New Blog

I have expanded my horizons and started a new blog. It is still under construction and I'm still playing with it, but I wanted to get everyone the new web address. Also within the blog are different pages, one of which is for information and stories about the Howe Family Reunions. I'm working on putting together slide shows for the blog and all I have are pictures that we took, and unfortunately we don't have pictures of everyone. I am looking for any pictures from either Big Lake or Disneyland that you can send to me and would be willing to let me post on the blog. I also wanted to get permission from everyone to post pictures of their families at other get-togethers, especially the kids, on the website. If you have any questions let me know. The new blog site is www.howezookeeper.wordpress.com

A Few Of Her Favorite Things

Some of Reagan's favorite sayings are "More Please" and "Try Again". And those usually coincide with bubbles or singing and dancing. No matter how many bubbles I blow, she always wants more. So luckily for me when I went to Walmart this week, I found the Gazillion Bubble Blower! And with her birthday coming up, it was a must have, (for her and for me). We had been blowing bubbles all week because, ironically, both my mother and my father bought her bubbles for Easter. So I knew I couldn't wait to give it to her. Needless to say, she loves it. Plus, I don't mind her requests to dance in the bubbles because secretly I'm doing my own little happy dance that I don't have to blow them anymore!

Reagan also loves The Wiggles. Thankfully, we only have one DVD and sadly it is burned into our memories. She will ask us frequently to sing The Flap and The Twist, just so she can dance. She recently discovered that it makes Lorelai screech and laugh hysterically. Again, out come the favorite sayings, "More please" and "Try Again." It gets old quickly, but a happy and laughing girl is often M.I.A. so we do it as long as possible. As the song by Tim McGraw goes,

Just to see you smile

I'd do anything that you wanted me to

When all is said and done I'd never count the cost

It's worth all that's lost, just to see you smile

Wishing upon a (very big) star!

It took me a little bit to really figure out what I wanted to put on my list. Then I decided that I'm just going to shoot for the stars. So here it is, my list of 5 things I would love to have.

1. A 1967 Shelby GT500. A gorgeous little car with a 428 in (7L) big block engine. Need I say more?

2. Lasik Eye Surgery. I am ready to be out of glasses and contacts! I have been wearing them since 4th grade and I think it is time to let them go. I am ready to be able to wear sunglasses anytime, and to be able to go to the pool or beach and being able to see without wearing glasses or contacts. (The picture is a little wierd, but compared to the others it is so much less creepy)

3. The Nikon D60. It can shoot up to 3 frames per second and has a split-second shutter response. It can make taking pictures of my fast paced children much easier and maybe bring me one step closer to becoming a photographer.





4. A fabulous trip to New York City which would include shopping at sample sales, musicals on Broadway, fine dining, and of course a New York Yankees baseball game.






5. A ride on the Oriental Express. It travels from Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Chiang Mai. Traveling through South East Asia aboard a train would be breathtaking.







Thanks Lesley for tagging me and giving me an opportunity to think about what I would want, far reaching as it may be and minus all the righteous wishes. Sorry it took so long. Suzie and Mel, you're it. I am very interested to see what you would wish for, especially Suzie since she has the new camera that we are all so jealous of! :) Have fun and good luck.

So long 12 steps!

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well I admit it. I absolutely love Crate and Barrel, LOVE IT, and would probably spend every dime Aaron makes buying their must-have items. Sadly, I don't buy anything because it is so gosh darn expensive. That, however, doesn't stop me from happily looking at their catalogs and drooling over the many items that I couldn't possibly live without. Thankfully, that little voice in my head stops me from reaching for the credit card and buying something I really can't justify spending all that money on. Instead I head to Ikea where I can buy something similar for a fraction of the price, and still feel like I shopped at Crate and Barrel.

Now, do you think that the owners of Crate and Barrel couldn't just send me my catalog and leave well enough alone? NO, they just had to get my money. They know that I have yet to purchase anything from them, so they decided to blindside me and open a new store and send me a new catalog. It's called CB2 and it is calling my name. According to their website and catalog, it is described as "A new destination from Crate and Barrel that dials up the fun. Smart designs, clever materials. Neat stuff, cool colors. We’re one find of a store—actually three, with two stores in Chicago and one in New York (make that four this summer with the opening of our San Francisco Union Square store). And of course, we’re this fun, idea-packed website for shopping affordable modern." AHHHH! There goes my recovery process and that conscience of mine has been kicked to the curb.

I see this catalog and I want it all. Maybe some of the stuff is a little out there and I wouldn't use it on a day to day basis, but it is so cool. Like the graffiti plates. I'm certainly not in a gang, and not really into graffiti art, but those appetizer plates are awesome. And for only 5 bucks, I can have it. Even this milk carton vase. It's so tacky but so irresistible for only 6 bucks. Okay okay, so maybe I wouldn't actually buy these items, but the prices throughout the site are unbelievable. Sure, there are items that are still way too expensive, but that is what Ikea is for! CB2 is the Ikea for Crate and Barrel lovers, fabulous prices for items you didn't know you needed! Don't get me wrong, Ikea will always hold a very special place in my heart as well as in my home, I just have another outlet for my shopping pleasure. Thankfully they don't have a store in Phoenix, or we would really be in trouble.

So au revoir 12 steps, hello CB2. Please give me a few weeks before someone calls for an intervention.

Papa Hair

As the first day of spring gets under way and we get one step closer to the summer heat, I find myself dreading the coming months. The heat, the monsoons, and the thought of having to take the time to do my hair when it is just going to go flat and probably get pulled up anyway makes me dread it more. So this time of year rolls around and I start thinking, as I do every year, should I chop my hair off and go for the short do, or leave it long so I can just pull it up because it will end up there anyway?!? Talk about dilemma! Of course with either choice, who wants to stand in the Arizona heat pointing a hair dryer at your head for 20 min just to look nice for an hour or so? So I had a thought, why not just shave it all off? Who hasn't thought that during a particularly hot day in Arizona, right? I even hear they make wigs that are amazingly similar to real hair and I could just buy a few of those and go with it. Who wouldn't want the option of not having something else to worry about in the heat and being able to get ready in a fraction of the time? Ok, well it is just a thought and despite the dreaded summer months, I have no intentions of shaving my head appealing as it may be. I'm honestly much to chicken for that. Instead I decided to borrow a page out of the Benjamin and Lesley Howe book, and hopefully no copyright laws were violated. :) Due to the large spot of missing hair on the back of Lorelai's hair and horrible cradle cap that we just could not conquer, we decided that we would buzz it to try and even it out. That was much harder than we expected and as Aaron has said over and over, "Trying to buzz a 4 month olds head is like trying to herd blind, arthritic cats." So needless to say, we ended up shaving Lo's head completely bald. It was very traumatic for me and I think the only reason I conceded to shaving her head was so she could fulfill my inner desire to be bald. Though I hardly think I would be as cute and adorable as she is. Reagan even loves it. She told Aaron the other day, "Lorelai has papa hair!" So cute. I guess I will just live vicariously through Lorelai. At least until I get up the guts to shave my own head!