So...

... it looks like I've been a total slacker on this blog. Ha! I'm no slacker! You just can't see what's going on behind the scenes. Behind the scenes of this here blog, I've been editing and uploading pictures, choosing picture of the days, and generally just trying to remember what happened on specific days, or why those pictures were important.

So, without further adieu, I bring you the mass blog update of August '09.

We'll start with the OSF.

He is just adorable. Right?! Just look at those beautiful green eyes!

If I remember correctly, this was a last hour of the day, haven't taken any other shots today, Chris-please-turn-around-for-the-picture-of-the-day, no-I'm-working, kind of picture. The two of us geeks, hanging out at the computer station again.

Friday night, we went to visit Jen and Justin during their second night home. This picture is by no means perfect, but it spoke to me still somehow. I think it's the way Jen is looking down at her daughter, and the way Zoey seems to be looking back at her.

Paint War! Chris has been renovating his garage lately, and I've been enlisted for painting. Two coats later, and we can still see the splotches from patch-ups. We learned that primer is always a good idea.

Okay, now we're on to an actual event. I don't think I've ever mentioned here that my friend/pseudo-roommate Katelyn just so happens to be good friends with Chris' cousin Emily. Katelyn and Emily were in the nursing program at Biola together, and are now each working off those private school loans as real-life nurses in real-life hospitals. They even have real-life work stories that involve real-life injured people, real-life babies being born, and real-life needles sticking them on accident.

Hmmm. I wonder what it's like to have a real-life job. I work with high schoolers. I think I'll call that a pre-life job.

Anyway, so Emily's been wanting to come to San Diego to visit for awhile now, and somehow we were able to work out everyone's schedules so that everyone was free on the same day. The itinerary: Mission Cafe for brunch, bowling, and dinner back at Chris and Sarah's.

The Mission Cafe, as per us, was fantastic. I was torn between breakfast and lunch for awhile, but opted again for the naked pancakes and wonderful eggs. I think next time I'll branch out and try a lunch dish... maybe the quesadilla.

Ryan and Sarah got mimosas. Don't worry, it was like two in the afternoon.

After sitting around in the booth for awhile, trying to decide between mini golf, laser tag, and bowling, the votes were cast and bowling won. We actually got a pretty sweet deal for an hour of bowling- as much bowling as we could handle and shoes- for only $35 total. Let's just say that the second run-through could have been a new sport called Speed Bowling.

And for once in my life, I got some pretty sweet pictures in a bowling alley. Thank you, Canon 1.8 50 mm fixed lens.

Alright, weekend's over. Time for last week.

On Monday night Chris and I decided to go grocery shopping together, since both our cupboards were bare. As we're getting into our cars to go to our respective houses and put away our goods, he hands me a box tied with with a bow and a card, and tells me not to read or open it until I've gotten home. And put the groceries away. What a meanie he is.

So I get home, bring my groceries inside, and tear into the card. (What? He's lucky I even brought the groceries inside.) This is what I found:

I take it back. He's not a meanie. He's a cute, cute, cutie is what he is! Inside the box were a pair of Reef sandals. Because my current sandals are falling apart. And he knows I won't buy new ones until they are officially unwearable.

Heather stopped by the office this week to run something through the fax, and for once she had Gavin with her. Usually she leaves him with Neil or has her mom watch him while she runs errands. But she brought him this day, and I happened to have brought my camera that day. Isn't Gavin, the little old man baby, just too adorable?

That's all for this episode. Tune in later for what happened the rest of last week!

Zo-Zo

Can you believe this kid here has a baby of his very own? This is the kid I remember playing Stratego with during elementary school recess. The one who got me and him a detention in fifth grade. The guy who is part inventor of the barrel game. The one who typed up our whole high school round robin story, and who, I think, actually treasures it the most.

Sniff. They grow up so fast!

After a long hard day at the hospital on Monday, the doctors finally decided little Zo just didn't want to be bothered with a little ol' thing such as being born, and at 11:32pm, Zoey Dawn Aubrey was brought into the world via c-section, to the two most loving and wonderful parents I could ever imagine anyone having.

Seriously, Jen was a trooper the entire time. All the pictures popping up on facebook depict a smiling, happy, high-spirited Jenafer all day long. And when I went to visit Tuesday morning, not a mere twelve hours after the ordeal, she was still bright-eyed and glowing with joy. You go, Jen!

The best thing about Jen and Justin having a baby? Jen's totally the type of mommy who wants to do newborn pictures, immediately, before she grows another inch! So sometime next week we're going to have ourselves an awesome photo shoot, complete with bright blankets and an alert and naked baby. ;)

How precious is this one? Right?!

And me with little Zo-zo. Justin handed her off to me the second I walked in the room, despite my usual newborn hesitancy. (Of course, at nearly 10 pounds, Zoey makes it feel like you're holding a one month old.)

August 17, 2009: Happy birthday, Zoey!

Zoey's Playlist

Finally! A day to sit down, get stuff done... including this here blog! Get ready for the mother of all blog updates. And while I'm uploading and typing and all that bloggish stuff, I'll just set up here the special playlist I made for little Zoey Aubrey who finally decided to make her appearance at 11:32 last night! (And she's the cutest little thing, just wait until I get to that entry!)

Wicked

No one mourns the wicked! No one cries they won't return! No one lays a lily on their grave...

So Chris got me a ticket to see Wicked on Thursday night for my birthday, and he and Ryan planned a whole group to go, including Chris' sister Sarah, their roommate Kristen, and two of their friends. I was super excited to see Wicked, even though I still claim that watching the entire show from a daredevil videographer on youtube was enough to give me the right feel for the show. And I knew that if I could see that the show was amazing from the mezzanine of a youtube video, it was going to be amazing in real life.

Smuggled in my Rebel to get pictures of us at the show, and since the ushers were old guys who never once glanced our way, I snapped a picture of the stage too, before the show began. That's the map of Oz, in case you're wondering.

Of course, it was amazing. Even Chris loved it. We actually had the understudy Elphaba, Meredith Kaye Clark, who had a great, strong voice for the role, but we really loved the girl playing Glinda, Katie Rose Clarke. They've really added a lot of blonde ditz to that role since Kristen Chenoweth originated, and it really makes the whole musical come together, I feel.

And what's a trip downtown without me making my friends pose against brick backdrops?

August 9 is not my favorite day of the year.

But it's always better when it's on a jam-packed, picture-taking weekend to take my mind off the fact that my next birthday won't be for 364 more days.

(I really like my birthday.)

After the beach excursion and birthday festivities of the day before, we were ready to relax with Kris and Becky, who'd come down from Chris' hometown of Redding for their 3 year wedding anniversary vacation.

We decided to start the day off with brunch at the Mission Cafe, which the other Chris and his wife had raved about the night before. Not going to lie, I was a little skeptical by the looks of the place. But it was AMAZING. Becky and I got pancake breakfasts... best pancakes I've ever had, hands down, with a side of perfect eggs and bacon. All for $6. They boys got lunchish stuff like quesadillas and turkey clubs that they enjoyed too.

We decided to do some shopping, and Chris took us down to Practically Mexico to visit this outlet mall down there. Pretty much every store you can think of is in this place. Also pretty much? We could literally spit into Mexico from the parking lot. (Not that we would. I'm just saying.) Three of us found the Mexican/United States border fence at the back of the parking lot absolutely fascinating. (The fourth had to be dragged over.) We found it so fascinating we decided to do an impromptu wall photo shoot by the Practically Mexico wall.

When we lost interest in the wall, we hit the mall, in search of nothing in particular, just killing time before we met up with some others for dinner in Old Town.

(Just to give you an idea of how I am so not kidding about how close we were to the border.)

We went to dinner at the Coyote Cafe in Old Town, meeting up with the other Chris, his wife Mel, and Chris' sister Sarah. Kris really loves Sarah.
And he took this picture of me and the OSF. (Isn't the OSF a cutie?)

And I took this picture of cute Chris with the bokeh in the background.
Good food. Good peeps. Good times.

twenty-five

So the big 2-5 came and started with a trip to La Jolla to meet up with Chris' friends from high school (Chris, Kris, and their wives- everyone in that group is named Chris). The OSF so graciously bought me lunch at Subway and even let me get a 79 cent coke on the way home- because it was my birthday of course. He's so thoughtful that way!

We had to leave the beach after an hour and a half to come home and get ready for the shindig at the girls' apartment. Ry brought the Wii over again, in anticipation of having a crazy vide game party like last year, but no one really got into it until the end of the night. We started off with a little Demetri Martin on DVD, followed by much snacking on Jenafer's and my part, and finally getting Jen's baby barbecue pictures on a DVD for her.

The other Chris' and their wives showed up a bit later. Mel's pregnant, too, so the conversation immediately went to babies. And with Jessica there with Lucy and Gwen, everyone was a little baby happy. Somehow Chris Holtz ended up carrying Lucy around because she'd cry with anyone else, despite her general fear of boys. Maybe she liked being so close to the ceiling when he had her. Different view and all. ;)

We had Britt's homemade ice cream (she attempted to make Moose Tracks!), and I got fun presents (scrapbooking supplies, woot!) and it was just an all around good time. I like it when all my friends gather together and get to meet each other.

All in all we had Jen and Justin, Jessica, Gwen, and Lucy, Chris and Mel, Kris and Becky, Dan Blair, Boy Jordan (River), Colleen for a bit, Brittany, Jen, Ryan, and Chris (mine). Brian stopped by for literally ten seconds after his show. After that we spent the rest of the night playing Mario Party until Kris and Becky had to go.

And, as usual with my birthday, the weekend was only beginning....

Birthday Poem

By Glen Aubrey

(AKA- Justin's dad/my boss/author of two published poetry books)

08-08-09

Jordan, I hope you can endure this:

Unfold the banners!

Strike up the band!

Sound every trumpet

Throughout the land!

This is your birthday!

Celebrate tall,

Go have a party,

Shout, one and all,

“Hap-, happy birthday

Jordan, to you!”

Savor your moment,

Live in it, too!

Sorry for the doggerel. But I sure wish you a wonderful day. We will celebrate a little later this month with vast amounts of salad and soup at Olive Garden.

G

Awwww... thanks, Glen!

Some scrapbooking goodness

Been getting that creative urge again lately. Hope I can find some time soon in between new jobs and boyfriends ; ) to get back into this more regularly.

1:. On being 24 for one last day...

2:. On the adventure of turning 9....

3:. On best road trips ever... (this is my layout that was in July's Creating Keepsakes, by the way. Not at all one of my favorite layouts, but if they're going to pay me for it, I certainly don't mind!)

4:. On taking a day trip to Julian in January... and finding awesome brick wall backgrounds!

twenty-four

Last day.

Another Week

TV Thursdays are back up and running. This last week we even had a guest appearance by Katelyn! Hurray! She's been trying to make it for awhile, but living at Biola and becoming a 12-hour shift nurse has kept her from it. But she made it this week for the So You Think You Can Dance finals.

Ry and I finally got new drivers' licenses. No more awful sixteen-year-old pictures for us!

Kudos to Andy for taking this awesome picture for us. Last weekend, Britt, Andy, Chris, and I visited the Whaley House in Old Town. It's supposed to be haunted, you see, but we found it to be a rather pleasant old house. And it's got a theater!

Isn't he just the cutest?!

And he sends me fun text messages, too!
Breakfast at midnight, anyone?

Day one in the real world

My new (second) job started today, and I can't say I have any complaints so far. The Charter School of San Diego has built itself a nice little school, with its own curriculum, attendance, and overall school system. I'm told Mondays, at least in the mornings, are a bit quieter, and today seemed to be no exception. A whole posse of kids showed up around 11:45, but that was just in time for the teachers and TA's to break for lunch.

Not only is there a McDonald's in the same parking lot as the school, but there's a Subway right across the driveway, and a Little Caesar's two doors down. It's really going to be sad how much of my newly earned money will go to 79 cent sodas and $5 hot and readies.

So today was basically a crash course on the general operations of the school, grading papers, tutoring kids, filing, etc. I helped a great kid named Lance work over his algebra 2 review before he tested for the lesson. Yikes. I thought the math would come back faster than it did. Turns out I had to read the lesson on exponential factors and scientific notation before I could really offer poor Lance any worthwhile advice. But! I was able to quick solve a couple problems for him out of the next lesson, so good for me. I spent a good hour or so brushing up on his next lesson so I'll be ready for him tomorrow! I kind of like a working environment that lets me re-learn things from the past... or at least we'll see how long that lasts. :)

After the excitement of a new environment, I was glad to get back to the good ol' CTRG office, where it was just me and InDesign for the rest of the day. I definitely won't be taking the peace and quiet over there for granted anymore.

After a few hours at CTRG and a quick shift at Youth Venture, I was ready to see that cute OSF kid. It's a scruffy day, you see. And would you believe that when I walked in, he greeted me wtih dinner already on a plate? He'd literally slaved over the stove while I was on my way over. I know because when I hugged him he was radiating the heat onto me. After dinner we walked up to Blockbuster to get disc 4 of Jericho and spent the rest of the evening watching contentedly sans laptops. Haven't done that in awhile.

All in all, it was a fairly good first day back in this thing we call life. The reprieve from it was nice, but it's time to get back to business now. Let's hope for an equally good day two.

Hello, August

My favorite month is here. August. It just flows off the tongue so well, doesn't it?

August is my birthday month, so perhaps I'm a bit prejudiced, because other than birthday festivities, there really isn't a lot going on.

But maybe that's why it's so nice. The season's wrapping up and, while we've still got warm weather and the feel of summer all around, the craziness of activities and vacations starts winding down into a nice, final month of relaxation.

Also it's my birthday. Don't forget that.