Saturday, December 26, 2009

I've missed my blogging life....

but this is what I've been doing instead.


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Eating fish tacos at Wahoos,
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and waiting for fish tacos at Wahoos.
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Being cheesy for the camera,
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And monkeys on the stairs.
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Enjoying this beautiful beach where I grew up,
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and taking in the views.
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Crusing down the board walk,
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and playing in the sand.
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We've been having a really good vacation.
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Every time I come home, I appreciate where I'm from a little bit more.
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I'm loving being able to share that with my kids.
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It's getting to the point where you can identify Hallie just as easily by her crack as you can by her face. That crack is ALWAYS peeking out.
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Don't you feel like this picture could be in a GQ kids magazine? (if there were such a thing)
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Ahhhh, yes. Enjoying the delicious goodness of a pizookie with cousin Alex.
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The day after Matt got here we headed out to his parent's house in Utah. His Mom had set up a family photo shoot for everyone and requested white shirts and jeans. She got some cute family shots of us that I am excited about. Aaaaaaand here they are.
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I know this is more of a picture overload than an actual blog post, but there are A LOT of pictures to catch up on. So there will certainly be more to come....hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas. I know we did!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

To all you fashionistas out there:

Skinny jeans should only be worn by REALLY skinny people. Period. I do not include myself in this elite group of lucky women. However, I do envy them. I think many of us females, when we first heard the words "skinny jeans" ran out to the nearest shopping mall in search of these jeans supposedly made to make us "skinnny". What we didn't realize is the term skinny jeans means... ONLY MEANT FOR really REALLY skinny people. I've seen many a woman wear them anyways and always think to myself..."does she know that skinny jeans make her look bigger?" The only reason I think this is because, they make me look bigger...so I know how they feel. Wanting to be in style with everyone else, but putting on a pair of pants and feeling like Chris Farley in Tommy Boy singing "Fat man in a little coat". Oh skinny jeans, why must you torture me with your cuteness on skinny people while you shed an unflattering light on the rest of us?

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

In case you've been wondering where I've been...

I've been home in California! LOVING the warm amazing weather and spending time with my cute niece and nephews. The only thing that would make this visit perfect, is if Matt were here. 10 more days, and he will be. Yay! Then Christmas shopping can REALLY begin! Once he gets here with our laptop...the posting of vacation pictures will commence. Keep your eyes peeled.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Family Home Fight.

At least that's what my Dad always called it.

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So much for being sneaky.

Why can't I just be free to blog stalk in the comfort of my own living room while the little big man watches Toy Story without being outed by every single "live feed" that I come across! To some of you, live feeds may seem like no big deal. When your blog stalk-ee's blog says they've just received a visit from Provo Utah...psht, no biggie. It could be anyone! But when it says, GERMANY just dropped by with a big fat german flag right next to it...well, how many people do YOU know that live in Germany? It's a dead give away. I have tried to remember which blogs have these evil little contraptions and not to check them TOO often, so as not too seem too anxious in my waiting for another delicious post. Still, they just make my blog life a little more complicated. And who needs that stress in their lives?

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thankful.

I loved this video about being thankful.

While I was driving around today running my errands Hallie and I were listening to Christmas music. For the months of November and December if you are in my car or in my house, you will be forced to listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas album on repeat for two months straight. Anyways, Hallie kept asking me, "What's the name of this song? What about this one?" After I told her the title of Silent Night she asked me, "Why are all the Christmas songs about Jesus?" I always love a good teaching moment, so I told her "Because we have Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ." She looked thoughtful for a minute, then in a semi jealous tone said, "Jesus has the BEST birthday." Mmmmm hmmmm Hallie, he does. I'm thankful that Jesus has the best birthday.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Just waiting waiting waiting.

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I found Hallie laying on the rug by the front door tonight. Matt has been gone to Turkey for a week, and is supposed to be getting home tonight. I asked Hallie what she was doing laying there, she told me "Waiting for Dad." Bless her little heart.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Powell Family gift exchange.

Adult Gift Exchange:

Mom buys for Alicia
Dad- Michael
Lara- Mary
Steve- Daniel
Daniel- David
Alicia- Lara
Sara- Robert
Matt- Rebecca
David- Matt
Rebecca- Elizabeth
Robert- Steve
Mary- Mom
Elizabeth- Dad
Michael- Sara


Grandkids gift exchange:

Max buys for Alex
Jackson buys for Chase
Owen buys for Ben
Olivia buys for Hallie
Hallie buys for Max
Chase buys for Olivia
Alex buys for Jackson
Ben buys for Owen

The limit is 30 dollars for the adults, 10 dollars for the kids! Have fun! We'll exchange gifts on Christmas morning.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Dear Fall/winterish weather,

It seems your chilliness has brought along with it a nasty case of the blues for me. It started out as cozy happy times in my jammies with a warm cup of hot chocolate, and has morphed into torture at the idea of having to put on real clothes and leave my house. Or clean my house for that matter. It doesn't help that my husband/rock/foundation of my life has been gone CONSTANTLY. Because when he's gone, I also feel that I no longer have a reason to shower, put on make up, or eat anything besides diet coke and halloween candy. So Fall/winterish wheather, could you please give me a few warm days to help pull me out of my funk? It would be much appreciated.
Love, Sara
ps- If you could help my husband come home quickly, that would be REALLY great. I don't know how much control you have over that.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Diamonds diamonds everywhere.

We had a friend of ours (who happens to be German) at our house for dinner last night. He has a serious girlfriend that he has been dating for a while, and I eloquently asked, "So, are you going to marry Stephanie?" He looked kind of shocked at my blunt-ness, recovered quickly, and replied with a "yeah, it looks that way." Then came my quick follow up question, "Did you buy her a ring?" The conversation that followed up this question intrigued me. He explained to me that in Germany you buy eachother matching solid bands as wedding rings and it never leaves your finger from that point forward. The female gets no diamond. I sat there and contemplated this idea for little while. The first thing I want to see when any female I know gets engaged is her ring. I want to see if it's pretty and (lets be honest) if I like it better than mine ( I never do). Girls with a smaller diamond sometimes feel the need to justify with "we'll get a bigger diamond when we have more money" while girls with big fat diamonds beam with pride over their rock. A lot of couples start out their marriage thousands of dollars in debt to pay for that bling..... what a way to start out! It's all about the ring in America. We take off our sparkly accessory (some of us) to swim, clean, take a shower, work out, for any reason that might compromise the safety of our little treasure.

As I sat here last night listening to our German Man friend I felt inspired. THAT is what marriage is all about. Simple bands that you wear for your lifetime and never take off. It's taking a commitment from the get go of financial resposibility. It's recognizing the beauty and simplicity of the union of two people, while still symbolizing eternity. Not only that, but it's equal. You start out as equals. The same bands. Not one flashing around a big expensive rock while the other humbly wears his wedding band. Maybe this is where women pick up their sense of "my husband should do everything I want and I should do nothing for him", maybe that's reading a little too far into it. Regaurdless I had a lot to think about last night and was so grateful for our friend and his insight into marriage and the meaning behind giving the woman you love, a ring.

ps- I'm not going to go trade in my sparkly diamond for a band. I love it too much.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Come hang out with us....

Today I made Matt's life miserable yelling "pull over!" so I could take pictures of the world that we live in. Enjoy!


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Just a typical German road.
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This is the cafe near our house that I LOVE. Best waffles ever. Not waffles, like with syrup. Thick, doughy, sprinkled in powdered sugar, pick it up and eat it with your hands, deliciousness.
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The arch I drive under pretty much everyday on my random errand running.
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This is the town that we live in.
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Every town in Germany has its own Church, this is ours.
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And another awesome shot of the German roads.
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Ok, so this is not scenery. This is Hallie with "Emma" (formerly known as "Cocoa" when I was 4). It is one of the only things I have saved from my childhood (I'm a compulsive thrower-awayer) and Hallie LOVES her. She did rename her, but I guess I can deal with that. Didn't we all have a Pound Puppy as kids?
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Let me tell you, I'm in love with this boy and his bad attitude.

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Aaaaaand, just a little fun with macro.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

What can I say? The man understands me.

That's why on his trip to Crete last week, he brought me home this!

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What girl wouldn't want her hubby to supply her with over 2 pounds of Greek Feta? That's love.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,
I've been a REEEALLY good girl this year. I would really like a pair of THESE in purple. They will last me for the rest of my life and I will wear them around my freezing cold house AND out on dates with my hubby. Come on Santa, you owe me one.
Love, Sara
ps-I wear a size 8.
pps- The website says you should go up one size for them to fit right.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago today we were sleeping our day away on our very first day in Germany. I don't think I've ever been quite so tired in my life as I was that first day. Everything looked so strange. The guesthouse we were in had a weird little sink in the kitchen and the equivelent to a mini-fridge in america. The shower was weird, the beds were weird, the tub was weird, the floors were REALLY weird, the washer and dryer were ridiculous and SMALL. It smelled different than America, is that weird to say? I sat in awe on our drive from the airport at the beauty all around us and couldn't wait to go exploring through the darling little towns and villages we drove through. Everything was old and brick and charming. I felt like I had just stepped into an old book. I was looking at Germany with fresh eyes and excitement about what was to come for our little family.

In this past year it has all become so normal. My mini sink and mini fridge are just a way of life, I'm used to it. The brick, I couldn't imagine life without it. I could absolutely do without the spiders, but you take the good with the bad. The idea of going to America where there is a store open after 6pm is so exciting and strange to me. I do still have my "holy crap" moments, usually when I'm driving, when it hits me that I....Sara Powell Horrocks....live in Germany. In GERMANY! And I have to do a quick head shake to come back to reality. (it's always a good idea to be in reality when you're driving). I love when people first move here, or come to visit us, and I get to see it all again through their "fresh eyes". I get to see their jaws drop, or point in awe at the brick arch that I drive under every day. I makes me feel so proud of this beautiful, charming place that I live in.

Our move here has brought opportunities for us that I could never have imagined. We've seen Austria, France, Belgium, Holland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, and Matt has seen many more that. And it has only been 1 year! I can't wait to see what the next 2 1/2 will bring. I am so grateful for our exciting adventure and can't wait for more friends and family to come out here and appreciate what I thank my lucky stars for everyday.

However, I do miss a nice BIG burning diet coke from Carls Jr (they have the best ones you know).

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween: Take 4.

Because they don't "technically" celebrate Halloween in Germany....people bend over backwards to compensate for it. We went trick or treating tonight through our friends neighborhood that has a lot of americans and canadians in it, and it was my kids FOURTH time dressing up in a week! They have loved every minute of it, and it has been a lot of fun, but I'm definently ready for it to be over. And so much for my "lack of desire to blog" illness. I seem to have been cured by cute kids in Halloween costumes and the return of my handsome hubby.
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Matt took on the responsibility of making Chase look hard-core. He used the face paint he had to use on himself in survival training. Chase loved it. And how cute is our little dorothy?
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He's the man.

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Matt didn't dress up, so I told our friends he was dressed up as a "party pooper". He decided Edward Cullen was a little more like it. Yeah, sometimes he does inappropriate things....that's why I love him.

Friday, October 30, 2009

IF YOU HAVE KIDS!!

or EVER plan of having kids.... READ THIS POST. Seriously. This is something every single Mom and Dad or even aunt or uncle.....basically everyone needs to be aware of.

Why we love the military...

The base put on an AWESOME trick or treating event for the kids tonight. There was a big trail all the way around the base with fun booths to trick or treat at and haunted houses and hot chocolate and burgers....just tons of stuff. We spent about 3 hours there and saw lots and lots of friends and had lots and lots of fun.

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Chase kept telling everyone "I'm a Man-Guy!" ps-trick or treating with a diet coke in your hand makes it waaaay more fun.
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Looks like one of those flying mokeys gave dorothy a black eye.
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When else besides Halloween can you throw on some red lipstick and not feel like a hooker?
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Just a picture

of this boy that I love.

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going through a bit of a "lack of desire to blog" slump (I believe that is the medical term for it). I'll have something witty to say in a few days. When my husband is gone....my brain is also, and he has been gone A LOT. So I have been spending a lot time sitting in the corner, staring off into space, drooling on myself.

Monday, October 26, 2009

She's got a black eye...

and she wears it well. We'll just say that the slide can be a bit dangerous at times....and that it's already looking a lot better.


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Mommy medical question: You know those little bumps some people get on the back of their arms? Well Hallie gets them really bad on her arms and on her cheeks. I asked the Dr. about them and he said kids usually just grow out of it and there isn't really anything he can prescribe for it. Any at home remedies you've heard about? Sometimes it gets so bad it looks like my 4 year old has acne!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Julie, have I told you lately how much I love you? **UPDATE**

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I got a lot of compliments at Church today wearing this flower you made me. Thank you.
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And I really love this hat you made...Hallie wears it a lot and people love it! I even had a friend borrow it so she could try to duplicate it.
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I always feel super hot when I wear this hat you made. I love how it's just a little baggy.


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Now what would it take for me to score one of THESE???

ps- I wish I was as crafty and cute as you are.

**Julie DOES Have an etsy shop and she said she's working hard on making more beanies and will be adding them to the shop now through Xmas!! Here is the Etsy Site: Julie's Etsy Shop!! Now go shopping.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Confessions:

-When I hear Matt's car pull up in the drive way, I close whatever blog/facebook/gap website I'm looking at and run for the dishwasher and start putting away and/or loading the dishes in or out of it. This way when he walks in he'll see how BUSY I've been all day.
-Hallie is a hardcore advocate for dental health. She NEVER forgets to brush her teeth. I'll have her in her bed, about to walk out the door and she'll bust out "I forgot to brush my teeth!" Then I'll try to convince her to just skip it this once and do it in the morning. "But I'll get CAVITIES!" She's so right. I'm so lazy.
-Sometimes if Chases' diaper leakes just a TINY bit of pee....I let it dry and wait for a more serious sitiation to strip down his bedding. This kid wipes out his sheets like 4 nights a week. Got to pick my battles.
-I am REALLY homesick for my family right now. Missing them like crazy.
-During quiet time, Chase takes a nap and Hallie watches a movie. I usually force her to watch Mary Poppins because it's REEEEALY long and I get maximum amount of time to myself.
-My car is always disgusting. Like science project/stuff possibly growing in the carpets kind of nastiness. The kids eat in there and get food everywhere. Chase wipes his nose on the strap of his carseat, milk spills, diet coke gets knocked over, I don't think the car has been washed since we moved here sort of gross. I'm always REALLY embarrased when someone sees it...but I still do nothing about it.
-I'm really good at hiding messes. I have had more than one person say to me "your house is always so clean". I smile, say thank you, and thank my lucky stars they can't see the upstairs where they would find: Chases wet diapers strewn about, dirty laundry and clean laundry piles getting closer and closer to eachother until they combine and all have to get washed again because I don't remember which is which, toothpaste coated sinks, toys galore, my bed which has not been made I think ever, lots and lots of dust, and my side of the bed waist deep in clean clothes which I put on for 5 minutes, changed my mind, then added to my "clean" pile. I only clean the parts of the house people see.
-I only shave my legs if people are going to see them. When I say "people" I mean anyone besides Matt or my kids. During the winter...this can become quite European.
-I drink sometimes 4 cans of diet coke a day. It's just wrong.
-I kind of like being a hermit sometimes and staying in my pjs with the kids and watching movies.
-I WOULD have a hobby, but I feel all things craft make too much of a mess and having to clean up after myself would not be worth having to do it in the first place.
-I have photoshoped (or had Matt photoshop) more than one picture to make myself look skinnier. Especially the first year after each of my kids were born.
-I am addicted to online shopping. I will order jeans just to try them on and send them back. It makes Matt crazy. But there is no Gap here where I can go and try them on!
-I am always sucking in my stomach. So often in fact, it has just become a habit.
-I'm always on the lookout for another kindred spirit. You know, like Anne of Green Gables kind of kindred spirit. I feel like there are so few of them out there.
-I DREAD taking my kids to church. We always go of course, but I hate battling them for the whole first hour trying to keep them quiet and watching Matt stress out until his face turns purple.
-I love compliments. I'm sure this is all people. But when I get one...I'll replay it in my mind over and over and over again. Or if it's on the blog, I'll read it again and again. I know, pathetic.
-I DO NOT LIKE to craft. Again, because of the mess it makes. And all the sharp things my kids can get their hands on. And the paint they can ruin things with. Or the modge podge...I don't even want to think what kind of destruction the modge podge could bring.


I could go on and on and on, but I think I've done enough internet confessing for one day. Now go and feel better about yourselves. :)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

This beautiful girl.

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I was driving home from soccer practice with Hallie today and postitioned my rear view mirror so I could see her. She was just gazing out the window watching the world go by. As I watched her I was totally struck by her beauty. I know all parents think this about their kids. I looked at her perfect little nose, big beautiful chocolate brown eyes, pretty lips, wavy blond hair, and I knew. I knew at that moment we are in for one HECK of a ride through the teenage years, because this smart, happy, fun little girl....is also drop dead gorgeous. (I'm allowed to think these things...she's mine!)