Happiest Place on Earth

...and it really is.

Wednesday we spent most of the day at D-land (as us OC-ers call it). I honestly felt like I was 7 again. Saying I was ecstatic to go seems like an understatement. We spent the day hittin up all the rides that we grew up loving. We ate over priced food. We took pics at every Disneyland landmark. We were tourists in our home town. I loved it!!!

Here's a pic of Jamie, Caitlin, and I on Thunder Mountain. Note: 3 adults do not fit in one booth on Thunder Mountain.

Until next time, Disneyland...

Elijah, meet Auntie

I fell in love over a picture text message on May 10. I have fallen in love all over again today. Elijah, you are so stinkin precious and even though our relationship will be long distance, you have my heart. I love you!!!


Thank you to Auntie Jamie for the pics. =)

Lisa's Bachelorette!!

Saturday night was so much fun! We started the bachelorette with some wine and cheese festivities. We munched. We sipped. We mingled. We enjoyed company.

Next we were off to Carino's for some real food. Some real GOOD food. We stuffed our faces a little more. We sipped some Sangria a little more. We walked away with full tummies.

Afterward, we split the group in 2 teams and sent them on a video scavenger hunt around Orange County with tasks that dealt with Lisa: past, present, and future.

We concluded the night back at the Lap household with an ice cream sundae bar and we watched the footage that the teams brought back. Hysterical! These gals are awesome.

Lisa had an amazing time and was thrilled with how everything turned out. Props to the Maid of Honor, Jamie!!! It was great to have some girl time with her before the big day!

Me and the Bride-to-Be!

In N Out

Now "that's what a hamburger's ALL about."

exhaustion

I wish I looked this adorable when I'm exhausted, but the truth of the matter is I don't. This was the exact posture I had the last 3 nights in a row, but WAY different appearance.

The only thing that is left to do now is deep clean our old apartment and we'll be done with it forever. It was a great place to experience my first year in Austin. It holds with it very special mems that will live on forever. But tis the time for new beginnings and fun adventures in apartment 1028!

We're in!

My body is screaming "what the heck!!!" My hands seem to be swollen; not sure if that's good or bad. There are some moving injuries; a few scratches and bruises...minor flesh wounds.

But...we are finally MOVED IN.

Our gas doesn't come on until Monday so it's a good thing we still have access to our old place to take showers.

I love the adventures of a new place! More pictures (and possibly even video footage) are on it's way once it is all done. But for now I leave you with a view from our new patio which overlooks our old patio.

Have a "Stay Dry" Saturday!

whatever...

Well, we already know my feelings on the show, the judges, the contestants, and the money that is going back and forth paying off the appropriate people to sway the votes. I've come to the point of wanting Adam to win so that he's the one stuck in the Idol contract/label and the other 2 amazingly talented boys can go on to do something greater.

I won't complain from here on out about the ridiculousness of the judging and voting.

One last thing, though:...anyone else wish that Kara would go running into a steel wall at mach speed face first???

I like to move it, move it

Today was moving day for me...two fold...sort of.

First fold, I got my office at work (which is also the work room where the copier is) re-vamped! I was using scraps of table pieces, that didn't really match up, as my desk since I started last July. They took all that out, took out the divider in the room and put in an actual desk...and that puppy is massive.

(Yes, folks, that's my workspace. It looks a little atrocious, but there's still a lot more work to be done.)

Granted I didn't actually move, but it's a completely new set up with completely new furniture so it's kind of like I moved. Whatever, it's justified in my head.

Second fold, we got the keys to our new apartment today! We are staying in the same complex, but are moving into a 3 bedroom as our good friend Emily is now moving in with us. It's bigger and that much awesome-er. I can't wait to be completely moved in!!

So there ya have it. A little bit of moving, some new adventures, and a whole lotta radness. Stayed tuned....

Mama's, you ROCK

Seriously, where would we be without our mothers. I am convinced I come from a line of AMAZING moms. No really, I think God definitely spoiled me with the women He put in my family.

My mom has gone above and beyond the call of motherhood in my life and my brother's. I wouldn't be who I am today without her Godly example and motherly guidance. I can't say enough how grateful I am to the Lord for her life. I love you, mother!!!

Another amazing woman is my grandmother, Shizuko Ohashi. She is one of the most hard working, strong, caring, healthy, and wise women I have ever known. This woman is in her late 70's and jump ropes 75 times a day!!!! I'm in my late 20's and can't jump rope 10 times a day! I don't get to see my grandmother enough since she lives in Japan, but I am so grateful for her life as well.

To all you mothers out there, whether to children, surrogate children, or pets, I hope you have a blessed day celebrating what you mean to the world!!!

I would like to introduce to you...

Elijah Edward Hill

At 10:52 pm on May 9th I became the proud Auntie to this 8lb 9oz peanut!!! I am so excited to meet this little guy when I go out to Cali in a couple weeks so I can just love on this stinker. See you soon, Elijah!

Oh, and the proud parents of this little bundle of joy are good friends of mine back home, Kevin and Elaine. =) Here's a the maternity shoot that Jamie did for them just a couple weeks ago when we were out there.

Elaine, I hope you have an AMAZING Mother's Day!!!

smiles

It never fails. I am always smiling after hanging out with the girls at the Reagan Bible study Friday nights and the reasons are sometimes different.

When I first went to the Bible study, it was on one of their pretty intense nights. There was a lot of discussion on the issues and struggles they are going through or have gone through. It was a lot of talking them through decisions they were in the process of making. Most of it is stuff I've never had to deal with. I never encountered some of the circumstances that these girls live in. If you base their age on their experiences, they are extremely mature. I walked away that first night totally blessed by their honesty, their realness, and their ways of just being...raw. They just seemed so much older than 14, 15, or 16.

But as I continued to be around them, I noticed that they are still kids. They may deal with grown up situations, but that doesn't mean they aren't teenagers. It doesn't mean they can't act like kids. These same girls find intense humor in doing silly, kid things like sticking marshmallows up their noses while their friends whip out their phones to take a picture.

That made me smile. It still makes me smile.

There is still an innocence in these girls. They won't let their circumstances take away from the joy in being a teen.

Last night, we took the girls to Ebenezer church in St. John's to help fold all the clothes that had been donated for the people who lost their homes in the apartment complex fire. We walk into the room where they had mounds and mounds of donated clothes to Mexican Christian hip hop music BLARING and these girls, not even missing a beat, just start gettin down with their bad selves. And let me just say, these girls can bust a move!

It made me smile. =)

So, we spent about an hour last night folding and sorting clothes all while they kept their groove on. Now you tell me what teenage girls willingly spend their time with grown ups on a FRIDAY night to help fold clothes?! God loves these girls and He's doing something crazy in their lives and I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

I can't believe I'm saying this...

When did this happen??? How did I let this happen??? What in the world??? How could you guys let this happen??? Why didn't you stop it??? What kind of friends are you people???

So it's happened: I have now come to enjoy John Mayer's muzak.

I feel as though I've betrayed my blog as I posted a while back my confession of not following mainstream America in being a fan of JM and how he actually annoyed me. Maybe it's because he's come on my Pandora often and his voice has brought me soothing comfort throughout my work day as I encounter frustrations and a "thorn in my side." Or maybe it's because his songs have relaxed me to the point of not taking my life in my own hands during the hours of 7-4, M-F. Whatever it may be, JM, I don't cringe anymore when you sing. Consider that a HUGE compliment....you're welcome.

Adios...

Idol - it's rigged

I'm sorry, but I am almost appalled at how much the judges are pushing Adam. I will say, he has a great voice, but as far as blowing the others out of the water...definitely not. It's getting to the point of me wishing I could be there to take the mic on stage and start screaming and saying, "See, I can do it too!" AAARGH...

From the blog i hate green beans, here's a post adequately titled I spy a pair of gay pirate pants. These are thoughts out of my own head; words out of my own mouth. Hilarious, yet so accurate at what went down last night.

Adam, you need to go home, but I have a sick feeling that you'll probably win it because America can't think for themselves and are easily persuaded by the judges.

Allison, you can sing, girl. Keep rockin.

Kris, you have zoomed to my top 2 at lightning speed. I thought you did awesome at making the song your own and the duet you did with Danny was kickin.

Danny, you are such a sweetie pie. I love your voice. Keep it real.

La Giggles is 29 years YOUNG today!

I hope everyone will join me in wishing my great friend Lena Marie Dix aka "Nena," "La Giggles," "Lena-Nena-BoBena," and "Lener" (if you're British) a very, stinkin awesome happy birthday!!! Isn't she just the cutest, folks?? =)

Lena, so glad our friendship has grown so much the past several years and I think you being part Japanese has a lot to do with that. =) I hope you have an awesome day celebrating you!! I love ya!

29 cheers to Lena today!

Dog-sitting

This week we're dog sitting for a friend of mine, Melanie, from work. We've survived day one with little Macey crashing our place and it's been a hoot. I say that because I wasn't the one who stepped in her piddle and had to clean it up...twice. =)

Macey, cheers to being on our best behavior the rest of the week!!

Ah Heck No...

WT... Shut up. Panic. Shock. Creeps. Heebie Jeebies. Paranoia.

That's what went through my mind in that sequence within the first 1 minute of walking out my door this morning. I walked out my door to head to work and am greeted by satan...or in layman's terms, a snake. !!!! Snakes aren't supposed to be outside of the amazon unless they are in glass cages at zoos so why it was chilling out by our front door is beyond me. Yuck...

I never thought I had an issue with snakes, but that wasn't until they tried to devour my house and home and all that is within it. If I see one of satan's spawns in my home ever, I'm getting on the highway and heading back to Cali where snakes are confined in their natural habitats of glass reptile aquariums. Ew...

I could barely breathe let alone take out my phone to snap a pic of Lucifer, but he looked just like what this fella is holding...and pretty similar in size too. Almost positive...