Merry Christmas!

photo by Amber Belmonte

Better than B

I am sure 90% of you have seen this video.
But or those who havent
I hope it makes you as happy as it made us.

How much does one baby need?

I need your help.

Casey and I have nothing for Ginger.
Nothing.
And considering I'm now in my third trimester
I am feeling the pressure.

The lists of crap necessities these baby books
recommend are endless.

But I know there is no way I need all this stuff.

So please... I would love your input.
What do I really need, and what can I live without.

And... What do you know now, that you wish you knew when you had your first newborn?

dilemma

Many have you heard me go on and on and on
about these red boots I'd probably give a kidney for.

Why dont you just by them?!
you ask... tired of my whining.

Well the dilemma is...
no extra money to throw down on these fabulous boots.
However, I do have a substantial credit at Piperlime.com,
my favorite shoe site.

These are the infamous Vince Camuto Red boots; style: calder



The brick red is perfect, it's edgy but not too rocker chick.
Sorry I am wiping the drool off my computer.
These were on piperlime, in my price range in a size 8
ugh Im a 9 maybe an 8.5 but no dice on the 8.
There is a ever so slight possibility they may reappear if someone returns
one in my size.
I also saw Zappos just put them on sale,
but I dont have a credit there. tear.

They do have them in black, 8.5 only...



I love them but the idea of RED boots are really rockin my world right now.

Here's some Calving Klein's off Piperlime that I could get instead...



Yowza! the redness! but definitely a statement.

And here are some black Calvins, still stylish, but pretty "safe"



And there you go... my superficial conundrum.

Thoughts.
Besides...Get a life Alexis.

It's about freakin time...

I have been meaning to blog
about my recent trip to Salt Lake.
I spent 5 whole days with these hot ladies



Amber and Whitney

It was incredible.

We met up with some other lovely Utah chicks
including Andrea who I havent seen For E Ver!

We drank bowls of soy chai.
The three of us made time for out laptops, like the nerds we are.
I stole Joe's Dr. Pepper.
Okay, 4 of them.
Amber has her large collection of shoes in separate containers
perfectly organized.
no joke.
Taylor (Amber's adorable son) told me I should bake Casey a cake
since I was gone from home for so long.
He also said Ginger's middle name should be Bread.
Genius!
Our favorite spot was Amber's HUGE bed in front of their HUGE flat screen.
In fact, we spent A lot of time there,
one night we sat on her bed and talked and giggled until we realized it was
2 am and her patient husband might want his bed and wife back.
We slept in until 11 am
every morning.
Whitney and I watched in awe at Amber's mothering skills.
I was reminded at how eerily alike Amber and I are
and Amber and I tried to take tips from Whitney
on how to be "softer."
I made it through Ikea without "losing it"
Casey would be proud,
as much as I love that store, it brings out my crazy side.

Overall the trip was lovely, serene, therapeutic, hilarious, and exactly what I needed.

“The older I get, the more romance I have with the desert that spawned me. It’s not just about the neon city, Elvis and Frank Sinatra – it’s the fact that being in Vegas excluded us from the ‘indie-ness’ of other places. I didn’t know that what we were doing might be considered uncool. If The Killers had been based in New York or Portland, we would’ve done things ironically… Like I said, I don’t understand why more people don’t wear sequins.”

- Sin City native Brandon Flowers, of The Killers, tells London's Metro

Word, Mr. Flowers, proud to be a member of the Glitterati.

Christmas is coming

Our tree.
Much more fabulous in person
but you get the idea.



There you go,
the extent of our decorations.
Elton John would be proud...
Feathers and glitter.

Tonight at FHE
I had everyone write out their top 10 wishes
if they were in fact granted 10 wishes...

Later Casey showed me his list.
I had to share.

1. Peace on Earth
2. Good tidings
3. Money in large bags
4. House cleaner/ maid (live in)
5. Lamborghini
6. 10 tailored suits
7. Custom Italian boots. (I guess he's over his vans)
8. 10 kids (what the ?!?!)
9. personal trainer
10. time to read

My favorite is #4, but I would add live in chef, masseuse and driver.

Even though the point of this lesson was to focus on the things
that would bring us eternal joy, not temporal happiness.

But still, a house cleaner/driver/masseuse and driver would be awesome.

Just Read

Home by Marilynne Robinson

I have to post about it because it has now entered my top 5 books
which is a pretty high honor.
Im sure Marilynne will feel her life is complete.

It's about family
a wayward son
a religious father overwhelmed with guilt and questions
and a sister trying to make sense of it all.

For me a great book
challenges my ideas.
It makes me want to try harder at life
and my relationships with others.
It also lets me escape.
Thats why I love Paulo Coelho and C.S. Lewis.
And now, Marilynne Robinson.

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS.

Thanksgiving

Merry Christmas Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent Thanksgiving at my mother and father in law's home this year.
It was just what thanksgiving should be...
Christmas tree
Santa hats
Red and Green Everywhere
Wreaths
Wait, thats not right.
My mother in law decorated early for Christmas.
So I had to keep reminding myself we were celebrating Thanksgiving.
But there was
Tons of amazing food
Turkey
Football
Family
And we were grateful.
So it was everything Thanksgiving should be.
Peggy is a wonderful hostess
and I always try to take notes on entertaining from her.








The Treese Boys


The Treese Girls

Thankful List

My friend Jessica posted 50 things they're grateful for and I loved it so I am being totally unoriginal and ripping off her idea.

So here's our list... definitly in no particular order.
1. internet
2. warm chai
3. Moses and his crazy personality
4. Sammy and his mellowness
5. iphones
6. forgiveness from our loved ones
7. Ginger
8. Vanity Fair and W
9. Celebrity Rehab and Steven Adler
10. the economy (this one was Casey's... I gave him a confused look for obvious reasons... his reply, "Just put it down, it's profound.")
11. the early pioneers (again, casey)
12. Books. And our awesome collection.
13. new socks
14. Piperlime
15. our families, of course
16. our friends
17. our jobs
18. the lessons we've learned about money since weve been married (i.e. dont ignore your gas bill 2 months in a row).
19. looking for our new home
20. elevators
21. the gospel
22. The singles ward (where we met)
23. unisom -a pregnant woman's dream come true.
24. the constitution (casey is thinking really hard about his answers)
25. skateboards
26. The Rolling Stones
27. Gomusic.ru
28. straightening irons
29. Those red boots that keep me motivated to work.
30. FHE
31. swimming pools
32. our church calling which has taught us a lot about patience and how to deal with rowdy kids. (Our kids call Casey "the fun one")
33. irons
34. Tylenol PM
35. I had to delete this one- it was Casey's answer- a guys answer- Im sure you can figure it out.
36. Books on cd (otherwise driving would be a hellish experience)
37. Our dogs learning new phrases like "Go to your bed." and "Go Pee." (we have to tell moses to go pee otherwise he just smells bushes).
38. candles
39. Ginger kicking- it definitely helps with the anxiety
40. our new duvet cover
41. DVR
42. deodorant.
43. our gap discount (thanks Peggy!)
44. cheesecake
45. gadgetry
46. Dr. Pepper
47. target
48. Shark Steamer
49. Gillette Fushion Razor
50. As previously mentioned because I cant stress it enough... our faith, our families, our friends and the upcoming arrival of Ginger. Because all the material things mean nothing compared to these blessings.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A week in review

1. I love this girl.
Ashley came in town last weekend and gave me some much needed girl time.
We shopped.
Well she shopped, and I wished.



What big belly?





This is at Red Mango. Mmmmmmmm.
I can't explain the pose.






2. I saw Twilight.
I really liked Edward the movie.

3. Got Kanye's 808's and heartbreaks cd.
Totally in love with it.
Amazed and impressed at his talent.
Almost as much as he is.

4. Im sick.
Everybody feel sorry for me.

5. My John Lennon bio...
So far so good.
Finally finished with the childhood part,
which in my opinion is the most boring part.
Read about Clapton introducing cannabis (that's what the author referred to it as)
to the Beatles.
Which I have already read about in Pattie Boyd's bio and Clapton's bio.

6. Looking for a new place to live.
Were moving in January.
Casey sent me an email with his first choice.



I guess for $475 a month he's willing to make some sacrifices.

That's all for now, cant wait to blog about the Utah trip I am currently enjoying.

Wedding Video part 1

I finally am getting around to posting our wedding videos.
This is the first one,
the date video.
We knew we wanted part 8mm.
We knew we wanted the A-ha song.
We knew we wanted a bit of interviewing in there.
David Perry did it and I LOVE IT!
Hope you enjoy.

Wisdom

Last year I was sick.
My body was a mess.
And what I was trying was working against me.
So I decided to spend some time in Mt. Shasta
I stayed with my grandfather and my great grandmother.
They are the healthiest people I know.
Holistic.
Wise.
While I was there I literally ate three things.
Homemade tortillas.
Which my Great Grandmother has been making for 90 years.
So you can imagine how amazing they are.
Beans.
and fruit.
And I only drank water straight from the springs.
I had massages.
Pressure point treatment.
Acupuncture.
I even had my chakras read for the experience.
My grandfather gave me a great gift and sent me to see
a man, Gary Bianconi.
He was incredibly wise and knowledgeable about the human body and spirit.
We keep in touch.
This is a video he sent me
About Wisdom.
Which we can all use.



I loved this sentence...
We cant get to wonderful without passing through alright.
and this one...
The answer to difference is to respect it.
What was your favorite part?

My 2 cents in case youre interested.

1. As much as I HATE the days leading up to Nov 4th.
I woke up today totally giddy.
I have a love/hate relationship with politics.
I feel like there is so much propaganda and I cant get straight information from anyone.
Politicians, reporters, journalists.
On the other hand.
I still love and am grateful for democracy.
And I understand the WEIGHT of presidential elections.
BUT I showed up to vote today and found out I COULDN'T
because I changed my last name when I got married
and didnt do the appropriate paperwork
or check the appropriate box.
Sucks.
I feel so unpatriotic.
PS its Obama 3 McCain 8 as of right now.
Which means nothing, just an FYI.

2. I am not a fan of the Beatles.
I dont not like them I just feel neutral about them.
The Rolling Stones on the other hand...
Best Music Ever.
Back to the Beatles...
I am obsessed with Pop culture history.
And Biographies.
So now I am reading the just released "John Lennon The Life".
I've read a lot of negative about him so I am interested what this has to say.
You should read it with me.
Or I'll just tell you the highlights when I am done.

3. I always order extra ice at the drive thru
and never freakin get it.
It's so dang annoying.

4. My lower back is killing me.
I thought that didnt happen until the 8th month
when you are huge.
Guess not.
Ugh.

5. I still watch and love Grey's Anatomy.
But the lesbian storyline... I hate.
Let me be clear.
I dont care that there is a lesbian relationship.
But I hate the too much information.
Basically the explicit sexual information.
It SO unnecessary.
But I just found out via the gossip gangsta
that Dr. Erica Hahn is out!
Her last episode is Thursday
and I am not sad at all about it.

6. People are SO MUCH more kind and warm
to pregnant women.
It's amazing.
I am now considered approachable.

Thats it.

Hey Amber! Does she look familiar??

For those of you confused...
This is my BFF Amber's mama.
Amber lives in Utah and her mom lives in Vegas
and yesterday at church I turned a corner
and practically ran right into Cheryl (mama).
We squealed and hugged like 18 times
and talked about how much we miss and love Amber.
the end.

This Week

Ginger started kicking last week.
These past 5 months for me has not exactly been awesome.
Don't hate me for saying that.
But her kicking is SO INCREDIBLE.
And my Doctors... Dr. Michelle Lewis and Dr. Damon Masaki are
Nothing short of perfect.

And...Last Friday Casey and I went out for dinner.
It was late.
I had been waiting For E ver!
Hungry pregnant woman = Godzilla.
We decided on Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay (after 3 other restaurants had 45 minute waits)
and on our way there Some random person gave us front row tickets to see HIM:

Joel McHale!
Casey and I both totally LOVE HIM!
All things in the universe had to align for this to happen.
Joel was a part of our destiny.
Yes, I am that dramatic.

Casey took a picture of me that night so you all can check out my BELLY:



Check out Sammy lower corner. Awwww so cute.

And..This weekend we got together with My brother and sister in law Cody and Nikki
to have chili and carve pumpkins.
We missed you Amber and Clay.





Casey picked out a Rio Jesus pattern to carve.
Which is SO Casey.
He always begs me to to buy those 1.99 candles with the Virgin Mary on them
at the supermarket.

UNFORTUNATELY,
I am so mad at myself for not getting a picture of the Rio Jesus Pumpkin sooner.
So it started molding.
Those freakin things mold in two days easily.
So I did some photo trickery to hide the mold.
You get the idea...



Final thought: We decided not to name Baby Treese- Ginger.
Instead she will be named Cologne.
After that blond chink on Stylista.

Randomness

Beautiful Whitney tagged me so here we go:

Enjoy the randomness...

1. I HATE DRIVING... Vanity Fair asks a question on the Proust questionnaire: What's your greatest unnecessary extravagance? If we were rollin in the dough I can say for a fact my answer to that question would be: A DRIVER. I hate the traffic, I hate other drivers and I hate lights. One time Casey told me I was a good driver. Later he confessed he was just trying to get a kiss.

2. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE DOGS BUT THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE... until I met my dog Sammy. I was the person who would ask you to put your dogs in the backyard if I was over. The hair and the licking was way too much for me. But like I said I met Sammy and he made me a lover. Anyone who knows Sammy knows he is such a sweetheart. What is so incredible about that is that he was terribly abused. Imagine loving and trusting humans so much after your previous owners physically abused and neglected you. Amazing.

3. I HAVE A FOOD ISSUE... Casey thinks this is the weirdest thing about me. This is not a pregnancy issue by the way. For about a month I become obsessed with a certain food/drink. One month it was peanut m&m's and vitamin water, another month egg rolls and boba, another month Dr. Pepper and Reesees, another month Eggo cinnamin waffles and milk tea, for three months potato soup and diet coke, currently its chai and lemon poppyseed scones and seasoned fries from Tacone.

4. WHEN I WAS 23 I HIRED A PRIVATE DETECTIVE TO FIND MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER... when I finally recieved his phone number I called and got the answering machine... I said, "Hi Aubrey (pronounced O.B.) this is Alex (apparently what he called me) Moore, call me back if you want." It was such an awkward message!

5. MY GRANDMOTHER IS FULL APACHE INDIAN. Casey thinks that's were I get my sassyness and my passionate arguing skills from. Which is probably true. But in my defense, I haven't got worked up over anything in so dang long. I think that this miracle inside me puts things in perspective. This is a really good synopsis of the Apache tribe:

They moved freely, always following the sun and the food supply. They owned nothing and everything. They did as they pleased and bowed to no man. Their women were chaste. Their leaders kept their promises. They were mighty warriors who depended on success in raiding for wealth and honor. To their families they were kind and gentle, but they could be unbelievably cruel to their enemies--fierce and revengeful when they felt that they had been betrayed.

6. A GARGOYLE WATCHES OVER ME AS I SLEEP. When you lay in my spot of the bed and look out the window all you can see is this stone gargoyle with beady eyes and talons. The first few nights I was totally spooked out by this thing. Finally I told myself its there to protect me. Now I sleep soundly and would love to have a gargoyle on top of every house I have in the future.

7. ONE THING I CANT LIVE WITHOUT IS PEPPERMINT OIL. This is an amazing life changing discovery for me. I get headaches all the time. Peppermint oil is a natural remedy for headaches. You can get a bowl of ice water drop 5 drops of peppermint oil in there, drop washcloth in there, ring out and place on forehead, or drop 5 drops on a hot washcloth, put it in your corner of the shower and ta-dah peppermint steam bath. Or sometimes I just inhale it straight out of the bottle. It's magic, My headaches disappear quickly and reappear infrequently.

I tag...
Amber ( you have been double tagged by Whitney and me so sorry sister but you have to do it or the blogging police will come after you.)
Lindzi... because I have been loving your blog and really want to get some randomness from you.
Ashley
Nicole
Corynn Im serious about this Corynn, youre tagged.

Optimus Prime

First and foremost... I am 20 weeks along which means...I'm halfway there!
I think I remember Casey and I high-fiving over it last night.
Doesn't it feel lame to high five your husband?
Or is that just me?
I get those babycenter updates
and it turns out she's the length of a banana.
Which seems really big.

This is my craving list...
1. Vietnamese food
2. Italian lemon soda
3. Lemon-poppyseed scones
4. Crackers and jalapeno-cheddar cheese
5. Dove chocolate ice cream

Also I love my new straightening iron.

The Hai Digistick.
I broke up with my chi because it turns out it's ceramic coated metal
but the Hai is completely ceramic.
So it's 5 % better for my hair.

On a completely different note...
We celebrated my nieces birthday last week
at Peter Piper Pizza.
The first thing Casey asked me for was money so he could do this...

I cant explain this picture.
But I posted it to ensure fair blogging.
They cant all be good pictures.
I made it smaller because it's a little less embarrassing.



Here's the birthday girl.
She wanted a transformers theme.



Here's Optimus Prime himself!

Inside Information- I've been tagged...

8 THINGS...

8 TV SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH
1. Scrubs (I feel like JD, Turk, Carla and Elliott are my family)
2. The Rachel Zoe Project- Love this show!
3. Gossip Girl
4. America's Next Top Model...although I vote Tyra as my most hated person on tv, along with Spencer.
5. Ellen
6. The Hills
7. Sex and the City (even though I've seen every episode...I know, I'm going to hell)
8. Jon and Kate +8- If they can do it with 8 I can do it with 1.

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS. oooooh I love this part.
1. Fragrance of Saigon ...whole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant.
2. I Love Sushi
3. Smith's and Wollensky's (but I cant afford it so I dream)
4. Chronic Tacos
5. Cafe Rio ( I feel so unoriginal saying this but that pork Mmmmm)
6. Pin Kaow
7. Yardhouse
8. Red Robin...for the fries.

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY
1. I forced myself to eat a big breakfast of eggs, toast and potatoes so I wouldn't have dizzy spells at work.
2. Went to work.
3. Gossiped with my co-worker.
4. Went to the pool after work and layed out with my neighbor Sheila who lives in Chicago but has a condo in Manhattan (in Las Vegas) where we live... so I only see her every other week or so.
5. Listened to her advice about raising Ginger. (everyone has advice, but I welcome it) she made strong suggestions I maintain a "life". Word.
6. Signed up and look for friends on facebook. Then regreted it. Then un-regreted it. Now Im still deciding.
7. Received a call from a friend Lauren that I haven't seen in forever. She happened to be in Manhattan and I went over to the condo where she was at and surprised her with my new belly.
8. Lauren forced me to sit on the couch, got me a blanket, a glass of ice water and gave me an hour long foot rub while we giggled over silly things. I was really grateful for this. I needed it.

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO
1. Ginger!
2. Visiting our friends in California next week. I know we'll have a great time with them!
3. Visiting our friends in Utah Soon!
4. carving pumpkins and eating homemade chili.
5. Getting bigger (hopefully in the stomach only!)
6. Halloween! Thanksgiving! Christmas!
7. Casey graduating...someday.
8. Moving in January.

8 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FALL
1. The temperature dropping...slowly but surely.
2. Comfort food.
3. Windows open.
4. The warmth the holiday season brings.
5. Making my first trial Thanksgiving dinner.
6. Being able to walk the dogs in comfort.
7. Spending time with family for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
8. Changes in fashion

8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST
1. Casey Graduating.
2. Healthy Happy Ginger.
3. Moving into a home.
4. Not stressing over money. Does that ever happen?
5. Economy flourishing.
6. Frye Riding boots and a fake fur coat.
7. The election being OVER.
8. Traveling

PEOPLE I TAG ARE:
1. Amber
2. Andrea
3. Corynn
4. Nicole
5. Ashely
Sorry couldn't come up with 8.

Boy or Girl?

Although you cant really see anything, I'm sure you can read...
No Pee Pee!
or, no penis, rather.
ITS A GIRL!

We are really loving the name GINGER.
I hesitated posting that on our blog
but what the heck.
If you hate the name, maybe it will grow on you.
If you love the name, fabulous.

I really love referring to her as Ginger.
In my case, it helped me bond with her more.
It just made this experience that much more REAL.
Of course, its real but it can feel surreal.
We give ourselves permission to change our mind on the name
if she pops out and it doesnt seem to 'fit' her.

So there you go. Big News for The Treeses.
A Baby Girl named Ginger.

Skate

Casey got a new skateboard this weekend. 

And I think he has been transported back to the days of his youth.

Last night he and Eric went for their first "skate sesh."

I have to use quotation marks because I dont feel cool enough to use their lingo.

Here's a video our talented friend Eric Cannon made.

I love the interview, with Casey using words like 'Hella'.

It's like they're freshman in college again. 

Which I completely understand what a great feeling that can be.

Carefree.

Camera Test - Little Skate Sesh from Eric Cannon on Vimeo.

Wedding!

I used to hate weddings...
until I got married myself and could understand and appreciate the weight of that day.

Here are some pictures from our friends' Chantal and Dustin's Wedding.

I have been fortunate to be friends with these girls for over 15 years.
Yowza, were old.
We grew up playing soccer together.
They are beautiful, hilarious, fun and great people.
When your eleven you're more or less the same as your friends
but as you get older your differences are more and more apparent.
It's a great blessing when your friendships can stand the test of time.

Nikki, Rachel, Me, Seana



Sorry girls, but this is a better picture of me.


Casey and I were actually super sick this particular day.
Well I was sick...Casey was super sick.
There's evidence in the parking garage.
Every time we looked over at Casey
He looked like this:



Or this:



This is Seana's impression of Casey:



And here's a couple more just for fun...





And finally... The bride and groom

Ta-Dah!

Here we go... huge picture for your viewing pleasure. Somewhat of a bump, eh?

Lily's 2!!

Lily is my best friend's daughter.
and I love her.

I love Casey's fake smile in this picture.
Sorry Mrs. Robertson, your not going to get that baby bump picture here. I'll go through great lengths to cover my tummy at this stage. I'll even wear a blanket and call it fashion!



We call Lily Gypsy Girl. She's her own fabulous style.



Lily and Nikki



Even though I am singing in this picture, I was awesome on the guitar I'll have you know.

Happy Birthday Casey!

As I mentioned before Friday was Casey's birthday!
I think I have the sweetest, funniest, most incredible husband ever!
And I am being completely objective.

Here's some random facts about my hot husband!
His favorite ice cream is Bunny Tracks because "there's a surprise in every bite!"
He wants to live in Dubai. (Not going to happen)
His favorite cd right now is Lil Wayne. (even though he swore off rap)
He is all about my home cooking... which is awesome.
He also likes I Love Sushi and Famous Daves and eats my 7 layer dip like
there's no tomorrow.
His favorite part of church is Sunday School because we teach the 9 year olds and he
has a lot of fun with our class.
He cherishes naps when he can fit them in.
When he gets dressed he makes a conscious effort to not be 'matchy-matchy.'
So if it ever looks like it got dressed in the dark... remember- it's intentional.

For his birthday we had some of his friends over and played Rock Band.




I'm pretty sure he's picking at his nose in this picture but whatever.

I had to post this picture of my niece. She likes to play with my camera and take pictures of herself. She wanted to take a picture of her sticking her tongue out and she was so serious about getting that picture!

I am so happy we had Casey's family and friends over. We had so much fun and I know it made Casey's birthday special. So thank you to all that helped us celebrate.

And PS Those are root beer bottles in the background. Sheesh!

Peace out Audrina

As much as I hate Lo...
Audrina has become such a brat.
Lauren is reaching out to you!
She's crying REAL tears.
She just wants things to go back to the way they were!

Basically what this post is about is Audrina is officially moving out
of Lauren's house.
To which I say... good riddance!
Lauren is the reason she's famous and rich
and how does she show her appreciation?
Sheesh.
Okay I'm getting a little to riled up about a reality show.
And feeling a little pathetic.

More importantly,
It's Casey's birthday!!
More on that later.