Friday, July 29, 2011

6 months ago

6 months ago I was 37 1/2 weeks pregnant at home sitting on my couch in my white WSU sweat pants (that detail will be important later I promise) watching Grey's Anatomy re-runs on Lifetime as I did most afternoons. It was either that or America's Next Top Model. In fact Nick could tell you the winner of seasons 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. He would come home for lunch, see Tyra, Nigel and Ms. J and say - AGAINNNN?!?! I am obsessed.

*My pregnancy journey every 2 weeks starting at week 20.

**Yes that is Nick sleeping away in my 34 week pic. We were in Mexico. He was a bum. I was ready for the pool.

At that time I was working as a division recruiter for Combined Insurance. I was responsible for the recruitment activity for 8 states so needless to say I was busy and traveled WAY too much. I am pretty sure I calculated attending over 40 university (one time can we please talk about how a 22 year old engineering major at WSU asked me to dinner and drinks at the career fair??!?!?! Oh yeah, I was 5 months pregnant and had just told him about how I met my husband there. What nerve!)/community career fairs or specific Combined recruitment events in 2010. At 35 weeks pregnant, my doctor put the kibosh on travel so my work was confined to my living room until Cruz decided to come.

Anyway...it was 3:15pm.

I had gotten done with my work for the day, had showered and was browsing through my Rachael Ray Magazine for dinner ideas. My plan was to figure out dinner and head to Albertsons to grab groceries. I sent Nick a text message (verbatim from my iPhone): “Do u want buffalo chicken tacos or nut crusted tilapia?”

No answer

I wait 15 minutes and decide myself we are having the tacos - cause well nut crusted fish sounds inappropriate and as I am writing my grocery list, it happens. I feel THE gush people warn you about. Very quickly I get up off the couch and run to the downstairs bathroom hoping I had just peed my pants. I WAS NOT READY!

I looked down at my white WSU sweat pants and there it was - pink. I looked down in the toilet - pink. HOLY CRAP, my water just broke!

I grab my phone to call my sister. Em answers on the third ring (yes I totally remember that BTW) and I go, "Uhhhh I think my water just broke". There was only a slight silence before she starts freaking out! She tells me to call my doctor and to call her right back.

I call my doc - she tells me to head to labor and delivery as soon as I possibly can. HOLY CRAP.

It is 3:45pm, I call Nick. No answer

I call again, no answer

I call again, no answer

I call for the 4th time when he picks up the phone. He goes, "Sorry I was on the phone with a client. I want the tacos".

FOR GOODNESS SAKE, he thought I was bugging him about DINNER!

I told him that my water had just broke. Ohhh - what a good way to really throw someone off guard. He asked me if he needed to come home right then. I practically yelled YES, you need to come home in the midst of my SOBS. I was shaking, sobbing and so scared. I really wasn't ready. I hadn't gotten my delivery mani/pedi, hadn't packed my bag, Nick's bag was not packed, my designer delivery gown was still in the dryer as it had come HOURS prior, Cruz's bag was half packed, the house was not cleaned, meals were not made and frozen, the dogs were not taken care of and worse yet - my mom was on a flight back from New York and was not scheduled to arrive till 9pm. At least I had showered - but what people DON'T tell you is that the amniotic fluid doesn't stop leaking once your water breaks. I was dribbling pink amniotic fluid all over the house like a rusty faucet.

After he calmly told me to relax and that he would come home right away to help me get ready he ended our convo with - Woah, we are having a baby tonight! And he was right.

Everything from then on went rapid speed.

5:15pm: Head to the hospital

5:30pm: Check-in - thank goodness we didn't have to go far.

6:00pm: Dilated to a 1

6:00pm: Erin arrived with all of my entertainment mags and a carton of oreo cookies. She knows me so well. Starting at about 25 weeks, NO JOKE, I ate one carton of reduced fat double stuffed oreos per week. ALL BY MYSELF. Nick would make fun of me at which point I would go to the pantry and stuff my face. Ask me if I cared? Don't keep the pregnant lady away from her food.

6:30pm: I feel my first contraction.

6:30pm: Nick runs to get Jack in the Box. He totally ate in front of me. Since clearly we hadn't eaten dinner yet the last thing I ate was a Lean Cuisine at 12 and I was hungry. You are not allowed to eat once you get checked-in. He was nice and asked if I cared but what do you say to that?

7:00pm: Dilated to a 2. Request an epidural. I am sorry but even at at 2, I was super uncomfortable. I am a total wuss and have MAD respect for women who can do it without drugs. I am most certainly not one of them.

7:30pm: Receive my epi.

7:35pm: Feel LOADS better.

8:00pm: Erin leaves. Nick and I turn on Fox News.

9:30pm: Mom and Em arrive. Dilated to a 4.

10:30pm: Dilated to a 6

12:00am: Dilated to an 8

1:00am: Dilated to a 10. Time to start pushing. HOLY BALLS!

1:39am: After 39 minutes of pushing to the point I thought my face might literally fall off or I might break every blood vessel in my eye balls, Cruz makes his entrance.

The first week was tough. I felt like a crazy lady - crying at nothing, trying to figure out how to take care of something so entirely dependent on ONLY you, dealing with Cruz's jaundice, hearing him scream getting his blood drawn every day for the first 7 days of his life.

People don't tell you this could happen to your baby.

Being a parent is still not easy. In fact, it is the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life but boy is it worth it. Every milestone, every smile, every precious moment...

I remember 6 months ago because it goes by so fast. I remember 6 months ago so I can always remember Nick's voice on the phone when I called to tell him it was time, remember being wheeled down to my room, remember what getting an epidural felt like, remember how I felt when Erin dropped everything including a dinner date to be by my side, remember how strong and able I felt pushing so hard, remember how my mom, Emily and Nick encouraged me every one of those 39 minutes I was pushing my hardest then yelled when he came out and most importantly remember how it felt to have Cruz placed on my chest and have that first moment finally happen – the moment when Nick, Cruz and I became a family.

So for the sake of remembering, let's take a look down memory lane at Cruz's first week of life.


*Minutes old

*Hours old

*Day 2 - About to leave the hospital in his going home outfit

*Day 3 - Sleeping on mom

*Day 4 - First doctor's apt.

*Day 4 - Being really cute

*Day 5 - Getting some sun, fresh out of a bath

*Day 6 - My little glowbug

*Day 7


Thursday, July 28, 2011

Preshy Love

Can you blame me for wanting to kiss him every second of every day???!

**Thanks Jasmine for the pic!

10 year reunion



It is a topic that has come up at least once per coffee/dinner/breakfast Fearsome Foursome get together we have had the last 6 months. Our upcoming 10 year reunion. Should we go? Should we not go? Who do you think will go? Will it be fun? Should we care?

It is something that makes me both incredibly nervous and incredibly excited. Remember, I am shy and while I may seem confident - I am actually quite terrified at how people perceive me.

First off let's get somethings straight. I was not popular in high school - no way. The popular girls were edgy, hot, dated older guys, got asked to every dance and were 3 for 3 on the homecoming queen ballot. I most def was not edgy or hot. I didn't date older guys, was not asked to every dance and was only on the homecoming ballot my sophomore year. That's all.

With all that said, I did love high school. While I was not popular, I think there were a few people that knew who I was and I feel for the most part I was respected. It helped that I dated the football running back for 3 years, got involved in leadership, was ASB secretary my senior year, had a sis who was a local celebrity, and had friends like Kristi V., Lauren, JoAnna and Erin who were all something else. I didn't drink, do drugs and for the most part, I stayed out of trouble (minus the time Erin and I took my car - I was 15 - to a track meet and got caught by my mom who happened to drive by the school as I was about to pull onto Sullivan or the time a friend's mom happened to catch me take a lit, used cigarette off the sidewalk and take a puff - yeah she called my mom immediately....anyyywayyy...).

There were a lot of people I became friends with in high school or even junior high that, unfortunately, I don't keep in touch with anymore. Amazing friends like Christine, Casey, Alisha...

While we can all see what each other is up to on Facebook, it is not the same. All three of those ladies and I have shared secrets, laughs, crazy 'remember that one time' moments and good cries.

That is the reason I want to go.

Not because I have something to prove (I am still not hot BTW and just to make sure expectations are set - I am about 20 lbs heaver than I was in high school) or because I want to show off my husband - even though he is super hot - or tell everyone about my AMAZING life...cause lets face it, it is not that amazing. I haven't changed the world. I don't have a masters or PHD. I most certainly don't have a new car, designer shoes, or a high paying job. Right now I don't EVEN HAVE A HOUSE!

I am just a normal girl who is a wife and a new mom. I have a good job that helps relieve the pressure my husband feels to provide for our home. I have life long friends who I would die for and I often think of the ones I miss from back in the days where cares were a little bit lighter.

Friday is going to be a great time - it will be as fun as we make it right?! Between now and then, I am checking off my to-dos - cause to be dead honest, I don't want to show up looking like the chow puppy I referred to here or look like an absolute bum.

SOOOOOO...to celebrate tomorrow's event here are 10 tips for the 10 year reunion by a guy by the name of Tyler Stanton. I have no idea who he is - came across his blog stalking. Some of them made me laugh.

1. Study up on Facebook
This can be a great tool to remember names and faces, but be sure to use it wisely. It might appear a tad stalkerish if you start a conversation out with a reference to the “Which Lord of the Rings Character Are You?” quiz that they took last February. There’s really nowhere for the conversation to go after this.

2. Save up
We had to take out a second mortgage in order to cover our admission cost. I’m still working on the math, but I think it came out to about $35 per drink and $60 per miniature barbecue sandwich.

3. Use spouse wisely
If your planners weren’t wise enough to provide name tags, use your spouse to find out the names you should already know. Amy and I have the system down to perfection:

Me: [Double-tap the back of Amy's elbow to initiate fool-proof name investigation system]
Amy: Hi, I’m Amy.
Guy: Hi, I’m Neil.
Me: Oh, I’m sorry Neil. That was so rude of me. I thought you, Neil, and Amy had already met. How are things in Neil‘s world…Neil?

4. Have phone handy
Any time an awkward silence arises, whip out your phone and pretend you have a call. Politely whisper that this is your “new babysitter” as you roll your eyes and apologetically leave the conversation.

5. Don’t talk about old times
Never use the word “remember” to start a sentence. The last thing you want is to be dubbed The Nostalgic Guy who keeps bringing up that time you did a group project together sophomore year.

6. Do talk about old times
OK, when Doug gets into his 19th consecutive minute of talking about politics, feel free to interject with your favorite thing about that group project sophomore year – even if he wasn’t part of the group.

7. Come with a comfort zone
Believe it or not, the same cliques exist ten years later. Make sure to bring your clique with you as a comfort zone. Establish a home base early on (near the back), and periodically branch off into the sea of awkwardness, knowing that there is a mother ship that awaits your return.

8. Chew gum
Guess who people want to talk to less than Nostalgic Guy? You guessed it – Halitosis Guy. Don’t hesitate to display some gum pride and share the love.

9. Engage in some friendly competition
Hold a competition amongst your clique members to see how many different professions you can claim to have throughout the evening. It’s amazing how trusting people are. Apparently I can pass for a librarian, a professional scuba diver, a dentist, and a nun. I’m even scheduled to do a home inspection next Thursday.

10. Know when to stay home
100% of all conversations begin the same way – “What are you up to these days?” If you’re nearing thirty and you still don’t have a job, it might be best to stay home and play Madden ’09. After all, you know you’d rather be doing that anyway.


Wednesday, July 27, 2011

NRS

*August 5, 2006

In honor of our upcoming 5 year wedding anniversary- I have constructed a poem for my hot hub (inspired by my sis). Enjoy.

Nicholas Robert
Ambitious, Impulsive, Uncompromising, Suave, Fiery, Capable, Beyond Gorgeee
Son of the one true King
Who needs physical touch, quality time, respect from his wife, independence, professional success, and to know that his dad is proud of him
Who loves his family, his hometeam, being social, giving of his time to help others, the cougs, green bay packers, Ron Paul and Ronald Reagan, MMA, newcastle brown ale, learning and working on our home, a good home cooked meal, and fazzari's pizza
Who sees the world in black and white and an untapped potential in he and I and what we are capable of
He is his wife's biggest cheerleader
Who fears failure and children who are not polite and respectful
Who is excited to travel the world, create a real estate empire, inspire his son, and give back to his family
Who dreams of owning his own business, building our dream house, seeing his cousin again in Heaven, growing old with his hot wife and watching his kids be successful
Resident of Spokane, WA
Salzwedel

I crazy love Nick and know God answered my many prayers by giving me a mate who compliments me in so many ways, a lover who is sexy, supportive and encouraging and now a father to our son who is hands-on, patient (most days when he isn't throwing binkies at the wall at 5am - that really happens BTW hence the word fiery) and beyond loving.

Bottom line, Nick: there isn't anyone more perfect for me than you.



Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Meaningful Beauty and My Perfect Day

As stated in a previous post I am a passionate person. When I love something or someone, people know it. When I love a person it will come in the form of bum cupping, lots and lots of xoxoxoxoxox in a text or an email, gifts, service, fierceeee loyalty and telling everyone ELSE how I love this person or this person. When I love something it is - OH.EMMM.GEEE, I am IN LOVEEEEE with this or that, "I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!! " (Meaningful Beauty. You know the skin care line by Cindy Crawford?! I am obsessed. Just ask my bro in law who laughs at the story of how I came to purchase this glorious skin care system to this day. Yes - it totally auto ships to my house every 5 months....I keep telling Nick he should be thankful in the midst of one HUGGGEEE eye roll. I also keep telling him that because of Cindy and the crazy French melon, I will look like I am 25 when I am 50.), Ummmmmmm, ARHHHHHHH - pretty much, some crazy growl or grunt.

*Cindy: You are stunning and I only hope to look like you when I am 50. Thank you for making me believe it is possible.

Anyway, one of my favorite examples of the aforementioned growls and grunts is when we go out to eat with the in-laws. Truth time: I love food. Like, really really love food. Nothing makes me happier then one outstanding meal with my faves. Throw in some cupcakes from Cupcake Love or Jamz in CDA?!?!?! I'm in heaven. Back to the in-laws. We LOVEEEE introducing Nick's mom and step-dad to new fun restaurants in Spokane (they live in Lewiston where the selection, in my humble opinion, wouldn't be deemed as adventurous). I can guarantee a comment or a laugh from Cathy if I can pick a great dinner choice. Here I am - OHHHH man...Oh babe, you have GOT to take a bite...Uhhghhhh...This is SO GOOD...Holy goodness... PS: I don't do it just to get the comment. If I do any of those things it is because I really mean it. So, there Cathy is in the seat beside me laughing, slapping Dan on the shoulder all while doing similar things, why? Because the food is just that good!

Now that I have exposed my outrageous outbursts, let me share with you my perfect day.

Perfect Day you say?! Yes, this is the day where - bringing out my WWE references - it is totally NO HOLDS BARRED! Forget the calorie counting, work, chores, and general life responsibilities. Throw caution to the wind. You get to do whatever you want. ALL DAY! You are about to see what I mean. Here is my perfect day.

7am - Wake up my babe.
I go into his room, lift his sweet little body out of his crib and say, "Gooooddddd Morning Preshy! Did you have a good sleep? I love you Preshy." Within 2 seconds, he opens his tired/swollen eyes and give me the biggest half smile ever. Uhhhggg. Melt my heart.

7:30am - Wake up my other babe by bringing Cruz into our bed along with two cups of coffee - complete with vanilla chai spice creamer and 1 splenda for me and a spoonful of the real stuff for Nick.

8am - Breakfast: Chaps.
It is so good there it was even on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Baked Oatmeal??! OMG. Two orders please.
*After breakfast two cupcakes from Cupcake Love. Vanilla Bean and S more.

9am - Leave Cruz and Nick to go grab coffee with the Fearsome Foursome for much needed bestie time. 2 hours MINIMUM.

11am - Mani/pedi with my dear friend Kelly Haas - after hitting up Starbucks for a venti black iced tea, sweetened and a birthday cake pop. Nothing beats a Jenny, Mimi or Sue mani/pedi at Nail Palace in LL.

12pm - Lunch with my Mom and Em at Nordstrom Cafe followed by a makeover at MAC and some serious shopping. I leave Nordstrom with a FULL bag of all the newest MAC.

2pm - Meet Cruz and Nick at Home Depot to look at appliances, wood floor, carpet, window coverings and pick out paint.

2:30pm - Drive to our almost new house, eat some cherries and plan where to put the appliances, wood floor, carpet and new paint.

3pm -Head to Em's house, pick up all the kids and head to Target. Listen to Lucy yelling from the back seat: lemonade, lemonade, I need lemonade all the way there. First stop - lemonade and popcorn at the Target food court.

3:30pm - Leave with at LEAST $50 dollars worth of who-knows-what from Target. Drive to Starbucks for the third coffee of the day. Engage in a friendly debate on the way back from Starbucks regarding birth control vs. no birth control and weather or not she should have a third baby. Down some more cupcakes then go back to Em's to get Cruz and Nick.

4pm - Cruz, Nick and I go grab a tub of fries (just the name - tub o' fries sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen BUT WHO CARES right?!?! Throw caution to the wind remember?) at Zips and eat them all. Then we go next door to A&W for a root beer float.

4:15pm - We stop by Baby Gap and get Cruz some fall necessities.

4:30pm - Hit up Barnes and Noble. Nick goes to the non fiction section or reads MMA mags while I go look at bridal mags, House Beautiful, Elle Decor and skim through the latest In Style. Oh and while I am currently NOT pregnant, I would take Cruz to the baby section and we would read through baby names. Baby Salzwedel #2, if a boy, does not have a name and that is no good. He needs a name pronto so Cruz and I would discuss them and take our favorites to Nick. The next 20 minutes would entail bothering Nick with an array of crazy names and him not liking a single one.

5pm - Make Nick drop me off at Koi really quick to get my eyebrows done. Maureen is a GODDESS. Nothing says fresh clean face more than recently sculpted eyebrows. There is something about it - makes me feel pretty. Weird I know. Plus I am half Hispanic thanks to my mexi tot mama. If eyebrow sculpting doesn't happen, I look like a chow puppy. Looking back at pictures of me in Jr. High is flat embarrassing.

5:30pm - Finally dinner time. Ohh tough choice - dinner at either Hay Js in LL or Santes next to Aunties Bookstore downtown.

At Hay Js I would order: Parmesan crusted halibut, mushroom goat cheese soup and a mojito. Nick and I would split the tapas plate to start.

At Santes Nick and I would do the 7 course meal with the wine paring. We did it for our 4 year anniversary - well minus the wine cause I was pregnant with Cruz - and it was PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!! We were at dinner for 2 hours and loved every small second of it. The best part is, the chef picks the menu. You never know what is going to come out next.

If you have not been to Santes, go! You won't regret it.

7pm - Jamz in CDA for after dinner fro yo. Half cake batter with peanut butter cup, half cookies and cream with brownie chunks topped with marshmallow sauce.

7:30pm - Put the Preshy down to bed after a bath and bottle.

7:30-8pm - Browse the internet for real estate with Nick. More dreaming and scheming.

8pm - Miss USA pageant (just the question and answer part and the crowning) followed by Design Star. This, while drinking a Starbucks (4th of the day...a grande SKVL, no foam with a straw) and surfing the net on my laptop. Have to catch up on the 1,000,000,000 blogs I stalk.

*While we are watching the pageant, BTW, I am coming up with my own 'final questions' and making Nick impromptu answer them. "Nick, you have 20 seconds to answer the following question: What do you think about Arizona's controversial immigration law?" "Ohh I have another one: Nick, What do you think about giving young girls birth control at13 to help period cramps?" He loves this part.

10pm - Head to bed with the hub. Talk about our perfect day. Play on our phones - Nick catching up on MMA news and me looking at Facebook.

10:15pm - 'Hey Tell' (iPhone app) Emily to tell her about something I just read on Facebook or do a wrap up on the day.

10:30pm - Make out sesh.

11pm - Prayers thanking God for making the perfect day possible and for my family. Then Sleep.

What would your perfect day look like?

Oh and because we need some Preshy up in here, here is my all time fave being the model he is - 6 months old in 4 more days? What, how?!?!




Happy Tuesday!
xoxoxoxoxoxox - see there I go again...


Monday, July 25, 2011

Kitchen Inspiration


This weekend was filled with too much almost new house talk. Nick and I are totally like that - the second we get our heads and hearts into something we talk it to death. Seriously - that house will be fully designed by the time we maybe move in considering we still have 90 days to go.

This time around we have decided to go with something bright, contemporary and sleek with some unexpected sparkle!

Our last kitchen re-do was inspired by two kitchens. Here they are in all of their dark design deliciousness (totally channeling my Martyn Lawrence Bullard).

*The Antonio Project
{Via Here}

*Jeff Lewis Design
{Via Here}

Nick and his Home Depot friends custom created a dark brown/black oil based paint for our cabinets. After a week of stripping then sanding and sanding and sanding then painting and painting and painting and painting, they were hung back up, fitted with new jewelry (kitchen pulls) and wooo boy...talk about room changing! They were amazing and totally fit with the look of our design scheme.

Our almost new house on the other hand doesn't quite have that modern vibe.

Maybe because it is 52 years old and clearly not brand new - which we LOVEEEEE.

Anyway here are some kitchens that are throwing our panties into a HUGE bunch. Major love coming from these Salzwedels.






{Via Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here}

What do you think?

Happy Monday!

Friday, July 22, 2011

HBK, HBK, HBK!


HBK Shawn Michaels is my childhood hero - the childhood hero that makes a kid dream big and believe anything is possible! The hero that from age 8 to age 22 I loved more than anything...except maybe my daddy.


HBK! HBK! HBK! - I can still very vividly hear the roar of the crowd at Wrestlemania XIX on March 30, 2003. I was sitting 10 rows back at Safeco Field watching the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels walk out to a spectacle of pyrotechnics and shimmy down the catwalk, stripping his rhinestone clothing to his theme song, Sexy Boy. "Ooh ooh ooh Shawn. I think I am hot, I think I am sexy, I've got the looks that drive the girls wild..." (my sister and I can sing you the WHOLE song - yeah, pretty proud of that). It was an indescribable experience being there, I mean WILDDD. One of the very best days of my life.

This brings me to today's post, my top 13. Here are 13 fun-unique-bet-you-didn't-know-maybe-new-maybe-not-so-new-facts about me. Ready?

1. OBSESSED with HBK.
To this day I am shocked my mom let me love him. A WWE wrestler..really? This coming from a mom and dad who wouldn't let my sis and I listen to secular music until we hit grade 8.

I ordered every Summer Slam, Wrestlemania, Royal Rumble on PPV for like 10 years, subscribed to the WWE (back then of course if was WWF) magazine and plastered HBK cutouts from my mag subscription all over my bedroom wall IN HIGH SCHOOL and even did my HS senior project on HBK's life and career complete with a home video of me and my high school boyfriend demoing his finishing move. Oh and the day tickets went on sale for Wrestlemania XIX, I woke up at 6am only to stalk Ticketmaster by re-dialing their phone number until tickets went on sale at 9am so I could get great seats. I am hard core.

2. I am a proud member of the GOP - that's right a constitution-loving, pro-life, stop taxing EVERYTHING, pro-small business (cause that's where the real jobs are created) get the government out of health care, thinks global warming is laughable, George W. Bush social conservative republican!

At WSU, I joined the College Republicans. That is when my love for politics took off. There I became a club officer, helped with the 2004 Bush campaign and the 2004 McMorris-Rodgers campaign.

After graduation, my love of politics only grew. Nick and I campaigned for the 2008 Huckabee campaign even participated in the local caucus. Most evenings, if we aren't watching Big Brother or HGTV you will find us watching Fox News.

I totally want to dive into local politics. I will be running for city council and would love to one day run for Mayor.

**BTW, if I could french kiss anyone other than my husband, I would totally french kiss GWB. I think he is the most darllllinggg man on the planet. I am a LARGE fan.


Get it done Mr. President, get. it. done.

3. I love Starbucks.
It is a sick love, one I am sure I share with far too many people. My drink of choice, a grande skinny vanilla latte, no foam, with a straw. The last two parts are pretty important. If I can feel my drink is 'light', I send it back. This drives my husband crazy but my thought - hey if you are paying $3.50 for a good cup of coffee, you better get every last sip you can. Foam takes up at least 3 sips from my straw. My mom, dad, sis and I know the Liberty Lake Starbucks folk by name. Peter, Andy, Chan, Mallori, Trish, Tim and Joel...all outstanding individuals who make great coffee.

4. Delta Delta Delta, how can I help ya, help ya, help ya.
I am a sister of the Tri Delta fraternity. It was actually my third choice on preference day. When I opened my bid card in the middle of Martin Stadium, I cried. Funny how everything turns out as it should...a year later I became President and got way too involved. Cut me open and I bleed blue, yellow, pansies, pine trees, dolphins and Sarah Ida Shaw. Tri Delta was the most fun I have ever had. EVER. I met some of the best people and had some of the best pee-your-pants laughs in my life. My sisters also helped me through the most difficult time of my life - I will always be forever grateful. One standout memory - there are so many - is when Mia, Milf, Claire and I were watching initiation videos up in the President's room, just for fun. Mesha walked in, saw what we were doing, cussed us out and walked off. I laugh as I type. I love my sisters.



5. I am a pretty bad driver - getting better but kinda still bad.
Okay let's just be honest, driving from Pullman to Spokane is a &@&#(. There are sneaky little cops that hide out in Colfax waiting for you to go 1 MILE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. During a 5 year time, I got 6 speeding tickets, a failure to stop at a stop sign ticket and a trailing to close ticket. The state of Washington told me if I got ONE MORE ticket in a 12 month time I would get my license suspended. Safe to say I was a good girl and still have a drivers license OH and might I add I haven't gotten a ticket in like 1 year.

6. My family are bunch of superstar athletes and Nick and I are....well, not?!?!
If you are from Spokane you probably know my sister. She is an all american, superstar basketball player. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times someone has come up to me and said - Do I know you? Great game last night! Are you that basketball player? How are you liking Arizona State? You look so familiar?! Most times, due to not wanting to make someone feel stupid, I would play along with it and tell them that ASU was great, why thank you - had some great assists in last night's game or yeah I played at CV. She even went on to be drafted in the WNBA. Yeah - she is that fab!

Anyway, here is the rundown:

Mom - Cheerleader at Oregon State University (that is how she met my D-line stud of a dad). Thanks to her cheer days, she can still moves her hips like JLo.
Dad - Starting d-line tackle phenom at Oregon State. Once in college, a couple of beers in, he ripped a stop sign out of CONCRETE...in front of a cop... yeah didn't go over well. Went on to play with the Oakland Raiders for a short stint. Nick still to this day says my dad is the strongest person he knows.
Em - Starting forward at ASU (too many accolades to share) and 3rd round draft pick with the Phoenix Mercury - opted not to play so she could marry Mr. Love and have babies.
Grayling - Ex-300+ lb. o-line beast at Arizona State. Went on to play with the Steelers for a short time before marrying my sis, making Spokane his home and loosing 150lbs.
Nick - Intramural sport player at WSU.
Ashley - Varsity tennis player in high school. That's all I got.

7. I lived in Granada, Spain for 6 months in College.
Best experience ever. I would recommend studying abroad to anyone. It allowed me to become darn close to fluent in Spanish and travel the world. One day, I am hopeful Nick's job will take us overseas to live, if even for a short time.

8. I am shy.
Yes - shy. I really don't like new situations, don't like to be social and don't like people I don't know. Nick totally carries the team in social situations. Crazy huh considering I am an HR manager and my JOB is to recruit/hire people and deal with employee issues?!

9. I want my son to either be a model or an MMA fighter.
Don't quite know what else to say other than he will NEVER wear any type of t-shirt that has a picture of a dino or puppy on it. Also, it better never say - daddy's slugger on it. He sports a faux hawk and wears polos. I need to submit the million pictures I take of him a day to modeling agencies. He need to work a major campaign.

10. Bianca Nicole Salzwedel is my first born - a shih-poo puppy Nick gave to me for my 24th birthday.
If Nick would allow me to name our daughter after her, I totally would.

*Her first night home.

11. My husband has the best hair and the best buns. Ever.
I like to walk around cupping his buns. He hates it.

12. Nothing makes happier than Cupcake Love's cupcakes.
TO DIEEEE FOR. The vanilla bean cupcake is what I hope heaven smells like.

Okay - I am going to wrap up with #13.

13. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the living God and that he came to this earth to save you and me from eternal separation from the Father.
He is my personal savior and is present in our home and in the middle of our marriage. My prayer is that, by our actions, my family can be a light to those who need one and for those who don't, an encouragement.

Okay - ended a bit heavy but boy was that fun.

So it's your turn.


Heather from Crooks Clan

Cecelia from Sincerely Cecelia


I want the goods! Tell me your wild top13.

Happy Friday!
xoxo, Ashley

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Cherry Cobbler

Design love.

A huge part of the Salzwedel abode. We love...wait...are obsessed with design and real estate. Talk about shared passion - Nick and I have it BAD. We count down the days to Design Star, Flipping Out with Jeff Lewis, Flip this House (lovveee Armando), Million Dollar whatever and could watch HGTV for hours. I mean seriously - the other day HGTV was featuring a Property Brothers marathon and I happened to catch it. I DVR'd 8 episodes. When Nick got home from work I told him about my amazing catch and you would have thought it was Christmas. "ALL RIGHT BABBEEE" is what he said followed by immediately telling me he was skipping his run (he is getting ready for the Spokane to Sandpoint run) so we could watch it all night. We started at 7:30, after Cruz hit the hay, and finally closed our eyes at 11. Ya, totally how we roll.

Beside the fact we love TV we also take our passion for design and real estate on the road. Often we will be driving through town and one of us will go -

"Hey wanna go to Home Depot and look at appliances?"
"Hey wanna go to Carpet One and look for hard wood flooring?"
"Hey let's go to Dania and see what they have."

Mind you, we don't need appliances, wood flooring or furniture.

We also are very prone to busting into an open house and creating fake professions and fake names cause CLEARLY we just want to snoop and are obsessed with finding fun, new, exciting real estate.

Ashley - Ohhhh open house, turn here.
Nick - Alright
Ashley - We need to come up with fake names and fake jobs. My name is Lola. What's your?
Nick- Mike??
Ashley - Good one. What is your job? I am a beauty pageant producer.
Nick - I'll be a landscape architect.
Ashley - Okay great. If they ask, let's tell them we just sold our house and are looking for something 'exactly like this'. We have 3 kids and 3 dogs and just moved here from Oregon. Oh you can tell them we have been married for 15 years too if you want.
Nick - Ohhh babeee. Fiiinnee.
Ashley - Remember to call me Lola, Mike.
Nick - (Chuckle)

It always ends up that I make chummy with the Realtor and make him or her think I am so interested I will talk my husband into making an offer 200k over asking. It's pretty great.

I might go as far as to call us house flippers - you see, we have lived in 3 houses in the short 4 3/4 years we have been married. It all started with a sweet bungalow we lived in on the South Hill. The previous owners did an okay job at updating parts but we have a very particular style and thought - hey let's do the work ourselves to turn it into a house we love. So for the next year and a half we gutted the kitchen, bathroom and totally remodeled the master addition. Can I just tell you how immensely proud of Nick I am?!?!?! He did it all himself learning tons along the way.

{Back story: His dad is a genius carpenter/contractor/remodel-er/DIY-er. He can honestly do anything. I once asked Nick if he and his dad could do a master bedroom and bathroom addition in a weekend. Nick snorted and told me I was absurd. I was serious. His dad is crazzzyy good. While Nick didn't ever care to learn it when he was young and in the house, it totally rubbed off on him. He's got mad natural talent - totally passed down from dearest dad. Thanks Bob! }

Next project, an outdated condo in Browne's Addition. Nick literally took the WHOLE thing to the studs and started over. The summer it took for Nick to complete the project was hell. I never saw him or we worked every minute of every day we were not at our JOBS. Not fun. After it was done we were ready to move on. We lived in it a year, sold it for a pretty fantastic profit and said okay maybe it is time to buy new and take a break.

Next house - a new townhouse in Liberty Lake. Who were we kidding?!?! Buying new...pshhhh. The second we moved in we painted the whole house, ripped up the brand new carpet to install new wood floors, painted the kitchen cabinets and added a couple of kick-a wallpaper walls. Yeah - new didn't work out so well for us.

This brings us to current day. 2 years in and we are OVER IT. Time to continue to build our empire and move on and let me tell you we have found the most PERFECT next house.

I mean this house by anyone else's standards would be considered a money pit, old, smelly, an absolute no-way-ever, and outdated - It totally has pink siding and avocado bathrooms - but this thing is SCREAMING with potential. Ohhh baby..the second Nick and I get our hands on this property, its over. Could even be a house I actually get emotionally connected to and not ever want to leave.

Papers have been signed but we don't close for another 90 days. We have a lot work to do in order to get the keys considering we are renting out our town home and lending rules are super strict when considering rental property. BUT - we are determined, willing to make every sacrifice to secure this puppy and make her beautiful. I can't wait to take pictures and detail the transformation and all of our inspiration along the way!

In the meantime I will leave you with one of my favorite features...a sweet cherry tree. After eating 36 cherries last night (we like to visit the house daily and pretend we already live there, talking out our grand plans) and ranting for 15 minutes how I am going to make cherry cobbler for him every night, Nick so lovingly told me he was cutting it to shreds to make room for the new garage. SAD.





Tuesday, July 19, 2011

200% Happy

At 18 weeks 3 days pregnant, I found out I was having a boy. I was 25% happy. 10% happy that Nick would have a son and 10% happy that the Salzwedel name could be carried on (Nick is the only son of an only son and so forth for like 10 generations) and 5% happy I would be able to maybe, one day, have a mother-son relationship mothers of sons so enrapturedly speak of...and let me tell you they can go on and on and on about it - ie: "My son and I held hands every minute of every day until he went to preschool then he felt he was big enough to not need me. I cried myself to sleep that night." Okay maybe that is a bit of an embellishment but for those of you who know who I am referencing, pretty spot on.

The week before we found out, we were in Paris. I was sure I was having a girl. I mean sure like mothers-intuition-sure-calling-her-by-name-sure-buying-her-clothes-sure-envisioning (more like planning)-her-wedding-sure-praying-for-her-husband-sure. I mean SURE. Just to hammer this whole SURE thing home - in Paris we went to this amazing discount designer baby clothes shop. It had probably 40 bins full of designer baby clothing and before even CONSIDERING for one second shopping in the baby boy bin, I hit the baby girl bin like a mother running for a Tickle Me Elmo on Black Friday. I bought 200 dollars worth of French designer baby girl clothing only to come home to find out that Cruz well was Cruz and would not be wearing one stitch of French baby clothing.

I am sure you can imagine how this new news of - BLUE - would come to change the next 4 months of my life. No more dreaming of pink, purple, darling baby girl clothes, mother/daughter bff time, Miss Washington pageants, shopping, mani/pedis, and LARGE and in charge hair bows. Nope. No more. Instead it was all about wrestling, MMA, faux hawks, polos and button ups, daddy/son bff time...and...OMG, I realized I don't know ANYTHING about boys!!!!

THEN. In one split second it all changed. It changed the second I got to officially meet the most precious baby boy God could have ever created on January 29, 2011. He came out 2 1/2 weeks early faster and more ready than his mama was prepared for. Covered in 'birth', our eyes met - his squinty and beautifully almond shaped like his mothers and mine tired (it was 2am) and wide with awe - and I knew, all along, I was supposed to be a mother to this incredible baby boy. God wanted ME to be Cruz's mom.


Seriously - I still don't know anything about boys but I sure know everything about my Cruz.

  • I know he is so obsessed with his daddy, it makes me sick and so jealous. Nick can make Cruz smile and laugh more than anyone I know.
  • I know how he needs his orange star blankie and binkie to fall asleep.
  • I know how he likes to be cuddled in the middle of the night when he wakes up from a bad dream.
  • I know how he loves his puppies. Yesterday on our walk, he stared at Liam the whole time and smiled. For the entire 45 minutes.
  • I know how he loves his cousins. He loves Lucy's hugs and totally lets Trey pull his hair or grab his face.
  • I know how he takes his bottle - by wrapping one hand around the bottle and the other around my index finger.
  • I know his smell. His precious milky, vanilla/oatmeal, smell. It is the best smell in the world.
  • I know the exact moment when he gets too tired and is ready for his nap.
  • I know how he hates tummy time and doesn't like the tart taste of apples.
  • I know how he will react when I kiss him. He opens his mouth slightly to anticipate me kissing him all over his pouchy lips.
  • I know where his tickle spots are at. His feet, his arm pits and his small sweet neck

*One Week

*One Month

*Three Months

*Five 1/2 Months

I simply can't imagine life without my boy.

Go ahead and ask me now how happy I am that I have been blessed beyond measure to be Cruz's mom?! 200% happy.

I am 200% happy that Nick and I get to raise a boy who loves Jesus, who respects his elders, who is loving and kind to everyone he meets, who is polite, who is hard working, who knows what it means to provide for his family, who can respect women and love his wife like God loves the church and to cherish his family now and the family he will eventually be blessed with. Ps: Can I just say I cannot WAIT to meet his wife and am praying daily she is nice and cute and likes me.

Nick and I both know we only want 2 children. If God decides a baby girl will complete our family then fantastic (and Miss Washington here we come :)) but if he decides Cruz needs a brother and we need another beautiful dark haired baby boy to make us whole then bring it on. I will be more than ready.










Monday, July 18, 2011

African Impala

Have you ever come out of church fist pumping?

The first thing my sister said to me after the 8:30am church service at Valley Real Life was, "I want to tackle someone!!!" Again - citing extreme passion - you speak to me in someway and boy, I become a fist pumping fool. Makes me slip into my freight train ways and tell everyone I know about the latest and greatest - I totally get this from my dad BTW. Sunday was absolutely no exception.

The sermon was about not being able to control the future - which is most fitting concerning the place where Nick and I are in life right now (more on that tomorrow). At the end of the sermon, Nathan was wrapping up and told the story of the African Impala. Folks - did you know that the African Impala can jump 13 feet high? I was actually googling for an image of one of these deer like suckers when I saw one standing 8 feet on its hind legs eating leaves off a tall tree. Crazier yet, in a dead run, they can go 30 feet before its legs hit the ground! If this doesn't blow your mind, I don't know what will - when you take an Impala and put it in captivity the only thing stopping it from USING its God gifted abilities is a 3 foot wall! They are so fearful/unsure about what is on the other side of the 3 foot wall they forget their purpose and stand still. Woahh.

What is your 3 foot wall? What are you allowing to stop you from using the gift and talents God has given you? Fear of the unknown - fear of the future? Have you tried escaping the 3 foot wall and totally biffed it? Are you scared stiff?

Yes, there have been many times in my 27 years I have stopped cold in my tracks scared of what could be. Sunday, I got slapped in the face with a much needed reminder that God is in control. He knitted me in my mother's womb, knows the exact number of hairs on my head, loves me more than I can wrap my head around and created me with precious gifts and abilities - ones I am thankful I get to use in a profession which allows me to glorify God, ones I am thankful are so complimentary but not necessarily the same as the ones God has given my husband (we really make a great team).

So again I ask, what is your 3 foot wall? My challenge to you today: break through (**fist pump). Do not allow fear to hold you back from doing what you were meant to be doing...who you were made to be (**fist pump).

(**fist pump).







Friday, July 15, 2011

Fearsome Foursome

Thinking back, I am pretty sure Lauren came up with our name. She would have been the one to come up with it...where it came from - I don't know. Maybe it was because it sounded tough - we were only 17.


I met JoAnna first, in third grade - what that made us 8? She was skinny, had a long black pony tail and was really pretty. She was also popular. Every 3rd grade boy who was something wanted to love JoAnna. Beyond being stunning in the 3rd grade, she was nice. She wanted to be my friend and didn't care who or what I was. I still love her for that. Many people don't get to say they met their best friend at 8. The memories I have with JoAnna - spending each last day of school together, watching too many backyard softball pitching practices, family vacations to the lake, birthday parties, TV commercials, sex ed posters, church camps, Marc Ota and Mike Gehrke, dreaming, scheming, living and loving - span years and still continue to this day. 20 years later, now wives and mothers...my relationship with JoAnna is beyond special. Watching her live the dreams we shared at 8, 10, 15, 20 is an indescribable joy.


Next came Lauren. It was 6th grade. We were 12. I didn't know who she was I just heard she loved to sing, as did I. People used to confuse us - our last names too similar, our hair color dark brown and our birthday 4 days apart. I can't pin point the exact moment I met her - infact it may have been in Mr. Wendt's music class at Sunrise Elementary but all I can tell you is that our first meeting doesn't matter. Lauren and I are soul mates. The type of soul mates where time doesn't have limitations, we can fight and make up, share the most intimate of secrets and love too hard. The type of soul mates who have shared trouble, shared ridicule, shared laughs, shared boyfriends and shared heartache. Lauren introduced me to my first love and many years later, my husband. She is kind, beautiful, generous and loyal. Lauren has a spectacular future ahead of her - one God has laid out so perfectly she can't begin to imagine what is in store. Like I said, soul mates don't see time. She will be with me forever.


Last but most certainly not least came Erin. She is a stunning bombshell. Yes - a blonde beauty straight out of the pages of Vogue. I remember seeing Erin walk the halls of Evergreen Junior High and being so jealous. Jealous of her beauty, her popularity, and her confidence. Little did I know how our paths would intertwine and finally join to the road we are on now. It was 3 years after we first met in the halls of Junior High School when we would we able to forgive, see the invaluable qualities of each other and vow to be besties for ever. I love Erin because I know she has my back. At the drop of a hat she would fight for me (literally). Without fail she knows the right words to say to make me feel better after someone hurts my feelings, offends me or makes me feel less than I should. She is my biggest fan. My Erin is loyal. She is fashion and fun. It is not a party if Erin isn't there. Most important to me - Erin inspires me to be a better wife. She loves her husband more than words and cherishes her marriage. We would not be complete with out Erin. Her piece of our puzzle is big, loud, proud and beautiful.

17, on our way to high school graduation practice jamming out to 112 (Peaches and Cream - how inappropriate BTW), we became the Fearsome Foursome. Celebrating each stage life has handed us the last 10 years. Getting together once a week-ish so we may never forget what we have.

Lauren didn't really know what the name, Fearsome Foursome, would come to mean. It means: forever, calm, love, trust, fun, beauty, loyalty, secrets, release, time, family. These three women are my family. There is not one moment of any day I am not thanking God for them. I most certainly would not be Ashley without them. They are a deep part of me that only grows deeper with time.



To many more memories and life celebrations. To the Fearsome Foursome.

I will love my forever friends till death.