We Made It!!

Wow! What a whirlwind of a week!! I just wanted to let everyone know that we made it to Bellingham safe and sound.  Thomas and Dud are getting used to the cooler weather....Thomas sleeps about 23 hours a day now...I think so that we won't push him outside to go pee every hour or so... tricky little guy...

The last week was so great seeing all of our family and friends.  We missed you all so much! Thanks for the warm welcome home!!! The drive from Valencia to Ashland, OR was pretty quick. From there, we traveled to Kahlotus, where we were surprised at how dark it could get at night.  We were used to so many lights all the time, it was unusually dark for us that night.  Very refreshing actually.

So, as short as it was 6 months can sure change things.. :) We left with a set of friends expected a little bundle of joy and came home to, of course, the little newborn Addison (whose birth weight I guessed to the ounce and won the bet Adam and I had...yay!), another couple became engaged, and now another couple is now expecting!! So much exciting things, so glad we are back to celebrate with everyone!

We are almost all unpacked and settled, however, I don't have any pictures yet, but I will soon! I think we have finally got the hang of the major roads in town and where the important stores are. (GPS has been our best friend lately.)  If there is one thing we have learned in our short time here is when NOT to shop at Walmart...and that time is Sunday evening...or apparently any days beginning with 'S.'  Being so close to the border of Canada has one serious draw back.  Those Canucks are Walmart crazed!! We walked through the frozen food sections and were amazed at the lack of food on the shelves....almost everything was gone!! Apparently they cross the border to buy the cheap food, rip off the stickers, and take it back over the border...From now on, I'll be doing the grocery shopping during the weekdays....lesson learned, eh?

And because everyone needs a little Thomas picture to brighten their days....  You're Welcome :)

Action shot of Tom doing wind sprints... a number of  people commented on the little man's growing belly, so we are starting him on a weight loss program immediately. 

I'll post more pictures tomorrow! The first 3 days here we enjoyed lovely autumn weather, no rain in sight, and then today came the rain...Hopefully we'll have sun again tomorrow so I can take some outdoor pictures!!

Happy Wednesday from Bellingham!! :)

Our Final Days

Many of you may be wondering how we are spending our final days in glamorous Southern California.... Well, wonder no more...

Living the life of luxury in our nearly new camping chairs.

Our satellite subscription has already expired, but luckily we have plenty of Toddlers and Tiaras recorded!  Dudley can't wait for the show to begin!

The living room is looking a little bare....

...but our tummies were full!! Nothing says "class" like wine and bread!

We enjoyed some outdoor activities....

....while Tom supervised.

All of our worldly possessions fit in the "POD." In about 2 weeks, this eyesore will be dropped off in our new driveway in Bellingham! We are so excited!

I'm down to two final days at work, then we hit the road bright and early Saturday morning.  We have a jam packed welcome home tour scheduled and we can't wait to see everyone soon! :)  Oh and to our regular readers...don't worry, the Adventure blog will continue to our second phase in Bellingham...don't miss out!!

Just waiting....

Well, we are officially one week away from concluding our California Adventure.  I think I speak for both parties (also, Tom and Dudley) in saying that we absolutely cannot wait to see our family and friends!!!!

So many of you may be wondering how we have been spending our final California weekend.  This second, we are both enjoying the comfort of a Dudley-hair covered couch, patiently waiting for the WSU football game to begin....oh, we are Washingtonians at heart :)

Adam has been painting the past week, getting our duplex back to stark white (which we both agreed was SUPER boring...luckily we only have to spend a week in a colorless, decor-less home).  I only have one week of work left and I am definitely counting down the days.  This week we will finish packing up the house and Saturday morning, we are off like a herd of turtles to Oregon!

Last weekend, we actually explored a little more of our soon-to-be former town.  We found a great hiking spot and hiked for about an hour and a half!

Adam pointing to his former work place.

Me, catching my breath....

We are planning on going on another farewell hike tomorrow, so hopefully we'll have some fun pictures to show.

Speaking of pictures.....

I bought myself a new camera!! I don't have it yet, but I will soon!!!! I'm super excited and can't wait to take more pictures of Thomas...so clear you'll be able to see his whiskers and gray hair on his chin... :)

See you guys soon!!!

Welcome Home Tour 2011

1. We are soooooo excited to see all of our friends and family in a few weeks!

2. We miss fall...it's still 100 degrees down here this week!

3. Here is our tentative schedule for our Welcome Home Tour 2011.  Thomas appearances by request only :)

We are planning on leaving October 15th, which is a Saturday.  We'll drive from Valencia to Medford, OR.  The following Sunday, we'll be traveling from Medford to Kahlotus for some much needed relaxation.  Tuesday night, we'll be in Yakima and we'll be staying there until Sunday morning.  Then we'll be crossing the mountains to our new home!! yay!!  If anyone is around and wants to hang out, we'd looove to see you!!! We miss everyone!!

We have found a house to rent in Bellingham! So we won't have to spend precious time searching for a house before Adam starts work, we'll be able to move right in!  I'll post before/after pictures (even though I failed to do so with the Valencia house).  We'll be arriving in Bellingham just in time for the rainiest season of the year!

Less than 3 weeks, people!!!!

P.S. Within the next 24 hours, I'll be officially on the Washington CPA's website as a practicing CPA!!! Just in time for returning home :)

P.P.S.  Both Thomas and Dudley are looking forward to spending some quality time in the car on our way home....there should be plenty of opportunity for entertaining stories! Stay tuned! :)

Official!!!!!

This evening we are celebrating Adam's final day of work, and I have officially put in my notice at my job....We are coming home!!!! :)

Now if there is anyone out there that wasn't aware of our situation...here it is. 

California has been a learning experience.  There have been laughs...there have been tears.  But what we have learned together has been great! But we have decided that California is not the state for us.  Washington is our home and where we need to be.

Things that Adam has learned:

1. The benefit of sunshine is not nearly worth the cost of it.
2. Life is much more than what you see through the camera or movie screen.
3. The best thing in the world can happen in the worst please...(translation: we got married down here...awwwee!!!)...(his words, not mine...even better...)
4. "I don't care what you say, I love being an auditor!"

Things that Brittney has leaned:

1.  When the man that makes you dinner is unhappy, you're unhappy...  :) although the Mac&Cheese is amazing....
2. When it's mid September and it still feels like summer, you start to miss the scarves, the hot chocolate, and the cozy autumn mornings and evenings... (now if it could only stay that way and not become cold winter!)
3. Accounting is basically accounting, no matter what state you are in...I'm still just looking for the perfect fit of career I'm passionate about and company I enjoy :)
4. Washington or California, when I'm with my partner in crime, it doesn't matter....but when you see Washington on license plates, TV shows, etc....it makes you proud and want to be back home...

And what we both have realized, although we have enjoyed our time in California and got married (which was amazing!!), we truly miss our family and friends.  You really cannot put a price on the luxury of being able to drive a few hours and see your parents, or sisters, or aunts and uncles.  Life is too short to miss out on special moments with these people and luckily, it only took us 6 months to realize it.  (So we hope you all really missed us too, because you won't be able to get rid of us, now!!)

So here is the scoop. Adam has accepted a job in Bellingham, WA.  He finally got his wish to be the big boss of an entire department and not have to explain his tactics.  He starts on November 1. My last day is October 17.  I have learned a few things in my career thus far.

1. Great clients do not equal great firms. 

2. Great firms do not equal great clients.

Adam has assured me there will be a balance between the two eventually....we'll see...if he can be my boss, we might have a deal...(but since I have a Master's degree...his clock is ticking...don't you know that only a CPA doesn't get you very far these days?)

We will be driving back up mid October and can't wait to see everyone again!!  We are very excited to be back home!!!

We'll keep everyone updated on our travels and continuing adventure :)

P.S. We both (separately) applied for the reality show Wipe Out today....what are your guys' thoughts on who wins??? :)  Either way, $50,000 will be on the way...we hope...if my eye sight holds up and Adam doesn't die of old age...KIDDING :)

Weekend in Vegas!

Ok y'all, settle in for a good read.

Our weekend began Friday after work.  Adam picked me up in our chariot Helga, dogs and dinner in tow, and we hit the highway. 

5 minutes in...Thomas pukes in the back seat. 

6 minutes in...Dudley eats it.  So....we were off to a grreeeaaat start.



Thomas always has such perfect posture while riding in the car.

Fast forward 5 and a half hours later, we pull into Sin City ready for fun! We stayed with our friend Alex, whose bulldog, Joey, loooooves having visitors.  All three of the boys ran and played the entire weekend.   Friday night was spent catching up, relaying accounting horror stories, and enjoying the balmy 98 degree weather at 10 PM.  And without going into too much detail, all 3 of us were a little slow to wake up Saturday morning... :)

The next day began with fresh donuts from the Wal-Mart (which quickly reminded me why I haven't had a donut for breakfast in the last 8 years...).  We headed out to the pool and began the relaxation.  Ahhhh....now, one of us is forward thinking (and, quite frankly, scared of wrinkles) so I rubbed on sunscreen all day and kept the burn at bay....the other one of us, did not.  So after 6 hours of direct sun, Adam was a liiiiitle pink...combine that with a few beers here and there, I'm just glad he was able to make it to the barbecue at 5 pm :)

I continued my health streak by enjoying a lunch of Cheetos while floating in a pool floatie (classy, yes?)...let me tell you, by far the most relaxed and comfortable feeling I have been in a long time.  You really can't beat reading a good book, eating Cheetos, and soaking up that Nevada sunshine. 

So, everything was just going swimmingly....then Adam decided it woud be a good idea to let the dogs take a dip in the pool. or rather, force them to.  Hey, it was like 110 degrees, they needed a little cooling off, right?


Tom went first, and he DID NOT....repeat... DID NOT like it...AT ALL.




You are witnessing the moment that solidified me as Tom's favorite for the rest of his little puggle life. :)



I'm not really sure if Dudley even realizes what is going on...

 We knew Thomas really didn't like swimming, but we had no idea that he could hold a grudge for an entire day.  He would not even look at Adam.  Tom spent the rest of the day on Joey's dog bed in the corner, glaring at him.  :(

Saturday night, we went to a barbecue to watch the beginning of college football.....a very enthusiastic woo-hoo.....not. Now, I can handle multiple football games if I am well prepared... 1) a computer on my lap to surf the latest what's what in the world. 2) a kindle 3) a Thomas to keep me entertained when I lose interest in 1 and 2.   And I had NONE of my usual entertainment!  And the kicker (haha pun intended!) was, everyone there had made bets, knew the teams, knew the people on the teams, knew the stories of the people on the teams.... I knew nothing.  So that was cool.

After the barbeque, we went home to change into our "club gear" and get ready for a night on the town.  After the trek to the Strip, we met up with Chuck, Adam's friend from college who knows all the great spots in Vegas.  We met him at the Chandelier Bar, where I was promptly mixed a drink from an award winning bartender which I can only describe as "flavored lighter fluid."  I know the guy was a great mixologist, but I just cannot handle straight tequila mixed with flavored tequila....although I did eat the blueberries on the toothpick pretty quick.  yummy!

And now for my celebrity sighting of the year!!! Craig Robinson!!! Many of you may not know of him, however, he has been in many classic productions including TV's "The Office," and the movie, "Hot Tub Time Machine."  Go ahead, Google him.



I asked, "Can I have a picture with you?" He replied, "You can have whatever you like...." ......yay?

So after the photo op, we walked around a few hotels, then made our way to Club Nikki for some dancing!  I had no idea Adam was a dancing fool, but it was great!!! We had such a fun time and worked up a sweat (some more than others...).  

But once 2 AM rolled around, it was time to head home (I know, early birds for Vegas), but not before a stop at Jack-in-the-box for the greasiest food I've ever consumed....between the donuts, Cheetos, and chicken strips, I'd say Vegas Weekend was a success!!

Sunday we drove home...in 108 degree heat....with a window that wouldn't stay up.  Enough said.  Sorry DeeDee, but I think I found the one flaw of your son....fixin' windows.. :)



And yes....it was hot!! Add a hot little Thomas body on my lap, and I was definitely feeling the heat....

 Whew, ok so Vegas was a whirlwind....Labor Day was spent in bed...literally all day...

I apologize in advance if I don't post much in the next few weeks...I was informed by my boss today that to meet our deadline of October 15, I'll need to work 60 hours or more a week for the next 3 weeks.  Gotta love public accounting, I guess....  But the good news is that the other half of this lovely blog (my other half, to be specific) might be taking over blog duties for a while, considering he has a month off of work.  He's pretty excited to be temporarily relieved of his proofreading duties... :)  Stay tuned, people!

And I'm sure most of you already know about our big news (not pregnancy...).  More updates on that to come as we get closer to October 15!!  Super exciting! :)

And as a parting gift....



TOM!!!! and a little bit of Dudley! :)  Get ready for another road trip, boys! :)


Hugs, kisses, and sunshine to you all!

Rockin' and Rollin'

I woke up expecting this Thursday to be like any other Thursday...pull myself out of bed at 7, go to work, get frustrated asking clients for the same thing over and over again, eat my 10:00 AM snack, ask the client again, eat lunch, and then count down til 5:00 (no, I actually am quite busy during the day....)

But this afternoon, Mother Nature herself decided to shake things up a bit....I experienced my first earthquake, people!!!!!!!! yeeeeee-haaaaa!!! And it tipped the Richter scale at an impressive 4.2!

Here's how it went down....

I was sitting at my little cubical, crunchin' numbers and footin' schedules, when all of a sudden, my world was shaking!!! I didn't know what to do!  Do I crawl under my desk?  Do I try to get outside? I had no clue! It's been years since I practiced my earthquake preparedness drills!

And then it was over.

So, maybe it wasn't a life-changing experience, but it was super exciting!! (well, exciting wasn't the first adjective I would have chose....) Afterwards, after making sure everyone in our office was still alive, my thoughts turned to something much more important....is Thomas scared right now?

I can only imagine the thoughts racing through his head... "Dudley!! Dudley!!! Wake up, old man! The garage is shaking! Bwittney is not here! How am I to protect her??  BWITTNEEEEEEEEYYYY" Dudley replies, "Huh?? Whaaa??"

So what did I learn from my first earthquake?  Please read on and learn from my rookie failures:

1. Never wear white pants on earthquake day at work....... (haha just kidding, but I did really wear white pants...)

2. Carefully weigh the options of physically crawling under your desk before doing so....150% sure I would have hurt myself in doing so and it would have taken me twice as long as the actual quake to muscle myself down there....

3. Don't get too worked up because when your husband says, "What earthquake??" and he was only a mile away, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal...

4. Get used to having to go back to work afterwards....no evacuations, no leaving early, no nothing but a chuckle or two and a "Well congratulations, kiddo,  you just experienced your first earthquake."  Thanks?

5. Maybe it's best to not ask others if they felt the quake because you'll get answers you don't want to hear... "Yep, was in the bathroom..." God bless those night janitors...

In non-earthquake related news, Vegas - we are coming for ya tomorrow!!! oh and apparently there is something that started today called an "NFL draft" or, how you say... "Fantasy Football."  Looks like Bill & Guilianna and Toddlers and Tiaras will be put on the back burner for about, oh 5 months, and I will be learning more than I ever thought possible about more football leagues than I ever knew existed.... Go Team! :)