Meeting Scout

After we arrived in Phoenix my parents picked us up from the airport in their new Ford Flex. Poor mom stuffed in the back with the luggage, car seat & a wedding dress she was either altering or made.

Then we headed to Debbie's for lunch, cousins and for Debbie to reveal the gender of her baby!

The Pink balloon means a girl in case you needed clarifying. My other sister in law is pregnant with a girl so we were all pretty sure Debbie was having a girl just because that is they way our family rolls.

Then we moved on to holding Scout, funny enough it was Joe who told me to get him a pillow so he could hold her first, that is after Debbie of course.

Then Gracie

Even Grandpa got a turn

Debbie's kids have become obsessed with Michael Jackson and they shared their love with Sam. 

What????

Who's Bad?

Somewhere In Middle America

My brother Mark and his family moved to Omaha Nebraska a couple years ago to go to law school. Saturday I flew out to help them get ready to come back to Arizona for the summer, to meet Scout their new baby girl and to fly back with Ashley to help with Sam (nearly 3) and Scout (1 month).

When driving into Omaha from the airport we saw this mural and this guy reminded me a little of John Krasinski. Or maybe I have just had John Krasinski on the brain lately.

Then we went to a pizza shop downtown that has pizza by the slice. I got apple walnut and brie maybe.

Then I took care of business and held my newest niece Scout.

Sam showed me if funny teeth before we headed for a get together in the park.

Sunday was mothers day and when I got up Mark was downstairs making eggs benedict it is something that Ashley's family does and it was delicious.

At church someone was handing out cupcakes with blue frosting, can you tell who had one.

Gilbert and Mesa are relatively new cities so I love going places that actually has some history and buildings older than myself. 

The weather was so lovely here I am wearing a sweater sitting under a tree. 

Here is the tree I am sitting under

while watching Sam play at the playground.

When we got back from the playground Mark was sitting outside feeding Scout.

I am so proud of my brothers for being such good husbands and fathers. You can see Ashley inside working hard packing up not only for their trip but they are renting their condo for the summer as well.

Monday we went to breakfast at Harold's Cafe where a scene from Jack Nicholson's film About Schmidt was filmed. 

 Then we headed to the University so Mark could scan some stuff and show me around the school a little.

 Sam played Judge in one of the mock courtrooms

Scout slept through most of it. 

 We also drove through one of the fancy neighborhoods and I loved this house and tree.

 Spring was so pretty with all the different trees in bloom.

I spent a lot of time outside playing with Sam, here we are looking a ladybug we found. 

 I just love this face he was giving me.

 I had to bribe him to take a picture with me. But really he was so sweet always saying thank you and telling me I was good at things.

 And oh man I loved holding this little string bean, she was so tiny and yet so long.

The day before we left Rainbow Rowell the author of Attachments & Eleanor & Park tweeted that her local bookstore had signed copies. I thought they made the perfect souvenir.

Here is Sammy on the plan waving goodbye to Omaha and hello to Arizona. Once we got seated Scout slept the whole flight and Sam was so good playing with his truck and reading books we didn't even have to get out the ipad.

Jim Halpert Appreciation Day

It was announced that John Krasinski is going to be in the new season of Arrested Development, which is airing only on Netflix. With this and the last episode of The Office fast approaching (I haven't watched in years but) I just decided to take a trip down memory lane and remember why Jim Halpert is my favorite. 

The slap for real


Remember when he gave Kelly a New Moon poster


Who has two thumbs


Bears Beets Battlestar Galactica


Jim singing Love Fool


Interrogation


Vampire Jim


Future Dwight Prank, probably my favorite prank.

Instagram Hates Me

First let me explain that my blog is in fact my journal, it is where I post what is happening in my life and how I keep track of photos. Instagram also helps me keep these things straight unfortunately Instagram decided it hates me (or pictures of sunsets) and barely let's me post and won't let me comment. I tried deleting the app from my iphone and ipad and re-installing with out any success. So I am going to post some of my failed Instagrams here so they can be preserved somewhere.

 This one actually did post but it did not post my comment. I had a couple of project I did while listening/watching General Conference this is the case I made for my ipad. I would suggest actually tracing out letters rather than just winging it like I did.

 My friend Katie and I rode our bikes down to Gecko Grill, it was fun having a bike buddy.

Debbie's kids came over last Saturday and we went swimming in the heated community pool. 

This little video was completely spontaneous Miss Grace just ran over to me gave me heart shaped clover leaves and then ran off singing and dancing. I added the song after, it is called Always Summer it is from the Brideshead Revisited soundtrack, which I don't really recommend but oh man I love this song.

These are pictures from the same day.

This is from The Riparian Preserve Debbie and Russ let me crash their family outing.

I LOVE the Riparian Preserve here are some pictures I took while going for a walk a few week prior. 

I felt silly with my iphone while all these people were walking around with professional looking cameras with huge lenses on them. 

Booking It

The Tucson Festival of Books was a month ago and I got to see my friend Elizabeth Eulberg again! We went to lunch, conveniently Cornish Pasty is just a couple miles away from Changing Hands. After lunch we headed over to Changing Hands for her signing and my dear friend Jenny came who I don't get to see enough came. Because of the Tucson book festival going on it was a small crowd for her signing but one of my favorites because first of all Elizabeth is super funny and super nice. We were able to all chat together and I made friends with some strangers. 

Then down in Tucson I got to meet Gayle Forman and hang out with a couple more of my book buddies Espe & Jen! Gayle was on a panel with Elizabeth & Maggie Stiffvater after their signing I asked Gayle while she was eating an apple to take a picture, it turned into a recreating the Twilight cover. 

 I wore my Team Adam badge and was able to hand them out to a few girls in line by us.

In the book Just One Day someone tells Allyson to have a macaroon every day she is Paris.

I had been craving one since I read it and when I was in Tempe I stopped off at Essence Bakery and got one in pumpkin, raspberry and lime, the pumpkin was so divine! 

 When I arrived at the panel and Elizabeth saw me she got excited and held up a doll, why because we have bonded over Jane Austen and she knew I would appreciate a Mr. Darcy doll. A friend had given it to her and sadly it was the last one but she showed me the tag so I could find it online. I was so excited for my Darcy doll to finally come so you can image my disappointment when I opened the box and it was Dracula! But I called the company they saw it was their error and sent me a Darcy and told me to keep Dracula so now Darcy has a friend.

And a few weeks ago Cassandra Clare came for the release of Clockwork Princess. She came along with authors Maureen Johnson & Sarah Rees Brennan, it was a fun event.

 But man it was a lot of books to be carrying around and they had us stack them a certain way and I some how had missed a couple books so I didn't have time to write my name on a sticky note for Maureen's book so I had to tell her my name and she heard wrong and I started laughing and she felt bad and then wrote that she has gone insane in my book, it was awesome!

Anyone who has gone to a book signing with me knows that I can get a little carried away talking about books or whatever when I meet an author. While Mimi and I were in line we talked about how we both realized that the first video Mimi really ever edited was the one we made for the contest Cassandra Clare did for an ARC for City of Glass. Which we did win one by the way! So for the first time Mimi did the talking and told Cassandra that we had made the video and how it pushed her into her now career path. Cassandra was sincerely touched and she actually grabbed Mimi's hand, it was so sweet. Blast the confounded pile of books in my arms because I could get to my phone so I could take a picture. I will sign off with the newest City of Bones trailer!