Draley Porter

The Place That Made Us

2011-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking that I need to write about our experience in Boston. I'll start out by saying that it was the best experience for Me and Drew! We moved there together RIGHT after we got married in Arizona. In fact, our honeymoon consisted of driving across the country, slowly seeing sights along the way. We went to Yellowstone...took an accidental detour through Montana where we found our dream land...Mt. Rushmore...Niagara Falls and Buffalo...The Mall of America(awesome!)...then arrived in our new home, Boston. Right then is when we started the beginning of a 2-year adventure of Drew finishing his schooling at Berklee College of Music and me nannying.

We lived in Back Bay on the most beautiful street in Boston, Marlborough Street. It's a very quiet street that runs directly into The Boston Public Gardens, parallels 1 block each way from The Charles River and Commonwealth Avenue, and is 2 blocks from one of the best shopping districts in the world, Newbury Street! We lived just a few blocks from Drew's school so he conveniently walked to school every day. And with one nanny job I walked 4 blocks to work!

In the span that we lived there, I nannied for a few different families. I learned so much about taking care of babies/toddlers full time and became a more experienced cooker and baker. Me and Drew both discovered that we are a great pair when being with/taking care of kids and have a lot of fun! Also, how we wanted to parent our own kids. It was all GREAT practice which will come in handy in 4 more months when we have one of our own! I really miss each family that I nannied for and hope to stay in touch.

Drew finished Berklee with a degree in Songwriting and Music Business. He wrote and recorded his own music at 2 different studios while we were there, each one producing a completely different sound. He does vocals and acoustic guitar. Drew signed with a producer on Newbury Street right before we moved. He feels like he accomplished a lot while at Berklee and learned the most he could from his inspiring teachers! I am SO proud of him working so hard while we were there and balancing being a super-husband, teaching voice lessons, and school!

Living in the city we had many adventures! We walked EVERYWHERE...grocery store, dinner, work, school, museums, site seeing, shopping, friends houses, or just a stroll in the park. I guess that's why they call it "The Walking City"! It's small enough that you could walk the whole city in a day. The only times we really used our car was for day trips to a nearby city, visiting Dennis, hanging out with our friend David and his kids, errands not close by, and driving to church! We could have survived without a car, but are SO glad that we had one!! That would've taken away a lot of fun days we had, especially at the pumpkin farms in the country during the fall! One of the things we loved most about the city was the fact that each holiday actually matched the way it looked outside. Halloween time LOOKS like Halloween with old buildings and brown trees and Christmas it's white everywhere from the snow and the whole city is decked in lights and spirit! The summers are so green and flowers are all bloomed!!

Living in Boston was HARD! It's expensive and everyone works really hard for what they have. But how much fun you have in the mean time makes it all worth it! The people there all have something going for them...a really good school, big goals and aspirations, or a great job. It was so inspiring to be around! We will really miss our friends and appreciate all the fun times we had!

We want to say thank you to our family and friends who gave us their love and support while we were there! We never had to miss you too much because you visited often. It was so much fun sharing our fun life there with you!

Boston is where Me and Drew became US, it's where we established ourselves, grew together, became more well-rounded, and made our baby boy happen! So we miss it sooooo much...everything about it...being just me and him for 2 years was the best thing for us and that time will always be special.

BOYS are FUN!

2011-10-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

YAYAYA! We are officially having a baby boy :). We had a GREAT trip to Boston for the last time for a while. The doctors appointment went really good and the baby is definitely a HE no questions asked! It's sad when the ultrasound is over because I just want to watch him and hang out with my baby on the screen all day! We made finding out fun by having the doctor write his gender on a paper, went shopping at Zara, picked out one boy and one girl outfit, had the cashier look at the paper and wrap whichever gender it was. We opened in during a nice lunch at Stephanie's on Newbury Street! It was a really fun day :). I had been waiting to buy this baby clothes for 18 weeks! And it's just as fun as I thought it would be...and I haven't been able to stop. Drew is so stoked to have a little boy to rough up, but don't worry I will keep him sweet!!

I am now almost 21 weeks and have a little belly poking out. I feel him move all the time and his kicks are getting stronger, it's jolting and I love the feeling. Basically, being pregnant is the best experience I have had yet! The few things that aren't so fun about it don't even compare with how awesome it is. I was bummed when I couldn't get on a wave-runner in Mexico or when I wasn't much help lifting things during the move, but I just don't care that much because I'm so happy with WHY I can't!!! Anyway, that's my update for now...We can't wait to snuggle with our baby boy :).

Back To Boston Tomorrow

2011-09-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

This week is a very special week because we find out if our baby is a BOY or GIRL! We fly back to Boston tomorrow morning for our last appointment with our doctor there. I am now 18 weeks and have a little baby bump. I have been feeling the baby kick for 2 weeks now and Drew felt it for the first time this past weekend! It's so cute feeling it at this stage because its kicks are so small :).

My best friend in Boston, Claire, is throwing me a baby shower on Thursday with all of our friends! She is SO sweet to throw me a shower even though we are already moved huh? I am a lucky girl! Can't wait to see everyone!!!

A New Chapter of Life

2011-09-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

CRAZY things are happening! First of all, we had an AMAZING vacation!! Both Mexico and Washington were perfect :). Mexico was paradise with our cabana bed on the beach, messages, and private dinners, while Washington was awesome being with the family and staying in a big house that overlooked the Puget Sound!

Leaving vacations and back to reality...So we had made the plan to stay in Boston and have the baby there in the spring THEN move West, but it all changed...Believe it or not we already moved to Arizona! It was probably one of the most stressful times of my life finishing up my last week of work, packing, selling our car, and working everything out so we could leave Boston so quickly, but we got here and it all worked out somehow. Drew has finally signed a contract with a producer in Boston to record and help get his music off the ground. They already finished recording so we hope sometime soon we'll be heading somewhere with his music. In the mean time, we are here in AZ now working for Drew's parents new business called E3 Imagine. There is a crew currently traveling to 14 different countries for the next two months and our job is to help run the company while they're gone and get everything ready for when they get back. Go to the website to see what we are doing and how this business will enrich the lives of many children and families around the world!

We have now entered a new chapter of our life...graduated, pregnant, new jobs, and a completely different environment. Wish us luck! :)

1 Week Until Freedom!

2011-08-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

One week from today we leave on our big and last get away of the summer! This August is a big month for us with our 2-year anniversary and Drew officially finishing school...so we are going to CABO!!!

Goodbye Boston and hello Mexico! Drew surprised me with this as a birthday gift/combination. He's amazing I know!! This is a much much needed trip. I can't wait to be relaxing on the beach! I wish we could fast forward this next week :). I'll be nannying for the week in the Cape, LOOOONG days! I will be missing Drew taking care of me verrry much...ah well I'll survive and then we're off! Here's our resort...

After 4 nights in Cabo, we fly straight to Washington state for a whole week for my dad's family vacation! It's been many years since we have all gone somewhere together so we are all REALLY looking for to it. Drew has never been to Washington so I'm really excited for him to see it. SOOO green and beautiful! My dad always does a good job with picking an awesome place to stay and he has chosen a nice relaxing water front house. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Dream Come True

2011-08-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went to our first OB doctors appointment! It was my 12 week appointment so we were able to see the baby for the first time on an ultra-sound. In this picture the baby is upside down just hanging out...

Neither of us were expecting it to be THAT COOL! We had both just seen pictures of other peoples ultra-sounds so we didn't know that you actually get to watch it move around...and OH MY GOSH it was the best feeling in the world to see him/her. It was waving its arms and doing flips! Haha, the doctor said that its a good thing that its so active. Maybe its because I still work out?? Haha. Seeing our baby so small and moving like that was the cutest thing I have ever seen! So anyway it all became much more real for us and especially Drew. He got REALLY excited and it was REALLY cute :). Me too though because until the doctor confirmed everything was going great and that I was even pregnant, there was always a little worry in the back of my head. Before today I was just thinking about taking care of the baby and eating well along with envisioning the baby after it was born (kissing, hugging, and loving it), but today changed my feelings! As soon as I saw it on the screen I fell in love with our baby! Now that I've seen it I feel like I have a relationship with it. It's a feeling that I have never felt before, a deep spiritual and emotional feeling to this human being that I am fully responsible for. I know all you Moms out there know what I'm talking about and for everyone that isn't a mom yet and will be, you really have something INCREDIBLE to look forward to. I truly feel like MY #1 dream is coming true and have never felt so happy and good about what I'm doing and the path that I'm on. The gift of motherhood is the greatest blessing in this world to me and I hope that I will always be a wonderful example for my children.

Here's a picture of me right before the appointment. I'm not showing yet (first pregnancy tends to take longer to show), but will pop in the next month or two!

Get Better Daddy-O!

2011-07-26T13:15:00.001-07:00

This post is dedicated to my loving father, Steven Wayne Leavitt! He just had surgery yesterday so I want to try to make him feel better or at least smile for a minute :). Dad, you have an adventurous side that caused you to be injured, but what's life if you aren't fully living? I'm sure when it happened you were enjoying 72 degree weather in the sweet California breeze. I didn't get a text of that, but it wouldn't have been the first! You definitely have inspired me to be brave(and maybe a little cautious at the same time). Years ago, your biggest fear was bungee jumping and what did you do? You went bungee jumping! You are so courageous! And I hope that I have some of that in me as well :). I hope that you feel better, your lucky to have Dawn to take care of you! And little Aries to make you smile. I love you and am so thankful for you!!

Oh and Drew is NOT getting a motorcycle, you alone(and Tanner) fill the family quota for motorcycles :).

We're having a bAbY!

2011-07-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

Last month we went to Arizona for my best friends wedding! Kandyce looked beautiful as a bride and her reception was stunning as well! I am so happy for her and hope that her and Ian have a wonderful life together, they make the cutest couple! We then went to California with Drew's whole family which was soooo much fun! We had a beach day, a day at Knotts Berry Farm, AND 2 days at DISNEYLAND! Huntington Beach was quite cold and it wasn't sunny out at all...but Drew was brave and went in with me :). We boogie boarded and body surfed which made me really miss living there or at least close enough to go frequently! Knotts was full of young teenagers, but it was awesome and they have some super fun roller coasters. Disneyland definitely wins for cleanest, prettiest and most all around enjoyable! We LOVE Disney! Haha.

While we were there we found out something really special...WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!! Yep! I'm pregnant :). Kinda cool that we can tell our little toddler that we found out we were having him/her in Disneyland. We were kinda freakin out in the park for a bit...then we got really excited. I know that this baby right now is all part of the plan. I feel so blessed to have this assurance! I am so excited to have this baby. I will love it so much! I can't wait to hold baby :). I have been looking forward to this my whole life and I can't believe its time! I know me and Drew will make the most amazing parents! we are the best team and I know in my heart that no one would have been better for me than Drew. He will make an amazing dad! So that was really the big highlight of our trip. Then telling all of our families was really fun! It has been really cool watching Drew react to having a baby. He feels this new huge responsibility to really work hard (not that he didn't before :)). He's been taking such good care of me and has helped me cope with work and 1st trimester so well. I know I am so lucky! So there you have it. This is a big big year for us! Drew is finishing up school in 3 weeks. Then we are moving to Concord into a free place that we can stay in to save money! We will stay there until we have the baby because there are such good hospitals here this is where we want to have it. And Drew will be working on starting a few new businesses/jobs. The baby is due February 19th and after it is old enough and we are ready, we plan to move back west to California. Very exciting stuff! Our life is changing in so many ways and it feels like we are entering many chapters and once, but it is making our life really fun. It feel so good to have a plan!!!!! I love plans :).

Drews Graduation Ceremony

2011-05-10T17:05:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was Drew's graduation ceremony! Drew's parents, Carly, and Denver flew in from Jamaica to be there which was super nice cuz they've been traveling to different countries for the past week (check our their business E3 Imagine)! My dad, who is a HUGE support to us and wouldn't have missed Drew graduating for the world, came into town. Dawn couldn't make it being in an intense esthetician program (she finishes up next week :))! My mom and Kevin would have loved to be there, but my mom was working :/. We started out the big day with the ceremony! We got to listen to speakers Chucho Valdés, Bebo Valdés, Kenny Garrett, Mavis Staples, and Michael McDonald who received honorary doctor of music degrees from Berklee! The speakers were REALLY inspirational. Drews name was called, he walked his walk, and we cheered his name!! We ate at two of our most favorite restaurants. Max Brenner by the baldman for lunch! They have amazing food with a great atmosphere. We even had chocolate fondue! We then got rained on trying to shop around Newbury....for dinner we went to 94 Mass Ave. Our good friends Quinn and Claire came, Jake, and our boss friend David. Great restaurant as well. So all in all it was a really fun day spend with family and friends that are a big part of Drews life!! He still has a summer semester, but it will go by fast. I am so extremely proud of him for pushing through school, work, recording his cd, and being married at the same time! That is a lot to handle :). It's so crazy to think that we are soon moving into a different chapter of life. We feel ready though! We have been in Boston for almost two years now! We are coming up on our two year anniversary in August! Crazy crazy crazy. We hope to move west to California so we can be close to family and the fact that we both love the beach and perfect weather :).

Parker and Shannon's Wedding

2011-04-21T21:43:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was my brother Parker's wedding! AHH SO exciting!! Because I have been in Boston, I don't know his new wife Shannon very well YET, but she is so so cute and very nice and makes my brother the happiest I have ever seen him! They were glowing their wedding day. Everything was perfect! Me and Drew had a little trouble getting to AZ because we tried to fly stand-by not knowing it was spring break for the elementary school kids on the East Coast! Bad..bad..bad. We ended up not being able to even buy a flight out until the morning of their wedding day and got there just in time! Few! It was very stressful to say the least, but we were so relieved with everything going to smoothly and with flights and timing.

It was a short trip, but so nice to see everyone the two days we were there!! My mom and Kevin were in their new house and we LOVE it!!!! It is so perfect for them :). It was great to see my Dad and Dawn and Tanner; happy we got to have breakfast on Sunday with them!! We saw Kate and Clark's awesome garden/backyard and chickens, SO NICE! And we hadn't seen Carly since she had been home from her mission so that was so so good!!! Love you Carly, so excited for you to be on the east coast with us in June!! We got to meet Denver's girlfriend Celeste who I adore...they both seem so happy!! Yay! And Catie looks gorgeous in my prom dress she is going to be wearing! Liz and Steve are busy busy getting ready to go to Jamaica next week on a business trip! WOO! We miss everyone already!!!!!! Love you all!!!!

Our Leopard Cubs

2011-04-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

The idea started when we couldn't get a dog in our apartment, but wanted SOMETHING...cats are sometimes boring...and that's when we came across these...Bengal kittens....they are not just any kitten, they are bred from mixing an Asian Leopard and a black domestic cat. That's how they have such beautiful coats with awesome personality traits. And because of their more active temperament we got TWO! HA! They have been so much fun to have around! They play play play, but are also VERY affectionate and LOVE people! I'll post fun videos every once in a while :)

Tis The Season!

2010-10-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again! It's officially cold outside and leaves and turning beautiful neon colors. This year it snuck up on me so fast...I usually anticipate this time of the year, but I was just so caught up in life that it came with surprise! I actually liked it this way. I LOVE buying seasonal things...just the other day I was at Bath and Body Works and bought my favorite "Vanilla Bean Noel" lotion and got this exciting feeling inside. It's very interesting that such simple things can enthuse us! Yesterday my wonderful husband took me to a Pumpkin Patch/Farm in Lexington. The drive was beautiful.
We left with two PERFECT ;) pumpkins, apple cider, a caramel apple, beautiful flowers, and an awesome plant to take care of. I think that these things in life are so important. Drew and I were just talking about how we could either stay home and hang out OR go out and make memories that we'll never forget! Our house is now more "homey" and "festive". Soon the ivy on our building will be sticks and it'll really look like Halloween. It's so cool how the scenery here actually fits the time of the year (I'm used to Arizona, what can I say?). I love Boston so much. It's crazy to actually realize how much history happened here. I've been watching the tourists lately admire the old buildings and beautiful churches that I am just so used to seeing now. I forget how beautiful the architecture is here until I stand there for a second and think about it.

Just some thoughts :) ohhh and for my Drew... I want you to know how grateful I am for you. You are my passion, obsession, and I can't live without you.

Wahooo for Summer and New Comings!

2010-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Helllllllllllllooo! Long time, no blog? It's been a busy and crazy around here! The last month has been full of a lot of fun and new memories with family. It started out with going to Disneyworld for ANOTHER week with my side of the family! My mom and Kevin, Parker, Katie and Clark, Andrew and Janie, and me and Drew all stayed in a big house outside of the parks. It was a BLAST! Seriously, what's better than the happiest place on earth with parents, siblings, and cousins??? I will say that it was HOT! The one evening I decided to change into jeans was a regretful decision. The humidity is killer, but it wouldn't be so green without it right? The house had a pool we got to cool off with on our breaks so that was niiiiiiiiiiice! Parker is all about the food in Disneyworld, he would get an egg roll in china, rice candy in Japan, fish N chips in London, and a Beaver Tail in Canada if it was his choice! And his favorite attraction is Philharmagic. Mom loves the rides and her favorite park is EPCOT by far while Kevin loved his experience of performing in the American Idol Experience(GOOD JOB KEVIN!). Andrew had a fun time showing Janie around for her first time there and of course enjoyed being with the Dressler family on vacation! Both Katie and Clark are all about good old Magic Kingdom with classic space, thunder and splash mountiain. Drew and I's favorite park is Animal Kingdom...we LOVE the yeti ride and are thrilled about The Dinosaur ride being a type of Indiana Jones from Disneyland. And of course the AMAZING African Safari you get to go on and see lions, giraffs, hippos, gorillas, and many many more in a jeep-like tour. On one of our days, Mom took us to a state park where she used to go with alligator infested waters that you can take a canoe out on! We saw a big momma rise to the surfacce of the swamp right in front of us and passed by two baby ones. It was slightly nerve-racking, but EXTREMELY awesome! Thanks Mom for getting us to drive an hour to have an amazing experience :). So all in all, it was VERY fun and we are all so happy everyone was able to pull it together and come! Thanks parents for planning it all.

When me and Drew came back home to Boston, I was left with my last week of work and Drew had a birthday! 25...pretty crazy, but still young :). I decorated our place with happy birthday ballooons and streamers. I got him an engraved sterling silver guitar pick that he opened before I went to work. The sentimental gifts are the ones he loves the most! That night we had some friends over for a get together with cake and fun. Sadly, a couple of them moved this summer, but it was great to have them over one last time. So Drew had a good day! That Friday ended my nanny job with a good goodbye for now. That leaves both me and Drew current job hunters.

The next day we left to go to Arizona for Drew's sister, Tara's wedding! Our trip was filled with a lot of preparing for the wedding, Tara and Zach's cute music video, the actual wedding and reception, games, banana grams, rockband and banana grams with my family, my mom's birthday, quading, and more banana grams :). We hadn't stayed at Steve and Liz's yet for a visit and it was really nice to be around for all the wedding stuff. Weddings are so much fun! And of course Tara and Zach's was a blast. It was fun for me and Drew to be so reminded 9 months after ours of the great memories made. This time we were able to relax, eat, talk, and DANCE! Congratulations Tara and Zach, we hope you had fun in Costa Rica!! WOOO! Your wedding rocked and never forget one of the most fun and meaningful day of your lives.

We planned to head back to Boston that Saturday after the wedding...but why go back when you can go to Cali??? So that's what we did. Dad and Dawn had this genius idea for us to drive back from AZ with them to their house in Huntington Beach then fly back home after we got our fill. We went to a few beaches, including crystal cove(a favorite), shopped, hung out, met baby Ares who is ADORABLE, and went up to LA for a nice double date with Rob and his awesome girlfriend Tatyana(the observatory is SWEET!). So Dad, I know you were sick, but thank you both for the great little break before we headed back. It was great to spend a little time with you guys and we wish you luck with baby Ares and the new company that you are starting!

Yesterday(Wednesday) we flew home sweet home. It is so nice to be back in our little apartment in this big city living our lives. We had a wonderful time seeing and spending time with all of our family in this past month! Our next thing is to both find jobs...I have a few leads and Drew is gettin there. We love you all and we'll see you next time!

The Boston Project

2010-04-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 20th, we flew out our producer from LA (Robb Gilligan) for the recording of Drew's demo cd. Starting Friday night, we were apart of what is called a "lock out", where we put in 14 hours a day for recording. Through Drew's buddy Mitch the drummer, we had a piano (Jeff), electric bass (Marty), and electric guitar (Matt) come in at different times to record their parts. This went really well! Each guy was extremely creative. They fit their part with the others in a way that made every song unique, dynamic, and really just the way we have been imagining. First, were the drums. We could honestly not have been luckier to have Mitch on board-in fact I need to say something specifically about Mitch, without him The Boston Project would have never happened. He started out helping Drew with all of the aranging for his songs, and quickly became a co-writer/co-production manager/best friend. And he rocks at drumming! Second, was the bass. Thanks to Marti, the songs (especially "Into The Snow") were getting a beat we loved. Third, was the piano. With the lights turned down, Jeff's piano was sensational. The feeling we all got as he played away to the music brought a few of us to tears...it was exactly what was needed in the songs. Fourth, we recorded the electric guitar. This took the whole day on Sunday. It was tricky figuring out how dirty or clean it needed to be to fit each song. Matt has an amazing talent that created the rock sound that we wanted. Our last day in the studio was Monday, with acoustic guitar and vocals. Drew has a special talent of playing EXACTLY with the click, which not many can do. And when it came time to sing, he miraculously managed all three songs with out his voice dying! It was strong the entire time. The First few nights we got home sometime between 2 and 3, but the last night it was 4am! We needed to take Robb to the airport at 6 so we ended up just staying up, taking him, then going to sleep at 7am and waking up at 2pm. And yes our bodies were very angry with us, causing stomach and head aches and lack of energy. What role did I play in all this? I picked up/dropped off the instrumentalists that came in for a period of time. This actually turned out great because I got to know each one. My other role was making sure the guys were all fed and happy. So in the morning, before we left, I made breadfast and meals for later and got snacks together. I took lots of video and pictures! And made sure Drew was relaxed when he needed it (pep talks, massages, ect.). This experience has increased my knowledge of the creation process of music drastically! I have found that I hear music differently now too. Picking out each instrument in a song, and hearing how it is mixed (what instruments are in front/back so you notice them more/less). ANYWAY, what now? Well Robb is going to mix the songs. Making them all ready to be put onto a demo so we can shop it around. Until then, we will be gigging with the band around Boston and working on the other ten songs that are in pre-production. Needless to say, this experience was far more incredible and rewarding than we could've imagined! Thanks to everyone that helped make this possible. Keep your ears out for the upcoming demo!

East Coast Extravaganza

2010-03-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago was spring break for Drew and my family back in Arizona(Mom's side). And guess whaaaaaaaat? They came to Boston! Kevin and mom, Parker, and Clark and Kate. They had not yet been out to visit us and see our place. City living is quite different than urban. When it comes to crashing at a friends place, space is an issue. But HEY! We survived and probably ended up closer, right guys? :) They all trickled in different days of the week. First, the parents came. It rained...and rained...and rained...for 2 full days, but after that nothing but pure sunshine! We had SO much fun showing them our life, then being tour guides around Boston. We ate at our favaorite restaurants, the North End("Little Italy"), The Oyster House(the first resaurant in America), and many more. That's what Parker cared about, the FOOD! Haha. In Boston, we saw Berklee, Harvard Square, Newbury Street, The Boston Commons Park, The Warf and Aquarium, Fanuiel Hall, Museum of Fine Arts, shopping and theater district, China Town, and Walden Pond.
My mom is one of the best vacation planners that I know. Without a doubt, she will make sure that we are all having as much fun as we possibly can. Her idea was for one of the days to drive down to Newport, Rhode Island and stay on the beach in a beautiful hotel! We saw one of the many famous mansions there, The Vanderbelt Mansion. It was AMAZING! Giant! It was so interesting to see how that kind of wealth lived. It was a sad day when the parents left us to go back to Arizona. We had such a great time with them and are looking forward to them coming back in the summer! The last part of the week it was just us kids left which was awesome too. We all have so much fun together...MOVE TO BOSTON GUYS! ;)

Back to the Real World

2010-02-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

We're back! Not a bad way to spend our first Valentines Day and 6 month anniversary together, to say the least! A very memorable one for sure. I can honestly say that I fell in love all over again during our trip. It's hard to explain, but I just realized how lucky I was to find Drew. He fulfills all of my needs. I won't go into huge detail because I'll start sounding more of a cheese ball than I already am :/...but somewhere between just being a huge help in my work environment, making us all laugh, and the fireworks and dancing, I couldn't have been a happier camper.
Drew had the opportunity to be in "The American Idol Experience" show in the Hollywood Studios park. He auditioned, made it, then sang in two different shows. The first show, he won. The second show, which was the finals, he came so close, but didn't get the golden ticket. I don't know who had more fun, me or him? It was so much fun for me to watch him on stage and cheer him on. And he had the time of his life singing up there! They do it all backstage, hair and make-up, and they even give you a voice coach. It couldn't have been better practice. That was a HUGE highlight to our trip!
And here is the video of Drew singing "Go The Distance" from Hercules...

I thought that Disneyworld was a BLAST! The first half of the trip we saw a lot of the parks, then the second half was more relaxing and did whatever we felt like. Mine and Drew's favorite ride was the "Yeti" ride in Animal Kingdom. It's like Disneyland's "Matterhorn", but pumped with adrenaline. It goes backwards through the dark and has a drop like "Splash Mountain". We are thrilled that we had the opportunity to go and that we took it! We were a big help. It is nice to be home and get back in the swing of things! Going to the gym, work, school, and church too :). Crazy things are happening in both of our families too. My mom and Kevin maybe moving to St. George, my dad and Dawn getting into foster care, and Drew's parents in Israel. Drew's sister Tara had a wonderful weekend while we were gone as well. We lent our place to her boyfriend Zach, who I have yet to know very well, but have heard only the best! Yay Tara! Next, My mom and Kevin are coming out to see us in 3 weeks. Including Clark and Katie, and HOPEFULLY Parker! We definitely are looking forward to that. WAHOOO! Life is so unexpected and exciting! Live up every moment!!!

An Adventure to Remember

2010-02-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

In less than a week we will be leaving on our journey to Disneyworld! We are getting super excited. What could be better than working while in Disneyworld? I've always wanted to bring a little kid to Disneyland with me and never got the opportunity because I was always the youngest. I thought I would have to wait for my own kids, but nope! I get the privilage of experiencing Disneyworld with the little girl that I watch every day at work :). Drew will be coming for the first week that we are there. He then has to get back to school and I will be staying another four days! A while ago, me and Drew went to Barnes and Noble and bought these to get us ready...

Soooo...Drew has been taking a peak at the books to get us familiar with some hidden "secrets". Haha COOOOL! I have a vision of going on the Disney Cruise again, that I did once with my family. We WILL go and take our little ones with us! It really was one of the more fun vacations that I have been on! Anyway, we are looking forward to a super fun time in Disneyworld visiting all of the unique parks.

ALSO!~~~~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENNIS!!!!!!~~~~~~
It was Dennis's birthday on Monday. Woo woo! We brought a party over to his house and had some cake and ice cream with him. He already had about ten cakes in his refigerator...he IS loved! That morning he had found out that he will possibly be able to walk again! With several shots of botox in his legs, he has a chance. That made his birthday :).
WE LOVE YOU DENNIS VILLA!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-28T20:45:00.000-08:00

My handsome musician has embarked on another semester, while I continue to cook, clean, run errands, and watch babies for my wonderful nanny family. Drew got the classes that he wanted to with great teachers and is excited about his new semester of school! We are diving deep into Drew's music for the next few months, putting a lot of our extra time into recording for the demo CD. Drew will also be gigging this semester with his buddy Mitch(who is in a picture over there to the right) as well as his brother Denver, who will be moving out here in April. Yay Denver! That will be fun...I can't wait to go to their shows and I better get used to it! It was Tara's birthday this week...(HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARA!). She is now working with me as well! She comes with me on Wednesday's and Friday's. I love the days that she comes! Everything flows better when she is around because we, of course, get more things done. I'm grateful for everything that we have and that we are able to be out here.

2010-01-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

It IS cold outside! But we are getting through it :). We had a great week. I worked a lot because my hours increased this week. I am now working an hour earlier at 9 and working a half day on Saturday from 8 to 1. Whewww-eee! That means our gym time is earlier and colder, haha. Something kinda crazy happened at work. I found our that Drew and I are going to Disneyworld in 3 weeks! The family that I nanny for is having us come with them to Disneyworld for 2 weeks to help watch their kids. 2 weeks is a long time in Disneyworld, but it will be great because time at the parks will be more spread out. Therefore, more relaxing time. Drew had a breakthrough with is music this week. With his time off of school he has been able to really practice and continue the progress of working on the songs for his demo cd. He wrote a new song that blew me away. The style of his playing improved a ton. His new finger picking techniques make the song really interesting to listen to. It's not just strumming through it. He is really becoming the type of artist he sees himself being. On Friday for date night we are now switching off picking a place somewhere in the Boston area or a little outside and going there with no real plans. Just picking a restaurant that we see and want to go to then finding something we to do after. It adds some spontinuity to our night and helps us see more of a variety of Boston. This last Friday Drew picked. He chose Coolidge Corner which is like Harvard Square, but more quaint. We ate at this great homemade All-American type restaurant. After, we checked out the movie theater down there that is an old restored playhouse turned into a movie theater. So cool! The main auditorium had a stage, big red curtains and a balcany. We had a wonderful experience on our new and improved date nights. YAY! :). On Saturday night we had some friends over for dinner to play our new favorite game (thanks to Katie and Clark) called Things. It's hilarious! Although, with four people it wasn't as fun because it made it easier. After a few rounds we played Monopoly, which Drew dominated at only because he ALWAYS bribes people for Boardwalk and Park Place and they ALWAYS give in! I try to stop it, but sometimes it doesn't work trying to stop the inevitable. This morning we work up early for our 2nd Sunday of 9am church. A lot better than last week because we weren't scraping 3 inches of snow off our car in our Sunday clothes! We both have had great wards and this one up there in greatness! We feel like it is really connected. New wards are obviously more fun after you get to know everyone and feel more apart of it. We both had great lessons today therefore it was a great morning and now I am about to make us dinner then we are going to visit Dennis our sudo-uncle tonight! Have a great week!

2010-01-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'm back in business! I havn't blogged for a while, but I'm back in the swing of things. Ok so me and Drew had a great trip to Arizona. Seeing our friends and family(some of which we hadn't since our wedding) was more than enough to make our trip wonderful. Plus the movies, gift giving, Christmas spirits, parties, and just feeling the joyfulness of Christs birth. Also, I am so glad Drew got to go golfing...and with brand new clubs! Thanks Steve Wayne(both, one for the clubs and one for going golfing)! We cannot express how thankful we are to have such wonderful families. Plus, I want to congratulate my brother, Parker, on his amazing accomplishment of graduating from ASU! In the Walter Cronkite School and Journalism. Good job Parker! And with a job with the Arizona Republic already. Drew's sister, Catie, got a puppy for Christmas. Her name is Tilly and she is so CUTE! It was so fun playing with her over the break. And speaking of playing, we played plenty of the new Mario Bros game for Wii. We got it and the Wii from my parents, Kevin and Catherine. While we were home, we saw the movie Avatar. If you havn't seen it yet, SEE IT! Also Sherlock Holmes was fabulous. Drew saw four movies while we were home(Couldn't resist the great prices! Half of what we usually pay).
Now to our current status...we are back to our lovely home in Boston. It actually felt really good to get home. Our trip was great, so relaxing and chill. But it is always nice to get back into our normal life here. We spent New Years Eve going out to dinner, taking the train to Faneuil Hall to see a giant Christmas tree and pretty lights, then to Boston Commons Park for lit up ice sculptures, a band, a frozen pond for freely ice skating, and fireworks. It was a great way to kick off the new year! I am back working, only this time with one more baby! It was awesome meeting him. He is very peaceful! Drew doesn't start school for another two weeks so he is enjoying his break by mainly working on his songs and getting ready to start recording more songs this semester. Exciting! I am looking forward to some more nights and weekends in the studio :). One more thing we are looking forward to is a great trip to New York to see a Broadway play, from Steve and Liz. We haven't decided the dates yet, but it is in our future. Well, it snowed all last night and day today! We ventured in it to do some errands this morning and go to breakfast at our favorite place, Trident Cafe. We discovered that Drew needs snow boots and I can't wear my uggs in the snow. Ironic, don't you think? I thought they were snow boots, but apparently they are just for appearance.

2009-12-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Winter! Wow it sure is winter here now. I know this isn't such a great picture of snow, but it was the first snow on Saturday night and we ran out to see/play in it for a bit. Me and Drew woke up this morning to snow/rain that was coming down hard. I had my first experience of driving in the snow on my way to work! Since I work outside the city, there is a lot more snow. I must say, it was a bit of an adrenaline rush. It was so dang pretty though. The trees were covered in white and everything was bright and Christmasy! I decorated our fireplace mantel last night with lights and hung our stockings so now we have a little Christmas spirit in our apartment as well :). It's fun living off of the whole cities Christmas spirit too, it really gets decorated with wreaths and lights everywhere! This week Drew has finished a few of his classes. WOO WOO! Go Drew! Good job! He's done with most of his voice performance ones and now he just has to finish up lyric writing, harmony, and his one other voice class. He's been working hard at night so we've pretty much stayed in this week with a few breaks of "The Office" :). Work is going really well for me. I really enjoy my job and feel privilaged to get so lucky!
We are getting really excited to come home for Christmas. Being at home is so relaxing and so much fun just hanging out with people that we love, going to movies, and playing games! I will be coming home the 18th for my brother Parker's graduation from college! What an accomplishment, huh? All the years of studying journelism and now he just gets to write, write, write working for the Arizona Republic. Drew is coming on 19th with his sister Tara that is flying in from Germany. He is excited to fly home with his sister and get a little bonding time in. We'll then fly back home to Boston on the 30th to get me back to work and have our big New Years Celebration here.
Merry Christmas!!!

Just A Thought

2009-11-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Lifestyle we are at right now is young, in school, working, and trying to make our passions come true. So me and Drew have been thinking lately about how there are so many things to do in this world and we want to do it all. He was building our T.V Stand and thought it would be cool to be a builder. Also, how fun it would be to go to law school. Me too, believe it or not. He says once we have girls to clean and take care of the house, I could go to law school. He thinks it'd be cool to be a business man. Wear a suit all day and talk business. Anyway, there are just so many options, it's hard to say that your only gonna do one. We will strive for our main goal, make it happen, then try for more. We are experiencing the urban city life right now. Hope to someday have a ranch with horses living the mountain life and also experience different countries. Anyway, just dreams and aspirations :).

20 Things That I Love About Drew

2009-11-18T10:06:00.001-08:00

1. Almost every morning he wakes up saying I Love You with a smile :).

2. How he is always pondering and thinking of something that he could do to make him a better person. Whether it's spiritual, everyday life, or his relationships with people, it's amazing how fast I see him improve once he decides.

3. His shocking dance moves that make me jealous I can't dance that good. I saw him break dance a little the other day and he has mad hip-hop skills. Not to mention, a very romantic slow dancer ;).

4. The way when we are out walking he runs like a retard just to see my reaction, whether it's mimicing him, saying he's a dork, or laughing.

5. He always wants to buy me something when we are out. We usually have a "disagreement" on who gets to get something for the other person. "but Haley/Drew you NEED this!"

6. His extreme amount of passion in his life. Education, music, movies, books! He loves his career. And hopes to get the most amount of education he can in life.

7. His humor. I sometimes take advantage of it, then realize how funny he is again when we are with family and friends.

8. How extremely clean and organized he is.

9. I love how balanced Drew is in life. He is not extreme in any area. He is always aware of exactly how things are-good, bad, or just okay.

10. Always making me want to be a better person. "Never be at a straight line, always be improving in all aspects of life!"

11. He does the Dishes!

12. He always is making sure that I am happy. If I'm not, he becomes either really loving or goofy to cheer me up! I love it when he suprises me with flowers. He makes life so fun!

13. How he cooks dinner or breakfast for us sometimes. I love his potatoes and eggs. He's also has become a champ steak cooker.

15. How quick he is to help me if I ask him to do something.

16. The way when we are watching a movie at night, as soon as I start to fall asleep, he turns it off and takes me to bed.

17. I love the relationship that he has with my family. He is so much fun to be around and is a great person to just sit down and talk to!

18. The good adviser that he is when I am struggleing with something. He's a great counselor and gives amazing advice.

19. How we are so much alike sometimes it's wierd. Our first date we had the same favorite song which wasn't likely because it wasn't popular.

20. His dreams that become my dreams, vise versa, and the dreams that we have together!

So, this started out being 10 things and that wasn't possible...

2009-11-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

HEYYY! Some big things happened last week. It was my first week at my new job. It went really well! I strangely like the house stuff like cleaning, running errands, and cooking. Of course, it is a perk that their daughter is adorable and never cries! She is so calm. Very peaceful happy kid. I cook dinner for them every evening as well. At first I was really nervous because yeah I've cooked, but not a whole lot and I haven't branched out a ton. Surprisingly, it has gone quite well and I am really glad I'm learning so much. I will say that now that I am working a full 8 hours a day, it has been harder for me and Drew to be away from each other. It's the most we've been apart and it's kinda weird and is going to take some getting used to. It's fun looking forward to coming home so much though! Drew's week was good. It was very busy! He had practice all week for an Acapella concert on Thursday. It was African music which was really cool and interesting. Then on Friday my Dad and Dawn came in from Orange County! We picked them up from the airport, checked into their hotel and went to eat at the nice restaurant there. The food was great, but little did we know that Dawn had scallops that gave her food poisoning that night. She was sicker than she ever has been and in bed the next day. It was also raining so we hung out with my Dad, went to a movie and met up again for dinner after aiding Dawn. Sunday was much better and more sunny. We walked down Newbury street shopping for a while and showed them Drew's school! That night we went to Cheer's, the original restaurant where the show was filmed. Then Monday morning we met up for breakfast for our final goodbye before I had to go to work. Even though the trip didn't go as expected, it was so nice to see them and way fun to hangout even when they were sick! They will be back again for a do over next year for more outings and seeing more sites!

2009-11-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

HIIII! Well, it has been a few weeks since I have blogged, sorry! We have been so busy with family in town and work and school. A few weeks ago Drew's parents, Liz and Steve came to visit. It was so much fun seeing them. First time since we've been married! The first night they got in we stayed up talking in our place till about 3am! We were invading our guests because we were so excited to have them here. Two weeks after they came, Denver and his Fiance Camilla came. Drew picked them up from the airport and took them to my restaurant for me to wait on them, suprise to me! Denver actually proposed to her here at the Boston Commons Park, in the garden, on one of the benches. So romantic! They were here over Halloween and I don't know if you've heard of the town Salem, but it's where all the witch trials happened. Anyway, that's where we went on Halloween. It was crazy! Everyone goes there back here and dresses up in the coolest and unique costumes. They had everything from festivals and carnivals to haunted houses. We had a great time. It was so fun seeing Denver and Camilla and being able to spend the time with them that we did. Yesterday my Grandpa and Grandma Compton flew into Providence and me and Drew are driving to meet them for dinner tonight! It'll be awesome having a little road trip to Rhode Island, just an hour though :). We are looking forward to seeing them as well! THEN my Dad and Dawn are flying in on Friday! Woo woo! We can't wait to show them where we live and for them to experience the Wonderful city that Boston is with us!
So I have big new news. I am no longer working at the restaurant as of yesterday. I got nanny job in Concord, MA. Only a thirty minuite drive and the town is gorgeous! It's a little old historical town. Many authors came from there and the house of Little Women is there! Haha. They have a two year old daughter, Rebecca, and she is pregnant with another. They are a retired young couple. I am looking forward to start working with them on Monday. Drew has had a couple crazy weeks between family being here and midterms. They went really well though. He even aced a few! Woo woo! Good job Drew! He is always always singing and practicing the guitar. He is getting a ton better at the guitar. It's so cool for me to see that. AND he would be pleased for me to mention that his guitar is the most amazing guitar ever. It has a great sound. I will say that when he plays another guitar, it just doesn't sound the same. WOW this one is long so I'll go ahead and say bye for now!

2009-10-19T08:10:00.001-07:00

This last week was a crazy week for me and Drew. We were recording a song for a music video that was gonna be submitted to a few film festivals along with a World War II short film. The song Drew recorded was his song called "It's a Dark Beauty". We spent long nights at the studio. Very fun though! It's so cool seeing a song put together. Adding more instruments, sounds, and ways of mixing. While I was hanging out there I was reading a magazine and something that Stephen Marley(Jamacan Musician, son of Bob Marley) said was that it's so hard to say your done with a song because there is always one more thing you come up with the next morning or whenever, you just gotta say it's done. Anyway, they were supposed to be filming the music video in Quincy. The setting was night time and in the forest. They problem was that it snowed that day/night they were going to film and their generators were going out. So, we were pretty bummed because we had been looking forward to it all week. Professional film equipment and filming while blasting Drew's song in the middle of the night sounded so awesome! The good thing is that now another song of his is produced.

Colombus Day at the MFA

2009-10-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today me and Drew went to the Museum of Fine Arts. Down in Fenway they had a lot of things going on and this was one of the fun free events. The museum was huge and we of course saw many beautiful statues and paintings as well as a music room where we saw super old instruments they used back even in the 1800s. We saw beautiful pianos from Ireland, France, Germany, and England. They were so detailed that it made our pianos these days look very boring. Drew really enjoyed looking at the Egyptian tombs and now we both want to watch The Mummy. After we were tired of walking around we went to see the movie Surrogates, which we enjoyed. We then came home, I made dinner, and we headed out to a meeting with one of his producers. They're gonna start working on a song for an upcoming short film. Should be cool! As of me, I finish up training this week for my job and am on the floor next week. Woo Woo!

2009-09-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Hump Day! This morning was great. I picked up some wedding and honeymoon pictures we had developed and started our family album :). Then made strawberry waffles while Drew did some homework practicing. The song he is singing in this picture is amazing! It's a new one he's been working on called "Easier Said Than Done". It's a pop song that gets stuck in my head. It's so cool how he can just make up a new line to a song in such short time and immediately we know it's perfect. He's teaching me a lot about music. There is so much it's hard to understand all of it! I definitely listen to music a lot differently now and understand more of how it is all put together. Yesterday I started my first day of training at work. I'm really excited to be a server. Everyone is so fun to be around. My training will be done by next week and I will be on the floor. I'm kinda nervous, but really looking forward to it at the same time. Drew's school is going great! He sings and performs a lot during the day because many of his classes are performance classes. He is learning how to better sing and play with a mic, which is hard to get down. It's so fun to see him progress with his music. He had a recording last week for a project with a full band. Drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and piano. They used a song of his called "Building A Life". He has a teacher that is James Taylors brother and also one that's Bobby McFerrin's Back-Up Singer. Pretty cool! Anyway, have a good day!

Craigslist Scam Session

2009-09-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been scammed? Well we just did. So I was supposedly going to nanny for two kids, one being autistic, right? FALSE!!! Here is the story: The "father" who is a foreign guy sent me money orders in the mail to deposit a significantly large amount of money into my account, get cash and send it to a friend in Florida who will then be sending me toys like a play station 3, games, and clothes for his boys so I could keep them here until they moved here. As a benefit to us, I would be getting my first weeks pay and a little extra. So I went and got the cash out this morning and searched for a money gram station to send it. I was then delayed doing it for different reasons. THEN I started talking to Dennis (we love Dennis) about it and he said NO NO NO this is the exact path a scammer would take, then I called Kevin and he agreed. Turns out if I would've sent the money without the money orders being cleared (which takes at least 10 days or something like that) we would have been out the money and totally scammed!! Luckily, Dennis stopped me right before and everything is ok. Crazy huh! What a fag... Lesson Learned.
We're still WAY happy though because we went grocery shopping in Boston at an awesome local fresh fruit/veggie market! We also walked around town holding hands. What's up now!? :)

Getting Settled

2009-09-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today I got a job! I'll be working right on Newbury Street, which is one on the top shopping places in the world, not to mention the most beautiful street. The restaurant is called Charley's and it is three blocks away from our apartment. Aside from that, I will be nannying part time in October/November for two foreign kids, one of which is autistic. I am extremely excited to see how that goes! Also, Drew is in the process of writing four new songs. He has a live recording session Saturday from 2-6 at Berkley. Today was a great day for both of us!

One Month Baby!

2009-09-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

One month ago today Drew and I were married. Wow! Time goes by fast. It really does feel like we've known each other forever. Last night we made dinner. Cooking together is so much fun. The down side is that our kitchen is TINY, but we survived! Had a nice steak dinner :). After, we played a new co-op video game we got, it was fun! While Drew is going to school and busy doing homework, I am still in the process of finding a job. Hopefully it will be soon! In the mean time, my job right now is the house. I am absolutely loving it! I am really enjoying cleaning, errands, decorating, and cooking for Drew. It will be really nice when I get a job and we have a solid schedule to go by. Anyway, we are both happy and healthy. See ya!

2009-09-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

HI! k so last night me and drew set up our kitchen table. It looks so nice. THANK YOU STEVE AND LORI! I made us banana pancakes this morning and we ate on our table for the first time. I've been cleaning all morning while drew has been working on homework. Music homework...it's so cool. He rearraged the song "Stand By Me". We are just about to go to Boston Commons park, have a picnic, Drew study, and I paint! Boston is amazing. How did we get so lucky to live in the most romantic city as a newly weds? We couldn't be happier here. Life is great! We are so grateful for everyone in our life. We have wonderful family and friends. Love you!

2009-09-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Hello! So yesterday all of our stuff came on the moving truck. We lived in our apartment with nothing but an air mattress and our luggage from our honeymoon. It was a fun little advanture experience. We are sure grateful for everything we have! Luckily, we have a family member here Dennis who checks up on us and makes sure we have everything we need. It was like Christmas when our stuff came. We are still working on getting our place set up and decorated, but I will post pictures of the inside soon when it looks nice.