happy 10th birthday Trae!

Can't believe our oldest is in the double digits now and starting the 5th grade in 3 days! Where does the time go? I know Sam really feels old today!

We are truly blessed to have such a caring, respectful and handsome young man in our family and a great role model for Jaelen. We love you Trae-Trae! Love, Daddy, Ali & J.J.

if you don't know, now ya know...

If you don't know my husband and my in-laws, they are uber-baseball fans. They travel near and far to catch baseball games of all ages. Knowing them, it wouldn't surprise you to hear that they took a two week father-son-grandson summer vacation to Omaha, Nebraska to watch the College World Series. It was truly a trip that they'll never forget and a kind of a coming of age trip for Trae. Just Papa, Daddy and Trae in a hotel for two weeks, living off PB&J's and fast food, watching game after game after game.

I even took in some of the action for about 5 days -- but of course, I made them take me to a real sit down restaurant with waiters and no self-serve beverages and take me to the mall at least. I mean -- I do love sports more than the average woman but c'mon...I got to mix in some shopping and good food too!

Lucky enough, we got to cheer on the Champion Fresno State Bulldogs which included two players that Doobie (Sam) coached two years ago. One of them even got the MVP honors of the CWS. After the game, Trae looked at him so bright-eyed you'd think he was looking at Barry Bonds!

Best part about the trip is we got to celebrate Peanut! I broke the news over the phone while Daddy was in Omaha so I had to follow it up with a smooch. (I know, I know -- most of you probably threw up in your mouth a little.)

very happy anniversary to us...

May 12th, my sweetie and I celebrated our first anniversary together! As the second chapter (year) in my life began as Mrs. Sam Nichols, (btw, the first was the best year of my life) I was given the best gift of all -- the gift of life. After trials and tribulations of trying to get pregnant, we conceived our little peanut on or around our first anniversary.

Here's how the news unfolded with my hubby about the conception date:

"If I had known I was going to give you that on our anniversary, I wouldn't gotten you that camera..."

Here's how the news unfolded with my hubby on the baby due date of February 13th:
"Cool, guess I don't have to get you a Valentine's Day gift!"

So he's a little more practical than romantic... I still love him!

Here's our peanut at 8 weeks. He wasn't even as big as a peanut at this point but thriving with a super strong heartbeat! YEAH!!!

case closed...

The case is officially closed on the criminal who broke into my car and stole my personal belongings. After great detective work by my Aunty Joyce, the (paid) detective was able to put a strong case together for the DA. The female assailant that I i.d.'ed in a line up plead guilty to a felony charge and was sentenced to 120 days in jail and 3 years of probation. Here's to hoping her cellmate was "Big Bertha." Oh yeah, and her boyfriend plead guilty too along with some other criminal charges. Guess those two belong together. They can be pen-pals for awhile.

back from hiatus...

Just like every great t.v. show, I needed a hiatus (okay, so I'm pumping myself up a bit) -- but I'm back. So many fabulous things happened this summer so I'll try to catch you up to speed. P.S. The Hills makes it season debut tonight too -- but my life has way more drama. Stay tuned...

bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do...

whatcha gonna do when they come for you...(COPS theme song)

Herein lies Part Two of my blog titled "rage against the machine:"

My phone rings and it's Detective Higginbothem with Ceres PD. He's calling me as they raid the house of the suspected auto burglars! They're in the house and found a boatload of giftcards. While he gives me a rundown of the names of the cards he's finding, my pulse quickens like I've got his back with my gun drawn as if the theives were going to walk in on "us" any moment. Some of the cards could be mine -- all very common gift cards like Target, Macy's, etc... But when he says Tiffany's Jewelry--I say "that's the guys." And in my head I say "book 'em."

Come to find out, my instincts were dead on. They arrested the two people I saw lurking in the parking lot before I went in. I went down to the station and i.d.'d them via a photo line up and "my partner" Aunty Joyce got the proof that the Tiffany's card was mine (she bought it).

My priceless belongings are at the bottom a dumpster somewhere in the Central Valley and I won't get anything back but my Tiffany's card since that's the only one I can prove is mine.

The best part about this whole event is that I can answer Jaelen's weekly question: "Moma, did the police catch the bad guys and put 'em jail?" -- YES!

Now, he's just stumped on why I didn't get my red purse back then?

The saga continues...

ladies, hold onto your hat...

gotta love SNL!

i'm mad about march...

This is definitely the best time of year...for sports' junkies at least -- when we go mad for the best sports event -- PERIOD -- the NCAA College Basketball Tournament. So crazy that I smuggle in a small hand-held t.v. into work and watch games on my break, I check scores on the internet or on my phone. And now to fuel the fire, I now have a job that understands the importance and gives me a whole week off to be home and actually watch the games. (Well, not really -- I'm on Spring Break but I'll use it to watch the games!)

The best part about it is being able to compete yourself which is really what all us "has-beens" want to do -- COMPETE! Not in the actual games but in the brackets in the office pools and against your friends and family and sometimes strangers online. And it's for high stakes this year -- my husband and I bet two weeks of house chores! GO TARHEELS!

Wonder Twin Power....Activate!

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful twins I know and my life-long friends aka "my cousins but not really my cousins" - Jenni & Chrissi

You could say our relationship is an arranged one -- our families long time friends and raised us to be family. But it is far from forced and now blossomed into true friendship. I adore and admire these women for different reason -- one for her cool and collectiveness (you'll never see her sweat at the craps table) and her big heart. And the other for her quirkiness and sense of humor and always having my back.

Birthday wishes and blessings to the both of you...I love you!

Happy Birthday Bo!

To my favorite brother-in-law and to a writer that is much more talented than I... Happy 30th Birthday! Although you are now representing far away in the ATL, you will always be close in our hearts. We love you (and miss you)!

15 minutes of fame...

This weekend Trae's 10U Team (CenCal from Oakdale) was caught on camera making some ESPN highlights and subsequent interviews. They took 4th place in their first tournament of the season.

http://www.cbs13.com/video/?id=30964@kovr.dayport.com

to all my married friends...

Happy Late Valentine's Day! Here's to the romance of married life...

rage against the machine...

My first assault to my new car "Subu" (Subaru Tribeca) happened yesterday when I was so rudely interrupted during my workout to find my car window had been smashed in and my purse stolen. Yeah, I know -- bad move to leave it in there. But as fate would have it, the locker rooms were closed that day (something the criminals may have known). Anyway, the Subu took a big hit -- the window repair cost almost $400 and another $300 in scratched on the paint and leather seats!! All for a purse that had only $30 cash! I would've gladly given them more money than that. But since they didn't take me up on my offer, I canceled my cards (in time before they tried to pay-at-the-pump and fill up the getaway car in Livermore). Sadly, it was things that only I value that are probably sitting in the dumpster as we speak: our honeymoon photo, the first note from Sam, my bible, my journal, a book we read during our honeymooon with notes among other priceless items to me.

So, the moral of the story: Trust your instincts (I thought those people looked suspicious).... or just hire a chauffer...

Happy Birthday Jaelen!

Our baby is growing up... Jaelen is now 4 years-old going on 14 -- wants to do everything on his own and wanting to help do everything from yard work to dishes. We've cut the fro-hawk off now and he has a big boy haircut like daddy's.

SHOGATSU!

Happy New Year to all my friends and family! 2008 is off to a busy start. Trae and Jaelen are both wrestling. Yes - Jaelen, too! They had their first tournament last weekend where Trae took first place in his weight class, 70 lbs. Jaelen wrestled in his first-ever tournament and did really well considering he wrestled boys 2 years older. Before he started, I had butterflies like I was the one playing. I said if he didn't quit or cry during the match I'd consider it a success. And he did better than that - smiling while he was wrestling, having the time of his life.

After a brief stint with commuting to Oakland for Trae to play with a travel basketball team, we decided to stay local and play with Modesto Slam-n-Jam and the YMCA. The competition is not nearly as tough but he is still improving his game.