Hannah's Visit

My cousin Hannah... actually she's my cousin Stacey's daughter... so she's my first cousin once removed or something of the sort... ANYWAYS, my cousin Hannah came from Kansas to visit us in Phoenix. She stayed with my parents. It was a little warmish when she was here, but it stormed, so she was able to experience a monsoon. Not quite like a Tornado, but it cooled it off for a little bit. We had SOOOO much fun with her. She learned to put Eric in his place when he was being a weirdo. It was hilarious. You can tell she has brothers.

Hannah is turning into a beautiful young lady, and I was thinking about how I was in computer lab in middle school when I found out she had been born. It was seriously one of the most exciting days of my life. I waited in anticipation for her arrival into the world, and she did not disappoint. She is an incredible and fun girl. Hannah and her family are extra special to me. I miss them so much it hurts!

We did so many fun things when she was here. We ate at TGI Friday's at the Diamondbacks game... best seats ever! She stayed at a resort with my parents and we took all of the dogs. She and my mom shopped 'til they dropped. We had pedicures and manicures, Melissa cut Hannah's hair, and Emily did a photo shoot with her. AMAZING pictures. She is extremely photogenic. I had to hold back tears when I had to tell her goodbye, but I knew that she had the coolest family ever waiting for her back in Kansas :) Here are a few pictures from her visit. I will post a video that we took at the baseball game on my phone once I figure out how to do it.

Our pretty toes

At the D-Backs game! Thanks for the sweet seats, Mom!

Eric and Hannah playing games at the restaurant

Hannah had about 20 people a day commenting on her amazing eyes (watch out for boys, Stacey and Mark).

From three jobs to two...

I officially gave notice that I am resigning from my position at Moors & Cabot. I am really going to miss having Starbucks downstairs and my daily conversations with Andee. She taught me a lot about the business; but alas, I must strike out on my own and dedicate my time to Flossy Stylish Design, my invitation business AND to In Awe Weddings and Events with my mama. I am so excited for my new endeavor, so keep me in mind for Christmas cards, wedding invites, marketing materials, baby announcements, shower invitations, birthday parties... you get it.

My business website is under construction, but I will post more about that soon (hopefully). My last day at Moors & Cabot is supposed to be August 28th... then I'm off to San Fran for a girls weekend with my Point Loma ladies for Labor Day. Then I am coming home to work really hard at doing something that I love. I am extremely thankful to have a husband and a family who believe in me and support my endeavors.

I wouldn't say a "Blog Hog"

She isn't a blog hog. Much to her dismay I have three other blogs that I post to...

1. www.emurriettalending.blogspot.com
2. www.10adaycampaign.blogspot.com
3. http://activerain.com/blogs/emurrietta

All of which have various slants. Well the 1st and 3rd are definitely business related but the second is a little social experiment I am trying.

To daily stuff...Kelsey makes a mean chicken stuffed ricotta. Okay Trader Joe's made it but Kelsey can heat food up with the best of them. I do enjoy when she makes dinner, probably the highlight of most weeknights because I love food and especially anything she makes.

My goal is to improve this little blog so I think my next purchase will be a Flip Cam . I hope to start posting fun home videos here and then professional tips of the day. Should be exciting...at least that is the idea.

Thought for the day: Remember when you were a kid and 8:30 was such an early time to go to bed...Oh how I long for an 8:30 bed time. I don't think it will happen in the near future.

I'm a blog hog.

So, Eric has only posted one blog. Granted, I can write them at work and he can't, but still. I wish I could post something fantastic. I want to post that we're moving to Hawaii, or we won the lottery, or we bought a new puppy and I'm naming it Mack or Bucket or something. Don't get me wrong, I feel totally blessed. I have an amazing family and fun friends, funny puppies, and a husband who makes me laugh out loud on a daily basis. I just don't feel very interesting right now. We are going to finish our bedroom so that's exciting. I'll post pictures of our new bedding once we order it. I know you're sitting on the edge of your seats with that one. Anywho, I was at Target and found that the Dyson purple pet vacuum was on sale. I still can't afford it, BUT someday... It's just so pretty in all of its K-State purple glory. I love cleaning supplies. And office supplies. OH... and school supplies.

I love my puppies and Eric too

I had to share these pictures that I took last night. Our puppies crack me up. Ellie likes to lay RIGHT above my head, but while I was getting ready for bed, she snuck behind Eric to read over his shoulder.

I just practiced their commands, and I told Ellie to "speak" and she laid down instead. I think I need to make sure we go over their tricks a little more often. It made me laugh out loud. She must have been extremely excited for her treat, because she loves to "speak." Pudge likes to watch the Dog Whisperer and Animal Planet, so hopefully I can snap a picture of that soon. I know, I know... they're just dogs... but I think they're the coolest.

Favorite Things

There are a few products that make my life so much easier. Some make it more fragrant... from the dogs' breath to the carpet! Some products iron out the wrinkles, take out the stains, or save me a trip to the video rental store.

Intrigued? I wanted to share my favorite products with all of you. I'm sure some of you already use a few of these, but consider this my ode to all of the great things that I use every day!

(These products are in no particular order of Kelsey's favoritism... if you don't like some of them... too bad!)

1. John Frieda Crystal Clear Shape & Shimmer Hairspray- it's inexpensive and it doesn't weigh my hair down... I use it in humid Florida and dry AZ. I can pick it up at the grocery store, too.

2. E Solutions Pedicure Foot Cream- the most amazing stuff ever. The gals at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa sold me on it. I slather it on at night, and I haven't had dry feet since!

3. Mrs. Meyer’s Odor Removing Carpet Cleaner- They make their pet products with the organic and natural essential oils of Clary Sage and Chamomile to calm and soothe your pet. Their products are cruelty-free and environmentally friendly. They have all sorts of cleaning products for baby and for your home.

4. Usana HealthPak 100 Vitamins- Energy and Nutrition... pharmaceutical grade... the best stuff ever!

5. Downy Wrinkle Reducer- I hate ironing... especially when it's a zillion degrees outside. I use it for bed linens, clothes... it's awesome.

6. Apple TV- One of the brokers at work gave it to me, and I think he may regret it. We LOVE this thing. It links up to my iTunes, and we can rent movies, listen to our music, and create slideshows.

7. Horizon Organic Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt- Oh so yummy, fat free, and organic. It makes my stomach feel better, and I don't have to worry about weirdo added ingredients.

8. Uppercase Living- They sell words for your wall! I put my business name on my office wall. My mom has some really cute ones too. You can pick pre-made quotes or create custom designs. My Aunt Nancy is a sales associate for them!

9. Usana Skin Firming Lotion- Paraben free and skin firming. I don't have to worry about putting potential cancer causing agents on my skin. Did you know if you stand on a clove of garlic, you'll be able to taste it in a short amount of time? Our skin is transdermal people. What you put on it goes into your blood stream!

10. 3M Dog Dental Treats- They smell minty fresh, my puppies love them, and they don't make Pudgie barf.

11. Luna Bars- Nutz over Chocolate is my favorite. They are made with 70% organic ingredients and are low glycemic. Not to mention SCRUMPTIOUS.

12. Wet Ones- You know 'em... you can grab them on your way out of Target in that checkout section that has all of those little things you didn't know you needed. You need these. They take out stains, they're antibacterial, and they're not bulky, so you can take them wherever you go.

13. Febreze- It makes everything smell so great!

14. Dan in Real Life- I don't see how anyone couldn't love this movie. It shows the importance of family, forgiveness, love, and laughter!

15. Google- My answer to everything in life "Google it."

Catching up with Friends

Ragan and Keith Schubert and their daughter Anna (and as Anna states, "Baby Amos who is in my mommy's tummy") came to stay with us while they were catching up with old friends in Arizona. Keith was the youth pastor on staff in Glendale while Eric was the young adults pastor. Eric was EXTREMELY excited to see Keith, and I think he's going through withdrawal now.


It was one of those weekends where I was extremely tired from the work week, but I knew that I was going to remember it as one of the best times we've experienced. I had so much fun playing hide and seek with Anna in Chipotle and acting in all of the mini plays that she directed based on Disney characters. She really liked playing with Pudge and Ellie, who have been sleeping non-stop since yesterday. Anna made me laugh out loud numerous times! She would sing to us in the car and pray for our food. She was instantly friends with everyone in the room. We traded names, so when Eric said, "Kelsey!" Anna replied with "What!". It was so fun to learn about their lives, to talk about the past, and to look forward to the future. Ragan is beautiful and glowing and thrilled about their first son. Keith is VERY excited about having a boy, and Anna will soon have another actor for her plays.


Our house seems quiet and boring now, so everyone should feel free to come stay with us or stop in for a visit. We miss them a ton already, but we know they fit in well with the wonderful people in Kansas. I think that Kansas produces pretty awesome families, and we can't wait to see them again!



Kelsey