Poole Party

A Party for ONE!

2011-05-08T17:01:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it this guy turned one already and we celebrated with a big ol' bash. Jensen's birthday falls on Earth Day so we decided that we would have an Earth Day Birthday!

We started off the day by planting a tree in our front yard. This was our gift to the earth and to Jensen. I helped pick out the tree but Morris did all of the dirty work.
We set up a little planting station in the garage so guests could get in on the action. The potted plants and shovels doubled as party favors.
After the tree was planted we took Jensen over to show him his tree, he was more clearly interested in the dirt, we took several photos and they all turned out like this. Guests also left messages on rocks for Jensen that we put by the tree.
Our Family Tree
Cooper putting lots of though into his rock for Jensen
Jensen is all smiles when his aunts are around. He gets lots of loves and attention.
The aftermath of the globe cake I made for him. Jensen continued to spread the frosting all over his face making him look like an Avatar.
I made this little birthday box as a centerpiece. I put a picture from each month of the year on the outside of the box and then put a potted plant in it with balloons.
A close up picture of the party favors.
We had super yummy coconut cupcakes, wishing there was more of these still.
A photo of the beverage.
And most of those that came to help us celebrate our favorite little boy. We are missing a few who dashed off to an Easter Egg Hunt.
Yes, I did consume more than my share of the cupcakes and baby GIRL Poole (due in Aug) has also helped to increase my waistline as seen above.

Raise Your Hand...

2010-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

if you think I am cute?

Jensen apparently thinks he is very adorable. At least I am raising a humble child.

But I kind of have to agree with him.

Ode to Richmond

2010-09-27T15:58:00.001-07:00

Today I miss you (and every Thursday)

I miss your beautiful fall trees and the long fall season.

I miss the good friends you provided me with, good friends are hard to find and impossible to replace.

I miss your Nordstrom, you were small but satisfied a desire and sometimes a need.

I miss your delicious Celesti Gelati ice cream and the amazing "just ask" flavor that I worry I may never have again.

I miss walks in the evening that often turned into a neighborhood party.

I miss playing the train game with friends while eating cookies and drinking Root Beer.

I miss seeing lightning bugs in the summer evenings.

I miss not being able to take a bus to NYC.

I miss our not living in the "real world" yet lifestyle.

Today I miss you.

Until we meet again.

Best Part of Waking Up

2010-08-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

I love the smiles this little guy dishes out in the morning.

Who needs Furniture?

2010-08-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

It took a couple weeks for our furniture to show up so Morris made use of the space on his

graduation gift (a new bike) and rode around the house. The laps around the island were tight but he worked it out.

A Moving Story

2010-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Q: How do you fit a 1,100 sq. ft. townhouse into 10ft. of a moving truck? A: You ask two orthodontists to pack your truck. Morris and his dad utilized every square inch of that space.
And even found a perfect seat for Jensen.

Best friends in the whole world! Show up at 1 AM to clean my house and finish packing up the place, that is after they had watched my baby for 5 hours so I could attend graduation oh and then drive our family out to the airport at the wee wee hours of the morning. Really truly the best friends a girl could ask for.

Locking up the doors of our place for the last time.

Morris and Rich sharing one last brew together. (Well, actually Rich had already brushed his teeth so he wouldn't drink it but I made him grab one for the photo--what a good little dentist he is)

Our flight home--this is how Jensen was for the majority of both flights. We were very relieved as well as all those around us, I am sure.

Our welcoming committee. Mindy showed up with her 3 kids and signs to welcome us back to the Beehive State. Thank you for the love Rice Family!

The End.

2010-06-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough day at our house. This big boy is weighing in at 13.4 lbs on his 2 month birthday. That is about the 90th percentile.

Gym Day 1: Check

2010-06-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't run 13.1 miles today but 2 things are certain:

1. My waistline is definitely not in any hurry to reappear.
2. I did reach my mini gym goal I set for myself for Day 1 so that is good news.

This Week

2010-06-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to keep ourselves busy while Morris has been away.

We spent a day at the pool with friends.
Aunt Mallory arrived to keep us company. Jensen was in love immediatly.

We went to Charlottesville and walked around UVA campus and...

had a picnic in a nearby garden.

We made treats for my doctor to take to my 6 week appointment.

Yep, it has been 6 weeks already.

Other highlights of the week:

Jensen slept just over 7.5 hours last night, I was awake the last hour just waiting for him to wake up.

I dropped off our last rent check-EVER!

1 Month

2010-05-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to getting this little guys photos taken. We have only seen this one but I am pretty sure I am in love with them and him of course.

The time has come

2010-05-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ok folks this party is going private. If you want to know our dirty little secrets you can email me ashleyapoole (at) hotmail (dot) (com). Believe me I do plenty of blog stalking so don't be embarrassed.

Goal 1=13.1 on 8-28

2010-05-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

I think 3 weeks of rarely leaving the house may have gotten the best of me. I have had intentions of running a half marathon for some time now. I had actually entered the lottery for the Nike Women's Marathon in March but since it was a lottery I didn't feel like I was completely committed. I checked my email from my hospital bed and found out I was not selected and I have to be honest I was a little bit relieved. Well the woes of pregnancy and labor are quickly becoming a distant memory and I decided I needed to find a new race.
I had planned on a race in October but after finding out my sister was planning to run the Top of Utah in August and the race happens to be in our new backyard I decided to go for it. I am a little bit nervous that it is almost 2 months sooner than I was planning on but I am now committed. At least my sissy will be there to keep me motivated and my cheering section has now doubled.

Goal 2: Sprint Triathlon--Gonna need a little help on this one Heid.

Houdini

2010-05-16T12:57:00.001-07:00

This is what Jensen looks like when he is put to bed.
This is what Jensen looks like after about 5 minutes of being in his crib.

A little bit of grunting and wiggling and he has his arm out of his swaddle and then out of his shirt through the neck hole, sometimes both arms. And then a fist is usually inserted into the mouth.

Mush

2010-05-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Mush:
Pronunciation: mush, musher, total mush
Function: Noun
1. A word created by my lovely sister in law used to describe adorable babies you want to love on all day long and now widely used in the Allen family
2. Jensen

We had a baby, It's a boy

2010-04-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Actually a week ago today. Here are some pictures from the hospital and the days that have followed.

Morris "Jensen" Poole, we call him Jensen
Born April 22nd at 10:54 AM
7 lbs. 15 oz.
Practically perfect in every way

First family photo
Our sweet gift straight from heaven

A very proud papa

One of the very few shots with his eyes open. He is still quite sleepy and maybe a little camera shy

My 4 day old boy with a faux hawk

Birth story and more photos to follow. This mama is still very tired and trying to recover.

We apologize to all of our friends and family who use hotmail, we did attempt to send you an email several times from the hospital with photos attached but hotmail would not accept the attachments.

The Old Days

2010-03-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

While Morris was here visiting we wanted to do some of our favorite things in the city we love and miss.

First stop was a pre dinner treat at Diddy Riese. Nothing makes me happier right now than ice cream and cookies. I may have even bought a few extra cookies for dessert.

Enjoyed a walk around Westwood.

Spent time on the temple grounds on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Practiced our Blue Steel faces and modeling poses--totally appropriate on temple grounds, right?

A quick visit to the beach

and walk around Santa Monica

Before meeting up with ULCA friends for a BBQ at the Village. It was a great weekend and wish it could have lasted a bit longer.

It was hard to say good bye to Morris but he had to return to research, thesis writing and teeth straightening.

Bump 2 Bump

2010-03-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

A nearly impossible task; trying to please two very pregnant ladies with a good picture of themselves.

Take One: Oh wait, Sara's hair is blowing in her face
Take 9: Laughing at previous takes. And then a location change.

Take 10 or beyond: Husbands are growing weary and impatient, I guess this one will work.

On Saturday afternoon Morris and I snuck up to Bakersfield to have lunch with our friends Steve and Sara. I was really hoping we would have a chance to meet up with them while I was in California, and they were nice enough to meet us half way so we could have lunch together. We enjoyed a long lunch and a longer chat session after.

Sara and I were each others infertility friend and cried for each other over failed attempts at pregnancy and now we get to enjoy this miracle together. We are due only 20 days apart from one another.

We were so glad we got to see them and looking forward to more California reunions when we are back in the west. Can't wait for Baby Ella and Baby Poole to come.

I wasn't the 1st

2010-03-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have asked how I put the fabric on the rocking chair. Here are the instructions I followed.

Now, we are Ready

2010-03-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

I had planned on taking lots of parenting and birthing classes through our hospital and being overly prepared before this baby arrived. Well when I learned I would be leaving town and not able to attend any of the classes I had signed up for we had to go to Plan B. I found a class called "Boot Camp for New Dads" and so I signed Morris up, I figured one of us needs to know what to do when we bring this baby home. I thought for sure he would shoot down my idea but he actually went and said it was pretty helpful. And they even gave him a T-shirt.

Now, all I have to do is find someone to take care of his patients each day so he can stay home and show me how it is done.

To Rock

2010-02-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

Last year we rescued a broken rocking chair from the garbage can that our friends had planned for its future. The chair sat around for a while before we decided to do anything with it. We had a hard time agreeing on a paint color and then I took an even longer time figuring out what I wanted to do with the seat. I looked for a long time before I decided on this fabric to decoupage.

There may still be a few minor adjustments and maybe a cute kelly green pillow will be added. But here is mostly the final product.

Oh and this is what we started with.

Here is a better view of the fabric.

One step closer to Baby Pooles arrival.

My Special Day

2010-02-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

I love Birthdays! And today was my special day. I turned 28 today and could not be happier. I think it is going to be a great year for us and I am looking forward to the ride over the next couple months.

I had a birthday lunch with my friend Kim, we had Noodles & Co. We laughed and chatted. Thanks for lunch Kim, it was fun to spend the afternoon with you. Next time I will remember to take a photo.

Then Joy and Amelia came by with a gift. Love these ladies.

Look at that Belly!

Morris came home early from school and we went to dinner at CPK.

I think this is his 6th or 7th Root Beer--he never grows tired of this stuff.

Making a wish--I can't tell, I want it to come true.

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes. I loved all of the emails, texts and messages; you sure know how to make a girl feel special.

Not so Fast

2010-02-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

So maybe more like a Brett Favre kind of retirement. I am headed back to Los Angeles for a month to work for my previous employer. But then it is back home to nest, for real this time.

30; And Never Looking Back

2010-02-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Morris's birthday with his family while we were in Utah. We had a nice dinner with most of his siblings and a few friends to complete the night.

During dinner we each took turns talking about the table topics questions left on each plate. Morris's question was: What are you most looking forward to this year? He had a hard time deciding between the birth of our baby, completion of his residency program and starting his first job. Wow, we have a big year ahead of us!

Morris was really happy to spend some time with is good friend Sam.

And we were so happy that Ben and Heidi were able to make it from Las Vegas. We love spending time with them.

Boys will always be boys.

I had big plans for my ice cream cakes but as you can see in the pic above they didn't turn out like I had hoped. There is always next year.

Thank you to everyone for coming to the party and for celebrating Morris with me.

Retirement

2010-02-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Just before Morris and I left for Utah I retired. We went out to dinner to celebrate. Morris said it was funny we were spending money to celebrate me not making any more money.

I was working as a nanny for the last 6 months for a baby boy (a little hands on training) but now I am looking forward to spending my days with my baby boy. Just under 10 weeks from now!

2009 in Pics

2010-01-10T20:16:00.000-08:00

I wasn't much of a blogger last year so maybe a quick glimpse into last year will make up for months of absence.

January

We rang in the New Year in the big apple! We saw as much as many Christmas trees as we could and as many sites as our cold bodies would allow.

February

Took a quick trip down to Orlando, Morris attended a conference and we enjoyed seeing our friends the Craguns.

Was surprised by a surprise birthday breakfast with good friends.

March

Spent a weekend in Charleston, SC. Loved it there.

Had a chance to visit with the Henriods before they headed back to California.

Ran the Monument Ave. 10K with friends. Morris showed his support but volunteering and cheering me on along the course.

Met up with UCLA friends in DC for the Cherry Blossom festival.

Convinced the Shamos to spend a few more days with us in Richmond.

April

More time with UCLA friends, this year the AAO meeting was in Boston and we had fun seeing these faces.

We were lucky enough to see the Shamos again in Boston.

Janae and I at the library.

Boston Public Gardens

May

Had to go see what all the OBX fuss was all about. Spent the weekend in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and loved every second of it, even the brutal sun burn I returned home with.
And the friends who made it possible, thank you Hendrys for letting us crash your family vacation. We will happily invite ourselves on any future trips.

June

Had a visit from Papa Morris. We spent a Sunday afternoon visiting Civil War battlefields.

Morris had a conference at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. One of the most memorable "vacations" we have ever had. I know who knew in West Virginia?

We played many games of shuffle board and decided we will be putting a court in our backyard--one day.

In front of the Greenbrier. I want to go back.

July

Made it to Utah for the festivities. All of my sissies + Mamma came to the celebration at the Pooles.

And the Hendrys.

We were able to sneak up to Bear Lake for a few days to spend some time with the Pooles

And then up to Park City for some r & r with my side of the family.

I was also able to spend a girls weekend with some old roomies.

Celebrated our anniversary with a night at Coldplay.

August

Headed up to Hershey, PA to spend the weekend with Ben and Heidi. Went to Chocolate World

Learned about the Amish and took in some sites in Lancaster County, ate too many cider donuts and drank too much Amish Root Beer and not enough Hershey ice cream.

September

Spent another weekend in the city I love, New York City.

We helped the Lees move into a new place to get ready for Baby Boy and Baby Girl and enjoyed spending time in the city with good friends.

I got back in the chair and let Morris put braces on me. He put lingual braces on me (on the backside of my teeth) so I can avoid being called "brace face" for the next two years.

October

Went to Lake Gaston, NC for the weekend. It was unusually warm and on Sunday we weren't ready to come home so the girls decided to stay an extra day. Thanks again Joy and Ted.

It took a few seasons but he finally got it and has the T-shirt to prove it. At UCLA they always managed to get to the championship but just couldn't get the W. This year the VCU residents were able to take the all school championship in intermural football.

Dressed as Mary Poppins and Bert for our ward Halloween party.

November

We took advantage a warm day in November and visited the home of George Washington; Mount Vernon.

We attended a wedding near Pittsburgh, PA. I was really more interested in spending the weekend with Tiffany, a friend from high school who lives near Pburgh. The weekend went way too fast but it was so great to see Tiffany and her cute family.

December

We hosted a mustache and ugly sweater party for the ortho residents. There was a few classic outfits (and a few completely wrong) that will certainly not be forgotten.

My brother Ben had an interview at VCU for residency and he brought Heidi and Max along with him. We were so happy to have visitors and to see family at Christmas.

A huge snow storm hit while they were here so we were stuck inside for a few days and Ben couldn't get out of town so he missed an interview in Boston. I had no complaints about the extended stay and more cuddle time with this cute guy.

Our last Christmas spent away from family, thank goodness we have the Hendrys who invited us over for Christmas dinner and made us feel right at home.

And now a frest start for 2010!

Oh, by the way...

2009-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

...this is my current physique
It's true, we are expecting!

A sweet little baby BOY due the end of April. Yeah, I know I am a bit late in my announcement. We have had a few bumps in the road on this journey that has made me a bit more than a nervous Nelly about sharing the good news.

Things are going very well and I am enjoying the little love taps I have started to feel from our little guy and the return of a mostly normal life.

We are so grateful for the many prayers that have been said on behalf of our little family and thank you for your concern and support.

Can't Wait!

9:43:21

2009-04-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Total time spent on the phone with Dell operators overseas attempting to fix my broken computer.

Lets cross our fingers I am not on the phone with Giriraj for a little while.

Off on a fun weekend vacation, I will finally update when I get back.

The Low Country

2009-03-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

I don't think a lifetime would have been long enough to enjoy all the charm and history of this wonderful city. Morris and I made a quick trip down to Charleston, SC "The Low Country" this weekend and loved every minute of it.

We visited Middelton Place-one of the many gorgeous plantations in Charleston. The grounds and gardens were beautiful, we were a little to early to enjoy the azaleas but we did get to see the last remains of the camellias.
We were able to stay with our good friends, the Henriods, from UCLA. They were excellent hosts and tour guides.

This is the main house on the plantation, it is pretty amazing, especially the waterfront view of the Ashley River.

Side note: The Ashley River runs along one side of town and the Cooper River on the other (I think) well anyway pretty much everything in town is named Ashley something or other. I think that means I need to move there or at least visit time and time again.

One of my favorite things we did and a must do if you ever visit the city is take a horse drawn carriage ride.

The tour took us through historic downtown Charleston and gives you a little background on the homes and architecture. It really was great.

Another must do when in the south; eat something and everything fried (except for the peanuts, they boil those so they actually end up being more like beans, I was a fan-Morris not so much). So fried lunch is what we did. We had our first taste of Hush Puppies (fried cornmeal dough with jalapenos), actually they were pretty good. Fried baked potatoes, fried shrimp, fried fish, I think they even fried our coke. You get the point, basically a heart attack.

Charleston is a great walking city. We walked all over downtown and saw some other sites that were not included on our tour.

We saw Rainbow Row...

Waterfront Park, Mt. Pleasant Bridge, Fort Sumter (from a distance), The Battery area and shopped in The Market.

Oh lovely beach, how we have missed you.

The Carolina beaches were so pretty and such a welcomed site after a long winter. We walked around Folly beach and drove around dreaming about owning one of the many beautiful beach homes for sale.

We took a walk along the sand to the Morris Lighthouse, I really think we are meant to live here; a river and now a lighthouse just for us.

The whole weekend we were Gator hunting. We had heard rumors of gators in these parts but we didn't see any until Sunday afternoon. As soon as we went outside to get some proof he snuck back into his pond.

He really is there, just between Morris and Joel along the bank of the pond.

P.S. This is right in the Henriods backyard. Yes, this is correct they have gators in the backyard.

Oh and Morris had a little girlfriend the whole weekend. It was pretty cute to see the little crush Clara had on him and how excited she was to be near Morris, I think he secretly loved every minute of it.

Here is the close up of the alligator.

Thank you Henriods for the wonderful weekend, we loved it.

For Milah

2009-03-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

She turned ONE and had this Very Hunry Caterpillar cake.

Rainy LAX Game

2009-03-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

It rained and poured. Last week we went to Charlottesville, VA to watch the UVA Lacrosse team play Towson. UVA is ranked #1 in the country so Morris really wanted to make it to a game this season. We were hoping the weather would clear up but no such luck.
Look at all of these devoted fans. UVA came out on top and beat Towson by 9 points.

This is how passionate my husband is about Lacrosse and why we stood in the rain for hours watching the game.

Confession: I was freezing and finally gave into my numb fingers and toes and went and sat in the car for the 4th quarter and read my book in the nice warm car. Morris did however stick it out for the entire game.

Williamsburg

2009-03-11T18:28:00.001-07:00

The weather was so beautiful this weekend so we decided to take advantage of the spring temps and spend some time enjoying Colonial Williamsburg. It felt so nice to be out minus all of our winter gear.

We had lunch at the yummy yummy Cheese Shop in Merchants Square. Seriously some delicious sandwiches. Morris was feeling patriotic so he had Virginia Ham (we are famous for our ham), I stuck to my regular turkey; not because I wasn't feeling patriotic, I am just a turkey.

I think it is a requirement to take this photo when you are in Williamsburg--so we did.

Um, I guess Williamsburg is a dog friendly city. Can you believe this?

Fun weekend with my fun husband. Love the warm weather, please come back and see us again soon.

Luv Notz

2009-03-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

I spent a few weeks in Seattle in February with these cute kids. As a Christmas gift to the two oldest ones my brother and his wife asked me to fly out and help them decorate their rooms in their new place. They recently moved from Texas to Seattle and the long winter has got them all singing the Texas blues.

They do not have any of the furniture in the new house yet so these pictures don't show the final product but here is a sneak peak of what the kids and I came up with.

Clayton wanted a blue room with big maps on the wall. The blue is a bit darker than it looks in the photo. The bedding and window treatments are dark blue and of course huge maps on the wall. Clayton was a big help in getting the frames painted for the maps.

Hailey also wanted a blue room but with green as well. So her walls are a lighter blue with cute polka dots. You can't see the white dots that are there as well. Her bedding is green with white polka dots and cute sheer window treatments with green polka dots. She helped me pick out the paper and all the work on her name letters. Oh and she has a cute blue and green rug too.

Just after I got home, these cute "luv notz" showed up in the mail, I love these kids and the phonetic spelling of a kindergartner.

Thanks for the fun trip. Hope you are happy with your new rooms.

?

2009-03-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

69 degrees in 5 days. Looks like we are getting out tomorrow. YEAH!

Why is it that...

2009-03-05T08:48:00.001-08:00

I buy the greenest bananas I can find and less than 24 hours later they are covered in brown spots and too mushy to eat?

After 9 months of not having a job I still don't feel compelled to get one?

The best place for us to be right now is thousands of miles from family and friends and all I really need is to be near them?

I put on work out clothes every day but only manage to get in a work out in about every other day? (Isn't putting on the clothes the hardest part?)

They don't sell Girl Scout Cookies year round? (I picked mine up yesterday, mmmmm)

You can take a bus to NYC for only about $15 and I have only done this twice in the 9 months of living in Virginia?

I plan to go to bed about 10 pm each night, and actually start getting ready for bed at 9:30 but still am awake at midnight?

In nearly 4 years of marriage our family is still not +1?

Just a few thoughts for the day.

Who Dunit?

2009-03-02T12:20:00.001-08:00

Not us. On Saturday night Morris and I went to a Murder Mystery party to celebrate Ted turning 30!

Who do you think looks the most guilty?
We had a great time at the party and loved our first MM party even though we were the only ones with ridiculous costumes on. I used my very armature sewing skills to make my apron and head piece thing. We borrowed Morris's chauffeur hat from my Dad, yes he still wears it but don't worry he has others.

Thanks Joy and Ted for being our friends and for inviting us to your fun party. We had a great night.

P.S. It was the cute girl in the Boa (Kim) and her accomplice happened to be her funny husband (Brad) the old crazy security guard.

But I already have Spring Fever

2009-03-02T12:04:00.001-08:00

Not an ounce of snow until March 1st. It started snowing last night and has not stopped. It was nearly in the 70's last week and now snow.

The only car missing from the parking lot was Morris's. Everything in town is closed but Morris had a conference today (and he was not happy about it).

More Birthday

2009-03-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

I think birthday festivities should last all month long and should get at least two posts on the blog--so here you go. My birthday fell on a Sunday so we did celebrate most of the weekend. I am still working on convincing my husband that month long birthday parties are the way to go.

On Saturday night we went to dinner at Maggiano's--I was really only interested in the Creme Brulee, it is a huge serving.
Sunday morning Morris surprised me with breakfast in bed, complete with strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

I love all of the surprise breakfasts, just wish cameras were not involved every time. The post is just not that exciting without them.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, cards, treats, breakfasts, gifts and love.

A Birthday Breakfast Surprise

2009-03-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

I was set up! I thought I was showing up to Joy's to watch her daughter while she went to the dentist but instead it was the best birthday surprise I have ever had. I really do have the nicest friends.

Thank you girls for the delicious breakfast. I am so happy I got to celebrate with all of you; you made me feel very special and loved. Mmwah, loves to you all!

Mostly Sunny Weekend

2009-02-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Morris had a Orthodontic conference in Orlando, Fl. Anytime Morris has a conference in a fun place I weasel my way into going along. Chances are Orlando was going to be a bit warmer than Richmond and most of the time it was.

We were able to meet up with our good friends from UCLA, the Craguns at downtown Disneyworld. (Not sure that is really what it is called, but that is what it was called at Disneyland). We barely escaped an attack from the Lego Loch Ness.

It was so fun to see some old faces from Los Angeles, even it was just for a few hours. Thank you Craguns for making the drive from Gainsville. Miss you guys already.
We also got to see their cute kids. After waiting way to long for a table at T-Rex Cafe at Disneyworld and a queasy feeling from all the funky lights once we finally did get a table we bailed and went to Chevy's down the street. The kids dinner time was way past due; the balloon guy showed up to our table just in time to put a smile on there cute faces.

Our last day in town the sun showed up and so we put on our suits and took advantage of the resort and all of the pools.

Morris tried to teach me a thing or two about chess/checkers, I didn't do very well but I did think the board and pieces were pretty cool. He also beat me at thetherball (sp?, I haven't used that word since elementary school) but I took him in lawn bowling.

Boy being boys. Morris and Brandon (co-resident) found a little lizard or gecko thing and tormented it for a few hours. Don't worry it was still living in it's natural habitat when we left.

You have heard this before

2009-02-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

We have lived in Richmond for nearly 8 months and last week was our first chance to visit the D.C. temple together. Until now I never realized what a blessing it is to live near a temple. I know that is what everyone says but now I can understand what they mean and now I am saying it too. It was nice to spend the day together (even the 3+ hours it took us to get home) and to enjoy the spirit of the temple.

A New Sunday Night Tradition

2009-02-04T17:41:00.001-08:00

and maybe a few other nights in between.

For Christmas I gave Morris a crepe pan so we could continue the Poole family tradition of crepes on New Years Eve since we were going to be spending the holidays in the east away from our families. So we had crepes on New Year's Eve,

and most Sunday nights since---shhhh don't tell our New Year's resolutions.

Morris makes them and we both eat them.
This really was a Sunday so that is why we were in our comfy gear (Morris asked me to explain the gray sweats)

My favorite is Nutella, banana and fresh whip cream.

Morris's pick is maple syrup, whip cream and strawberries.

They are just to yummy for once a year.

And the Celebration...

2009-02-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

went a little something like this

I busted into the clinic to leave Morris a birthday surprise of balloons and this poster at his chair. I also left some cupcakes and Root Beer in the conference room so everyone could celebrate with him at lunch.

(sorry for the crummy pic, I forgot to take one and this is the only one Morris got on his phone)

Later that night we went to dinner at Richbrau, a local brewing company that brews there own Root Beer--Morris gave it two thumbs up.

All of the first year residents came to dinner with us

The Burke's

The soon to be Prettyman's--they are engaged!

And Quoc--not sure what face he is making, just go with it.

And then home to open presents and a mini rainbow chip birthday cake.

Thanks to everyone who helped make Mo's birthday a special day. Love you babe, now you have 3 weeks to get working on my birthday--he he!

For My Guy

2009-01-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

On his 29th BIRTHDAY! I think you are pretty wonderful and I am so happy you picked me to be your wife, you are the bestest husband a girl could ask for. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Yes, that is a paper mustache.

The Scoop

2009-01-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

So we live in Virginia now. We moved here in June so Morris could go to school, no, the graduation pictures posted in June were not a joke, he really did graduate from UCLA, he is now completing a residency program in Orthodontics at Virginia Commonwealth University. Morris is loving his program and comes home everyday telling me he is so happy to be here at this school. After six months of being in Virginia I am still enjoying the life of a stay at home wife. I get to do whatever I want each day, and I love it! We have made some great friends here and are so grateful for the experiences we are having. We are loving life in the east but we are also looking forward to living near family in 17 short months--but who is counting?

Latest Cakes

2008-07-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here are my latest cake creations--some are a few months old but thought I would still put them on. My friends kids gave me lots of practice.

Mickey Mouse was for Wyatt--he had a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Party.
Quincy celebrated his second birthday with a Cars theme party.
This cake was for Haileys princess party.
Elle turned 4 and had a horse party complete with a petting zoo.
Tanner tested my skills with the Ironman themed party.

At Last

2008-07-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

Season 5 starts today. I love BRAVO.

Graduation Day

2008-07-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day! The weather was perfect and we were surrounded by some many family and friends. Morris worked so hard during dental school and it was nice to celebrate Morris and all of his many accomplishments. Way to go babe, YOU DID IT!

The cheering section--Thanks to Bill, I think Morris actually heard us cheering for him.
Morris receiving his hood.
Look at all of those Doctors
Our California family. Thank you Brooke and Bill for all of the wonderful memories and support, we love and miss you!
WAHOOOOOO!

It's About Time

2008-07-15T18:22:00.001-07:00

I have been putting off this post for as long as possible. Leaving our life in Los Angeles has been much harder for me than I was expecting. The perfect weather, beautiful beaches, Disneyland, fabulous restaurants and museums are hard to live without. Oh gosh, I am already crying…I thought I was beyond this now. I will miss all of these things for sure but what I will miss most is our weekends spent with my sister, Brooke and her family and our great friends from UCLA. We made some wonderful friends while in LA and we are so grateful for your friendship and the many memories we share with each of you. We look forward to many reunions with each of you.

Below are pictures of our last month we spent soaking up the city.

Our last trip to the beach—we loved Ocean Park beach. The boys played hours of Bocce while Marissa and I chatted about little Lucy who was going to make her a mommy very soon.

The Girls—we snuck away from packing boxes and graduation festivities to have one last girl’s night out. We went to dinner and saw “Pillow Talk” at the Glendale Theatre. Miss you girls!

The Last Supper—The institute director hosted the graduating students and their families to a nice dinner. Morris spent many hours studying for Boards and every final at the institute; it is still hard to believe Morris won’t be spending his nights studying there. Thank you Bro. Neeley for always making us feel at home.
OKU Banquet—Morris was inducted into the OKU (Dental Honor Society). UCLA hosted a very nice dinner for all of the new members, way to go babe!

Disneyland—Our last visit to Disneyland, this was a sad day. We are officially Disney geeks now; we took the “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour. It was a behind the scenes tour of the park and all kinds of interesting facts about Walt Disney and the original creators of Disneyland. My favorite part was riding on the Lilly Belle train, it is a special caboose designed by Walt’s wife-Lillian. The tour was very interesting and recommend it for anyone who is interested in becoming a Disney geek.

Oh and Morris made the top 10 for the day on Buzz, he was happy to walk away from Buzz for the last time victoriously.
Here is a picture of the Lilly Belle.
And here is Walt with his Lady.

Miss Saigon—Morris had a patient who would give us tickets to see performances at a local theatre. We were able to see Miss Saigon before leaving LA, not my favorite Broadway show but still fun to see one time.

Reagan Library—Our last visit to an LA museum. I had been trying to find time to get to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum before we left. We made it just in time, about a week before leaving town. My favorite part was actually the dress of First Lady Nancy Reagan but it was nice to experience the life of a great American President.
The Second Last Supper—It seemed like everyday before graduation we found another excuse to get together with friends before parting ways. We had one last celebration dinner at Cheesecake Factory, it was craziness.
Graduation Banquet—UCLA hosted a banquet for all of the grads at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. It was a really fun night but the reality of moving across the country was starting to set in towards the end of the night.

The golf course is beautiful, all through dinner Morris was trying to figure out how to get on the course.
Morris receiving an award from the Orthodontic department

The lovely ladies

The whole gang
Wicked one more time—I really could see this show a million times, and I almost have, well, 5 times. Our parents loved the show as much as I do. My mom was a little disappointed to learn that Hollywood is not as glamorous as it looks on TV—sorry Mom.

Whew we did it. Now I can return to the blog world and not feel guilty looking at others peoples blogs that are updated. Goodbye LA, we miss you.

Virginia or Bust

2008-06-08T20:14:00.001-07:00

After several long days of too much driving we finally reached Virginia. I will update on our last month in LA soon.

2008-05-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have had to remind myself to do a lot more of this than normal lately. I have been neglecting many things in my life lately including this blog. Work has officially taken over my life. After spending several weeks training someone to take over my job so I could go part time and eventually quit before moving to Virginia she decided to quit and make my life pretty miserable until we go. It gets worse but I need to stop before the tears start again.

P.S. Thank you to my sweet husband, Morris, who is keeping life together at the Poole house.

Its Official!

2008-04-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

We got the official word in the mail yesterday--He passed!

Yep, this guy is now Dr.Poole. Well, I guess he still has to graduate but at least he has a license now to be a Dentist. We went to Fatburger to celebrate the very important piece of mail. It was good. Morris always treats himself to a Fatburger at the end of finals week and since there won't be anymore of those we thought this was a worthy occasion. Congratulations, Dr. Poole!

Day with Mom

2008-04-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

Last week my mom was in town for a convention so Morris and I snuck down to Anaheim to spend the day with her at Disneyland. We had a great afternoon at California Adventures taking my Mom on all of our favorite rides. We took a break from the hot sun and saw the Aladdin show and it was just as good as it was the first time--the genie is hilarious! Thanks for coming to town Mom, it was so fun to see you.

For The Grads

2008-04-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it already came and went. Several months ago we began planning a cruise with several of Morris's classmates to celebrate their upcoming graduation. We have had so much fun together during dental school and wanted to take a little vacation together before we all go our separate ways.

We boarded the ship in Los Angeles and headed south to San Diego. We got off the ship early in the morning and took the ferry over to Coronado Island. We rented some bicycles and saw the best of the island. Our first stop was Hotel Del Coronado, a beautiful historic hotel. Spending time at this hotel made me really sad we didn't spend a weekend there like we planned last year.

Group shot near the hotel after a game of ultimate frisbee on the beach.
A view of Coronado Bridge from a pit stop.

We had a great time that evening getting all dressed up and spending a night on the town--or ship.
Morris was so excited for the cruise he forgot to include something in his suitcase--a dress shirt.
A good look, don't you think? This was the best shirt we could come up with. Luckily Sean forgot one as well so they went tie less to the "formal" dinner.

We spent the next day on Catalina Island. Morris and I had been to Catalina once before and we were excited to spend some more time there.

A photo on the small boat to Catalina with the big boat in the back ground.

Most of our time spent on Catalina relaxing and playing cards near the beach. It was nice to spend the day on ground that was not moving.

Last stop--Ensenada,Mexico. While in Ensenada we visited La Bufadora--an underwater cave blowhole thing. Morris was more excited about finding some Mexican Tacos and I was searching for some Manzana Lift--a really yummy apple soda. We both walked away satisfied with our visit to Mexico.

Just above La Bufadora. The tide was not very high so there was not much of a water show while we were there.
The ladies checking out the beaches of Mexico--I think California has them beat as far as beaches go.
This was our last view of Mexico. We boarded the ship to catch some rays and head back to Los Angeles.

We had such a great time on the cruise and look forward to many more cruises and vacations together and with those who could not make it this year.

Our Young Family "sad face photo" at the end of our vacation. Until 2011.

Beach Date

2008-03-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so beautiful in LA. The sun was shining yesterday and I was out of work early so Morris and I decided to spend the afternoon at the beach. Morris is on Spring Break right now but you would never know it with how much time he has been spending at school getting ready for the WREB. We are going to miss being a few miles from the beach and spending our free time this way.

For the Last Time

2008-03-18T13:44:00.001-07:00

Morris can no longer give me the excuse "No we can't have any fun, I have to study for finals". Yesterday Morris took his last final ever. Next quarter he will finish up his requirements in the clinic and then it is graduation day (June 1)! And the best part of this story is that he won't have any tests or finals in his residency program either. He is not totally stress free yet, he has the WREB (the REALLY REALLY big exam that decides if he gets to be a dentist or not) in about a week. Good Luck on the WREB Morris and our other fellow dental friends!

Newest Allen

2008-03-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, grandchild #18 on the Allen side came home from the hospital. My brother Greg and his wife Tieryn adopted this sweet angel. This little boy finding his way home to this family is a such a blessing and a display of God's love for each of his children. I love you Tyler and I can't wait to hold you and play with you.

I'd Rather be in Hawaii

2008-02-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

5 days was not nearly long enough. Last week Morris and I decided to take advantage of some free flights and a condo in Waikiki and take a last minute vacation to Hawaii. We booked our tickets on Saturday and by Wednesday we were sun bathing in Oahu. We met up with two of Morris's sisters and their husbands our second day there and had the best vacation.

Our second day on the island we explored the North Shore and the beautiful beaches. The waves were huge and incredible to watch. Morris and Lance got taken out a few times while they were body surfing at Waimea Bay.

On the way home we stopped for lunch in the cutest little surf town called Haleiwa. After lunch we stopped at a local favorite--Matsumotos, for the best Hawaiian shaved ice. This is my kind of treat, shaved ice with ice cream in the bottom--there really is nothing better.
The next day we got up early to hike Diamond Head. The trail takes you through the inside of the extinct volcanic crater. When you reach the top of the crater there is a beautiful view of the island and the Pacific Ocean. Behind us is Waikiki and downtown Honolulu.
Morris decided he would braves the waves again but this time with a boogie board in hand. We spent the afternoon at Lanikai beach. Morris even convinced me to take a turn on the boogie board.
I caught a few waves and then went back to my book on the sand. This is how the ladies spent our time in the sun.
Then it was my BIRTHDAY--the big 26! We celebrated over dinner at Dukes. The restaurant is right on the beach with beautiful views of the sunset. Jason and Lance even arranged for a birthday song and a huge piece of Hula Pie. It was delicious!
We had one rainy day during our vacation so we decided to spend the day visiting Pearl Harbor. There is a very nice, peaceful spirit at the USS Arizona Memorial. It was great to visit and remember this day in American history.

The rain cleared up for a few hours so we took advantage of the rays and spent some time on the beaches of Ko Olina at the JW Marriott. This was my favorite part of the island, it was beautiful and the beaches were very calm and very few people.
Just before we were heading home for the day the rains picked up again and we watched the storm clouds move in. We stopped for a few shots with the waves, Mindy and Lance almost got washed away. Just as we were finishing up our photos a huge wave crashed onto the shore and we all got drenched including the cameras we were all holding.
Mindy and Melanie spent the day at the JW spa while the rest of us hiked through a beautiful rain forest to Moana Falls just a few minutes north of downtown Honolulu.
Our last night in Hawaii we went to dinner at the Kahala Hotel. The grounds of the hotel were beautiful and the dinner was delicious. Before our dinner arrived we took advantage of the photo op. I thought this photo of Melanie and Jason turned out best.

This was just a few hours before getting on the plane. We are smiling but I was very sad to go back to real life so soon.
Thank you Rices and Ponds for letting us tag along on your vacation, we had a wonderful time with you. We will be sure to invite ourselves on your next vacation as well--he he.

Aloha!

2008-02-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

This where Morris and I will be hanging out tomorrow. See you in a couple days.

My Famous Moment

2008-02-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

For those of you who did not catch the Ellen show yesterday here is your second chance.

Ellen

2008-02-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

Today I went to a taping of the Ellen show with some friends. Jackie and Janae got some last minute tickets and invited Marrisa and I to join them for the show. It was a long afternoon waiting for the taping to begin but once we finally made it into the studio it was a great time. We thought we were going to a taping of the Valentines Day show but when we got there we found out it was actually the taping for Wednesdays (Feb. 12th) show. We saw several guests but the most exciting was Richard Branson who had a very nice gift for the audience (2 round trip tickets on Virgin America) and a crazy scientist guy who called ME on stage to walk on water. You will have to watch tomorrow to see my TV debut.

Necessities

2008-02-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

In preperation of our upcoming move across the country I have been obsessed with trying to get as much information about Richmond as I can before we move. We don't know exactly where we are going to live yet and probably won't know for a few months. So I have decided to locate all of the places I have grown to love over the years and see if they will still be avaliable to me on the east coast.

Target--1 for sure maybe 3 within 20 minutes.

Nordstrom--1. We will still be poor students so 1 should be enough.

Barnes and Noble--At least 5. And hopefully a good public library system.

L.D.S. Temple--0. Washington D.C. is our closest and is about 2 hours away. 1 guarnteed trip to D.C. each month-yeah.

Beach--1 hr. 20 min. to Newport News.

Einsteins Bagels-- 4 in the area. I love Bagels. I have missed them while living in CA.

Trader Joe's--0 right now, closest is in Newport News but Richmond is coming soon and is already on the map. Hopefully it will be open by the time we arrive.

Art Museum--1. I have heard the Richmond Art Museum is a decent museum for the size of the city. But don't worry the National Gallery will be a regular stop our monthly visits to D.C. and N.Y.C. is a short train ride away with several of my favorite museums to choose from.

Costco--1. Hooray we can still enjoy Hewbrew National dogs and our Costco date nights.

Ikea--1 in Woodbridge, VA about an hour and a half from Richmond. I will still be able to get all kinds of inexpensive items to furnish our new home.

Airport--1 but that is all you need. Delta and Jet Blue fly from there but no direct flights to any family--boo.

Now we just have to find a place to live and figure out how to get there. Once we arrive I think we will be well taken care of and we will love the east just as much as we have loved the west.

Heros Wanted

2008-02-04T22:07:00.001-08:00

Morris and I spent Saturday in Carlsbad at Legoland with our friends the Shamos and my sister Brooke and her kids. It has been so rainy here for the last two weeks we were really hoping the weather would be nice for our day at the park. The rain held off and we had a great day.

Tate gave us a few heart attacks when he wander off out of sight, thankfully we found him both times. He is such a cutie and had a great time on every ride.
The boys were the only ones who wanted to ride the water rides since it was so cold.
Janae and I took a ride on the crazy "claw" thing ride. You can decide how intense you want your ride to be 1-5. We chose to go with level 5 and I think both of us suffered from a head rush for the rest of the day. I think level 5 just meant you spent more than half the time upside down with all the blood rushing to your head.
Rick teaching Wyatt a few things about flying a plane.
Thanks Shamos and Camps for spending the day with us at Legoland.

I'm A Fan

2008-02-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

On Friday Morris and I went to Red Mango for the first time. I love Pinkberry so I was very excited to try out the Red Mango down the street. And my vote goes to Red Mango, it is so much better. Red Mango is much creamier (real yogurt versus the powder that Pinkberry uses) and I think the fruit was fresher as well. Oh and no lines, we were the only people there--well for most of the time, until a bunch of crazy kids came over and ran us out.

Jammers in L.A.

2008-02-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

Last week my good friend Jamie came from Boise for a visit to L.A. Jamies husband surprised her with tickets to Wicked for Christmas. The Burgers were not in town very long but we managed to squeeze in a quick visit and a bite to eat at C&O's. It was so fun to see Jamie and Bryce, hopefully next time we will get to spend more time with one another. I hope we will get as many visitors in Virginia as we do in California.

We're having a Cake!

2008-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

In class this week we made a baby shower cake. I have been wanting to make this cake for a while; you can see how the occasion for a baby shower cake may be a bit more frequent than a Bart Simpson cake. This cake was a bit labor intense but I think it turned out pretty cute. I decided to make my cake blue for a boy for my sister Holly and my sis in law Heidi who are both expecting boys. I know neither of you are close enough to partake of this goodness so I guess I will sacrifice and have a piece for each of you myself. Yeah for more boys in the Allen family.

A Root Beer Birthday

2008-01-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we celebrated Morris's 28th Birthday! For my husband--the lover of root beer I thought a root beer tasting party would be perfect. We sampled 12 different flavors of brew and rated each on flavor, aroma and bite. We had a great time and thanks to everyone who came and made Morris's birthday a great day.

January Dive

2008-01-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

This last Friday we had our almost monthly "Dive of the Month" with our friends from church. This Friday's selection was Taqueria Chihuahua--Morris was in heaven and I would go back again for another enchilada. Thanks to Marissa for always finding new local hot spots for us to check out.

Return of the Cakes

2008-01-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

My friend Marissa and I started our cake class again this week. We have now moved from beginner to intermediate. I can't believe it has almost been almost a year since our last class. Our first assignment was a bit strange but I am glad to know the technique. I never thought I would ever make a Bart Simpson cake but stranger things have happened. Here is the first cake from our 8 week course.

Christmas Holiday

2008-01-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas is now a distant memory for many of you but I am just now finding time to post about our wonderful vacation spent with family over the holiday. Now that we are home in California it seems very weird to be posting pictures of us all bundled up in snow gear when it is a warm 75 degrees outside. We were able to spend time with both my family as well as Morris's family on our Christmas break. We spent the first part of our vacation with the Poole's and had a great time visiting with family, puzzling, and eating crepes and other delicious treats. We spent a week there and I managed to not take any pictures the whole time.

Next we were off to Idaho to spend some time with my family. With my family growing at such a rapid rate it is difficult for us to all get together anymore. All of my siblings were able to make it to Idaho for a quick visit with the exception of two--6 out of 8 is not bad. We had so much fun with my family. First activity on the agenda was some sledding at Bogus Basin Ski Resort. Group shot of all of the sledders.
Addie was such a good sport in these frigid temps. She had a grin on her face the whole time. I love this little Addie Cakes.
Morris and I waiting to get on the lift for another run.
After everyone arrived in Boise we headed to the mountains and more SNOW! We had a cabin with a beautiful lake view and plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained. Isaac was a master of the ping pong defeating all of his opponents while Reagan kept the Air Hockey table warm. The men spent most of their time watching movies in the theatre and way too much football and the ladies worked together to complete newborn baby kits for charity. I also face planted into the ice while attempting to show my nieces and nephews how to take the hill, it didn't work out quite like I planned--sorry no picture of the damage done. I was so happy finally got to meet baby Claire, she is a treat and to see Heidi's baby bump.

We had so much fun with our families, we wish every visit could be longer. Can't wait until our next trip.

Happy Reunion

2008-01-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas holiday my good friend Bridget, from high school got married. I am still very close to my friends from high school so it was fun to see all of them and to spend some time catching up on each others lives. We had lunch at our favorite restaurant--The Beanery, the day before the wedding and then got together that evening at my parents house and chatted and laughed until way to early in the morning. This was the first time in a very long time that all of us were able to get together. We are all living in various parts of the country and between school, kids and careers we don't get to see each other as often as we would like.
Bridget was a beautiful bride and the day was perfect. I am so happy for her and Casey. I hope that it is not so long until we can all get together again. We missed you Talane, it was not the same without your cute face.

Dali...Finally

2007-12-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

It seemed like months that I had been waiting for the Dali exhibit to arrive at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Saturday night Morris and I finally made it down to check out the exhibit. It was so neat. The exhibit was not only many of his art pieces but also film. The films were crazy Dali paintings come to life and very interesting to watch.

After the museum we headed to our favorite LA eatery--Farmer's Market. We had no idea what kind of a treat we were in for when we decided to grab a quick bite to eat. After dinner we decided to walk around The Grove for a while. The Grove was so magical and the Christmas spirit was everywhere you looked.

There was a Dicken's esque quartet.

Rockettes dancers--well not the real Rockettes, but these ladies were quite entertaining.
And a HUGE Christmas tree. This tree was so big and so beautiful.
It was such a fun magical Christmas night.

Nutcracker

2007-12-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night Morris and I went to the Nutcracker. I have wanted to see the Nutcracker each Christmas but this was the first year I have gone. I found some seats at a small theatre near our house for a great price so I decided to go for it. It was put on by a small young company but I loved it.
Morris and I have been so busy the last couple weeks we have not been able to go out and celebrate his acceptance to his residency program. Although going to the ballet was not Morris's idea of a celebration for him we did have a fun night together. I love this time of year.

Nothing Better to Say

2007-12-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to come up with a post for the last week and as you can see I have not come up with anything. I was tagged by Heidi yesterday so here it goes.

Little known and not so little known facts about me...

1. I like to brush my teeth with warm water, I think it kills more germs. My husband, the dentist tells me this is not true but I still do it, I like the frothiness from my tooth paste.

2. Water is my beverage of choice but I can not drink it in the morning. I have to first have a small sip of OJ or other juice before I can drink water. And I prefer the taste of water from a plastic cup over glass. I also don't drink milk but that is all day every day. I have a problem with liquids that are so thick they coat a glass, even skim milk is too thick for me.

3. I hold the record for the flexed arm hang from my elementary school. I used to practice at recess. When word got out I could hold myself there for over 2 minutes I started to draw crowds when I was practicing.

4. I have 2 different thumbs. I have one that curves back like a hitch hiker thumb thanks to my dad and one that goes straight up that matches the thumbs of my mom.

5. I owned my wedding dress for about 4 years before I got married. When my wedding day came, I didn't love the dress like I once did so I had some major alterations made so I didn't dislike it as much.

6. I wanted to change the way my name was spelled in middle school. I wanted to spell Ashley like this Ashleigh. I could never get my y's to look right and I thought Ashley looked prettier this way. After 10 years my family will still not drop it. They still call me Ashsleigh pronounced like sleigh. I also practiced my signature changing my last name with every guy I ever dated or ever thought was cute. When the time came for me to give up my last name it was very hard to let go so I decided to keep it as my middle name.

I tag anyone who has been tagged several times and has not done this.

Next Stop...Richmond, VA

2007-11-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

We found out early this morning that Morris was matched at Virginia Commonwealth University for an orthodontic residency. We are so excited for this new adventure. The program begins July 1st so we have a month after graduation to make our way from one coast to the other. Morris has already emailed his co residents and he is so excited to work with all of them. GO RAMS!

That's Assault, Sister!

2007-11-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

Last week I was on my way home from some church service and I decided to stop at Ralphs market to pick up a few things. I normally do not shop at Ralphs, although it is closer to my home than Vons (my regular supermarket). Since it was later in the evening (9:00 PM) I decided just to stop at Ralphs--Big Mistake. As I was checking out a woman came into the store shouting at the top of her lungs for someone to give her a cigarette. After getting no replies from her shouting she walked over to the check out line where I was standing, she looked at me and said "what b*#@% you don't smoke?" To which I replied "No". She then asked me if I wanted to see her naked and then she began undressing herself. The Ralphs security guard is nowhere to be seen. I was trying to divert my eyes so I did not have to stare at the naked crazy lady while she undressed and had a few more choice words to say to me. She then kicked my shopping cart into my stomach and nearly knocked me to my feet. While this is happening to me, the 3 men standing next to me, including the checker have done nothing to keep this crazy woman for attacking me further. Finally the crazy lady turned and walked out of the store. About a minute after she walks away, the security guard moseys up from the back of the store and no one mentions to him that any of this has happened. I did not receive an apology from my checker, the manager on duty or anyone. I walked away from the incident with two black and blue toenails that are about to fall off (sorry for gross description) and the last groceries I would ever purchase from Ralphs. So to all Ralphs shoppers beware you may be the next victim of a crazy naked smoking lady.

Double Header

2007-11-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

Disneyland twice in one week! Monday night Morris and I headed down to DL to spend some time with our good friends Melinda and Robbie and feel some Christmas cheer. It was so fun to spend a couple hours with Robbie and Melinda. Disneyland at Christmas is so much fun.

Wednesday was our second dose of DL for the week. This time we met up with the Allen crew that was in town for Thanksgiving. My sister Erin and her family came into town from Utah and my brother Greg and fam came in from Texas for a week of So. Cal. fun. We had such a good time our family and we are already looking forward to our next visit.
We had to stop for a picture in front of the castle. I love all of the lights on the castle this year.

American Girls

2007-11-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

My sisters have been planning a trip to the American Girl Place for their daughters for months. This day was such a dream for my nieces. It was so fun to be there with them on this fun day. I had to work so I only was able to join the girls for lunch. I had so much fun having lunch with all of my nieces and the dolls of course. I can't wait to have another day at American Girl with my daughters one day.

D.C. Weekend

2007-11-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago Morris and I traveled to Richmond,VA for his last interview for residency-YEAH! When Morris was offered an interview at Virginia Commonwealth University; I immediately started planning a weekend in our nations capitol. But first we had to spend two days in Richmond at VCU for Morris's interview. We have no pictures from our time in Richmond, it was pretty uneventful. Morris was at interviews all day and I relaxed in the hotel and caught up on some reading.

Morris and I began our tour of DC with a visit to the White House. Morris's Aunt Jackie was a wonderful guide. Each room we had more and more people following behind us to listen to all of Jackie's stories about the White House.

Next stop, the Air and Space Museum at Dulles. This was the highlight of the trip for Morris. He could have stayed there for hours. He wanted to stop and look at all of the planes. I managed to drag him out of there after 4 hours so we could move on.

We spent the night walking around the city and visiting the memorials at night.

The highlight of the trip for me was visiting the National Gallery of Art. I just could not get enough of this place. I could have spent days just viewing all of the amazing art at the National Gallery.

Our last day in D.C. we spent most of the day walking from museum to museum and stopping for an occasional picture.
We loved our time in D.C. and we are crossing our fingers we end up in VA so we can spend every weekend in D.C. Ok maybe not every weekend but at least once a month hopefully.

So Long UCLA

2007-11-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Last week Morris was offered a spot as a UCLA Orthodontic resident. After many prayers and lengthy conversations we have decided it is time for us to move on from Los Angeles. Morris and I had always talked about moving on after graduation but when the offer was extended it was much harder to walk away from than expected. UCLA would have been a great opportunity for Morris but we are looking forward to seeing another part of the country before we settle down to practice. We are very excited about the next step in our life and are crossing our fingers we will be able to match at a program that will be a good fit for us.

T.G.I.F.

2007-11-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

This has been the longest week of my life! I have been a day ahead of myself all week. All day at work on Tuesday I kept thinking I had to hurry home to pass out candy. Thursday I was looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday morning. Well Friday finally arrived and I could not be happier, well maybe a little bit happier if it had been yesterday. Morris has been out of town all week; from Dallas to San Fran to Houston and finally back to LA tonight for a few hours before he leaves on a red eye Saturday night for Florida. I am ready for residency interviews to be over and ready to have my husband home again.

Violated

2007-10-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

On Friday I received a call from Circuit City .com wanting me to verify my shipping address for an order. I had not placed any orders with Circuit City so I logged on to our credit card account on line to find out that there were 4 charges from Circuit City totalling nearly $10,000. We cancelled our credit cards immediately and hopefully caught the thief in time so we are not left paying for some criminals big screen TV.

Pasadena Fun Day

2007-10-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

During college football season I have to beg and plead to get Morris out of the house on Saturday--Game Day. For a week I had been talking about "Pasadena Fun Day" so when Saturday came around he would not be surprised that I wanted him to spend the day with me in Pasadena. Every time we went to Pasadena there was never enough time to see any of the great landmarks in this city. I decided the only way to see all of the things we wanted to see was to devote a whole day there and this brings us to Pasadena Fun Day.
Our first stop was Huntington Library. This place is huge, it is over 200 acres of gardens, art museums, and an amazing library that has a copy of the Gutenberg Bible. The weather held out just long enough for us to get through the Japanese garden before it started to sprinkle on us so we were on to our next location.

Lately I have been missing my life as an interior designer and I had heard about a great Arts and Crafts home in Pasadena built for the Gamble Family of Proctor and Gamble. The house was built in 1908 and is in its original condition. The house is now owned by USC and tours are given on the weekends of the interior. I love Arts and Crafts style homes and this one is beautiful. The home as well as all of the furniture was designed by the architects Greene and Greene. I can't wait to design my own arts and crafts home one day. You must go see this house if you live in LA.
Last but not least we ended at the Norton Simon Museum. I now have a new favorite art museum in LA. This is a small museum located on Colorado Blvd. and is so absolutely perfect. I love Degas and the Norton Simon has one of the largest collections of Degas's work. Morris and I both love Impressionist art and this museum has a great collection. The museum store was not my favorite but Morris was with me so I couldn't really do any shopping anyway.
My favorite pieces of the day. Vincent Van Gogh--Mulberry Tree
Edgar Degas--Waiting
I had planned a trip to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain to put the cherry on top of our wonderful day but I thought I should let Morris catch at least one of his football games so we headed home. I guess we will need a Pasadena Fun Day part II with a second helping of the Norton Simon.

Brandy visits LA

2007-10-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

For two years Brandy (former Rainey Homes co-worker) and I have been planning her trip to LA. Last week she finally made her appearance, she stopped here for a day and a half on her way home from Hawaii. We had a great time shopping, eating and catching up. I love having visitors because I get to visit new sites and some of my favorites I could see over and over again. I recently read "Night" by Elie Wiesel for the second time and have been anticipating the opening of the Holocaust exhibit at The Museum of Tolerance. Brandy was up for a depressing afternoon so we decided to visit the exhibit on WWII, we spent a few hours there before we headed over to The Grove for some shopping and dinner. While Brandy was here we also spent an afternoon at the Getty--an LA gem that every visitor must see. We spent the majority of our time in the museum store-that is always my favorite part of any museum. Thanks for coming Brandy, it was so fun to see you.

Favorite piece of the day:
Edgar Degas---The Milliners

Getty Villa

2007-10-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved to LA I have been wanting to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu. Ever time I would find a day that worked for us it seemed to be a day that worked for everyone else and I could never get tickets. It was a prefect afternoon to spend at the Villa. We took a tour of the grounds and learned about the history of this beautiful place. The gardens and architecture were so amazing. The Getty Villa is a replication of an ancient Roman villa called Villa of the Papyri. The Villa has a lot of Greek and Roman sculptures and reminded me I need to brush up on my Greek and Roman mythology(I bought a book the other day to get me started on this, I am not sure I am ready to tackle the Iliad and the Odyssey again). It was a wonderful day to live in LA.

Finishers

2007-10-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last month my sister Brooke asked me if I wanted to run a 5K with her in Huntington Beach. My sister forgot to mention that this race would be taking place on the sand, yes that is correct not only had I agreed to run 3 miles without training but I agreed to run 3 miles in the sand. I knew my sister was going to smoke me so I had to drag my friend Brooke Hendry along so I would have someone to run with me and come across the finish line with me in dead last(no offense Brooke H.).
This is just as we are coming to the finish line. A great night for a run.

Bethany's Birthday and Baptism

2007-10-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Our niece Bethany turned 8 last month. For the celebration she wanted a lime green butterfly cake. The cake did not turn out as cute as it was in my mind but Bethany was happy with the final product and that is what is important. We are so happy we were able to spend time with Bethany on this special day in her life. We love you Goose!

Day Date

2007-09-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Morris and I decided to take advantage of a few hours I had off from work, really wanted to check out a new museum. We had planned to spend the afternoon in Pasadena visiting Huntington Library, the Norton Simon Museum and the Gamble House. Both the Gamble House and the Norton Simon were closed so we went with Plan B and headed to the La Brea Tar Pits. Morris has been wanting to visit the pits since we moved to LA.
It was pretty neat to learn about this history of our city. The tar preserved the fossils so well you can really tell what the animals looked like. They are still finding fossils in the tar pits near the museum and you can watch them dig. We missed out on seeing this-maybe next time.

After the museum we headed to Farmers Market for some pizza and dessert. I can not believe this was our first time to go there. I love this place! I know we will be headed back for more pizza and whatever else you can find in this crazy place.

I had my eye on the "Brownie Sundae Monster" from Bennett's Homemade Ice Cream but we decided on a crepe for dessert instead. Don't worry I will be back for the monster.

Funny Husband

2007-09-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

I came home from work tonight to find Morris like this. Morris is on a break from school for the next 2 weeks so I asked him to put some baked potatoes in the oven for dinner. He said he got tired of coming over to check on them so he just decided to have a seat on the kitchen stool and then he figured he would just eat his steak here in the kitchen since I was late getting home. He told me after I finished laughing when I came in the door that it makes much more sense for him to just eat right there by the dishes and all of the condiments in the fridge. Whatever works.

My Astro Blaster

2007-09-10T22:56:00.001-07:00

The Poole's were in town this weekend for a UCLA football/Disneyland weekend. Saturday the men headed to the football game and the ladies went to Disneyland. It didn't take Morris long to decide which blue he was going to wear to the game--he has a hard time cheering for BYU even though he did receive his first diploma from there.

On Sunday the men joined us for a day at Disneyland. Morris and I spent our day going on rides we have yet to go on after 2 years of being annual pass holders. We went to the Aladdin show in California Adventures and loved the production. The genie had some good material and made the show.

The most important event of the day is that Morris set a personal record on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride. He was just shy of a million (986,000) but it was good enough to make it into the Top Ten for the day. He was pretty proud of himself and now is determined to break a million on our next visit to Disneyland.

San Diego Weekend

2007-09-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day weekend (I know, I have been a blogger loser lately) Morris and I headed south to San Diego. We met up with my sister Brooke and her family at the zoo.
Each of us got to pick one animal we wanted to see at the zoo. I really wanted to see the Pandas-of course you had to wait in line in the hot sun to see the pandas but it was worth the wait.
I was also interested in seeing this animal--a good look for Morris don't you think?

On Sunday we went to The Bodies Exhibit. I had been trying to get to Vegas to see the exhibit there but when I found out it was in San Diego we decided to make a weekend of it. I really enjoyed the exhibit and learned a lot going through with Morris and having him share all of his anatomy knowledge with me.

Before the exhibit we spent some time at the beach in La Jolla. Morris and Sam (Morris's friend) went snorkeling to check out some of the sea life. I was not really interested in having a run in with a shark so I hung out on the beach.

Monday morning we decided to head home but I convinced Morris to stop for brunch in Carlsbad. We walked around the shops in this quaint beach town and grabbed a bite to eat and then it was back on the road to LA.

We had a great time in San Diego with family and friends and really enjoyed our rest from our Labors.

Morris meets Becks

2007-08-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

not face to face but he got to watch him play from the second row.

Thursday night Morris and some of his class mates went to see Beckham and the LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. The Galaxy were defeated by Chivas USA and Beckham was not able to get one past the keeper but a few close calls kept the game interesting.

It's You

2007-08-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy timesIt's you, it's you, You make me sing.You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

On Wednesday Jaime, Tawni and I went to see Michael Buble at the Greek Theatre. It was such a perfect night to go to a show at this outdoor amphitheatre- even though our seats were the very last row. He put on such an amazing show-I loved every minute of it. He is such a performer and you can't help but fall in love with Buble and his boyish charm.

Tent Camping

2007-08-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Morris and I headed to Yosemite National Park for some tent camping (I call it "tent camping" because until now my kind of camping always meant a cabin in a wooded area). Morris and I have lived in California for two years now and our list of things to see in this beautiful state is still quite lengthy. With residency applications sent out I realize we may not live in California for much longer. Yosemite was high on my list of things to see so my sister in law and I started planning the trip. We met up with Ben and Heidi on Saturday morning for a hike to the giant sequoias only to discover it was much further than we anticipated and the blisters already forming on our feet after 4 miles encouraged us to turn around and later drive back to the Mariposa grove of trees. After our "hike" we decided to go set up camp and have some lunch. When we reached our campsite we soon realized why #56 was the only remaining campsite in the park. Not one tree or ounce of shade on this barren waste land. Heidi and I then discovered why girls do not plan camping trips. After some begging and pleading and maybe a little bit of girl charm used on the park ranger we were able to be relocated to a new site that was much better. We set up camp and took a swim in the Merced River that was just behind the new site. We spent the next few hours roasting marshmallows on the fire and laughing around the camp fire. Sunday morning we headed to the other side of the park to get a view of Half Dome and El Capitan. We hiked up to Bridalveil Falls only to discover a lite mist trickling over the edge--you have to come earlier in the season to see the falls. We had a picnic lunch and then said good bye to Ben and Heidi. We had so much fun camping with both of you, can't wait to see you guys soon. Next time we go to Yosemite I think I would like to check in to here or here instead--I am not sure I am cut out for Tent Camping.

J.A.M.M.

2007-08-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was lucky enough to have 3 of my roommates from college in town. Jennie, Melinda, Michelle and Me (Ashley) have decided it has become necessary to have a girls weekend once a year. This is our second year to meet for our girls weekend we have named "JAMM"--the initials that make up our names. Last year we spent a weekend in Vegas and this year the girls decided a weekend in So. Cal was just what we needed. We had a great weekend full of all things girl. We spent time shopping, visiting museums, dining at the local hot spots and a few hours soaking up some rays in Santa Monica. We had such a good time catching up on all of the happenings in the last year and giggling and talking into the wee hours of the morning. Morris was such a good sport and was so nice to let us girls take over the apartment. We had such a good time and I am so glad we could have this weekend of fun. Thanks for coming girls, it was great to have you here. Can't wait until next year.

You might live in the ghetto if...

2007-08-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Your neighbors dry there clothes like this. Seriously people, wet clothes on ink--not smart. The above picture is the scene I found when I came home from work yesterday. I thought I would share with all of you how sweet life is in the place we call home.

I love Tito's Tacos...

2007-08-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

You love Tito's too, the only thing better than a Titio's Taco-is TWO! Los Angeles has lots to offer in the way of cheap Taco restaurants. Morris and I can always agree on Tito's. There tacos are the best. Try them-I think you will like them too!

Blockbuster is Better

2007-07-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

After a year of service as devoted Netflix customers we have decided to make the switch from Netflix to Blockbuster. I had initially resisted the change but I am now embracing Blockbuster with open arms. Let me tell you a couple reasons why you should consider making a change as well.

1. Each movie you receive by mail can be returned to a Blockbuster store and be exchanged for another video from the store.

2. When a movie is returned to the store a new movie will be shipped to you immediately even when you have one at home from the store.

3. You get a free movie/game coupon each month.

4. Our subscription is 4 cents cheaper than Netflix.

5. It gives us twice as many nights to veg at home with a good flick.

Ok, so Morris and I need a bit more to do in our spare time.

Nice to meet you Miss Potter

2007-07-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend I watched the movie Miss Potter. As I watched this movie I thought of all of the times I was tucked into bed to the words of Beatrix Potter. I loved the nights my father would read me tales of Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. The movie tells the life of Beatrix Potter and the challenges she faced in becoming a published author and the difficult relationship she shared with her mother. I really enjoyed this movie and the memories it evoked of Mrs. Tittelmouse and Jemina Puddle-Duck and others. I look forward to the days of kneeling by my children in bed and sharing the stories of this beloved child author.

Student Life

2007-07-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is what I have resorted to so I can spend some time with my husband. Last night Morris and I had planned to go to the beach for FHE. At about 7:00 PM and Morris was still not home from school I realized the beach was not going to happen so I headed up to the school so I could be with him while he worked on some lab projects. I read Morris articles from the Ensign and watched a movie-Gray Matters (kind of werid) on my laptop while he set teeth. Oh the glorious day of dental school.

Christoper turns 6!

2007-07-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my nephew Christopher's birthday. Morris and I headed out to celebrate after a very early session in the temple (5 AM). Christopher had decided to have a bowling party and I was excited to use my cake skills again, I didn't think I could mess up a bowling cake too bad. We had a great time at the party and the cake turned out pretty cute. It was a fun day spent celebrating with family. Happy Birthday Chris(topher)!