MOVEMENT: Blankets and Beanies For Sandy Victims

Hey Everyone! This is a special post so listen up!

Our Goal: To Comfort Sandy’s Kids with 10,000 blankets and beanies for the families displaced by hurricane Sandy by Dec. 15th!

Join us in helping these families by sending them homemade or purchased blankets to help comfort and keep them warm as they rebuild and start the winter. 

What you do: 

1) Make or purchase a blanket or beanie. 

       If you would like to make them, below are some links to find some fun and easy ways to make a comfy blanket and a warm beanie.

2) Write a note - 

      Write a quick note to the family that will receive your blanket 

and/or beanie. If you want, you can also attach a picture of you and those who helped you.

3) Mail your blanket/beanie to one of these several locations:

Comfort Sandy's Kids

52 Featherbed Lane

Flemington, NJ 08822

Comfort Sandy's Kids

3917 E. Des Moines St.

Mesa, Az 85205

Comfort Sandy's Kids

343 W. 300 N. #4

Provo, Utah 84601

Comfort Sandy's Kids

54 Maplewood st.

Watertown, MA 02472

4) Continue to pray for all of those families who are displaced from the devastation of hurricane Sandy. And get your families, communities, and schools involved in helping us comfort Sandyís Kids!

So here are some tutorials to help you as you help others! 

We made our own plus found a bunch of links to other quilting and crafty blogs in case you want to get really crazy. 

Remember, we would love all kinds of blankets, including big ones, small ones, quilted, tied, or fleece. Anything to help our fellow americans stay warm and feel your love. *But please no used 

blankets or beanies, only homemade or newly purchased. 

 Blankets range from 54x60 for the fleece and 54x36 for cotton

Blankets can cost from $10 - $20 depending on where you get your fabric. The fleece I just bought at JoAnn’s fabrics was 50% off @ 12.99/yd. so I paid just at $10 per blanket.

My cotton blankets are made from fabric purchased at Wal-Mart they have lots of cute fun prints at very reasonable prices.

Fleece Blankets

1-½ yds. Fleece

Make sure your edges are all nice and straight.  Cutting off all rough edges and salvages. 

There are lots of ways now to do your ends. You can tie all 4 sides of your blanket or you can choose to only tie 2 ends.  Cut 4 inch fringe about 1 inch think on each side you plan on tying. 

             

         

OPTIONS 

Tie each individual fringe by itself.

Or: tie two pieces of fringe together in a square knot. 

(right over left and left over right – so that when it is washed the knot will stay.)

Either method is cute and fun.  You can also find great tutorials on how to sew 2 pieces of fleece together to make a thicker blanket.

Super easy Cotton tied blankets

1 ½ yd. cotton print

1 ½ yd. cotton solid

crib size batting

yarn

Quilting needle

Wash and dry fabric (to prevent shrinking after blanket is made.)

On a flat surface lay the back side of your fabric with right side up.  Next layer on top of that your top layer of fabric with right side down. On top of that lay out your batting, pin all three layers together.

Trim all three layers so your edges are all straight and even.  Can use a straight edge and rotary blade if you have one.

Trim all three layers so your edges are all straight and even.  Can use a straight edge and rotary blade if you have one.

Sew all three layers together leaving a 5 inch opening on one side.  Remove pins

Turn blanket inside out.  

Your batting should be in between your fabric now with the right sides of your fabric facing out.  

Be sure to push out each corner from inside so you have nice defined corners.  

Sew up your 5 inch opening carefully on the machine or by hand. 

Be sure your fabric is tucked inside along that seam.

Time to tie your quilt!

Begin by marking your quilt with a 5x5 template. (I cheat and usually just stitch according to the pattern on the print.) The purposes of the ties are to keep the fabric together and the batting in place.  In the blanket shown we tied in the middle of every other fish, skipped two rows of fish and started again.  Use your best judgment and just make if fun, cute and consistent.

Thread your quilting needle with about a yard of yarn, pulling your yarn through until both ends of the yarn are even.  Make a small stitch at your first marking, making sure you go all the way through both fabrics.  Pull your yarn completely through until you have 3 inches left on the end. 

Next there are several ways you can tie your yarn.  The most important part is that you make a square knot at each mark. 

Here are two ways to tie:

1) Continue on stitching your yarn through each mark, making sure your 3 inch end stays secure and doesn’t get pulled through.  When you get to the end of your yarn, cut in between each mark, and tie at each stich point the yarn in a square knot.

2) Tie as you go: after each stitch cut your yarn, tie your square knot and continue on.

3) There is also a method to tie before you cut your yarn, but it is hard to explain.  If you would like to know how, send us an email and we’ll help walk you through it! J

Finish up: look at each tie and make sure it looks nice and clean. Check the back side of the fabric to make sure it also looks nice and clean leaving no crazy yarn pieces back there.  Trim each tie to about 1 inch long.

Viola! You have a fun warm blanket to send to a Sandy family and everyone gets to be warm inside!

We are also accepting beanies!! Follow the tutorial links below to find some fun ways to make adorable beanies to help warm up all those kids and families!

Go to these great links to get some more ideas and inspiration!

For blankets:

Imperfect Homemaking

Tip Junkie

U-create

Exploring Womenhood

Quilting In The Rain

Quilting In The Rain 2

Connecting Threads

Mary Quilts

See Kate Sew

Honey Bear Lane

If you want to make beanies go here:

Fleece Beanies

Knitted had with a Loom 

Free Hat Patterns

Info. about us: In 2001 we started Comfort the Kids, and with the help of several hundreds of amazing people delivered over 2500 handmade red white and blue blankets to children who lost family members in the twin towers on 9/11. To keep the fun going, we delivered over 500 blankets to victims of some of the California wildfires in 2003, and in 2006 sent over 500 blankets to Houston, Texas to a children's burn unit affected by hurricane Katrina.  As a family we are grateful for the blessings in our lives and feel it a privilege to share those blessings with those suffering.  Please join us and share your warmth and love with the families that are bracing for a very cold winter on the east coast. Please give a blanket, so you AND those who bundle up in your blanket will feel some comfort, warmth and peace this cold winter season.

Getting To Know Marsden

I feel like I could write a novel on our little boys personality.  He is so full of life (Drew calls him a fireball)!  He came here with an abnormally strong head/neck.  He could hold it up pretty much at the hospital!  Here's some pictures of him at 1 month old, that's 4 week folks!!

Marsden had a pretty fussy first 3 months.   I tried giving up dairy, but that didn't help so I gladly stopped that and his doctor got him on some stomach acid drops which helped.  He spit up A LOT!  Every time someone wanted to hold him I was so nervous that he would spit up on them and most the time he did!  Poor little boy, we felt so bad for him and all his bubbles!

This picture shows how much Marsden looks like his dad.  Can you tell which is which?  I'm sure the clothing and photo quality gives it away, but yeah thats Drew on the left and Marsden on the right.  Wow, TWINS!

*Marsden's first smile was while I was giving him a bath! March 19th 

*Marsden's first laugh was also in the bath at 2 months, but Drew tickling him at 3 months made him start belly laughing!

Marsden was always so alert!  It was like he wanted to soak everything around him in and see more!  He's still that way.  Always wanting to see and learn :). 

He loves people!  He especially loves it when older kids play with him.   I really think he could play forever!

*Marsden got his bottom two teeth at 3 months

*Marsden started scooting at 5 months and a week later started really crawling.   Once he figures out something, he learns quickly!  He crawls with his right foot stepping and his left knee on the ground and still does!  It's so funny.  This is also when he started sitting up on his own.

Here is a picture of him on his half year, 6 month birthday!  Taken and edited by Drew.

Marsden definitely keeps me us on our toes!  He pulls himself up onto everything and has even started walking with the couch.  We are in for a ride with his speedy brain.

*He got 4 top teeth between 5 and 7 months which means he has 6 teeth now! He loves to eat food (especially if he can gnaw on it himself) and is very good at it with all his chompers.

Marsden is the happiest boy and so much fun to be around!  He's always up for a laugh or to play with you.  He will make anyone smile with his smile ;).  He is now 7 months and we feel so blessed to have his amazing spirit in our lives!  Marsden makes life brighter.

One Year Later

I've been keeping a handwritten journal since we had our baby and therefore have not been updating our blog on our life. Today that changes!

 Marsden Trey Porter was born on February 24th at 2:48am weighing 7lbs 12oz and 20 3/4in long. He came out with a lot of unexpected orange hair, perfect skin, his dads shape of adorable blue eyes, and a perfect new body.

Becoming a mom was one of the two biggest changes in my life, the other one being marrying Drew. It also was the most greatly anticipated. I new I would love it, but I didn't know the feelings that came with it. It was literally magical! From the moment he was born I was changed forever. I had a newly found deep love for a human being that was part me and part Drew. I'll keep my labor story for my journal, but I will say that it went smoother than I could've hoped and I surprisingly loved all of it. This whole experience had an outcome of me meeting my baby boy so how could it not be the most amazing experience of my life?

One of the coolest parts for us of having a baby has been becoming our own little family. Watching Drew be a dad has been so much fun! He's such a natural. Marsden loves to play play play with him and they'll laugh so hard, I love the sound! Since he was born he loves it when Drew sings and plays his guitar for him. And I love it because it completely mesmerizes him (and me) ;)!  We are loving being a family of 3 and am so excited to watch Marsden learn and grow!

The Place That Made Us

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!!!!!!!!!!