Looking back on 2013

The year isn't quite over yet but, as I sit by the fire with a glass of wine on this New Years Eve, I am feeling nostalgic. My brand new journal sits on my bedside table, crisp and ready for all my new adventures and feats in 2014! 2013 was a good year, nothing life changing or altering but, a journey worth taking nonetheless. Some friendships were strengthened, others were tested. Some goals were reached, while others had to take a back seat. Family bonds were tightened through weddings, momentous birthdays, shared holidays and of course, facebook! All in all, a fantastic year.

Here is a recap of the highs and lows ...

Single best moment of 2013: There are so many little moments of joy that happened this year. Life really is all about the little things - and someday we will look back and realize that those little things were really the big things. I guess if I had to narrow it down and name 3 great moments of 2013, I'd say: Celebrating my Mama's 80th birthday with all of my family in the same room, Going to my 1st Mom's Weekend at my son's college and Watching my kids serve dinner to homeless folks on the streets, on Christmas Eve.

Single worst: Probably the day I sat in the dermatologist office and heard "we need to schedule surgery for this." Thank God it was benign.

Favorite race: Far and away, the iconic Bay to Breakers in San Francisco ON my birthday!! 3 girlfriends, 2 states, 1 open road -- priceless!!

 

People who stood by my side this year: My hubby of 23 years is my absolute rock. He is my best friend, my biggest  fan and continues to be the best man I've ever known (next to my dad, of course). Lord knows, I haven't always given him reason to love me but, he has stood by me through it all and I am so glad he did!

My running partner who has shown up morning after morning at "dark thirty" - at the track or on the street halfway between our houses. She pushes me to be the best I can be, she talks me into running when I'd rather sleep in and she never ceases to amaze me with her quiet wisdom or good advice. I am so thankful for the time spent running alongside her - it is truly food for my soul.

Best thing we did as a family this year: Building a fire pit in the backyard. It is true when they say "build it and they will come." And by "they" I mean precious family memories. We spent so many wonderful nights sitting around that fire pit, roasting marshmallows and talking about our day. This next summer , I want to have a sign made that says: "Welcome to our fire pit, where friends become family and family become friends". Just like those ooey, gooey s'mores, this is the good stuff in life!! 

 

Scariest thing that happened this year: I'd have to say our family boat outing for AJs birthday at Lake Billy Chinook on August 26th. We were in the middle of the lake, swimming and having fun in the sun, when a freak thunder and lightning storm came out of nowhere! The ride back to shore (and safety) seemed to last for hours! But, my amazing hubby got us all there safely and we had some great video footage to post on Facebook!

Greatest lesson learned: That life is all in how you look at it. The glass is either half full or half empty ALL the time -  it just depends on how you look at it. If things look bleak,  just change your perspective. Things could ALWAYS be worse, someone is always worse off than you. Count your blessings not your problems. Focus on the good in the world. A grateful heart doesn't have time to feel sorry for itself.

Best book read: Hmmm...I guess I'd appear pretty shallow if I said the "50 Shades of Grey" trilogy, right?! I read some good books this year but, probably my favorite was Wild by Cheryl Strayed. The second best would be Past Forgetting, a book my dad gave me, which was a memoir written by Eisenhower's mistress. My goal for this next year is to read more. There is nothing better to me than curling up in bed with a hot cup of tea, cozy socks and a good book on a cold winter night!

Well, that sums up my year! It was fun to take a look back. Hope you enjoyed it. Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year's Eve spent with those you love...and a very, very blessed 2014.

We don't twitter we don't tweet we just live on Flanders street

I feel kind of bad because I am stealing a fave saying of my dear 81 year old dad for the title of this blog but, I love it! My dad is known for funny sayings (most of them old adages like "no use crying over spilled milk" and "don't burn daylight"). But, this one is a real Burke original and deserves a place all it's own!

Last summer when my sister and I were going to the wedding of an old family friend, my dad told us "if anyone asks about your mother and I, just tell them: We don't twitter we don't tweet we just live on Flanders street!l" We thought that was pretty funny and clever (and didn't have the heart to tell dad that twitter and tweet are basically the same thing!)

The thing about my dad is that he is a very wise man and many times throughout my life, he has given me words to live by.  When I was a kid and somebody hurt my feelings, he'd make me feel better by saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but, names will never hurt me." When we would go on a road trip, he'd say to all of us kids in the back seat before we left home, "speak now or forever hold your pee!" To this day I still say that to my kids!

One of my favorite "Burk-isms" is when he says "Nobody goes there anymore cuz it's too crowded" when referring to a popular restaurant. Again, we don't have the heart to tell him that somebody must be going there! We just smile and nod in agreement! 

I love that my dad's words of wisdom have become part of who we are as a family and I love it when my kids repeat something he has said or say "grandpa comes up with some pretty funny stuff." Makes me think of simpler times when families passed things on from generation to generation. A time when families sat around the dinner table and actually talked to each other. Or danced around the coffee table to old Nat King Cole Christmas tunes playing on the record player. When they went on long Sunday drives or drove to Disneyland without a single handheld device or a portable DVD. They didn't twitter or tweet...and man, life was sweet!

party of three

When my son left for college last year, I had visions of all kinds of new-found freedom for my husband and I. After all, our workload had been reduced by 50%, we were down to just one kid. We would have tons of alone time, many romantic getaways, all kinds of spontaneous nights out...Right?

Wrong!

What I failed to take into the equation is our 12 year old daughter. Sure, she is plenty old enough to stay home by herself. Heck, she can even babysit other people's children now! But, given the choice between staying home by herself (B-O-O-O-ORING with a capital "B"!) or join us for a dinner out, you can probably guess which one she chooses! Yep, more often than not, the smiling hostess greets us saying, "Untermeyer Party of 3, your table is ready!"

I guess we could just make plans and not give her a choice in the matter. But, the fact of the matter is that I don't really mind her tagging along. I look at it like we probably have 1, maybe 2 more years left where she thinks it's cool to hang with her parents! I don't want to wish that away. She will be gone in the blink of an eye so, why not enjoy this time we have with her? My son had 6 1/2 years with us to himself, why shouldn't she have the same opportunity?

I have friends who will invite us out to dinner or a late movie, and I have to turn them down, saying "I don't want to leave (our daughter) at home all evening by herself." They sort of roll their eyes or text back "k" but, I can tell they think I am being silly. I don't care. We only get our kids at home with us for a short while and I know the heartache of sending a child off to college so, I'm not in any hurry to let her go. My husband and I will have plenty of time once the nest is empty for those impromptu, romantic rendezvous' with each other. My daughter, on the other hand, will only be a little girl for a little while longer. Pretty soon, our dinners out will be competing with her social calendar, friends, boyfriends and job responsibilities. We will be begging for her to come spend an evening with us!

So, for now, we will enjoy the extra person at the table. The funny looks we get when we arrive at a fancy restaurant with a bottle of wine (that screams "special occasion") in one hand and our daughter holding the other. We've grown to love our little Party of Three. It's quality time with our daughter that we won't get back.



Another added bonus?

We have our own photographer to capture special moments

(like our 23rd anniversary dinner last weekend!)

5 Fab Finds

1.

Love this skirt!

I got it at TJ Maxx on sale for ten bucks!

It's made by Cynthia Rowley, 100 % Linen,

Fully Lined.

Brown and White Striped.

It's pleated at top with pockets and sort of puffs out!

I thought it was fun and whimsical and you could dress it up or down!

 $10.00 TJ Maxx

 2.

Salad To Go Bowl by Systema.

This is a great little bowl to take salads to work in.

It has a top divided section that you can put toppings in and a lower

section for the lettuce. Plus, a lil' salad dressing cup and collapsible fork and knife. 

How cool is that?

$7.99 World Market

3.

I love this sign for so many reasons!

I came across it when I was downtown the other day.

It was on the sidewalk in front of a fun sports bar called JC's!

I just love it and I totally agree!! :)

FREE

4.

This is hard to read, but it is a Scavenger Hunt.

The top section lists things to take pictures of and

the bottom is a list of things to do.

A few weeks ago, our local paper printed up a bunch of fun

scavenger hunts for kids to do in the summer.

I saved it and had it laminated!

When my niece and nephew came to stay this week,

we went downtown one day and did it!

It was a lot of fun finding all the cool things in our town, taking pictures of things and

then comparing notes when we were done!

We walked around town for 3 solid hours and didn't spend a dime!

Since it's laminated, it's easy to write on and you can use a write on/wipe off pen

and re-use it over and over!

FREE

5.

YUMMY!

I saw this recipe on facebook or pinterest.

It is such a great alternative to a sandwich with bread!

You take half a cucumber and cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds,

spread laughing cow on it, put tomatoes, avocado, green onions on top

and add turkey slices.

Then, top it with the other cuc half OR eat it open faced.

So deeeee-lish and healthy!

I will be taking these in my lunch when school starts up!

Around 180 calories for 2

 



5 Fab Finds

1.

Took my daughter school supply shopping and found this little nugget!

I am going to use it for site words for my students.

I spent a lot of unnecessary time last year making my own...

hole punching each index card, and putting the ring thru them all. Ugh.

I love the way this one has a little rubberband that holds the pack shut and a colorful cover.

Well worth $2.00 at Staples

2.

Football Season is just around the corner...

and that means all things GREEN and YELLOW!

Can't wait to paint my toes for the first Duck game

with these cute little glosstinis!

CoverGirl

outlast stay brilliant

glosstinis

$2.99 each Target

3.

Last week, I told you about my fave lotion the Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream...

but, it doesn't have any SPF :(

I found this lotion at Trader Joes the other day and I love it!

It's fragrance-free, has SPF 15 and cute packaging (very important).

I can wear them both and get the best of both worlds.

$3.99 TJ's

4.

I bought this Wine Wrap on Amazon after seeing it in my Real Simple magazine.

I got one for me and one for my sis-in-law.

It's great for picnics or if you are sitting out on the front patio and

want to keep your wine cold.

You just put it in the freezer and it velcros around the wine bottle.

Just be sure and hold it from the bottom and not the sides when you carry it out,

or you might just lose the whole bottle!

$9.99, Amazon

5.

My fave quote of the week!

Heard this on a TV commercial (for a paving company,

their tag line is "If your driveway looks bad, It's your asphalt!")

I changed it up a bit to relate to running and moving your ass each day!

I had my daughter take a pic of my shoes and she edited it for me.

I really like the way it turned out!

FREE!



5 Fab Finds

Alrightee, Here are this week's 5 Fab Finds...

 1.

12 Pack of Kind Bars.

Love these bars and when I found a box of 12 minis at REI

I was super excited!!

They are the perfect size to throw in your gym bag or backpack and they are

packed with yummy ingredients and whole nuts!
The best part was when I bought them, the cashier said I had some REI rewards

so, I only had to pay $3 for the whole box!! Suweeet!

$14 for a box of variety 12 pack minis, REI

 

2.

I'm such a sucker for these little signs.

Found this cute one at a new shop in town

and couldn't agree more!

$8.00 Francesca's

 

 3.

My sister told me about this cool little drink they are selling at Red Robin

so, I wanted to check it out!

It is super yummy and refreshing - made with Coors Lite (my fave!),

ginger liquer and lemonade.

It normally comes in this fun cup that looks like a can that you can purchase

but, they had run out so I didn't get one! :(

Not a Coors Lite fan? They also make one with Blue Moon and orange vodka!

$5.99 Red Robin

4.

All my shopping paid off!

When you collect $150 in receipts at the Old Mill,

you can turn them in for a Silipint of your choice!

I chose this green one with a yellow "Dogtown" logo.

Love it!

FREE with $150 in receipts while supplies last

5.

I had a facial this week at the beauty school.

The facial is $25 and they use only dermalogica products (my fave!)

It is the BEST pampering you can do for yourself!

I bought this skin smoothing cream that they used because I just love the way it feels

on my face and it smells sooooo good!

Made with cucumber and grape extracts.

Just wish it had SPF.

$36 at Phagans (but I got a 10% discount since I had a facial!)

 



Travel Bucket List



I was just perusing one of my favorite blogs...and it was all about the Travel Bucket List. It got me thinking about the places I've been and the places I'd like to go. I don't really think of myself as a world traveler, but it was fun to write down all the places I've been and it made me realize that I have been to quite a few beautiful places and experienced some pretty cool things in my 48 years. I feel blessed to have traveled to 12 of the 50 states and to a few places outside the US. I would love to make it to at least half the states before I die and travel to some other faraway places.

Places I've been...

United States
Portland, OR (born and raised)
Sacramento, CA (lived here during my middle school years)
Vancouver, WA (lived here after college)
Minneapolis, MN (interviewed with Northwest Airlines, late 80's)
Dallas, TX (Gamma Phi Convention, late 80's)
Savannah, GA (Vacation, early 90's)
Miami, FL (en route to Jamaica, 1990)
Maui, HI (Vacation, pre-kids, 1993)
Sun Valley, ID (skied at Bald Mountain, pre kids)
Orcas Island, WA (Family vacation, mid 90's)
Seattle, WA (many times)
Nashville, TN (MOPS Convention, 2004)
San Francisco, CA (many times)
Boise, ID (Duck/Boise State football game, 2010)
Lake Tahoe, CA (several times as a kid, once as an adult, 2011)
Anaheim, CA (Disneyland, 4 times)
Las Vegas, NV (13 times!)
Lake Tahoe, NV (once)
Phoenix, AZ (once or twice)
Scottsdale, AZ (several times)
Tempe, AZ (Spring Training, 2012)

Other
Negril, Jamaica (honeymoon, 1990)
Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Mexico (carnival cruise, 1996)

Want to go...

United States
Montana
Wyoming
Colorado
Utah
New Mexico
Massachusetts
New York
New Jersey
Vermont
Connecticut
Maine
Illinois
Louisiana

Other
London
Costa Rica
Ireland
Italy
France

The 12 States I've been to...

*Washington
*Oregon
*California
Idaho
Nevada
Arizona
Texas
Georgia
Tennessee
Minnesota
Hawaii
Florida

*Lived in these states