Uncle Steve & Baby LeiLani

Love it!

The Tree

While working at the home and garden show this last weekend I got a phone call from the husband informing me that the power is out... Bummer... The husband was packing up to leave for a week of work out of town, so I had him pack me up some clothes so I didn't have to deal with no husband and no power on the Baran estate.

I was planning on going to Redding and hanging out with the old friends, and since the power was out and more storms were coming. The husband and I decided I should just drive up there a couple days early.

I drive home on Monday morning to pack some clothes, and come home to this disaster.

You can't really tell from this picture, but this tree is covering our whole driveway and goes all the way up to the road.

Upon further inspection, this is what I see.

A few expletives and some hyper-ventilating here. Get a hold of the husband who tells me to call the insurance company and file the claim...

So, yet again, when crisis comes, the husband is out of town. I don't know what the universe is trying to do, make me a stronger mountain woman according to one friend. Let me give you a few examples of things that happen when the husband is gone...

• Found out I was miscarrying

• Found out my grandpa might not make it through the day

• Got laid off

• Had a tree come through the corner of our house

Oh, and there are more, much more... but, I won't bore you with all of that.

Right now they are saying it is going to be another day or two before the power comes back on. Another huge storm is coming in tonight. I am pretty sure that I am not going to stay in that house until all of the storms have passed and the power comes back on.

Baran Birthday

The husband's birthday is February 11th. Last year we had a big shin-dig for his 40th. This year was more mellow with just inviting some friends over for dinner for the big b-day.

However, this is what happens in regards to pictures when I am to busy cooking food in the kitchen so the husband is the one who grabs the camera....

The husband, in all of his glory.

The wife, aka, me...
Mike.


Thomas (bro-in-law)

Kevin.

Rob, Robert, Roberto, Cap'n Bobby...

The beautiful and pregnant sister, Amber. Mine, not Steve's.

Wendy.

Caleb, my brother.

Mr. Wendy, aka Flan, or Shawnn.

This also means there were no pics of the mass quantities of food I made or the TWO beautiful desserts (lemon tart and the uncle's pear pie)... Just so you know what kind of a night it was, all of these people had to crash at my house after the party sans the pregnant sister and her husband...

On a side note, that is of a similar tone... I don't think I have ever been so hung over in my life. I won't share all of those gorey details with you though. Count yourself blessed.

Fire

The husband finally left for one. Thank God.

Communication

I would like to start by saying I am a firm believer of communication. So much so, that I majored in it when I went to college. Through the process of going to school, actually probably long before that, I have taken a more liberal stance on, "Don't let the sun go down on your anger." I chose to believe that sometimes it is better to give it a day, because there comes a time when NOTHING productive is happening in your anger.

For instance, you are not supposed to talk about serious things that might cause an argument, or argue if:

-One of both of you is tired
-One or both of you are hungry
-One or both of you has had to much to drink
-One or both of you do not have enough time to finish the talk

Last week it came to a point with the husband and myself that nothing productive was happening in an intense conversation we were having. A conversation that we have had many times before. So, I left. Seriously, I left for the night. I actually went and crashed at his best friends house (who was out of town and leaves the door unlocked, so I knew no one would be there and I could crash there in peace and quiet).

Let me also tell you, I was so angry that I was not going to go back home until he called me. I was getting ready to be gone for a few days, because, I thought that is how long it would take him to call me.

Luckily, for me and him he called me the afternoon of day one. Earlier in the day, I had told myself that I wasn't going to answer the phone, I was going to make him sweat it out a little bit, that is how confident I was about my position.

Then, I realized that I would be passive-aggressive if I did that, and the communication queen in me would not allow myself to do that, even if I wanted him to sweat.

So, he called me that afternoon of day one.

Me: Hello
Husband: Hello
Me: Hello
Husband: I am a hundred times sorry.
Me: Is that your way of telling me you want me to come back home.
Husband: Yes, please come home. I am sorry.
Me: Um, Okay, I guess we will talk about the rest of this later. I love you.
Husband: I love you too. Talk to you tonight.

I was at the wedding office while this whole thing was going down, so I did not feel the need to go into it any further at this point. However, when I got home these were waiting for me.

So, we talked about it later that night. And even though the sun went down on our anger, we still talked about it. I asked the husband why he let me leave, and he said at that point he knew he deserved for me to leave. I responded with a chuckle, so you let me leave to punish yourself??? He said, yep.

Crazy. Sometimes I just don't get boys.

Yosemite

The husband and I went to Yosemite a few weeks ago. Actually it was on Mother's Day. Since my mom passed away in 2002, and his mom lives in Oregon, we felt free to do whatever we wanted to do on the day.

For those who don't know, spring is the time to go to Yosemite, that is when the falls are flowing the best (due to all the snow melt). However, on Mother's Day, it was a little cold up there.

And a little cloudy.

As expected, the falls where flowing like crazy.

And it was raining/sprinkling (hence, the umbrella). After this, we had a little brunch at The Awahnee, walked around some more, and on the way home went to the oldest bar in California, the Iron Door Saloon. It was actually my first time going there, and it isn't going to become a bar that I frequent often. All in all, quite a fun day with the husband.

A good night

You ever have those moments where you feel old? Well, I do. One of the main reasons is because the husband and I are love Food Network. I kid you not, a fabulous night for us would be sitting and watching Diners, Drive-In's and Dives or Good Eats. However, by far our favorite is...

Sunday nights, therefore, might be one of our favorite nights of the week. Football all day long and Iron Chef America that night. We are also into the Next Iron Chef, but it is not even close to our love for Iron Chef America.

Though we love it so much, it does make me feel old. We seriously spend the evening with our feet kicked up in our love seat/ recliners and watch food network all night long. If this is making me old, I embrace it whole heatedly.

The Husband

He is a good man.

I told him that he could go on a fire because he has

only been gone one week so far this year and,

lets face it, that is a big part of our income...

So, I told him he could go and miss my sister's wedding.

The wedding is this Saturday.

He got a call this last weekend to go,

and he turned it down.

Why? He knew I would be disappointed if he were not there.

He knew I would need the support.

He is a good man.