I'll see you in my dreams.

I know the video is blurry, but it's the only one I could find. This song is one of my favorites of all time. It is probably going on the list of "Funeral Songs" next to my ultimate favorite song of all time, "In My Life" by The Beatles (and that WILL be my funeral song).

George is not my favorite Beatle, though he probably is the most beautiful. I will admit it's John Lennon (his voice and solo career post-Beatles really decided it) but I was looking through a few drafts of posts I had started here and there over the past few months and found this yesterday. Ironically, today is the 9th anniversary of George Harrison's death and 8th anniversary of the concert, so here you go. 

By the way, this clip is from the same show as "The Lumberjack Song." I'm telling you, that "Concert For George" movie is amazing to watch.

A Cupake Review

First of all, my idiot of a cat is stuck under our bed, the bed that we huffed and puffed to push against the back wall so she couldn't run behind it. It's a beautiful bed, I have to say. The base touches the floor so that the only way under it is to crawl through the opening beneath our headboard which is curved so even if we push it alllll the way against the wall, there is still a foot of space she can jump through if she gets on a nightstand first. Elliott is at Church meetings and I can't move our behemoth of a bed to get her out. 

She's a  behemoth. FACE.

That being said, this post will be written with a strained back and an obnoxious cat meowing in the background. I am sickly satisfied by her entrapment. 

 The things I would suffer with if I didn't have Elliott.

Now, onto a cupcake review. As you all know, and if you don't, you should, I love me my Sprinkle's cupcakes. I really wish I would have done a review on here for every cupcake flavor I've tried because in the past 6 months I have had just about all of them INCLUDING the elusive holiday flavors. Oh well. Youcanstartadietinthemiddleofabagofchips.

I'll start my cupcake reviews now. Of course, me being me, it wouldn't be of a Sprinkle's cupcake. Whatever.

Last night, Elliott and I were getting our quarterly Carrabba's fix and were going to stop by The Coffee Shop next to the overpriced and overrated, Joe's Farm Grill. If I wanted to eat outside, I'd have a picnic. And I'm rarely in the mood for a picnic. Rarely. 

Anyway, I had heard great things about The Coffee Shop from my dear friends at ASU Library Storage. More specifically, I had heard great things about The Coffee Shop's cupcakes that had been featured on "Cupcake Wars" from my dear friends at ASU Library Storage. However, leaving Carrabba's, Elliott and I both saw the words "CAKE" on a banner above one of the shops in the strip mall. I ran through the parking lot to the shop and immediately felt like I was walking into an open-house event. I found out, this was the second day it was open. I had just walked into Designer Cakes by April.  At $2.50 a piece or $9.50 for a box of four, I figured this was MUCH closer and a tad less expensive than Sprinkle's so I chose to sample. April herself was doing all of the ringing up and packaging and gave me two free cake pops because she was such a nice gal. (The cake pops were chocolate covered with a peppermint flaked frosting. Divine. And only $1.25 each)!  The cupcakes are great, and her cake creations are amazing to look at while you're waiting in line. Seriously. Amazing. I felt like I was watching "Food Network Challenge."

 Top left to right: Vanilla, Pumpkin Chip

Bottom left to right: Chocolate Peppermint, Pink Velvet

Now for the hard truth. Will I still have my Sprinkle's several times a month? Yes. Will I go back to this fun little-big cake shop as well curious to see what she'll come up with next (as only Sprinkle's is the most predictable bakery on earth)? Yes. Ok, ok, ok, I still love Sprinkle's more (duh) but this lady was ringing people up, being an entertainer to her entourage that was there supporting her (remember I said it felt like a party?)and making these cupcakes ALL by herself. Ok, not ALL at the same time but I'm pretty impressed with her AND her cupcakes. I still plan to head to The Coffee Shop and try their cupcakes but that will have to wait for next week. 

Meanwhile.

My back hurts.

Expletives.

Enjoying Sunday. Church was nice after being away from the Ward literally, all month. Oh, and as I am finishing this up 30 MINUTES LATER, what's that I hear? None other than Missy Girl Mittens Baby Girl Cat pawing at the treat bottle that was sitting OUTSIDE of the bed. She freed herself, motivated by food. Behemoth. 

Disney.

I love Disneyland. Love it. Who doesn't? It's like my Twilight or Harry Potter or Hobby Lobby or anything that I am entirely indifferent to. Everybody loves it (Dinneyland), including me, and I don't know why anyone--ANYONE--wouldn't. And don't say Asians. Or children. Or long lines. I have responses for each of those reasons. Disneyland is a science. A system that, with the right plan, can be worked. And we worked it. Last Friday, I quite possibly had the best day there I have ever had in my dozen plus trips to the magic mecca (and it's more than the fact that I finally took Elliott, who hadn't been since 1997... apparently). We went with our dental school friends, Kyndall and Brian and had a heyday. The weather was overcast, meaning we were dry but many people stayed home for fear of the rain coming.

Let me better illustrate what I mean by retelling the experience we had on a little ride called "Splash Mountain":

Ride Operator: Would you like to go again?

Us: Yes. 

Ride Operator: *Pushes button* 

Us: Wee!

...10 minutes later...

Different Ride Operator: Would you like to go again?

Us: Nah. Twice was good. Too cold. Too wet. 

Ride Operator: *Raises Eyebrows* Ooooohhhhkayy..?

Not to worry, we walked on every ride with the exception of *maybe* 3 or 4.

I think Elliott would even admit that he was converted.

By the way, planning a trip soon?

Get a fastpass at California Adventure for the "World of Color" light and water show. Amazing. Blows the Bellagio's show out of the water... No pun intended.

 Moving on.

 Day two was equally amazing as THAT was the day the real downpour came. However, it cleared up for several hours giving us just enough time to be a little merry and fly a kite on Huntington Beach.

Do you love our frog kite? Because we did.

 Elliott has his Free WIlly on. 

 Kyndall, the natural kite flier.

Brian, the natural bag holder. 

Lastly.

Have you eaten here?

(Scottsdale and Phoenix)

How about here?

(Old Town Scottsdale)

And how about here?

 (Newport and LA)

These restaurants are part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group. 

They are officially my favorite restaurants. Very similar, but each with it's own specialty items that set it apart from the other restaurants in the group. 

Houston's: French Dip made with prime rib, fresh ahi, tortilla soup

Bandera's: The cheeseburger, meatloaf sammy, and Carnita's sammy

Gulfstream: Mustard Barbecue Beef Ribs, and a house-made hot fudge sundae that will addict you so fast, before you know it, you're eating more than half of your friends' and embarrassing your husband because you were too stupid to order one yourself and will have to wait until the next time you go to California to get it and this makes you sad.

But motivated. 
We are so lucky to have such great friends who will let us stay with them at their aunt and uncle's amazing home!! It definitely made this trip much more affordable and possible! Thanks Kyndall and Brian. Until next adventure.

Mustache

Happy Movember.

I'm a Lumberjack.

And I'm ok. 

I really am.

I just got accepted into NAU's Master of Education in School Counseling program. 

I'm excited. 

I'm THANKFUL because it really was more of a blessing and a divine hand working in my favor than anything else.  

I start this January and the plan is to finish in 2 or so years. 

Granted, since I've started the new adventure of having babies, it is nothing more than a plan that I will gladly postpone if needed. 

 Please note Tom Hanks (bottom far right).

I love school. 

And George Harrison.

You should really watch the entire "Concert for George" film, by the way. 

I also will always love love love my ASU.

 I'm thinking I want one of their sweatshirts for Christmas... As well as an ASDOH one to support my baby. 

Food for thought.

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

This has served as a mantra for me for a couple of years now ever since hearing it from a wonderful lady at Church.  

 I think about those words nearly every day. 

I set a lot of day-to-day goals--and usually end up re-setting them the next day. I tell myself, if I started right now (again) with a clean slate , 20 years from now I would look back and realize that as "bad" (and let's really not read too much into the word "bad") a habit as I once had, at least I haven't repeated it in so long.

--Until then--

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”

“You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips”