff was in the movie. His nickname was Maps even though I kept calling him Harry Potter. It is about a group of boys in an orphanage and they were called the December Boys because they were all born in December. The orphanage received a large donation from a benefactor and the boys were sent on a holiday. The December boys were sent first since it was December. So, the movie is about their adventures on holiday at the ocean. I feel pretty neutral about this movie. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it.

Other than American Idol, I am not sure what we are going to do tonight. I am hoping that the weather warms up so we can go to the zoo during the day soon. The high today was only 66, so we didn't make it.

Posted by at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night Alex and I went to the local high school with Gabe. He is helping the students build a robot for a competition. He has been working with them for quite a while now, but this is the first time that Alex and I went. Alex seemed to like looking around at everything. We went to Taco Bell after leaving the school. When we came back I covered two pillows. I might try to make it to the store to buy the two zippers I need to cover the remaining two pillows. Zippers just make it easier to remove the cover to wash it.

Pillow and Chair

A friend (Dawn) came over today for breakfast and stayed until noon. It was a lot of fun. If I was thinking I would have had her over for dinner. Gabe has a work function tonight and he will be eating there.

Alex

Posted by at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I can't tell you exactly what we have done this week, but we have been busy. We always end up going to bed later than we intended and we don't accomplish everything that we planned. Alex and I made a trip to Wal-Mart today. We bought some material. I made him a car seat cover. This way instead of throwing a blanket over him while transporting him in his carrier from the car to the store, a cover will be attached to the infant carrier.

Car Seat Cover

Underside of Cover

Straps to Attach Cover

Velcro Holds the Straps On

Infarrantly Creative served as the inspiration for the car seat cover. I attached my straps to the cover while sewing the edges of the cover. I believe the original poster sewed the cover together and then attached the straps.

I also have four pillows to cover. I already purchased the material for two of them, so I purchased material for the other two today. I didn't buy the zippers though, so I won't be working on those just yet.

Pillow Material

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Happy Birthday Duane!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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Happy Birthday Jennie!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

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I realize a lot of people are bringing a carry on as their only piece of luggage since airplanes started charging for checked baggage. Here is a great way to use up hotel soaps. Tell your guests to leave their soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc., at home. Take a variety of bar soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and lotions, as well as facial cleaning supplies, a vanity kit, a sewing kit, comb, toothpaste, dental floss, razor, after sun gel, and shower cap and place them in a basket in your guest bathroom. If our house had been a little more organized I would have done this for our last four guests.

Toiletry basket for our most recent guest.

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I am making an attempt to go back and categorize all of my blog entries. It is not going as quickly as I had hoped.

I also need to update the list of blogs that I read. Some of the websites are no longer functional. I also read quite a few more blogs than I have posted. So, an update is going to happen in the very near future.

Oh how I love you!

Yesterday was very exciting. We went to Target TWICE! We bought a can of baby formula and it was dented and formula was coming out of the top. So, I returned it for another can. While Gabe was checking out he noticed the new can of formula was also dented. What are the people at Target doing with all of the baby formula? Are they playing football with it? So, I went back for another can and the first can I grabbed was dented. I finally found a good can and that is the one that we purchased. I also had to return a Space Bag. It had a 6" rip in. As you can imagine a bag that keeps air out does not work well if their is a large rip in in it. We also had some pictures made. So, look for those to be posted soon. We always buy the copyright to the pictures, so it is completely legal for me to post them.

Yesterday was also our 5th anniversary and it was a really relaxing day (minus the Target fiasco). My mom and dad ordered us a cake for our anniversary from a bakery in Denver, Colorado. It was sent overnight delivery and the cake was packed on ice. It had mousse in the center and needed to stay refrigerated. It was should have been delivered to us on Friday but it wasn't. It didn't even come Saturday, so my mom called and canceled the order. The bakery kept telling my mom that the cake wasn't being delivered due to the weather. We assumed they meant Denver. No, they meant Tucson. The cake was sitting on the loading dock in Tucson and FedEx refused to deliver it. The weather was gorgeous and in the 70's. I think they were trying to save money and didn't want to drive the 20 miles to deliver our cake. Either that or the FedEx people are enjoying our cake that was featured on the food network. If they are calling this bad weather they should try living in Illinois for a winter. So, the cake was ruined and we will never know how good the raspberry mousse center tasted. We went to a local baker and bought a very yummy black forest cake.

Stephanie (with new haircut), Alex, Elsa, and Clara.

We ate at Solaris for our anniversary and it was yummy. It is now my favorite restaurant around. Taco Bell is my next favorite. Solaris has Greek inspired food and the bruschetta with feta was wonderful.

We came home after dinner and relaxed.

Gabe and Alex reading.

Today we went to IKEA. We bought a couple of side tables. It was Alex's first trip to IKEA. He slept through most of the time at the store. They have free diapers in the bathrooms. So, Alex wore a free diaper when he needed his diaper changed.

Now we are back home watching the Super Bowl. Go Arizona!

I have two Christmas presents made and I am going to finish a third one while watching the Super Bowl. Only a bazillion more left to make and yes, that is a real number.

Posted by at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)