Tagged ... Again

I'm only doing this because I love Heidi so much! :)

10 years ago:
I was finishing up at Ricks College before the big entrance into BYU. :)

Five places I have visited:
Santa Paula, California
Big Island, Hawaii
Panama City, Florida
San Francisco, California
Cooperstown, New York

Five things on my to-do list:
Work on freelance article
Clean out the car
Exercise at some point today (thanks to wonderful suggestions provided by you guys, I now have no excuses ... )
Read scriptures
Shower

Three bad habits:
I tend to procrastinate ...
I'm stubborn.
I'm not as consistent as I'd like to be.

Five things you may not know about me (and probably don't want to know!):
I love to shop and find good deals (but most of you probably knew that!)
I'm obsessed with sunflowers (love Vincent van Gogh's image - I want to display it when we get into a house!), picture frames, and being (trying to get) organized.

I love decorating.
My new love is avocados.
I love hand-me-downs; they always refresh a wardrobe.
I love shoes. That was six!

Next, I tag Meredith. She always makes interesting lists!

Exercise Ideas, Anyone?

Besides walking outside, does anyone have any ideas for exercise when you're in a small space?? There isn't really room for an exercise ball or a treadmill in here. What do you guys do to stay active and fit? I'm trying to lose this belly and just generally get in better shape!! It helps that we have a small kitchen, cause we're not buying lots of snacks and stuff (no place to put them). Any ideas are welcome. :) Maybe I just need to invest in a pair of roller skates ... ;)

He's A Little Boy!!!

We love spring for obvious reasons. Check out the blue, blue sky in this picture! This was a perfect day for a walk outside.

Aaron may only be six months old, but I hardly feel like he's a "baby" anymore. I feel like he has instantly become a little boy. While he may not be crawling around yet, he can easily get from A to B in a few swift rolls. And he doesn't use words yet, but he can jabber up a storm in his sweet baby talk and laugh with the best of 'em. He grabs at everything he sees and sticks anything he can get his hands on in his mouth (don't worry, just toys and such.) It's getting harder to contain him!

Thankful for this entertaining bouncer that provides hours of enjoyment for the mobile little guy. This is the best toy ever. The Fisher-Price safari jumperoo. Parents: YOU NEED ONE. :) Aaron loves to bounce, bounce, bounce in it. It's a great toy for getting all that restless energy out of his system and for strengthening his leg muscles! It's also loaded with all kinds of interesting toys and plays music, too. (Of course it does!) It's a good solution for our living situation since our townhouse is small and there's not a whole lot of room for him to roll around.

It's the next best thing to being outside. :) He's a great little boy. We're loving him!

p.s. Another Reason To Love Ukrop's

Just have to add that we swung by Ukrop's yesterday to pick up a few items and were able to park in the space designated for "Expecting Moms and Parents With Infants." I haven't seen stork parking since I lived in Utah, and I love it! It's such a wonderful service to those who have that extra load to carry -- whether in the belly or in the car seat.

Okay, enough about Ukrop's. But don't be surprised if I apply to do p.r. for them someday!! ;)

Shopping's Never Been So Fun

Grocery shopping has taken on a whole new meaning.

My mother-in-law, Dianne, told me about this awesome grocery store here in Richmond: Ukrop's. I love this store. They emphasize produce and organic foods, but they also have the best smelling bakery I've ever stepped foot in. And the best strawberries I've EVER eaten. But the reason for this post is actually to rave about the customer service at this store. I must say it delivers Southern hospitality at its finest (yes, it still exists.)

But first let me mention that the other day I purchased nearly $40 worth of groceries there for about $20 because of valuable coupons (thanks, Dianne!) and money back for signing up to receive a Valued Customer Card.

Okay, so, as I was checking out, the kind bagger lady told me that she'd take my groceries out to the car for me. Was she for real?? I responded, "Oh, that's okay," since I'm used to doing it myself. She said, "Well, that's what we do here!" Great! So she pushed the grocery cart out to my car, chatting with me and telling me about the coupons I could find inside the store magazine I had picked up. Then she proceeded to unload my groceries into the car for me and wish me a good day. Made for a lovely shopping experience I must say, especially since grocery shopping typically isn't noteworthy.

Ukrop's Web site is really awesome, too. It features recipes, coupons, store sales alerts, and a tool to build your own shopping list.

And to top it all off, Ukrop's is closed on Sundays (so I heard!) :) Hardly ever see that anymore. I think I've found my new shopping mecca.

And by the way, we absolutely love Richmond so far. Ukrop's is just one of its fine selling points. ;)

Welcome, Madelyn!

We want to welcome a gorgeous new niece into the family. Madelyn Necia Blake was born to Nick and Martha (Mike's sister) on March 8. She is so sweet and beautiful, and we're so happy Aaron will have a new little cousin to play with.

So glad you're here, Madelyn, and congrats to both Uncle Nick and Auntie Martha! ;) And a happy birthday to Martha on Saturday. Hope it's a good one!!

Thanks to Wayne & Dianne for providing the picture!

Our Dream Car :)

Yes, it's true. We did the inevitable and bought a mini van. Never really considered myself the mini-van "type", but hey, life surprises you sometimes.

We love the roominess of the vehicle, and Mike especially likes the stow-n-go seats in the back row. I think he has visions of going camping in the van at some later date (have fun!) ;) and of using the extra space to haul his bike.

One might wonder: Why buy a mini van when there are just three people involved? I asked myself this same question. We figured it was a practical purchase, and we hope this car will last us a good long time. Plenty of room to grow! It's a 2003 with low miles -- that's our kinda deal. And with a Honda, you can't go wrong. That's my philosophy on cars, anyway!

Mike sold his car before we left Oregon, so buying a new one was our first order of business here. Glad it's done! Kudos to Mike for finding us a good deal.

Here's to many happy travels in the kid cruiser! Aaron has the entire back of the van to himself ... for now anyway. ;)

Oh, I'm such a mini-van mom now!!

On a side note, both my older brother and sister own white mini vans as well. Just stickin' with Stathis tradition. :) Just kidding. This was not planned. Astonishing, I know. We're going to have quite the fleet now!