i love walking on the beach

i got to go walk on the beach with one of the people that can make me laugh no matter what my mood is because i know that trouble is usually around the corner with him! aaron and i went just down the street from my house after church and walked up and down solana beach area... as we were walking back he says he wanted to climb the cliff... i told him i wanted to take a picture of him climbing under the sign that says to stay back from the unstable cliff walls. the first attempt he went and figured out the wall and his shoes were too wet. the second attempt was me trying and i do mean to say it was a sorry attempt at trying to boost him up...i boosted him a whole whopping foot off the ground and grunted "are you up yet?" yeah, not even close! the third attempt was the successful one where he climbed up my body first on my leg next on my shoulder! the moral of this story, when its a dumb idea, nicomi will succeed or help others along the way! as i sat down below snapping pictures i thought to myself, what if this wall decided that right now was the time to fall and I just helped him get up there, not to mention the fact that i am down below this rock... when he jumped down, i gave an inward sigh of relief! we both said that we wished we could have gotten a picture of the two of us trying to climb that wall! we walked down to the tide pools and i saw 4 very large anenomes, i have to say that i sat and stared at the inside of 2 of them... i have never seen such an amazing teal (the color of gangrine) as i saw in the center of these amazing creatures that we mean humans like to poke. the variations of the color were beautiful and something that i am glad that i got to see in my life. I am amazed by the simple things in this life and thankful for these glimpses of things that take my breath away!

Christmas Day!!!

other people have white christmas but usually we have such mild weather people often go to the beach on christmas day. this year it rained and the wind was blowing so hard that the rain was coming in sideways. i was coming home from annies and daves and as i was dropping over the hill the clouds took my breath away. i had to take pictures of it and it doesn't do it justice!

Merry Christmas!

this is my first christmas tree that was all mine! i got to decorate it just like i wanted to and didn't have to fight with other peoples inferior taste! lol! it was one of those trees that was all matchy matchy and makes me laugh to think about... the colors matched my apartment it was funny because gone are the days of the much beloved 2 foot blow up christmas tree that doubled as the bat for christmas tree beachball baseball... nope this took hours to decorate not the 30 seconds and 6 puffs of air to blow up... i loved those days and miss the fun of winding up and swinging with all your might the tree and trying to bounce the ball off the wall into the corner between the couch and the window or into the kitchen so you could safely make it around the bases back to home before you got tagged out! Hard to do in a small small living room, but the laughs were endless! As i sat there thinking about my favorite christmas stories this was definitely on the top of the list, but my other favorite part of christmas was growing up and delivering to a family the 12 days of christmas. the picking of the family, figuring out what to give for each day, writing out the message in a way that nobody could figure out who wrote it, making the small gifts, the stratagy of how to park and where to run from and to, figuring out how to outsmart the family that was also stratagizing on how to catch whoever was dropping off the gifts, laughing as we peeled off and replaying the action in each of our roles, piling into the car with my whole family and enduring joel's gift of gas trapped in the back of the car with him, singing carols and bringing the final gift and laughing with the family about how close they came to catching us, leaving with a sense of making someone else's christmas a little better because they knew that they were thought of and very loved by someone else and knowing that they basically became grafted into the morris family tree whether they liked it or not! I LOVED this part of christmas! what are some of your favorite christmas stories?

another one down!

So I think that my days of overwhelming amounts of weddings is finally at an end!!! one of my last single friends got married to the man of her dreams on december 20th. it was one of the most beautiful weddings i have ever been to (annies and her's tie) it was well thought out and very organized! the only draw back was the fact that while we do live in southern california the wedding was outside... WE FROZE OUR BUTTS OFF! the invitation did tell you very clearly to bring your jackets but you can't keep the lower half warm!!! they did however have the heating lamps and fire pit. but the best part of the night was that they had hot chocolate! it was delicious! i have to say that the older i get and the more single i am weddings do get a little harder to attend, a purely selfish thing i know, so as i was sitting with my dear friend karen she told me that she was only going to do her own and as a side note mine... which she quickly took back... i totally laughed because i felt the same! we sat in the corner and giggled when the bride walked up and asked what was soooo funny... how can you tell your dearest friend that weddings suck when you are her guest at her wedding? as we were sitting watching the video of them growing up jaime leaned over and said "one word comi... elope!" great so the day that I have dreamed of all my life, cuz yes i am that kind of girl, is the dreaded day that should just be skated over with two people running away to say their vows before people that don't care... sad! but i do want to keep it very very small if that day should ever happen so that nobody feels like they are exhausted from having to attend! but jaime i am so happy that I got to see you and your hubby tie the knot, and to know that another one bit the dust!

so umm i'm bossy!

today was a fine example of just how truly bossy i am! i got to go christmas tree shopping with my dear friends annie and charlotte we walked into the garden center at target and started to look for the perfect tree. my idea of a perfect christmas shopping for a tree is to just look for the freshest needles and pick up and go. annie walks up and starts looking and says i love the color of that tree to which i said, "no that is dry look at a different one, like this one!" so we start to unravel the twine holding it together when this other family walks up and starts to help pull the string. annie shakes it out and its the perfect shape. she walks over to pay when the man and his two sons start talking and the dad says do you want to look here or do you want to go over to home depot? to which i respond, "they are the same here as over there you might as well just pick one here." so the older son starts to pick at trees and he starts to unwrap this tree, instantly i say to him you don't want that tree because its too dry. I pointed out the needles and he still starts to look at it. i point out a different tree and say that is the tree you want! the dad says yeah the top of that tree was ugly. so the kid grabs the tree i said for them to look at and start to unwrap it. next thing i know i am standing back with the dad saying that it was a great tree! SOOOO BOSSY. oh does it stop there NOPE... another set of ladies come in and start to look at trees (one had stopped to admire charlotte) they were behind me looking at this tree and i say really loudly that they didn't want that tree it wasn't good because the shape was all off and they wouldn't be happy! they sure did put down the tree and start looking at other ones! the man looked at me and said i will meet you here the same time next year christmas lady! so the lesson here i have no shame and will boss a virtual stranger if i feel like i am right!

so you know when you move out of the family home and you are on your own for a few years and you come home for a visit and all of a sudden your room is now the family workout room... this happened to me recently, only it happened in the form of my little niece rach... she came to nana and papa'a house to spend some time for the weekend and my dad said to rach that comi's room was now rachael's room! so of course my niece had to call me and tell me that she now was the person who possessed the spare room in my parents house! my nephew is also in on it and says that its his room too... today my mom calls and we decide that it would be a good idea for me to go down and wait in the room and when rachael came in i would ask her what she was doing in my bedroom... i don't think that she knew what to do with me asking and it took her a little while, then she started in and said it was her room. but in the end i did get on tape her saying it was mine... only to be taken away again! i tell you i get NO respect!

just a rant

i don't like rats, mice or anything that has to be killed in a trap.

the end.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

So this past Sunday I got to have Rachel over while her parents and brothers all took off to tour Washington D.C. I love my time with her... now that I work I don't get to spend the time with her that I have spent in the past with the older kids. So I had no idea that Rachel likes complete and total undivided attention, I have always had the other kids that buffer that desire of hers... Its like being with a mini me! So after a great discussion of where in my small apartment she would sleep it was decided that she would not sleep on the floor but would cuddle with me! OH NELLY, my pillow became hers and the queen bed of mine became a twin as she layed right at my side... I was constantly being smacked in the face and the noise of her hitting my head board was a constant. So I learned that Rachel time is fun but so is my single time! I really need nights like that to remember that its fun to be JUST NICOMI! oh and her favorite saying is Lets GO and she isn't the shopper that doesn't mind walking each isle repeatedly without realizing it and pointing it out while waiting for my prescription to be filled for a stinkin' hour and half! But I did get to paint her toes and when I put on my mascara she wanted to wear some too, so being the great auntie that I am she sure did get to wear it. So watch out world my niece will be a complete knock out, she already can give a mean sultry look!

my latest project!

This has been my 2 week project... the walshes were moving some stuff to texas and asked me to make a slip cover for this couch. I have to say this being the second time to make a slipcover I am pretty impressed... I did have to rip out the whole thing a couple of times and there are still some flaws but I got it done and LOVED the outcome. I was literally stapling the bottom when the movers came but over all I love it!

I love my grumpy!

This weekend was my Grandpa's 90th birthday and we had a party! When my mom suggested this we all envisioned a family party... kinda boring because we do this every week, but what started out as a small party turned into a large party. We had a couple cousins come in from alaska and a cousin come in from florida my great aunt and uncle came in from Toole Ut. Lots of people that my grandparents go swimming with came and church members that they have been in the same ward forever with came to celebrate! I was amazed to see the group that came, it made me realize that I am not the only person that loves this man! My mom made us all get up and say who we are and a story. It made me smile that so many people had so many stories and experiences with him!

some of the stories/moments that stuck out:
~he taught me the value of hard work.
~he took me out fishing and made my cousin sick out on the rough water and then refused to come back in after she had been puking all morning... something she has never forgiven him for!
~my other cousin told us about the time she was visiting and her dog was hit by a car and had to be put down, she was so sad and went out and sat by the tree in the back yard and my grandpa came out and just held her and let her cry on her shoulder. That has always been in her heart everytime she has mourned she remember his comfort and words.
~my brother knew that when he came to Nevada that he would spend the next week under a car hood working.
~my sister in law said that she is amazed that my grandpa can build any tool that he needs or come up with something that can fix something
~we remembered that my grandpa lit his dads Gas Station on fire by a Torch by accident when he was little!
~Remembering the story of his dad getting irritated that he was always in the way while he was trying to repair cars that he hung him up on a nail in the wall by his suspender straps!
~My personal one was the best day of my life. he woke me up, told me to get ready and took me to Sea World. We threw away my grandmas sandwiches!!! As the day progressed it started to rain. We were sitting at shamu and it was just starting to really come down. My grandpa nudges me and says look. I looked down at this little old lady running to get out of the rain right when shamu was coming around the corner! it was awesome to see the wave come over the rim and really soak her. We sat there and giggled! the sparkle really came into his eyes with this one! He came with me on the ride that was there. It didn't have a line so we ran like little kindergartners to get back to the front of the ride. We went like 4 times because we had so much fun!
~another moment that made me laugh was when Kim and I were visiting from our apartment down the alley. For some reason we were talking about deodorant and the kinds we used. My grandpa says "I use the rock" and stuck his armpit in Kims face so she could smell him. It was awesome because it seemed so outa character for him but the best part was watching Kims shocked face as she didn't know what to do!

The cousins met up with us and we went to Natti's for yet more food. It is amazing to be able to get together and laugh as a family! I am thankful to be a part of this amazing group of people~

Thank Goodness TODAY IS DONE!

Yeah to the right to stand up and to vote the way we each choose! I am thankful to live in a country that can choose who we want to lead... I am also thankful to have the opportunity to vote in this exact election! I got up and hurried down to O.B. to vote afraid that I would be stuck in long lines, walked right in and voted the way I felt was right. I also want to remember this election for years to come... Not necessarily the canidates but the issues and how it feels to be an American right now. I am scared, feel unsure, feel like my free agency and the way I want to live is under direct attack, wonder, amazement that in all likelyhood the first African American is going to hold office as the leader of the free world... That is freakin' cool. It proves that really anything can be done. But that same line is absolutely terrifying... Rights are easily taken and that is the feeling that scares me. I am curious to see what the future will hold for all of us... I do know that I can make a difference and that I also need to make sure to get out there and help to make the world around me better. Who knows just what will be achieved in the next day, the next year, the next 4 years... But here is to Ride of a lifetime!

It's Great to be Auntie Comi!!!

The weekend was spent with my nephews!!! Jake wanted to cuddle in my bed which would have pushed us over the edge... Literally! I sure did pull out my oh so comfy air mattress and the best sleeping bag ever and showed him how truly comfortable it is... Then put on Transformers and turned off the lights! it was around 11:30 when we started the movie... I was fading really fast and everyone knows that movies are the best in the dark that late at night!!! I turned to look at Porter and saw that his eyes were closed, he was OUT!!! Jake however could outlast anyone with all his limitless energy every once in a while would say COMI... which would startle me awake and I would say Of course I am still awake! The final time I said you know I think its time for bed!!! We got up in the morning, after a night filled with Porter plastered to my side. (who does he think he is sleeping in the middle... he's not Nicomi!) I told him he was an oven and that I was sizzling, he jumped on top of me and I would say SIZZLE, SIZZLE... which would make him laugh! Jake showed me his skills on the Wii playing Star Wars ALL DAY! We did go for breakfast and then played some more Wii... Finaly Porter claimed boredom and got into his board shorts for a swim in the inviting pool in the back yard!!! Jake went right in... i asked him how cold it was and his response was "its pretty cold!" everytime he would take a step in. Once we were sufficiently frozen the war of splashing started with us using kickboards as shields and then the 3 of us tried to float on one floating bed... Porter the smallest almost drowning Jake and I made me laugh! We came back and enjoyed some popcorn until I was called into work. You know I wouldn't trade anytime that I have with them for anything in the world! Its great to be ME!!!

Jakes Baptism!

Yesterday Jake got baptized and I got to give the baptism talk. I have to admit, i put off preparing for it but I couldn't help but think... what can I really say that hasn't been said before? I thought about what baptism means to me, and for me its trying to know Christ on a daily basis. I couldn't help but to think about some of Christ characteristics and to think that when I try to gain some of his characterisics I come to know and understand him better. I probably failed miserably to convey my thoughts both there and here but It made sense to me! As I was driving out to the church i had a glimpse of what it would be like in the eternities...to be surrounded by family and the pure joy that it would be! I was amazed at the thought of truly being a part of an eternal family and to see it as clearly as i did was a definitely needed moment in my life. My grandma was sitting there in her wheelchair and she kept saying, "did you ever think that this all started with grandpa and I and the choices that we made!" I could tell that she was humbled by the thought! It made me happy that at the end of her life (a very very heartbreaking thought) she got to see the fruits of her labor. All around it was a great day!

YET ANOTHER ONE!!!

I just did this wedding of one of my clients. It was at the wild animal park and it was really a cool place to have it! My mom and sister helped out, without them it would have really sucked trying to set this thing up! so here are some of the highlights... ending with the picture that I had the person driving us back to our car... we passed the lion enclosure... the big male was up on the broken down car and he popped his head up and looked at us. by the time we stopped we were parallel to him. I took the picture and my mom says, "thats what you always wanted, a picture of balls!" Sure enough that is exactly what I got! she really makes me laugh!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ireland!

So Here I am Driving on the Left side of the road!!! Everything was good... I just asked them to tell me when I was on the wrong side and what roads I was needing to be on before I got to them! Cortney was the best co pilot a girl could ask for and Tzenni-Bah was the best passenger anyone could want! I had the hardest time when I had to reverse out of a spot and then drive... It still bends my mind! I think that there were a couple of moments that even to the day we left still made all of us say WAIT THAT'S NOT RIGHT!!! We all screamed while we were in the airport when a truck passed us for the first time and I don't think the shifting was ever going to go all that smoothly because it was hard to get into the gear being on the opposite side as I was used to!!!
The most beautiful beach... But it was SOOOOO COOOOLLLLDDDD! We literally snapped pictures and I put my hands in the Atlantic and then we sure did run back to the car!
I was Screaming "I CAN DO IT!!!" Because literally it was so windy that it was blowing people backwards and making it really hard to get up the stairs! I had to buy this hat because I have such sensitive ears! But I did and I will admit it I look like I was a Special Ed student! My nickname became Ed.
Ed and Hammy!

Tzenni-Bah's nickname became Hammy because she was the ham to our sandwich!

we were taking the coolest pictures on my camera and this is the angle from Tzenni-Bahs camera

this is in the coolest Tower Castle we came across (in my mind) it was empty pretty much and it was pretty easy to envision the life that was lived here! The day was POURING rain and this castle wasn't really sealed up... you would be walking up the stairs and you would get water in your face! I could not imagine having to live here back when there was just tapestry up on the wall to give you a little insulation!
Going on the Ferry out to the Aran Islands... it was a 30 minute ride that was only blemished by a bratty boy that was giving me crusty's then talking crap... I wanted to smack him!
One of the 2 traditional thatched houses left on the island... but even then they will just end up falling down because as Patrick said "As they say no matter what they do to a old house, its still an old house!"
The cliffs here are unimaginable... You literally can walk to the edge (obviously) and one gust of wind and you would be no more! I walked right up and looked over... Cortney laid down on her stomach and peered over... the next thing I know she had 10 other people on their stomachs looking over! It was hysterical! This was my absolute favorite day in Ireland! The sun was out and it was warm and beautiful! When we got there we took out to the site a horse and buggy and asked this poor guy a million questions! He was really fun to listen to and it was cool to see all the history in this place!

THIS IS THE CONNEMARA THE DRIVE AROUND IT WAS AMAZING

I thought this was the best door in Ireland! It really sums up my life and what I need right now!
Drinking Orange Soda in lieu of Mead at Bunratty's traditional Irish Dinner. We Sang, ate and talked to some really cool people! One of the Singers was threatening to spank some of the other guests and was making this group of grown men blush like school girls! I really wanted to take a picture of it but couldn't catch the right angle!
So you eat with your hands some ribs... Grease all over the hands... I was cleaning them in a refreshing bowl of lemon water and realizing I sure did have a small cut on one of my hands!

Its going to be okay!!!

On the way out to Dingle... The drive through the Peninsula was BEAUTIFUL!!! We made it to the Wine and Food and Art festival... Really the only thing that was good about this festival (which was 5-6 booths, 10 pieces of art and people looking at nothing!) was the hottest man in the first booth! He was good goin' in and great comin' out!

King Johns Castle in Limerick... It was crazy to learn just what destruction happened here... I am a firm believer that the land speaks and as we were in the town walking around i was ready to leave! But it was cool to see really cool to leave!

The Rock Of Cashel was a very windy but amazing complex of Churches. It was amazing to walk around and see the intricate masonry that was all throughout the church. The oldest tomb was in 1525... I thought it was cool to see that the Arch Bishop and His wife were buried here together in one alcove of the church! This was one of my favorite things that we saw! You can't go to Ireland and Not kiss the Blarney Stone! So here is Blarney Castle! There are a set of stairs to go up and a set of stairs to go down... Going up was pretty darn scary! The steps were narrow and steep and the stairs were crazy as you got closer to the top! I sure did lay down and kiss the stone upside down!!! As you get around the corner there is a sign that says... Has the Blarney Stone been Moved... Probably! Oh Great... I just laid down and kissed the same spot that thousands of other people have kissed and its just some rock wall that some drunk Irishman told other people lets make people kiss this rock wall and say its the blarney stone and make lots of money... I just felt a little grossed out that my lips touched a wall that it is reported people have pee'd on. Yeah, that's GREAT!
Staying in Carlow... I think that this was the hardest bed I have ever attempted to sleep in!!! But the Good thing was... THERE WERE 3 BEDS!!!

So this was the last day on the bus into the airport from Hertz to the airport to catch the bus into Dublin to tour the city for the final day of our tour of Ireland! We went to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. They were Beautiful old Scriptures. After you are done with seeing the books you go up to the Long Room. I have to say that this Library is quiet and beautiful and peaceful. There is a spirit that is unlike any other place I have ever been. I was in awe as I looked on the 2 floors of ancient books and to see the busts of Aristotle and Plato and the likes looking on... It was amazing! We walked into the city and I just followed Cortney and Tzenni-Bah hoping they knew where they were!

So here is the Saddest things that I Did on this trip... On the bus ride out of Dublin on the last day I was sitting there enjoying looking through my pictures. I couldn't wait to put them on my computer and to blog about them. There was a picture that said, Image too large, So I thought to myself I'll just change the pixel size on this picture and then it won't be too large... I clicked the button and then the bar came up and swoop the line was quickly from one side to the other and then NO IMAGE FOUND. I had erased every one of my pictures. I sat there stunned (Tzenni-Bah had done the same thing earlier in the day and I didn't know how she did it!) I told them what I had done. Then I sat there after Cortney gave me a you are soooo DUMB look and I couldn't help it... I started LAUGHING!!! I sat there and Laughed, Cortney Joined in and we Laughed until we had tears!!!