Life Colored in Brown

April 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 07 May 2011 20:00:00 +0000

We anticipated this day since our last visit to the doctor. One, because it was Marc's 35th Birthday and we were having all of our friends over to celebrate, Two it was the start of a very fun filled weekend at Stagecoach (a country music festival, that just down the street and all weekend long). Three, we had our very first ultrasound and we'd hope to find out the sex of our little baby! We made a promise to keep our ultrasound a secret from our friends. We really wanted to surprise them at the party.

I got off at 12noon and our appointment was at 1:00pm...I had to go in the room by myself at first, which seemed like a life time of her moving the doppler back and forth on my belly...but I talked her ear off, so it made up for the anticipation she was putting me through. As she was moving the doppler back and forth, she finally let me take a look at what was going on. My sweet little baby was just moving all over the place!! It was an incredible sight...it's mouth was totally opening and closing, like it was talking or it may have been hungry?!? I couldn't wait for Marc to join and see how amazing it was. Finally, she called in Marc and our mothers to join in on the action. Right before she left, she said she was having difficulty seeing what it was...and by the time she got back the baby was butt up and we got a perfect view - of what I wasn't sure, so I yelled out, "Are those balls or a vagina!!??" hahahaha and then she announced that is was GIRL!!!! Tears came a rollin', Marc got a huge smile on his face, and our mom's rejoiced! It was a fun moment for sure...we got a ton of pictures, here are a few...for some reason when I upload they turn sideways...gah!

I think the second best part of this day was letting our friends know...we actually surprised them (and I am really bad a keeping a surprise secret)...so we told everyone that we were going to play a little Family Feud on the PS3, and we were going to draw numbers to find out who was on each team....the rule to picking a number was they couldn't peek at the number until everyone got a number. Little did they know all their little pieces of paper said, "IT'S A GIRL!!"...they were completely surprised and excited! Our friend Jennifer opened it and said, "It's a girl??' as in, what the hell kinda number is that??!! Then I said with a big smile, "Yes, it's a girl' pointing to my stomach and then all I remember is jumping up and down while hugging Jessica...it was so much fun and I was so excited our little secret was out, I really don't know how much longer I could have kept it in!! So, there you have it folks, we're having a little baby girl. I CAN'T wait to start decorating her nursery and buying cute little girl things...she will for sure, be the most stylish little girl, thanks to her Daddy!! ;)

Today, I'm 19 weeks, but in my ultrasound I measured 17 weeks, 1 day...and our due date as of today is October 6th. I have a feeling our baby will always measure a little smaller...let's face it, we aren't the tallest people! ;) I'll post a "lovely lady bump" picture soon!

Breaking News!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:47:00 +0000

We have some pretty big news to release….DRUM ROLL PLEASE!! (Insert your drum roll sound, cymbals and all)….Marc and I are MOVING!!!! After two years of living with Ingrid and Jeff, we have finally paid off our debts and are ready to embark in a new adventure. Now of course, a couple things have changed since we decided to take a risk, sell our mobile home and move in with the ‘rents. Initially our intentions were the following:

• Pay off debt
• Plan Wedding – debt free
• Save for a home

However, life is always changing and at that time Marc didn’t have a set plan on what he wanted to do with his schooling. We now know, and unfortunately/fortunately when he graduates with his BS in Public Administration, his next venture will most likely take us out of the desert and into another location. Thus, getting into a mortgage and owning a home isn’t the first on our list…so we decided that renting a place is the best option for us, until we know for sure what the future has in store for us. Plus, we are going to continue to be debt free and save for the day when we do want to get into a house.
We went in looking for 3bed/3bath houses to accommodate guests and our “big eyes”…instead we feel in love with a cute little 2bed/2.5bath townhome in Downtown Palm Springs. The price is right, along with the layout, location, space….I could go on and on! I think it will be one easy move. One, because I can’t help physically move the boxes (thanks baby bump) and two, everything is already boxed up and ready for the move! So, watch out Palm Springs The Brown’s are coming in June!
Now, since we are moving, we managed some energy to start some furniture facelifts! This past weekend, we took Marc’s two-toned dresser into a sophisticated dressah….yes with an “ah”, that’s how sophisticated it is. ;) This is technically the first piece for the baby’s room…even if Marc will be using it. What do you think!!??

We heart you.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:45:00 +0000

On Thursday, we got another opportunity to hear Baby B's heartbeat. This time we didn't leave questioning if we heard it or not....we heard it loud and clear. It was incredible, amazing and filled us with so much excitement!

I now have my 2nd blood test to do and we scheduled our first ultrasound! So, stay tuned to find out what we're having. The baby sex pool is about 50/50. ;)

Good things about my 2nd Trimester thus far:
• I only gained 1 lbs since my last visit a month ago, which def. boosted my self esteem.

• I'm back at the gym and making it to my favorite class: Body Pump! It felt so good to have energy and to get my sweat on!

• It's starting to warm up so I can live in dresses instead of uncomfortable pants!

I'm 16 weeks today and the baby is the size of an Avocado....we'll call it our little guacamole for the week.

Oh! And I can't forget to mention....Marc received "Employee of the Month" this month!

He got this awesome framed certificate, a $50 bonus AND an awesome parking spot for the whole month! Not to mention he's the 5th person to receive this honor (they started this award this season) and the first guy from the Golf Department to get it. I'm so proud of him and I know how hard he works, so it's much deserved. :)

Amber
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My Lovely Lady Bump.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:22:00 +0000

We found out 1.29.11 that I was pregnant. Which happens to be my grandfather's birthday. Which is so awesome to me, especially because it makes me think he is still with us in everything we do. The day we found out he passed, my cousin Kari found out she was pregnant - a true definition of the circle of life. And then we found out we were expecting on his birthday. Gives me chills and big smile on my face (and a tear in my eye). I know he would be so happy for Marc and I.

That day was a very emotional day - good emotions, scared emotions, OMG emotions! Both of our families were very supportive and excited. I ended taking a test with my girlfriend Jennifer, while Marc and Tyler were at a golf tournament for the day. Let's just say that was a very long day because, I refused to text or call Marc to let him know. Instead Jenn and I made him a little onesie that said "Baby Brown"...If you want to know the rest, ask me in person and I'll tell you the whole story. ;) That one I will never forget.

At that point I was about 5 weeks along...and our baby would be due early October. I've been making a few notes in my phone about things that have happened since then...here they are:

I've always wanted to be like that mom in the movie "JACK" where she plays with him with all the makeshift Armour....that movie was on the day after we found out and I hadn't seen it in a while.
Marc's dad joked that we were having twins (since there is a set of twins in his family) - and on my way to work on Monday there was a van that pulled in front of me and the sticker on the back said, "Got Twins?" hahah - umm I hope not!!
On my first visit to the doctor - our wedding song was playing as I waited.
3.17.11 - we heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time!! It was nothing like we thought it would be...we heard it for about 2 seconds and then she tried once more and we heard it for another 1 second. Either way it was awesome knowing our little bun was in there. It was extra special as well because both our mom's joined us!

So, here I am starting my 15 week - which means I've made it through the first trimester and I am a 1/3 of the way done!! I haven't experienced much morning sickness...but my energy level comes and goes. I am turning into a morning person, instead of a night owl. Did I really just say that??!!! Oh and I pee like it's going out of style. ;P Our little baby is as big as an apple, and has made mommy jump up two pant sizes in a little over 3 months...I will be living in dresses these next 6 months, more specifically maxi dresses. I am so thankful for friends who were just pregnant and their hand me down maternity clothes!!

Here is what I looked like at 7 weeks...and then at 14 weeks. That lovely lady bump is a comin'...

a new beginning.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Well, I have finally made myself get on this blog and do a post. Times passes way too fast and although I think I can keep all of our special moments in my memory bank. I soon realized that I'm getting "mommy brain" and can't remember much these days. I finally can understand where my mom is coming from when she says that we didn't tell her, but we really did! ;) Sorry, I've given you so much grief mommy...but I will try to be more sympathetic from now on!

With that said...I'm also going to start posting more often, however I am not going to worry about grammar or getting everything out I would like to...I'm going to use this blog like it's meant to be used, as a journal of our experiences and milestones. Even if that's a couple sentences here and there. I think this approach will be less intimidating and I'll get more out of this project than striving for perfection. Cuz, lets be honest, I don't have time now and I am certain when our bun is done cookin', I will have less time. ;)

Love.Music.Love

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:59:00 +0000

In honor of the month where we celebrate L-O-V-E. Here's a couple of my current music videos/songs that express that 4-letter word so dearly. Enjoy.

And for all those who've had a broken heart, or two...these songs are perfect!

CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS SONG!!

Simple Changes.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 21:55:00 +0000

When you're living in someone else's house, you are pretty limited to what you can change. The In-Laws were pretty open to Marc and I changing around the furniture and making our bedroom our own. But, I'm the type if it it's not broken, no need to fix it. Needless to say, we haven't done much to make our room much different than the day we moved in. I mean the most we've done is bring in a desk for Marc to do his school work and a little side table to catch all his school books. Oh! And the lovely walk-in closet that is really only 50% mine....let's face it, Marc has a lot of clothes, and I'm obviously really good at sharing. ;) Then, there is one other thing I ended up changing - the bed linens. First, let me explain. Moving into a room that was fully furnished was thee best, but moving into a room with one giant KING bed (with a tempur-pedic mattress I might add!) was beyond great! I began playing with the different linens my MIL had around, and soon found myself getting "bored" with all my different combos. You see, my favorite thing to do with our queen bed (when we had our place) was to change the duvet cover and get new sheets...it made the room seem brand new! (insert Marc's eyes rolling here) Since, I was a little exhausted of what we had in stock, I found a great deal on a gray king quilt...I soon found myself refreshed with the linens and the bed came back to life! Then, a couple weeks ago, my mom and I went to visit my Sis and naturally we did some retail therapy. It was actually more for my sister, as we took a trip to IKEA to help her find somethings for her new place. Can I just say I love that place, although it made me miss having my own home...but that didn't stop me from purchasing! I ended up finding these awesome king green sheets for like $15.00!! Oh that's not all...I also scored on 2 artsy throw pillows for only $2.99ea, are you outta mind!! I've refrained myself from buying king sized sheets, because when we move we won't be able to use them. BUT, how could I pass up $15 sheets!!?? I am so pleased with my find, I had to blog about it. It's those simple changes that make a room feel alive again. I mean come on, aren't the colors great!?

What are some simple changes you like to do around your house?
Amber
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best. day. ever.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:52:00 +0000

After 9 long months, and 29 days, I have finally received my wedding photos. I'm not going to go into why it took so long, because I'm seriously exhausted thinking and talking about it. Instead, I'm going to be thankful I have them, because looking at them today was WELL WORTH THE WAIT. They are so special and beautiful, makes me tear up just typing about it.

a date with a date.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:14:00 +0000

It's very rare that when Marc goes back to work we get the same day off. About two months ago, our days off aligned and we decided to go to breakfast at Shields Date Gardens. Shields is a historical place for the Coachella Valley. It was established in 1924 and currently houses 95% of the worlds dates. It's THEE best place to stop and taste your first Date Shake (which is actually quite delicious!). You can sip on your shake while watching the 15 minute movie, "Romance & Sex Life of a Date.' They just opened up a cafe that serves Breakfast and lunch, but enough with my sales pitch (sometimes I get carried away.) ;) I convinced my hubby that riding our bikes would be fun! He was a little apprehensive, but agreed and, we took bike ride to breakfast. It was nice to get out and actually take advantage of our local tourist attraction. Here's an IPhone shot of Marc in front of the original Shields sign.

For more info on Dates, click here.

A Few Days Colored in Amber...Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:00 +0000

Man Alive! I'm back...and well. I think it's only right to finish this series post, clearly I'm not good at taking on "series posts"...Anyways, is it wrong, that even though it's been two months since my FAM, I still remember it clear as day..but I can't remember what I had for lunch today?? Here it is folks...the latter half of the FAM which was full of fun events like these....

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - Day 2

We started bright in early with Breakfast at the the La Quinta Resort & Club. This place happens to be MY FAVORITE place to eat Breakfast. I guess you can say, I planned it that way...but honestly everything about the La Quinta Resort speaks, no, no, screams Palm Springs! I mean, it's technically in La Quinta, but the resort grounds are breathtaking and perfectly tucked up against our Chocolate Mountains, which gives one a true Palm Springs Destination experience. After breakfast we took a tour of the resort and ran into their Director of Tennis, Tom Gorman, for those you who aren't tennis buffs you can learn more about him by clicking here.

After we were star struck, we made our way to tour the The Living Desert, we had a lemonade with the leopards and mingled with the giraffes.

Up next, more food! Lunch at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, which was actually quite the treat because we had it in the middle of The Show - which is the casino's concert theater! We followed lunch with a team-building activity that gave back to our community. The team-building activity is called, Build-a-Bike. We split into teams and are given challenges to solve. Once you solve a challenge your team is rewarded a bike part. Each team makes 2 bikes by the end of the challenges. At the beginning of the activity we let the clients know the bikes they're building are going to under privileged children who have never owned a bike, which makes the process very special. However, what we don't tell them is that they get to actually get to give the bikes to the children! So, once all the bikes are made, we get them all lined up and SURPRISE, in come the kids with huge smile on their faces, and the client's tears come a rollin'. It's an amazing experience, and no matter how many times you've experienced it, you still get all choked up! Here are a few pictures from that day....

The fun certainly didn't stop there...for dinner we followed a little white rabbit to Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, because we simply couldn't be late for a very important date! We were completely taken into Wonderland, and had a family style dinner with the Mad Hatter. But, what's dinner with the Mad Hatter without your very own Mad Hatter Top Hat!? The clients were each given a top hat to design and make their own. During dinner the Alice in Wonderland was playing on the big screen to bring together the imaginative atmosphere. This is one dinner event, I will never forget!

Look at those creative hats!

Mr. Mad Hatter

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - Day 3
I know that Tuesday is a hard day to follow...but we still had one more event to go! This FAM we tried a little something new and outside of the box. I put together and, planned our very first Desert Storm Apprentice Challenge. We played off the Donald Trump TV Show, The Apprentice and added a twist of Palm Springs.We teamed up with AdVenture Group Inc (for more about them click here), and went from city to city preforming challenges for points at each hotel on our list. Each team was given a camera, and codes to text "Mr. Trump" for the next location. It ended up being a HOOT! My memory is failing, but one of the challenges we performed we arrived at the hotel to get dressed up in goofy Halloween gear, toured the hotel taking specific notes and ended up in a guest room, where we were challenged to make a bed like the housekeepers do. Let's just say, the Team Black totally ROCKED IT and made a perfect bed in 2min5sec! ;)

We ended the day with a fabulous dinner at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, with belly dancers and saxophone players. And, that my friends brings my series post to an end. finally. :)

Reflecting on this FAM, is getting me anxious for the next FAM, how am I going to top this one??!!

A Few Days Colored in Amber. Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:55:00 +0000

Gah! It's certainly NOT tomorrow, it's more like a week...and speaking of week, this past week the weather is changing in Palm Springs...and when the weather changes, people get sick. I am one of those people! Needless to say, I had NO motivation to type a blog post. And for some strange reason...I've had a four day weekend (not because I was sick, but because I needed it) and now at 9:30pm on Sunday, I'm finding the motivation to type my Part 2 of a Few Days Colored in Amber.

Now that you know the gist of what I do, I can show you some fun details! It all starts with a couple Top 10 client lists and an email blast. In order to get the Meeting Planners excited, I put together this Save the Date (with the help of my Graphics Director of course!).

Pretty neat, huh? Once clients confirmed, we booked their flights (There is a lot more to it, but that's the boring, mundane stuff)....and about 3 weeks before the FAM, I sent them "Palm Springs Fun Facts of the Week". This was a new idea I came up with, to keep in touch with the clients while planning the FAM...it ended up being a hit with the clients and got them super excited to join us in Palm Springs!

In between all this emailing and such...I'm planned like a mad woman. 3 months to be exact. Planning and putting together the FAM Itinerary that covered our major Convention Hotels and Attractions. Before I knew it, the clients arrived and the FAM Festivities began!

Monday, October 25, 2010 - Day 1

All the FAM attendees arrived into Palm Springs International Airport and checked-in to the beautiful JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert. We started off with a Champagne toast and made our way via bus to the Palm Springs Convention Center for the Welcome Reception. We kicked things off with a tour of Renaissance Palm Springs and back to the Convention Center for the Sites & Services mini tradeshow. Where CVA Member Hotels and Attractions have a booth and the clients go around to each booth to learn more about them. This particular tradeshow was a Halloween theme, to make things interesting and spook-tacular.

After the tradeshow, we moved right along to the Welcome Reception. There was delicious food and bubbling drinks galore! To bring the "WOW" factor to the reception, we had a few fun things in store for our guests. The ladies had a fully equipped Saks 5th Ave Lash Bar. Where make-up artists applied all sorts of luscious lashes! Only to get ready for their close-ups for the Flip Book Photo Booth. We can't forget about Sean the Candyman, who makes various figurines out of candy. He was very entertaining and best part, he's made candy for celeb's like Paris Hilton and Dr. Dre, just to name a few. ;) I can't forget to mention the food! Have you ever been served mac-n-cheese in a martini glasses with a bar of toppings to add to the already yummy mac-n-cheese!? I added bacon to mine...my mouth is watering just typing about it! Seriously, the food stations were amazing, so much so, I can't share the rest with you, cuz it might make your taste buds jealous.

I told him he could put this picture in his book of celeb's ;)

This event ended around 8:00pm and we made our way back to the JW Marriott for the evening. As if the delicious food, lash bar, bubbly drinks, photo booth and Candyman weren't perks of the job...I booked myself a room at the JW Marriott, because the planner of the FAM has to be close to all the clients in case anything goes wrong, right!? ;)

A Few Days Colored in Amber. Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:42:00 +0000

Busy isn't a word to describe my current work-life. It's more like, overly, CRAZY, busy. So, with everything else I have to do, can you imagine that I still constantly think about what I should do my next blog post on!? I know, I have issues. ;) But, it hit me when I was driving home from a late night of work, that I should do a series of posts of what I've been so busy with! Here it is folks, the beginning of a few days in my work-life! Let me start by saying that I work for the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Authority...a mouthful, right!? For my fingers sake, and your's, I will just refer to it as the CVA. Did you know that most cities/towns have a CVA or CVB? It's an organization that serves as a destination marketing organization. It has a few departments that make it work. First, a Membership Department, in which they get local businesses to be a member so we can market them to tourists and meeting planners. There is a Travel Industry Sales Department, their purpose is to drive leisure guests to our destination. They also work with International and Local travel agencies to bring visitors to Palm Springs. We also have a Marketing Department that puts together all of our Marketing Campaigns. Then, there is my department, Convention Sales & Services. We help promote the destination to meeting planners, in hopes they book a meeting in the Palm Springs area.

Our destination is very unique because we have to sell 8 different cities! It makes it very difficult at times, especially when politics play a role but, for the most part it's nice to have a variety of things to offer our clients. We brand ourselves as Palm Springs, because it's the most known city to visitors, though all 8 cities make up what we call the Coachella Valley. Now that you have a little back ground of what a CVA is about...I can get into my responsibilities. I'm the Convention Sales Coordinator. In a nutshell, I coordinate our client site inspections and trips to the destination. Along with a lot of other things that I don't want to bore you with. ;) It's my job to wine and dine the client, take them around from hotel to hotel, attraction to off-site venues to find the perfect fit for their meeting. We have two major events a year where we bring out approximately 20-25 meeting planners from all over the nation to come and experience the destination for a couple of fun packed days! We call these events Familiarization Tours or a FAM. This is what I am going to share with you...the past couple of months I have been putting together and planning our Fall FAM. I put together the full three day itinerary for these meeting planners and tomorrow you'll read all about the first day festivities!

Here's a challenge when planning your next trip! Google your trip destination's CVB and you may find something fun and unique to do while vacationing!

To The Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:07:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, Marc and I drove down to San Diego to see Jack Johnson in concert! I believe a week or so after our wedding we were hanging out on a Saturday morning listening to Jack Johnson Pandora Station and there was a banner ad for Jack Johnson tickets going on sale in 4:00mins...if it wasn't for this ad we may have not known when his tour started or end up getting the seats we did! We ended up buying three tickets (one for sissylala) for his show at the Cricket Amphitheater, which at the time we thought was 2nd row from the stage, fantastic right!? As we were standing in line to get our tickets, we were saying how cool would it be if we were in the PIT, I mean obviously 2nd row wasn't good enough. ;) Once we got our tickets, guess what line we were in!? I believe the picture says it all! This has happened to Sissylala and I a time or two...we get tickets as soon as they go on sale, we get really excited that we got really close seats, and surprise ourselves we're at the concert and find that we have PIT tickets! This time it was a treat, because I got to share this moment with my hubby and he was pretty stoked considering, Jack Johnson is his all time favorite music artist. Of course, I forgot my camera (I have a habit of doing that) but thank goodness we were so close my iPhone was there to take some fantastic pictures and video!

The concert was absolutely AHHMAZING!! We had a great time, the view from the pit was perfect, the music was flowin' and we left as happy campers wanting more.

The videos are much better on my phone, however the uploading process makes them look a little crappy...One of these days I'll figure out how to upload them in HD mode. ;p
This is one of my favorite JJ songs...

Save the TaTas!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 06:30:00 +0000

I thought that I would get to this post a couple weeks ago, but clearly that didn't happen. Well, I guess I can say at least it's still October and this post is pretty fitting for this month, considering it's Breast Cancer Awareness month! The first weekend of October I joined a group of friends for the Orange County Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k. I have to thank my good friend Jenn for thinking of me, because it was the most touching event I've been involved in thus far. Marc and I have participated in many cancer fundraising events, and this one by far was the most emotional. I am not sure if it's because you see the survivors walking along side you, or if it's the fact that you see how many people are effected by this cancer alone. The Orange County event raised over 3 million dollars, and at our 9:45am heat there was 15,000 people there!! I guarantee that the 6:45am race had just as many people. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Each person was given a sign to pin on their back that said, "In celebration of..." or "In memory of"...it was incredible to see a women wearing them that said, "In celebration of ME!" and there along side her was her husband and children, with their signs reading, "In celebration of MY MOM...MY WIFE" it brought tears to my eyes. It was amazing to witness all the families and friends coming together to support and celebrate loved ones. About a week ago we found out about a close family friend who has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer, we only hope for the best and pray her battle doesn't have to last long and one day she'll get to walk with the many other survivors.

The day of the walk our team, Lady TaTas, walked for Tashana's sis-in-law, Jenn's Aunt and the ladies who love their TaTa's and are fighting to save them! :)

Lady TaTas: Tashana, Shawna, Wendy, Me, Jenn, and Jodi

Our first mile completed!

Thanks girls for letting me join the team, I can't wait to do it again next year! <3

A weekend in Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:04:00 +0000

I've stared at a computer all day, but I'm anxious to post this entry about our weekend, so here it is! Marc and I try to make it down to visit his sister and her family before he returns to work and that's just what we did this past weekend. They live in Peoria, AZ, a suburb northwest of Phoenix. It's actually kind of neat going from our desert to their desert, they are so different... Any-who, we left on Friday night to arrive with these cute little notes on our bed!

Aren't they so cute? Baylee and Ryder always know how to put smiles on our faces. Plus, I never get tired of seeing my name as, Amber Brown. :) On Saturday, we woke up to laughing kiddos and a yummy breakfast! After pondering what we should all do that day, we decided to take an adventure to Scottsdale. Marc and I have never been so, it seemed fitting since it was a short car ride and we had nothing better to do. Of course, My Brother-in-Law always has yummy food on his brain, so naturally we ate lunch at this delicious burger joint called, Five Guys. There was no way around gaining a couple pounds...the burgers we so freakin' good and huge! It was only wise to walk off our lunch by doing what people do best in Scottsdale...shop! Unfortunately, our bank accounts didn't really support the type of stores in Scottsdale, but it was still neat to experience and we did take advantage of a couple stores.

Now, on to the fun part. I love playing with kids or maybe I just like acting like a kid...either way they both involve fun! Ryder has this tricycle type thing...actually it just occurred to me that I don't even know what the thing is called, but you sit on it and you move the steering wheel back and forth to make you move. Haha! Their house was perfect for the tricycle and the kids and I enjoyed pushing each other around as fast as we could, it was very addicting! So, we decided to take some videos to document the fun we were having.

I just can't get enough of laughing children, it warms my heart because it's pure joy. :)

Awwww, now I can't post this entry without sharing my favorite video of the whole weekend (it's coming Jeff)! We decided to play a family game before we all went to bed. The only rule of this game was to make everyone laugh and the first to laugh had to get up in front of the family and try to make us laugh again. My Brother-in-Law is a very funny man and this is what he ended up doing, needless to say we all laughed! Check out that hair!!?? LOL, I can't stop laughing!!

We ended our trip with a relaxing Sunday, lots of lounging around and spending time together, especially since my eye decided to be dumb and annoying. Darn, allergy season! Before we left I managed to get this awesome picture of Uncle Marc and Ryder. Such studs.

We had such a great time, and I'm so lucky to have added another Sister to my family and to boot, an awesome Brother-in-law and a niece and nephew! We love you guys!!

Boys and their Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 05:26:00 +0000

I'm not sure how your better half is...but my hubs loves his toys, especially when A. it's a NEW toy and, B. the new toy has anything to do with a board.
Last week Marc went with me to a work event, and as I rushed home to pick him up, I ran inside and noticed this big long box, but didn't have a clue why Marc's name was on the package?? In a frenzy to get out the door, Jeff says "Did you see Marc's stick!?"...Umm...What??!! (not what I excepted my Father-in-Law to ask...ummm...ever. haha!) In total confusion I shook my head and as I ran out the door he tried to explain but I'll i got was, "He'll show you with his board." As I got into the truck, I immediately asked Marc about his "stick". Thus the mystery of this stick was solved. My lovely husband has been on this health kick, not only by eating better but he's also been working on his fitness AND apparently he's been researching this new toy called the Kahuna Big Stick. He says it's totally for working out, but I think he got it for more of a fun factor. ;) I mean, who am I to judge when I get just as excited for a new purse and say, "I really needed it" when I really mean it was cute and I wanted it. Anywho, this Kahuna Stick is made for long-board skateboards, so it's like paddle boarding, but on land! Funny thing is, Marc's riding my long board I got for my 21st Birthday (I'm glad someone is using it!). So, ever since Marc got his new toy, he's been asking me to take some video of him so he can share it with the Kahuna Big Stick facebook page....tonight I finally got home before the sun went down to take some video of him in action. It's actually really neat to watch and Marc claims it's a great workout! Enjoy the videos...Oh! and Ride Hard and Carry a Big Stick! ;p

His feet are switched on this one (that's why he's going slow), but I just love his smile at the end of the video so I had to post it. ;)

Celeb spotting!! Looks like Matthew McConaughey has a Kahuna Big Stick too!!

Fishy Business

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 05:21:00 +0000

This past Sunday I had a hair up my butt to just "DO WORK"...and one of things I ventured into was cooking my very first fish dish! It was my mother-in-law's last night in the U.S. (she goes to Sweden for a couple weeks every year). So, I made delicious Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi. The whole fam was very impressed with my cooking skills and left nothing on their plate. Tackling being a cook is no easy task, however I enjoy pushing and proving to myself I can actually be successful!

To see how I made it and the recipe click here.

Imma gLeek!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:22:00 +0000

That's right folks...I'm a gLeek! I'm obessed with the show Glee and I am super stoked for it's Season 2 Premiere tonight!! If I had tivo, I think I would watch Glee over and over again. Seriously. I am sure Marc doesn't want me sharing this, but he doesn't mind the show either. ;) Are you a gLeek too? If so, who is your favorite gleek? Are you Team Shuester or Team Sylvester? If you've never seen the show, do yourself a favor and watch it tonight - I promise you won't regret it! It's on FOX at 8pm.

six.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 06:54:00 +0000

Today, we celebrate 6 months of being Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Today, we get to celebrate how completely in love we are with each other and how many more months, hours, days, seconds, years we get to spend together as husband and wife. We are so excited for the next 6 months and all it has to offer!

"I have found the one whom my soul loves" Song of Solomon 3:4

" A marriage is a gift. It should be opened up and enjoyed." - Greg Evans

You learn something NEW everyday!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 06:46:00 +0000

If I had a refrigerator, you know what would be on there? My husband's report card. Yup! I am one proud wifey and I'm gonna brag a bit about my hubby. I have never seen someone study as much as he does, he has received straight A's every semester he's been back at school. He just recently finished his first semester at U of LaVerne, and got an A and a B+! Seriously, he is so dedicated he took a test on our wedding day, no joke. Although, the computer gets more face time than I do lately, I know it's worth it and he is doing something that he wants to do and that makes me very proud of him. :)

This summer he took a technology class...eerrr, uhh...well something about computer operating systems and a bunch of other stuff he told me about that is way over my head. BUT, I did listen to one thing he informed me about! While I've been trying to face-lift the blog, I noticed blogs I read have this symbol and it sometimes reads RSS. I never really understood what it was until my incredibly smart hubby told me what it meant; Really Simple Syndication, in simpler terms it means, web feed. It's a way for publishers of blogs, news, etc. syndicate content automatically. It's a benefit for readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. It's great for a blog because if you aren't an avid blog reader (like me), you can subscribe to a blog by simply clicking on the RSS icon and you'll receive an email every time there's a new post. Pretty neat huh!? I learned my something new that day and added the RSS icon to our blog, see it on the right hand side? ;) I feel like a techy now! Make sure you subscribe if you don't visit our blog all the time! Oh, and if you do stop by, make sure you become a "follower" and leave a comment, anyone can comment even if you don't have a blogger account. I hope you like the new face-lift!

All Ironed Out.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:06:00 +0000

I've been away for a while, but only because the season is kicking in out here in Palm Springs...and that means I am super busy at work...which is actually nice! So, the last thing I want to do after a long day of work is do more time on the computer! ;) But, tonight I had an itch to share my steal of a deal. About a month ago, while cleaning like a mad woman and dusting our room, I realized that we desperately needed a new ironing board cover. Our ironing board is constantly out for display. When Marc is working he irons his clothes everyday and, I iron almost every weekend after laundry duty, so it's just not worth it to keep putting it back every day. Since, our ironing board has become a delightful piece of furniture in our room...I thought it needed to be pretty like everything else! I had been searching Etsy for a really cute, chic, ironing board cover...found some GREAT ones, but it just seemed a little ridiculous to pay $25.00 plus shipping for a pretty cover. Awww but my good friend, Jenn reminded me that TJ Maxx had covers!! Don't you just love that store!!?? I went in there with a mission to find me a cover and found THEE perfect, pretty ironing board cover for only $10.00! Was I successful or what!? Now when I look at the ironing board, I no longer have to worry about it sticking out like an ugly piece of furniture, but a piece that flows with the colors of the room and brings a sweet feminine touch to the room! I know this blog is about our life...but honestly cleaning, organizing and, designing are a few of my favorite things to do in life. It makes me happy when I find something nice for the home, especially at a good price! Oh! and you know the saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life." (Marc's favorite quote) ;)

John Mayer!? Yes, Please.

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:37:00 +0000

If you really knew me, you'd know that there is one thing I absolutely LOVE! Ok, ok I love a lot of things...I'm just a loving kinda gal...However! I love, love, LOVE music!! Instead of watching the news like most do in the morning, I watch music videos (well listen to them while I'm rushing to get ready). I also have music streaming 24-7 at work, can’t really work without it. ;)

Have you seen the movie “The Heartbreak Kid” with Ben Stiller?? Here is a link to watch a trailer of it The Heartbreak Kid Trailer …but there is a part in the movie where Eddie (Ben) and his new wife road trip to their Honeymoon in Mexico and the whole trip every song that came on she knew and sang…she even played the musical instruments with her hands! Anyways, the point of why I am sharing this with you is because when Marc and I watched that movie, he looked at me during that part and said, “That is soooo you!” My mom even thinks so, but she's always on Team Marc. I hate admitting it, but it’s totally me! Haha! Yet, I can’t say I’m in this club alone…my sister is my partner in crime when it comes to singing out loud to every song on the radio. One thing we LOVE to do together is going to concerts and tonight we are doing just that! Who are you seeing, you ask?? The one and only, John Mayer! I couldn’t be more excited…my sis has seen him already and she reported it’s going to be a good one. I’ll be sure to do a post of how awesome it was!

My favorite John Mayer song to date: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room – It’s a total breakup song, but so DANG GOOD!

Blessed with Besties

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:33:00 +0000

Mostly everyone is blessed with a best friend. Sometimes, your best friend changes with the different chapters of life...however in my life, there are 4 consistent, beautiful women who I've been extremely blessed to call my best friends - Desie, Kel, Jess and Sissylala. We may not be able to talk every day or hang out every week...but no matter what, they mean the world to me! The other day we finally had the opportunity to have a lunch date together (minus the Sissylala...she's being a career woman in SD!), and it inspired me to do this post...to let them know how important they are to me and how I would do anything for them (Brooke and Cousin Wousin Bear, you are in there too!). They are all different and I think that's what I love most about them. Each one teaches me how to be a better person and I hope I do the same for them. :) Marc has told me as I grow older I might loose some of my close friends...which in the past years, I have, but I look it as weeding out the bad ones to keep the roses! I pray that my "roses" and I always have our friendship, I mean we've made it through high school drama, college fun, marriage and babies, 10+ years of a whole lotta stuff... I am pretty sure we can stick together through everything else life hands us in years to come!

One more thing I learned while reflecting on the blessing of having the bestest besties EVER, is that my husband is right up there with them. He is an incredible man, and I really can't imagine my life without him by my side. He seriously completes me and I am so thankful God has blessed me ten-fold with such an amazing life partner and best friend.

I AM ONE BLESSED LITTLE LADY!! :)

In Today's News...

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:55:00 +0000

Most of you know that I work at the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Authority...I know, a mouthfull, right!? Around here we call it the CVA...in most other cities or towns...they call them CVB's. All in all, it's a Bureau that supports one of the world's largest industries; Tourism. Well, our oganization has been going through a lot of changes these past couple of months and quite frankly "we're the talk of the town." Today we were regonized in the local newspaper as we posed by our new CVA Sign, one of the changes we've recently did to gain more exposure locally. Someday I'll do a post of what my role is at the CVA, but in the meantime take a peak at the article to learn more about what the Palm Springs CVA is up to! Sign of the Times - The Desert Sun

Cheese Ballers!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Ok - If you know one thing about Marc and I, it's that we love to watch funny shows! One show we love is Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory (yes, on MTV). Well, a couple weeks ago his episode happened to be all about Grilled Cheese Sandwiches...it was Rob's goal to create THEE best GCS! He was so into it, he got his crew to enter in The Grilled Cheese Invitational, as the "Cheese Ballers." The Invitational was held this past April. Unfortuntely, they didn't win anything, but it was one HALARIOUS episode to watch! Since, I did a post about National GCS Day, I had to share this too! Who knows...you might see Marc and I at the Invitational next year! ;p

You can watch the full episode by clicking the link below...BELIEVE ME IT'S WORTH IT! Or I am sure it will rerun and you can catch it then!

Cheese Ballers! Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory - Season 3

You can also learn more about Rob Dyrdek on his website at dyrdek.com!