exploring downtown

After the Diamondbacks game on Saturday night Makenzie, Montine, and I set out to explore downtown Phoenix. Here is what we stumbled upon...

 

Channel 12 News (NBC)

 

This place was so pretty!

Date night here, please Danny?

 Pretty colored lights on the outside of a theatre.

 

Makenzie (sister) and I in front of an Arizonian (?) mosaic...or as Makenzie would say mow-zee-ack.

 

What's your favorite baseball team?

 Getting ready to take the light rail home.

 Goodbye downtown, I hope to see you soon!

 What better way to end the night than to eat way too many calories right before bed?!

book review: the glass castle

 

Last Monday I was out shopping and stumbled upon this book and was intrigued by the cover...yeah, I judge books by the cover sometimes. So anyways, I hadn't heard anything but read the back and it sounded like something I might like. Plus, the front of the book says that "[Jeannette] Walls joined the company of writers such as ...and Frank McCourt." Um, have you read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. AMAZING. So buying the book was a no-brainer. Anyways, the book is a memoir in which Walls writes about her childhood and upbringing with her three siblings and crazy mom and dad. Her father is an alcoholic who can't keep a steady job and her mother is an extremely selfish "artist" who believes that she is going to make it big and refuses to get a job in the mean time to help feed her children.  Jeanette's parents refuse to stay anywhere for more than a short amount of time and usually leave the small towns they've settled into because they've gotten into trouble with the law. Interestingly, Jeannette's mother was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona (where I'm from) and Jeannette spent part of her childhood there as well. It was sad to have to read about Phoenix from her point of view because of their poor living conditions. The book takes you through some of Jeannette's earliest childhood memories to where she is now and it's amazing to see her transformation. Reading this book made me so thankful and appreciative for my family and all they've done for me. I highly, highly recommend this book! It definitely put life in perspective for me.

diamondbacks game

This past Saturday my sister (Makenzie), my friend Montine, and I went to a Diamondbacks game. They played the White Sox and unfortunately lost 6-2...but we had tons of fun! Here's how the game went...

Montine, me, and Makenzie on our way to the game on the lightrail. We were packed like sardines...and we really love AJ's iced drinks

 

Weeeee're here! This is Chase Field where the Diamondbacks play.

 Inside Chase Stadium

 The pool that people can rent to watch the game, I've always wanted to do this. Unfortunately, it's mucho dinero.

 Being goofballs instead of watching the game. Typical.

 

Dancing our hearts out to try and get on the jumbotron, it never happened :(

This is us at the very top of the stadium.

 Roof Status

 

Straight balling...

 

...and batting!

After the game we decided to explore Downtown Phoenix, up next!

happy dad's day!

Dear Dad,

You are simply amazing. I feel so blessed to have you as my father. Not only are you the best dad in the entire world to Maximus, Mace, Makenzie, and I but you are also an amazing role model to your football players and students. I can't tell you how many times I've been told that I'm lucky to have you as my dad. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the sacrifices you have made for me. I had the best time with you yesterday and enjoyed the spaghetti, because let's face it you're an AMAZING cook, better than most moms. I love you so much...mullet and all. Thanks for being my dad, no really, I lucked out.

Love,

Brie

P.S. He got rid of the mullet about 20 years ago :)

june jubilee

happy june! i know i'm two weeks late, but i've been busy enjoying my much needed summer vacation :) here's what i've been up to the past few weeks...

lots and lots of mexican food, i live in arizona after all (pictured with sister, mom, and stepdad)

shopping excursions with the best grandma ever <3

who has the darker tan line contest with sister pie...i win!

spending time with this little guy (brother mace, 11 months)

and of course this little dude too! (brother maximus, 6 years old)

dance parties with the sister

girls night at my apartment

an almost failed river trip due to a flat tire, no worries...we still made it!

trying out new restaurants like this one...urban picnic! it's like you're on a picnic, but in a restaurant...trust me, outside picnics in june in arizona won't float your boat

 

the delicious panini grilled cheese i got at urban picnic

and last but not least...POOL DAYS! i've been to the pool more times than i can count in the past few weeks, i'm scared that if i don't slow down then i'll start to resemble snooki

in other news: i've  finished up the girl with the dragon tattoo trilogy which i LOVED! i also read water for elephants which is another must read, i'm now fascinated with the circus. and i'm currently reading the glass castle which is extremely good but sad.

well, that's all folks! (nerd alert)

meet bean

this is my baby bean, aka zoey, aka zo. don't ask why i call her bean because i can't remember how it started. she is a two pound papillon and i love her dearly.

book review: the girl with the dragon tattoo

so can i just tell you how amazing this book is? liiiike, really. you need to read it. the funny thing is how much of a scaredy pants i am and i still could not manage to put it down. it got to the point where i made my sister come over at night and keep me company so i could read the book without having to be afraid. 

facts: lisbeth salander is my bff. well maybe, except for lisbeth doesn't really like people. but you will like her.

mikael blomkvist is hot. i mean i don't know for sure but considering daniel craig is set to play him in the american version of the movie, i'll go with yes. 

henrik vanger is old. 

the story revolves around the disappearance of harriet vanger. harriet's uncle henrik has been trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance for over forty years. henrik hires blomkvist to investigate the mystery who gives a ring on the tele to lisbeth for help....

let me jut say that you will not be able to stop reading this book, so prepare yourself to be a lazy bum for a few days. also prepare yourself to have a difficult time remembering who is who for the first hundred or so pages because all of the names are swedish and most of them start with the letter "b"

happy reading!

california: day four

our fourth and final day in california :(

 

beth in my grandparents backyard

 

driving back to la from oxnard

 malibu

 

santa monica

 aunt beth and uncle joe's house

 lunch at jack & jill's with my long lost friend inga! we went to high school together in la

 

the grove parking garage

 beth at the grove

 so pretty!

 hollywood sign (notice the restricted area sign? i'm such a rebel)

 i need this garage, or this house

 beth and the hollywood sign

 one of my favorite views of los angeles

a nice relaxing last night in la...salad, pasta, wine, and tiramisu at louise's 

sad that our trip is over, but i had the most amazing time with beth. our four day vacation was much needed and a perfect start to the summer :)

california: day three

on day three of our california trip we headed up north to the ventura/oxnard area to stay a night at my grandparent's house on the harbor

 driving up the pacific coast highway, pepperdine university

 delicious tacos at a restaurant in downtown ventura

 lauren (my aunt) and i at the rudder room in oxnard

 wilmer valderamma look-a-like with beth

our new friend diane...she was FIFTY TWO and had the most amazing skin!