News of The Pants

Mr. Pants has news:

He's a blackbelt!

He worked his butt off to receive this. As I watched his promotion ceremony (after a grueling 13-hour test) I was filled with two conflicting feelings: I was immensely proud and utterly underwhelmed. I knew how hard he had worked for this every day for 3 months, but I also had no fear that he wouldn't succeed. You see, The Pants can do anything he sets his mind to. And he likes to set his mind to so many hard things. If only I could have an ounce of his motivation and determination. I've since told him he should fail every once in a while just to keep me surprised.

He's also allergic to gluten. 

After years of getting sick every month he finally saw a Naturopathic doctor and 

was tested for food allergies. A gluten allergy it was.

And gluten-free he now finds himself. Initially it was a hard transition, but he is feeling much better

and I have enjoyed the last 4 months sans a sick husband. 

And I just have to say that this stuff is totally heaven sent for the gluten-intolerant:

(in case you wanted to know)

I use it as a substitute for flour (especially the 5 kinds most GF recipes call for) in just about all cookie recipes.

And I can rarely tell they are gluten-free.

So now you have it, The Pants is a gluten-free blackbelt. 

Such a Renaissance man!

Congrats to Mr. Pants for passing his Series 65 test!

His dedication to studying was impressive.

But more impressive was the help he received from Heavenly Father!

So many prayers were said on his behalf.

Last night we celebrated by getting Indian food.

The relief was palpable. We could both breathe again.

Nanners yelled the whole time (the babble-y kind she does when she's tired).

I like to think she was just hooting and hollering to tell everyone how proud she is of her daddy.

This picture is vintage-like 5 years old.

It holds so many good memories of our trip to New York and Pennsylvania

for The Pant's law school graduation.

We were newly engaged and everything was so exciting.

I'm feeling that same excitement for life right now.

So many possibilities. So much adoration for a truly good man.

Happy Birthday Mr. Pants!

Nanners and I are missing you something fierce while we're away in California.

We miss your scruff.

your dishwashing skills.

your constant reassurance that I'm still hot.

your uncanny ability to make Nanners laugh.

your new haircut.

your fantastic t.v. viewing choices.

and your always timely humor.

Until Sunday...

We love you.

Hooray!

You've had a Birthday shout "Hooray!"
Sunday was The Pants' 30th birthday.
We had a lovely day complete with ebelskivers for breakfast,
inspiring church meetings,
and a family dinner of mac and cheese and buffalo drumsticks.
It was such a good day I almost wished it had been my birthday!
I will, no doubt, be very uncomfortable one month from now on my special day.

I got creative with decorations this year.
I made this little "Hooray!" banner in the wee hours of the morning.
Now I'm realizing how versatile the word "Hooray" is.
I can add Easter eggs to each side and it will say "Hooray, It's Easter!"
Or I can add a rattle and it will say "Hooray, you had a baby!"
The possibilities are endless.
Hooray is a fine word.

Hooray! I get to spend my time with this good-looking guy.
I just found this picture. It's from a picnic on the waterfront last summer.
I was skinny and tan then.
Happy Birthday Mr. Pants!
Thanks for letting this post (and most everything) be about me.
You deserve a month devoted to you.
Hooray!

These days...

You'll find The Pants:

Nursing his Tae kwon do wound
He tore his hamstring while doing a roundhouse kick to sir's head.
Apparently it was a beautiful kick. Good thing.

OR

Playing with his new toy-the keyboard.
It's the strangest thing when he plays with his headphones on.
I won't see him for hours, and all I can hear is the clicking of the keys.
When he's successfully mastered a song he'll call me in to hear it. It's always amazing. He makes me sick!
The other day he came home from work and said "All day I couldn't wait to come home to my keyboard."
I think he's trying to tell me I've been replaced.

Waffle Window, Shopping and Mac and Cheese...Oh my!

The Pants' birthday celebration was an all-day event.
Our day started off with breakfast with our lovely friends at the waffle window on Hawthorne.
Everyone must partake in the sugar waffle wonder that quite literally comes from a window (on the side of the Bread and Ink Cafe).
With a menu that features such delights as huckleberry jam and lemon panna cotta waffles, you can't go wrong.
We ate like fat kids. We shared three.
The 3 B's (bacon, brie and basil) was our favorite.
The staff even surprised us with a waffle adorned with a birthday candle to celebrate the day.

Then we were off to enjoy the sun and ambiance of Portland's Saturday Market.

We met the Mother of the Pants there and headed off to do some major shopping.
The Pants tries to convince himself that he doesn't like shopping (mostly for our budget's sake),
but every time he gets a taste of Nordstrom Rack the twinkle in his eye returns.
I always feel a twinge of guilt when I see him looking in the mirror with a head nod and a sly grin.

It's the "I know I'm ridiculously good looking" kind of grin.
And once I see it I realize how much he sacrifices to make sure our little family is taken care of.
Needless to say, he was starry-eyed by the end of this escapade.

Next, he was off to enjoy my birthday present--a deep tissue massage at Equilibria.
While he enjoyed a painful beating I slaved over a hot stove to make his favorite meal:
Homemade Mac and Cheese and buffalo drumsticks.
When it was over he walked through the door and melted into a puddle.
We ate like fat kids again and then went for dessert at the fanciest of places- Safeway.
What a day.

The Pants said it was his best birthday yet.
Pride washed over me. He totally deserved it.

Zip-a-dee-ay and Heigh-dee-ho

Sing along if you know the song (or click here on "Your Happy Birthday"):
This month is such a special one;
It's birthday time for you.
We'd really like to celebrate your happy day with you.
Zip-a-dee-ay and Heigh-dee-ho there's something we can do.
We'll sing a song that we all know,
Happy Birthday to YOU!

Happy Birthday to The Pants!

I think everyone deserves their own "Appreciation Day."
(outside of your birthday)

I love You! Especially in your glasses.
(This picture taken just after we got married)
A wee story about the glasses:
The Pants knows how hot, distinguished, intelligent and HOT I think he looks in his glasses so sometimes he surprises me by wearing them when I'm not expecting it.
He did so on Sunday during Sacrament meeting and got a gleeful reaction out of me.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who noticed, however.
My friend, Rachel flagged me down after sunday school to say:

R: Oh Amber I had to tell you this story!
A: What story?
R: My girls (she's got 3 beautiful little girls) were sitting in Sacrament meeting and all of a sudden I heard them half-whisper: "Oh, there's Amber. She's so pretty... Oh! Amber's husband is wearing glasses...He looks really handsome!"

Did I mention I want to dip those girls in chocolate and eat them? I do.

Beautiful Mt. Portland By PANTS

What do you do from 1:00-4:00 am after 6-8" of snow in Downtown Portland? Go Snowboarding of course. It does require some equipment to go snowboarding in Portland, so you will need the following: A friend named Pascal and his D-90, an accomplice named J, two tow ropes to get us up to Council Crest Park, a helmet, and Voodoo doughnuts in the belly. We had two routes we took down. The first route was from Council Crest park down to 20th and Burnside. The second route we ended up above the zoo and rode back down to Rich's house which is on Burnside and Vista. It was a great time, and a great way to start off the snowboard season. Maybe tonight will be round two. Unfortunately there are no good photos of me because J's camera died after I took a few of him, but the fuzzy person is me I swear.

You've Been Visited by the BABOOSHKA

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN I WILL STRIKE