Meet Mrs. Gray!

I took this candid photo with my own two hands... I LOVE it... what can I say, I am proud!!!

I get made fun of a lot... I mean a lot...

about so many different things... but the one that I am going to talk about today is that I say "one of my best friends" and APPARENTLY there are all together too many of these "best friends". What can I say??? I have a lot of friends...

These are my girls... Melanie and Ruthie were my roommates right before I came back to Cali... and Mel was t times before that too!

I mean I am RIDICULOUSLY popular!

You all know it!

Mel asked me to do her make-up... I think I did a bang up job... she looked B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Ok, so maybe that was just her!

But, this REALLY is one of my very dearest friends in all the world. We've known each other since we were babies... OK 20... seems like we were babies.

If my parents die, the Fairbanks are going to adopt me. I LOVE them all like they are mine own family.

This is Mel with her little nieces.

So, this wedding was extra special to me.

Ms. Melanie Fairbanks became Mrs. Melanie Gray.

And, she couldn't have picked a better husband! I HEART Chad... he's RAD! (That rhymed!)

It's that time of year....

I've had the same job for 5 years...

It's the most committed I've ever been...

And, every May (like clock-work) I have a nervous breakdown... because my job seems tantamount to an accountant's on April 15th... but, it lasts for months... through September 30th, to be precise.

It's May 28th... I ALMOST made it through the month....

I have 2 huge multi-phase proposals due within weeks of each other, one $11.5 million bid with a good faith effort package with a big deadline... blah blah blah... no one knows what I am talk about here... blah blah blah...

and today I ALMOST didn't make it through the day...

But, I did, because my boss made me laugh... he's totally getting smarter! He walked in today and took one look at me and said "Brinker, do I need to give you more money?!?"

As Promised...

This one's for you, Haws, and also you, Melissa Stiles.

The famous cookie recipe... it actually comes from the first lady, Laura Bush... passed on to me by my mommy, who may be the most fabulous cook EVER!

Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients:
3 sticks of butter
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
3 c. flour
3 c. oatmeal
3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks
2 c. sweetened coconut
2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds or cashews)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour and mix until incorporated. Stir in oatmeal, chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges are lightly brown. Remove from cooking sheet and place on a cooling rack. (This recipe makes a ton of cookies! We always put them in a Ziploc and freeze the ones we can't eat in the first few days - my brother-in-law swears they taste even better if you eat them frozen.)

What's in a Name???

... Love Shakespeare... wise wise man. Maybe he can help me with my dilemma.

All my nicknames as of late, sound like stripper names "cupcake", "skittles", "bubbles". It's OK, I embrace them.

I am not usually a nicknamer myself... except for lately. And, it seems to be causing problems.

I had two coversations (via text) today... and I need a little help. In fact, I think it's time for me to create poll #2 (I am getting so blog savvy these days)...

Conversation #1

H.C. (Helaman Cruz): Seriously can you given Muffin a different nickname? What are you going to call him when he weighs 200 lbs*? I am sure not muffin.
Ali: If he breaks 200, I will call him muffin top!**
H.C.: LOL! What about Liger? A mix of Lion and Tiger?
Ali: Why? I like Muffin.
H.C.: It's just not manly! What if u were called Stud?
Ali: My friend used to call me Dude. I was fine with that. Btw, Liger was so not manly!
H.C.: Dude is bi. It goes both ways! And, Liger is better than Muffin.
H.C.: Here is a good reason to give him a different nickname. What if one day we decide to play tennis with pink balls*** and you want to call him by his nickname?
Ali: They are your pink balls which means I will calling you "princess". In comparison, Muffine will sound really manly!
H.C.: LOL! Only one way to fix this problem. Take a poll to find out who agrees with me and who disagrees with you. (Please remember whose blog this is!)
Ali: P.S. Lance Armstrong used to call his wife a "stud" all the time! Bring it on!
H.C. Ok stud! Did you google that?
Ali: Nope. I read his Biography, "It's not about the Bike". His is a cad! But, he did call his then wife a stud, numerous times.
H.C.: But, we all know he's not a normal homosapian! All that chemo went through burned his brain cells and it's obvious that he had no idea what he was saying.

Coversation #2

Ali: Would you rather I call you Muffin or Liger?
Muffin: Would you rather I call you Sweetpea of She-ra?
Ali: Sweetpea, please and thank you. But, She-ra is good too. I like them both.
Muffin: She-ra it is!
Ali: I am going to save the world! Does She-ra shag He-man? I can't remember! Helaman is going to be so stoked!
Muffin: I'm pretty sure she does! You'll have to talk to He-man (a.k.a. Helaman's nickname) about it. But, yeah he will be stoked!

* Note 1: "Muffin" just informed me that as of yesterday he weighs 132 pounds. Atta boy!
** Note 2: Thanks Brooke, you were the funny one there.
*** Note 3: Helaman bought pink tennis balls because "it was a good cause, I wanted to save the tatas!" (Breast Cancer Awareness)

So... what's the verdict. Can I still call him Muffin? Or do I have to call him Liger?

Never give a 3, 6 or 7 year old a camera...

This is what happens...
The last one was actually not too bad... cause Chloe (7) is a little bit more focused and older than the other two.