R is for Ronnebeck!

My Brother… In continuing this series of my family, I found my thoughts wandering over to my brother today. Tony is one of the biggest smart ass’ I know. He is also a very tender hearted boy – but he wouldn’t want you to know that! He’s the biggest Vikings fan I know, and the jawing between him and Eric of whose better Vikings or Seahawks never gets old. Some of my favorite memories with Tony include playing in the mud pits at the farm, riding the inner tube behind the lawn mower after a rainy summer day, and the day he kicked the basketball off the deck toward our basketball court and it landed in the hoop. My brother never stops making me laugh, he loves to pick on me, but I know it’s because he loves me. Every time I talk to my brother on the phone and he asks “what cha doing waiting for the bus” I usually say “yes, I’m waiting for the bus” and then he starts to sing me a song by the Violent Femme’s that goes “Standing on the corner waiting for the bus – I got some place I gots to ...

This is what 102 degree's looks like in my house... poor hot kitty!

This morning on my way to work I was day dreaming a little bit about my blog. I decided I needed to post more often and do a little tribute to those I love. Today as my mind wandered, it landed on memories with my sister. Shannon is one of the kindest hearted people I know. She can be pretty quiet, but she’s very dependable and when partnered with me in a Wal-mart aisle one of the most obnoxious people there (I would be THE most obnoxious person there). I have so many great memories with my sister, growing up and as adults and wish she was living in Seattle along with her Daughter Erica and our Mom every day of the week. I remember when Shannon was about a senior in high school she’d come home on a Friday night (when there wasn’t much going on in town) and wake me up to bring me over to her water bed (we shared a room) to watch Johnny Bago together – except for we always called it “Johnny Winnebago”. I remember how she didn’t get upset when I insisted on using her aqua net, hogging ti...

Heidi sent me my dress in the mail last week and I had kind of forgotten that it was on it's way. I was surprised when the mail lady brought a big box to my desk at work. I opened it completley puzzled and then as I saw the deep brown fabric it kind of hit me - my best friend is getting married! I looked at the dress, had my Boss take a look at it (as she's my alterations specialist) and then put it in my back pack to take home. I got a little sentimental on the way home. I had the flash backs to our college days where we would spend time talking about bridesmaid dresses and how it would be weird in a few years when everyone started getting married and we'd be in like 100 weddings. We planned a bit, and talked about eloping in Vegas, we talked about little garden weddings and big elaborate weddings that were beautiful beyond imaginaion. Mostly we tried to not think about it because neither of us saw ourselves married by age 25. Well, My garden wedding has come and gone an...

I haven’t been really good at writing much on here recently. I guess administering 3 blogs, having friends over and Relay has been busier than I thought. There has been plenty going on and plenty to blog about recently though. This week proved to be busier than expected and I’m about 24 hours away from Relay and still have not gotten everything done I wanted to. I still need to run to the dollar store to get things for “lap themes” and to the grocery store for water and snacks and get things put together around home, like finding our tent! I guess I will be a busy girl tomorrow morning and I’m starting to curb my “type A” personality in trying to reassure myself that if I don’t get it perfect this year I’m not going to melt into a puddle like the wicked witch of the west. Letting things get a little bit out of control from time to time might be a good thing. On Tuesday evening Walter and Jess came over and we spent the night eating Turkey Kofte, drinking wine and beer and visiting on o...

Happiness is ... Shirts that turn out better than you imagined Happiness is ... your husband humoring you and taking a picture in a matching shirt Happiness is ... Mom not feeling alone in this. More pictures posted Here.

Two things that are bringing me great pleasure today... The amazing GOOGLE LOGO!!!!! That's rocking some pretty awesome DC Characters because of the San Diego Comicon, (Biggest ComiCon ever) going on right now. And this picture... Oh My Gosh... Could it get any cuter? Could they be any more boy? I'm so glad they're my nephews :) ♥*swoon*♥

I can’t pretend that Monday’s aren’t rough – but a Monday after a vacation usually tends to be the worst. However, this go-round I did very well and successfully survived my 1st Monday back from Vacation. Only 10 More Mondays till I have to face my Next 1st Monday back from Vacation and I can only hope it goes as well as today has! With a little help from a Grande Decaf White Mocha – hold the whip Monday was a wiz and hopefully the rest of the week goes this quickly. I walk in Relay for Life in Federal Way this weekend if anyone wants to come down and join me. Kerri Santo, Eric and I will be the one’s out there almost dying of heat stroke! It’s supposed to hit 100 degrees on Saturday! Y-U-C-K! I mean, it’s going to be great! Nice and cool, come on down. I’m not enticing anyone with the 100 degree weather am I? Better get back at it! Happy Mondaying Everyone!

My Vacation days are nearing the end so I thought I'd leave you with a few.. Happiness is ... watching the circus from your back porch Happiness is ... watching the parade from your back porch Happiness is ... nearly empty grocery stores on a Sunny Saturday Happiness is ... juicy watermelon Happiness is ... spending lots of time with your husband Happiness is ... enjoying where you are in life. Happiness is ... reconnecting with a few old friends. Happiness is ... an e-mail from your best friend Happiness is ... Blogging infront of a fan on a hot summer day.

Yes, there is a real live Circus in my back yard! I took a few shots of their 5:00 show that I watched intently with my neighbor Jack. After a short search on Google, I found they are a Youth Circus from Wenatchee and the participants are between 8 and 18 years of age. They were pretty darn good for a group of kids! Jack and I give it 2 thumbs up, and encourage you to go! Maybe even pay the$7 admission to support them and not freeload like we did. Though, if you'd like to Freeload give me a call, I'll let you sit on the back porch.

Happiness is ... The Woodland Park Zoo... Flamingos! Love that the Owl is looking right at the camera... Giraffe's are so gorgeous ! Hip Hip Hip Hippopotomous... Hip Hip Hooray God Made all of us! Me and my new pet, the Baby Elephant! Beautiful ... fake ... scenery ROAARRRR!!!! I told Gracie to watch out or this guy would EAT her! The New Penguin's Exibit! Eric's top shot of the day :) Proof that most kitty's sleep all day just like mine! Look at thoes PAWS! We survived the Rain forrest part... too HUMID for words! After the Zoo... we went to a little Ice Cream shoppe down the way. What a wonderful Day!

I really never thought I'd stick to this Blogging thing as much as I have. This is my 200th Post and I'm pretty astonished that I've posted this much! I know I said I wouldn't type much this vacation but I had to say a little more on my 200th post than "happiness is...". So in efforts to make you laugh, here's pictures of Aquaman - how appropriate to post pictures of this little guy on my 200th post since he's the one you see most pictures of. Here's my little boy ... sitting on Eric's lap... waiting for him to finish his beer. And then he begins to beg... please ... please can I have a taste? And paws at it ... hoping he can get just one drop. SUCCESS!!!! Yep... my Dog loves beer.

Happiness is... a sweeping Seattle Skyline... Happiness is ... meeting Bert, Ernie, Rowlf and Kermit the Frog - just like meeting celebrity's . Happiness is ... taking pictures of ourselves in the reflective side of the EMP . Happiness is... Riding the Monorail. Happiness is ... the market on a sunny day. Happiness is ... a fresh oyster for $1.25 - sand included. Happiness is ... seeing the same places in new ways Happiness is ... sticking your gum to this wall. Happiness is ... exploring your city

Happiness is ... waking up at 12:30 and not having to be upset that I slept the day away. Happiness is ... going to see UP with my husband. Happiness is ... appreciating my husband even more after seeing Up. Happiness is ... Pouring rain Happiness is ... talking with the people who own Emerald Thai Happiness is ... being asked "how spicy?" Happiness is ... Thai Food. Happiness is ... A Potter-thon Happiness is ... cuddling on the couch with my family.

Happiness is ... taking a nap in my love sac. Happiness is ... Reading Harry Potter on the sunny porch. Happiness is ... UFC night at the Santo house Happiness is ... enjoying other peoples children and realizing you don't have to change a diaper. Happiness is ... Staying up past 10 pm since you napped earlier in the day. Happiness is ... a puppy who was just let out of his kennel and can't wait to see his family. Happiness is ... reviving your once dead laptop to work just like normal.

Simplifying my life. I work for a brokerage firm and I spend most of my 40 hours a week on a computer. So, for vacation I've decided to spend as little time on the computer as possible. Not that I don't LOVE my job or being on the computer, It's just my form of detox for the week. I will still have small posts, or my picture of the day but I don't plan to spend 20 minutes writing a post when I could be laying on my back porch enjoying the Sunshine! So I'll boil it down to this... Happiness. Happiness is ... A clean unused toilet at Safe Co Field. Happiness is ... a sunny Friday at the ballpark with my Husband. Happiness is ... sleeping in on a Saturday Happiness is ... waking up to your puppy licking your cheek Happiness is ... Realizing you have an entire week of vacation ahead of you and nothing on your to do list. Happiness is... blogging your entire vacation in all the bright points. This week, I will share little one liners into our vacation week, bu...

“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun…” I have gotten a little sentimental over something I never thought would strike any emotion. We got rid of my Aspire today. Yes, it’s true the Man Magnet (Uncle Todd it worked! Truley was a Man Magnet! I landed my Hubby!)has a new owner, a new home now and I hope she will be happy there. I am sure that John will take her apart or renew her parts to make her run again, as you see John owns a garage and she will be with other Aspires of her status, very loved. Last night as Eric and I were leaving the house I brought my camera down with me to take a few pictures because ...I couldn’t just let her go without a few pictures. As I was clicking away, I sheepishly asked Eric to take one of me and the car, and then I hugged the car, and looked up at Eric all sad, he took another picture and I fought to keep my tears in my eyes. I know she will have a good home and get more love than I have given her the past couple years – but that car reall...