So tomorrow is the big day. I feel like I am a newlywed all over again! It is a small perk for having to be seperated from my husband for so long. The excitement and butterflies to see him come back. Wanting to make everything perfect and making sure that all my primping needs are taken care of, I just can't wait for lindsay to come home! Tomorrow night our family will be reunited and I can not wait.

Now to all of you saying dont you always want to be perfect for your husband? Why of course yes, but after many years of marriage, and the ins and outs or everydays things....come on now be realistic. In my perfect world I will have the energy and drive to be perfect everyday but I dont live in my perfect world....yet. But this weekend will come darn close.

I've already got streamers up, signs up, laundry most of the way done, special gifts layed out on his side of the bed, nails done, tomorrow we continue and finish it all. Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Just A Reminder

I Love You The MOST SomBum!!!

Training in Madrid

It has been tough and exciting to be in Spain, completing training for our assignment to Australia. When the weather was nice, it was beautiful outside, as you can see from the hotel room I stayed in for a short while, near Gran Via. The streets were chaotic and claustrophobic compared to the States, and no one believed in any kind of personal space. The language barrier was difficult at first, but if you put in effort to speak a little Spanish, it went a long way.

Skype has been a great tool to stay in touch with family, but you can see that Erik could quickly tell it wasn't the real thing. This was a shot with my camera while we were chatting. This was a great opportunity for Erik to spend time with family before our move.

Here are a few shots from my last walk around town. These first few shots were taken at Plaza Espania, where there are beautiful grounds, statues/fountains, and shopping vendors ready to fill all your tourist needs. Be careful to watch out for pick-pockets though. I was weary to venture out much at first, but my Brother-in-Law (who spent two years in Spain) gave me some good pointers & ideas, which encouraged me to go out.

The photo above is a 2,200 year old Egyptian Temple that was relocated to Madrid in the 60's. Egypt had to build a damn that was going to flood the temple, so they gave it to Spain for help that they had previously given Egypt. The temple was moved to Madrid and set up in the same orientation as it was in Egypt. It's amazing to see a structure that was built before Christ even walked the Earth....even if it's a refurb.

More pictures from Plaza Espania. There was a lot to look at and do, but I am excited to be on my way home to my family. Nothing beats the warmth of your home and love of your family, no matter how exciting the adventure.

There's a first time for everything

well I hope for some things, we never have a first. Quite honestly I am surprised with how rambunctious Erik can get that we havent had an emergency room visit yet. Although I probably just jinxed myself. Today however, the mischievious little booger created a first. You see, I learned long ago that whenever I have to seperated from Erik for any duration to keep my cell phone on me, like literally in my pocket. And I don't do this because of something he did but rather what I did...oh about a year ago. When our car was new to us and I didnt know all the safety features I quickly learned that the doors will automatically lock sometimes after a certain amount of time. I still haven't figured out the pattern to it, but needless to say I had set the keys on the front seat along with all my other stuff, buckled him into his car seat, shut the door, and proceeded to walk around the car to get in the drivers door. Well some time, panicking, and quick thinking later, along with a screaming child because I think he could tell his mother was panicking, I broke into my own car and all was well.

So on to todays fiasco. I ran outside real quick to take the trash can to the curb and shut the door behind me to keep Erik from following me because it's freezing out and was snowing (that's something I don't even want to get into) and he didn't have shoes on. So I ran out fast thinking "If I go fast enough, by the time Erik gets the door open and comes out he won't get nearly as far as if I just leave the door open." Well that sly little guy he locked me out. Now to his credit I don't think he realized that what he was doing, especially since opening doors is a fairly new skill of his. And I never imagined he would lock me out of the front door because our door knob doesn't have a lock - just a deadbolt above. So I thought I was safe because he couldn't reach. Shows how little faith I have in a determined 2 year old.

So I knock on the door and talk to him and ask him to open the door for me, and while he is giggling and trying to turn the knob to let me in.......I am freezing, wanting to laugh at myself for the dumb mommy mistake I just made and at the fact that he is such a silly sly guy, because he is giggling and come on who doesn't laugh when a toddler giggles, and trying not to panic because I know for a fact that all the rest of the doors to the house including windows are locked because I check them at night when we go to bed.

Long story short....after about 2 minutes which felt like 30 Erik was able to reach up and open the deadbolt for me and let me in. I think he was wondering why I wasn't coming in because he went to the front window to look at me. I tried to follow along and tell him to get a stool to bring over to stand on, but no such luck.

Mommy lesson learned....2 year old boys can do anything and thus bring them with you EVERYWHERE and hook them to your belt if you have to because they will find a way to be naughty without even meaning to : )

There's no place like home

So Erik and I made it back to California on a nice sunny 80 degree day. It was beautiful and my thick socks and boots along with three pieces of luggage, a carryon, and a sleeping toddler in a stroller made me nice and sweaty upon arriving. Luckily I didnt have to go too far from baggage claim to where my sweet friend picked me up. I knew I picked to fly into the small burbank airport for a reason :) Well plus it's the best one to drive to from where we live. Anyhow.

Our trip to Washington was lots of fun spent with lots of family. I am so glad that we made the trip. Especially for Erik's sake who now knows his grandparents individually and even one set of great grandparents. He knows cousins and aunts and uncles and had a tendency to yell out whoever he could think of or who he knew was home and continuously say their name. I get it all the time and it was nice to share that with them. He was constantly yelling our Bri Bri for his auntie Brittany who stayed with my parents part time as well and has a new found love for he Papa Moon. Ok maybe not a newfound love as much as an obsession. I couldn't ask for anything more precious. He loved going on errands and doing manly things with Grampa Spinelli and playing silly games with Grammy Spinelli. With Nana it was watching videos and talking about what was happening. Each did something unique with the little man that bonded him and their relationships. That was the main purpose of the trip and I was so glad for that. PLus we weren't as lonely always being with other people.

Towards the end of the trip Erik's sleep schedule was way off the rocker and I pretty much gave up on the usual plan of action. NOt because I was lazy and tired although I will admit to being both of those, but because we had moved houses and he is still young enough he doesnt fully understand that just because daddy left for a time and that he will come back or that mommy will stay and not leave he was deathly afraid of me leaving him. For example the last weekend there we were at Lindsay's brother and his family's house for a birthday and baby blessing. On the first night Haley and I were going to run to the store real quick to grab some groceries for dinner. Erik, his cousin Zoey, and Papa were all outside playing and having fun. We rolled down the window said good bye and Erik said bye and then started whining. Haley asked if I wanted to just zip out of there so that he didnt dwell on the fact that I was leaving him for a short period of time (which normally he would be happy to go along with friends). I replied, yeah just pull forward and lets go. So she did and holy moly guacamole I have never seen that child run as fast and as hard as he did. I was watching backward and he ran out of their driveway and was running down the middle of the street faster than papa could catch him after the car with the most panicked look on his face. So we stopped and I got out and picked him up. His heart was beating so fast and hard and my heart broke a little so we threw him in Zoey's car seat and brought him with us. Poor little man. I think the only time I have felt someone's heart racing like that was when Lindsay proposed to me....that must have been where Erik got it from :)

So being in Washington was great but being back in our own beds and Erik's familiar environment has proved to be comforting. He almost immediately went back to his normal sleep schedule and sleeping in his own bed rather than mine. He still wakes up once a night and wants me to come in to make sure I am there. I just have to tell him that I am here and that I need to sleep in my bed down the hall and he rolls over and sleeps until morning. I am a lucky girl.

Since being home it has been a mad dash to clean the house for our initial walk through with our landlord today. It has felt good to be motivated and get things done around the house. IT would have been better if she would not have come a half an hour early before I could finish cleaning up some last minute stuff to make the place look more aesthetically pleasing but it is what it is. You can't always win I guess.

Now we continue to clean, sell, dejunk, and get projects done, until Linds joins us and we all work towards the big move to Oz. I am already dreaming up what our new banner will say on the blog once we move.

For those who are asking about Lin.........he is still in Spain, still not loving nor hating it, and cant wait to wrestle with the little man. A favorite pasttime over the last two months on skype has been singing the itsy bitsy spider and Erik "sneezing" while Lindsay "gets blown across the room."