Ahhhh, Family Christmas Time!!!!

Although our gifts might seem kinda lame and unremarkable, my family and I actually had a pretty nice Christmas this year. I brought tons of homemade cookies, my mom made a ham and all that good stuff, and even a trip to my grandmother's house wasn't that terrible. What a lovely Christmas!

In the Garage

On Father's Day, I spent some time in the garage with my dad and checked out what he has been working on. I really admire my dad's handiness and sense of organization. He has one of the most highly organized garages I have ever seen! Every tool has it's place.

My dad made this rolling tool box at work out of scrap metal. I was amazed at the details he put into it and the ingenious design. My dad makes stuff! What does your dad do?

Hanging in his locker is a super cute photo of me from when I was a high schooler along with a photo of a 56 Nomad.

This is the front end of my Dad's Corvette. Jealous much?

Here are photos of my Dad's 39 Ford. This car is in primo condition with a cream vinyl interior. I always loved playing inside of this car as a kid.

My Dad always has a naked lady calendar hanging in the garage just to mark the territory as man territory. And plus, he gets it for free every year from the car parts store down the road.

This is the mini bike my brother and I would ride around on as kids. It is totally kid sized and used to be street legal. Imagine that!

Father's Day Toaster

A toaster for Father's Day? First, let me explain......................

Last year right before Will and I moved into our new apartment, we took a visit to my parent's house. My Mom and Dad had just got a new toaster, replacing the crappy old one they had used for about the last 15 years or so. With their old toaster, you had to hold down the bar and struggle a bit to keep the toast down. Their new toaster, however, was frickin' awesome!

Well, Will and I needed a toaster for our new place so jokingly, I grabbed the toaster and my Mom said, "Go ahead, take it. I don't mind." I felt kinda guilty but it was a nice toaster so Will and I took it to our new place. That night, my parents plugged in their old, junky toaster and struggled to make the toast in that ragged thing once again.

So this year for Father's Day, I was able to pick up an amazing Hamilton Beach chrome toaster that can toast 4 slices at once. I felt it would be quite humorous and even a bit thoughtful to pick my Dad up a toaster. So now when you were thinking, "A toaster for Father's Day? How lame!" You can instead think, "Damn, Sara is pretty frickin' clever and funny."

Look at that baby sparkle!!!

My Dad was very pleased with his new toaster and proceeded to make lots of toast on Sunday morning. He went from having a stinky garage sale toaster to having the total Cadillac of toasters, a chrome Hamilton Beach.

P.S. My Dad's 'stache is pretty cool, right?

Mom and Dad

My parents have had quite the legendary marriage for going on 27 years. From the very beginning, the details of their dating were a bit foggy. Being the early 80's, I am not surprised. The exact date in which they started to date is unclear as are who asked who to marry and the birth of their first child..... Me!

My parents went to the same high school and though they were only 1 year different in grade level, they never knew of one another until their mid-20's. My mom was a hippy-stoner chic and my dad was a greaser guy who also enjoyed a stint in orchestra playing the only cool instrument in the gang- the upright bass. My mom is the older woman in the relationship by 1 year. She graduated the Class of 1974 and my dad graduated the Class of 1975.

The details of their first "hook up" go as such:

My mom knew of my dad because he drove a Harley motorcycle and my dad has killer parties at his house, but never really talked to him at these parties. My dad, on the other hand, must have liked my mom cause he was always asking her to dance with him at the local bars at night.

Well, according to my mom, she might have been with his best friend at the time of the "hook up" but started to talk to my dad around the keg of a big party. Well, put a bit too much beer into 2 people and add a magical kiss around the keg, and the rest is history!!!


The couple wed in May 1981 at the courthouse. How romantic, right?




















Supposedly, the judge asked them more than once,
are you sure you want to do this?



















A full year later, baby me was born. My parents were poor and lived in the house next to my grandparents, where there was little heat. My dad left Iowa to find work in Oklahoma for most of my first year of life.




















My dad had killer awesome sideburns and a nice 'fro going on. He is pictured here at the little house next to his parent's house setting me on the wood burner.




















My dad and his dad. Sadly, my grandpa died 2 years later a day or two before my brother was born.