Friday, December 25, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Our Trip to New York!
Hello all! I know most of you, if not all, were privy to our recent vacation but if not we just got back from 7 days in Manhattan, Midtown to be specific.
Day 1: We arrived in the Big Apple, actually Jersey but no matter, around 3:00 and got in our first cab to the hotel, the beautiful Park Central Hotel right in Midtown. We checked in and headed to our room. I will admit I was a little scared because of the price but we were very happy with our accommodations. We rested and showered and took off to see Times Square, four blocks from our hotel. What a chaos, tourists EVERYWHERE but we were still overjoyed to be there. After a quick bite to eat, pizza of course, we went back to the hotel and rested.
Day 2: Our journey to Greenwich Village... well it was more of a search for Greenwich Village and we couldn't honestly say we knew we were ever there until the end of the day... After our journey down town, we ate some lunch and headed back to our hotel and took a nap. That was one thing I loved, we took a nap everyday! After the nap, we headed to Columbus Circle and to the Winter Festival. Good times with the Mariachi band and the adjacent mall. On our way home we walked, briefly, through Central Park, it was dark but an experience we won't forget!
Day 3: Liberty Island, here we come! Jose's favorite part of our trip was visiting Ellis Island because you can feel the spirits around you. Kinda freaky but neat at the same time because you can feel a little bit like they did at the time. So much fun history there, and sad history too. Did you know 2% of all the immigrants that traveled there were turned away? Sad... After that we walked up Broadway, by Wall Street, Trinity Church and Ground Zero. Not much to see at Ground Zero since they are starting to construct the new monument but still interesting to visit and remember. After that we journeyed up to Chinatown and Little Italy. We didn't stop for Italian food as we weren't hungry but we did get some good shopping in around Chinatown. After our nap we went out for dinner and walked around 5th Avenue a bit.
Day 4: Ice Skating in Central Park, Idyllic huh? It was so fun but Jose was a bit nervous on skates. I had taken lessons when I was younger so I just needed to warm up but after a couple of laps he was done and enjoyed the view while I got some exercise in. After that we went to FAO Schwartz and walked to the hotel, only a couple of blocks away. After our lunch and nap, we went to try and see the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center and how silly that was... Lines to get in lines to be in lines... We stopped trying after about 15 minutes of standing in the rain. We went back to the hotel and watched it live, Jose was sad to see that he could have seen Shakira but I told him tough :)
Day 5: Downtown to the Empire State Building, Macy's, the Met, tour of the Upper East Side and Madison Avenue. Let me just say that the ride up to the top of the ESB is FREAKY, I'm not one for heights but I didn't want to miss out... Macy's is just like any other Macy's but the Met was amazing! I saw a real Picasso and mummies and a whole lot of other really interesting stuff. I could have spent all day in there but after everything we were a bit tired so we journeyed back to the Hotel. We rested and then went out for some much needed Chinese food and the best I have ever had!
Day 6: We realized that we needed to bring stuff back for people so Friday was our shopping day. In the morning we went to Central Park and walked around a bit and sat out in the sun. There was an outdoor market that we visited and then journeyed to 5th Ave, which was crazy busy. We napped and went to Columbus Circle, after our Chinese food, and just enjoyed our last night in the big city. Excited to go home, we were eager to start our journey back.
Day 7: Last day, happy and sad at the same time. We went for our usual stop at the corner deli for a breakfast sandwich and just waited for time to pass. We finally checked out and they suggested we take a car back since Taxi fares can be unpredictable. We took the offer and the bellman took our luggage to a white stretch limo... hmmm... we really hoped it wouldn't be more than what they told us and to our surprise it wasn't! We had fun but I would say that was the best part of the day, that and seeing our babies when we got back. To briefly describe why it was bad... We got to the airport at 12 pm ish EST, and checked our bags... Found out the flight was delayed an hour... then another hour.... then another 30 minutes... Finally boarded and had to sit in the plane for another 45 minutes as they ran tests and de-iced the plane... finally got off the ground around 8 pm EST... Arrived around 11 pm PST and drove home from LAX to get the dogs... Finally got home around 1 am PST... So to sum it up, we were traveling for 17 hours... We were tired when we got home and spent all day yesterday sleeping, running errands and trying to make sense of our clothes...
We had a great time and are already thinking of when we might be able to go back, we love NYC! Pictures will follow soon!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wise Words
Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing!
And remember: "Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another , Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"
Live, Laugh, Love!
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing!
And remember: "Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another , Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"
Live, Laugh, Love!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
11 days and counting...
We have been kinda lagging on getting clothes for Jose for New York. Now that it is getting closer and closer we realize, oh crap, he is going to freeze! Not really, he has quite a few flannels and jeans but he needs another coat and would like new shirts and jeans before we go... Goodness...
Other news, Thanksgiving will be pretty quiet this year, compared to last year and I am excited to eat turkey! Other things on the menu:
Chex Mix (old family tradition)
Turkey
Ham (it has become a tradition...)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Mac N Cheese (weird I know)
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie (fresh baked, yumm...)
Oreo Pie (for the pumpkin haters, they are crazy!)
I can't wait to make all that this year! It is going to be fun, since I won't have to do it all in bulk for 30 people! Yay :) It's making me hungry just thinking about it... hmmm...
I wish you all a nice holiday and I hope it is fun and relaxing, as they are meant to be!
Live, Laugh, Love
Other news, Thanksgiving will be pretty quiet this year, compared to last year and I am excited to eat turkey! Other things on the menu:
Chex Mix (old family tradition)
Turkey
Ham (it has become a tradition...)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Mac N Cheese (weird I know)
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie (fresh baked, yumm...)
Oreo Pie (for the pumpkin haters, they are crazy!)
I can't wait to make all that this year! It is going to be fun, since I won't have to do it all in bulk for 30 people! Yay :) It's making me hungry just thinking about it... hmmm...
I wish you all a nice holiday and I hope it is fun and relaxing, as they are meant to be!
Live, Laugh, Love
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Heaven is a cal-king bed with a pillow-top :) That's what is sitting in our new bedroom right now and I am sure Blue and Bear are enjoying it, while I can't :(
Since the rearranging, our lives have been crazy, once everything migrates into our new space we will be done! Yay! I am thinking, now that I have a dresser all to myself, that I need more clothes, otherwise the drawers will be very empty, and that is just not right :)
The countdown begins... 34 days until we are in NYC! We are still not feeling it but once we start to pack, I figure it will hit us... I can't wait to eat pizza, ice skate in Central Park, go to the Met and eat Italian food in Little Italy. I am trying to convince Jose that it will be best to Christmas shop while we are there because of all the little shops everywhere but we'll see. For those who are interested in what we will be doing here is a short list:
Since the rearranging, our lives have been crazy, once everything migrates into our new space we will be done! Yay! I am thinking, now that I have a dresser all to myself, that I need more clothes, otherwise the drawers will be very empty, and that is just not right :)
The countdown begins... 34 days until we are in NYC! We are still not feeling it but once we start to pack, I figure it will hit us... I can't wait to eat pizza, ice skate in Central Park, go to the Met and eat Italian food in Little Italy. I am trying to convince Jose that it will be best to Christmas shop while we are there because of all the little shops everywhere but we'll see. For those who are interested in what we will be doing here is a short list:
- Ice skating in Central Park
- Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Going to the Natural History Museum
- FAO Schwartz (need I say more?)
- Seeing the Statue of Liberty
- Paying our respects at Ground Zero
- Eating Dim Sum (never had it before, but I feel I gotta do it)
- Having a romantic dinner in a little Italian restaurant drinking good wine
- taking in the sights in Times Square
- Going in the Plaza Hotel and poking around :)
- Visiting my old friend Matt
- Eating at Stardust Diner
- Going to the Empire State Building (all the times I've been, I haven't gone there...)
- Going to Macy's & Tiffany's on 5th Ave
- Hmm.... Think that's about all I can think of for now...
That makes me a bit more excited but we still have a month but I feel this month is going to go by so fast but I love this time of year so I don't want it to go by that fast...
I hope everyone has a good Halloween and don't forget to change your clocks!
Live, Laugh, Love
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Something to remember...
James 1:
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
I think this about sums up advice I should take and remind myself, it all will work out. Through the hardships and difficulties we are faced with, in the end, "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." (From the wise words of my Mom)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
I think this about sums up advice I should take and remind myself, it all will work out. Through the hardships and difficulties we are faced with, in the end, "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." (From the wise words of my Mom)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Updates, Updates!
We are rearranging our house!!! That's right... For those of you who know the situation, we convinced Jose's Mom to let us arrange the house how we want and in exchange, we forfeit the two-room family room.
So here is the low down. Our house is a four bedroom home with two bathrooms, but what is confusing is on the first level there is a very large room that we considered the family room, for the main reason that we didn't need the extra bedroom but desperately needed a place to have people hang out and watch TV. The "family room" was actually two rooms but instead of a door way adjoining the rooms they took out a wall so it is one very large room. Previously, Jose's Mom had taken the front room for her "sala" or formal living room. She has the very nice Victorian chairs and couch set and wanted it in the front room to display. For those who haven't experienced them, they are very hard and mighty uncomfortable, purely for the visual... she was also a little concerned about the dogs getting on them, since we are ok with them getting on my couches. We have also been eyeing the largest bedroom on the second level and keep wishing we could have that as our own. So we offered a switcheroo and convinced her to let us have that room and the front room in exchange for our family room and she went for it! Now we are in redecorating mode and what a better time to get new furniture! We found some things we liked and now are just looking forward to the final outcome. I like to paint but goodness, it is going to be tedious.
See below for some images to help you visualize...
First Floor
Second Floor
Now we have plenty of places for people to sleep, yay!
Live, Laugh, Love
So here is the low down. Our house is a four bedroom home with two bathrooms, but what is confusing is on the first level there is a very large room that we considered the family room, for the main reason that we didn't need the extra bedroom but desperately needed a place to have people hang out and watch TV. The "family room" was actually two rooms but instead of a door way adjoining the rooms they took out a wall so it is one very large room. Previously, Jose's Mom had taken the front room for her "sala" or formal living room. She has the very nice Victorian chairs and couch set and wanted it in the front room to display. For those who haven't experienced them, they are very hard and mighty uncomfortable, purely for the visual... she was also a little concerned about the dogs getting on them, since we are ok with them getting on my couches. We have also been eyeing the largest bedroom on the second level and keep wishing we could have that as our own. So we offered a switcheroo and convinced her to let us have that room and the front room in exchange for our family room and she went for it! Now we are in redecorating mode and what a better time to get new furniture! We found some things we liked and now are just looking forward to the final outcome. I like to paint but goodness, it is going to be tedious.
See below for some images to help you visualize...
First Floor
Second FloorNow we have plenty of places for people to sleep, yay!Live, Laugh, Love
Friday, October 2, 2009
I love fall!
So it has finally come, that's right... FALL!!! I love it, I love having to use a blanket at night and I love having an excuse to eat candy corn every day :) It only comes one time a year so why not take full advantage right?
Last night we had two of our favorite gals over, Rosa and Lili. It was so much fun to hang out with them and it seems to have become a weekly occurrence, which I love. I love how we can convince Jose to watch girly movies, since there are more of us... I have someone who is interested in cooking and learning to cook. We have been trying to get at some of my recipe book recipes so I can finalize them, my next venture is stew and I have made it before so it won't be a huge thing to tackle. My most recent one was from a friend from my old job at the OC Cresa and they are so easy to make and so delicious and fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cakies:
1 box of cake mix (this can be ANY kind you want)
1/3 cup of softened butter
1/8 cup water
1 egg
Combine all, the dough will be pretty stiff, I tend to use my hands at the end.
Scoop with a tablespoon or I use a very small ice cream scooper and spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.* Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. The range is so large because it really depends on your oven.
*Size can vary, I have seen them made double the size above and come out great too, I like the bite size version because it makes more and I usually make them for Jose to take to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other then just having friends over and doing a lot of cooking, we have been trying to save for our NYC trip. We are counting down and it is at just about 8 weeks. So close yet so far. I am really trying not to make that my main focus because I love this season and if it gets here quick the whole season would have passed me by and then we are back in January and I will have to wait another 9 months for it to come back again...
Last night we had two of our favorite gals over, Rosa and Lili. It was so much fun to hang out with them and it seems to have become a weekly occurrence, which I love. I love how we can convince Jose to watch girly movies, since there are more of us... I have someone who is interested in cooking and learning to cook. We have been trying to get at some of my recipe book recipes so I can finalize them, my next venture is stew and I have made it before so it won't be a huge thing to tackle. My most recent one was from a friend from my old job at the OC Cresa and they are so easy to make and so delicious and fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cakies:
1 box of cake mix (this can be ANY kind you want)
1/3 cup of softened butter
1/8 cup water
1 egg
Combine all, the dough will be pretty stiff, I tend to use my hands at the end.
Scoop with a tablespoon or I use a very small ice cream scooper and spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.* Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. The range is so large because it really depends on your oven.
*Size can vary, I have seen them made double the size above and come out great too, I like the bite size version because it makes more and I usually make them for Jose to take to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other then just having friends over and doing a lot of cooking, we have been trying to save for our NYC trip. We are counting down and it is at just about 8 weeks. So close yet so far. I am really trying not to make that my main focus because I love this season and if it gets here quick the whole season would have passed me by and then we are back in January and I will have to wait another 9 months for it to come back again...
So the parents haven't moved in yet and we are going on one year being in this house and living together. Quite a milestone if you ask me, but we are happy and still enjoying every minute. The dogs are happy and Blue is getting bigger, I think. He is still on the small side of what we were hoping but I'm ok with that. I like big dogs but I also like how medium dogs can snuggle with you on the bed and not push you off...
Lots of love to you all!
Live, Laugh, Love
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Some new pics
The boys are sleeping and we are still awake... hmm... Notice how Bear is sleeping and note they are both on Jose's side of the bed :)
Our furniture is so ghetto, our TV is larger than our dresser.... Time for some new furniture...
I am so happy Fall is here, I just wish the temperature would follow suit. I love pumpkin pie, candy corn and soup and I can't enjoy them without the Santa Ana winds and cooler weather.That's about it but we are excited to now be able to watch TV in our bed and not have to sit up to do so... Yay :)
Live, Laugh, Love
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sorry for the delayed post...
So what have we been up to? Not too much except, getting ready for Sarah's wedding, doggy training classes for our babies, trying to hang out with friends more often, and compiling a recipe book of our favorite recipes.
Sarah's wedding is a mere 18 days away. We are going to be leaving in only 15 days and we are getting pretty excited to go on this small journey. We will be driving up north, to Eugene, OR, with my brothers in tow. It should be an interesting drive and I will need to stay up all night to make sure Jose does too, he is driving. We are both taking that day off so don't worry, we will be resting for most of the day. I must get on finalizing the details for her Bachelorette Party and I will be stressing a bit to make sure Sarah doesn't have to so much. I am happy to make this a special day and what ever stresses I go through will be worth it so, Sarah - don't worry!
Doggy training classes have proven to be successful; given, they aren't finished yet, but Blue is almost always sitting on command. He has separation anxiety issues, which the instructor pointed out (I already knew) but now we are training them apart and this is helping Blue's success. Bear is a sweetheart and at times can be considered a selective listener, he is getting there and if there is a treat involved he will do anything. That is why I think he doesn't sit on command at times, he knows there is no treat :) Very smart dogs can also be way more difficult...
Hello friends, again. For a while we were unable to hang out with friends due to home improvements, financial issues and just stress making us tired. So now we are done, for now, with home improvements and have less stress on our shoulders and this makes it more fun and way easier to hang out with friends. Mitch and Cindy finally took us out on our boat and we went to Palos Verdes, Julio is trouble but definitely fun to visit with, and Rosa and Lili crack me up and it is nice not to have to negotiate to watch a girly movie with someone :) Next on the list is Jolene (and maybe Mike), Cara and Jana. I'm happy to have friend time again!
Lastly, this recipe book. I have been going through my mom's old recipes and slowly, making all of them. It will be a very slow process but I am hoping by October I will have the book in my hands. I am doing it through Taste Book, for those interested. This website allows me to type out my recipes, maintain rights to them and not allow others to see them. Once I have entered all the recipes I would like, the books only hold 100, then I order it. I have about 97 in one of the books but I still need to try about half of them, to make sure the proportions are correct. I think I may make two, part one and two, so I can have even more recipes together. What is great is you can add pages later so I can continue to add to the books but the downside is the pages are front to back so I'm not sure how that would look when adding... I will update you all on my progress. I would like to thank Rosa for helping me make many of the recipes, she is a beginner cook but very fun in the kitchen and helpful to bounce ideas off of.
Till next time, Live, Laugh, Love!
Sarah's wedding is a mere 18 days away. We are going to be leaving in only 15 days and we are getting pretty excited to go on this small journey. We will be driving up north, to Eugene, OR, with my brothers in tow. It should be an interesting drive and I will need to stay up all night to make sure Jose does too, he is driving. We are both taking that day off so don't worry, we will be resting for most of the day. I must get on finalizing the details for her Bachelorette Party and I will be stressing a bit to make sure Sarah doesn't have to so much. I am happy to make this a special day and what ever stresses I go through will be worth it so, Sarah - don't worry!
Doggy training classes have proven to be successful; given, they aren't finished yet, but Blue is almost always sitting on command. He has separation anxiety issues, which the instructor pointed out (I already knew) but now we are training them apart and this is helping Blue's success. Bear is a sweetheart and at times can be considered a selective listener, he is getting there and if there is a treat involved he will do anything. That is why I think he doesn't sit on command at times, he knows there is no treat :) Very smart dogs can also be way more difficult...
Hello friends, again. For a while we were unable to hang out with friends due to home improvements, financial issues and just stress making us tired. So now we are done, for now, with home improvements and have less stress on our shoulders and this makes it more fun and way easier to hang out with friends. Mitch and Cindy finally took us out on our boat and we went to Palos Verdes, Julio is trouble but definitely fun to visit with, and Rosa and Lili crack me up and it is nice not to have to negotiate to watch a girly movie with someone :) Next on the list is Jolene (and maybe Mike), Cara and Jana. I'm happy to have friend time again!
Lastly, this recipe book. I have been going through my mom's old recipes and slowly, making all of them. It will be a very slow process but I am hoping by October I will have the book in my hands. I am doing it through Taste Book, for those interested. This website allows me to type out my recipes, maintain rights to them and not allow others to see them. Once I have entered all the recipes I would like, the books only hold 100, then I order it. I have about 97 in one of the books but I still need to try about half of them, to make sure the proportions are correct. I think I may make two, part one and two, so I can have even more recipes together. What is great is you can add pages later so I can continue to add to the books but the downside is the pages are front to back so I'm not sure how that would look when adding... I will update you all on my progress. I would like to thank Rosa for helping me make many of the recipes, she is a beginner cook but very fun in the kitchen and helpful to bounce ideas off of.
Till next time, Live, Laugh, Love!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Eugene, here I come!
So it turns out that everything seems to be working out so I can go to Sarah's Bridal Shower. I have no issues getting there, but getting back may be hairy so I pray it will all go alright and worse case scenario, I have to fly home Monday... The reason, some of you may be wondering, I have such iffy plans is because I fly standby. It is much cheaper, I actually only have to pay the taxes, but it can be a bit stressful. I am happy to go to the shower and be there for Sarah, I just hope I can get home Sunday!
Updates:
Europe is a maybe. Jose and I were discussing things and we feel that it may be too much for us to be gone for that long of period of time. I would love to go to Europe but we need a more relaxing vacation and we also want to visit family. We are thinking maybe a road trip next spring but we'll see. Our focus is on our trip to Eugene and the New York trip. I can't wait to see NYC again, it will be fun! I hope it snows when we are there...
Jose's dad is working again! This relieves a lot of stress for everyone. So yay :)
I think that's about it.
Till next time!
Live, Laugh, Love
Updates:
Europe is a maybe. Jose and I were discussing things and we feel that it may be too much for us to be gone for that long of period of time. I would love to go to Europe but we need a more relaxing vacation and we also want to visit family. We are thinking maybe a road trip next spring but we'll see. Our focus is on our trip to Eugene and the New York trip. I can't wait to see NYC again, it will be fun! I hope it snows when we are there...
Jose's dad is working again! This relieves a lot of stress for everyone. So yay :)
I think that's about it.
Till next time!
Live, Laugh, Love
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Life is funny
As I sit at my desk at work trying to think about all the small tasks I have for the day, I wonder... Who decided to make offices??? Why can't we all just sit outside in tents and enjoy our natural surroundings??? Then I thought... I don't like bugs... See what happens when I wonder...
Anywho, Jose took this hilarious picture of Blue and I had to post it for all to see because it will make you laugh :)
Really though, isn't that the funniest picture... I believe this was taken when Jose was putting our new purple sheets on the bed... I like purple :)
So what else is new you ask? Not a whole lot... Sarah's bridal shower will be next week but I don't think I am going to be able to go. I would love to and if we can find a seat that would be great but flying standby can be tricky and sometimes there is room for me and sometimes there is not :( I love Portland but don't want to be stuck there.
Is that all? NO, we are going to NYC in 4 months!!! I can't believe it is actually coming soon!!! I love the fall though so I will try not to let my anticipation overpower the consuming of candy corn and cooking turkey. (Yumm... turkey)
Jose will be starting school again in 2010 so he is kinda excited to get back into it. I am happy for him but I hope he doesn't get too discouraged, as that can happen...
Lastly, after many months of thinking, discussing and pondering, we have decided we will be going to Europe next year! With Jose in school we will be going during the summer, which I hear is the busiest time to go but we are going to do everything we can to make it happen, so Europe and chaos here we come!!! Plus, the way I see it, what isn't fun about being surrounded by familiar languages in a country where we know not the language or customs? If you have any suggestions on places to stay, we are all ears, it is very difficult deciding on places to stay when I don't really know the area... Where are we going, you ask? Well, London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and a bunch of places in between :)
'Till next time!
Live, Laugh, Love
Anywho, Jose took this hilarious picture of Blue and I had to post it for all to see because it will make you laugh :)
Really though, isn't that the funniest picture... I believe this was taken when Jose was putting our new purple sheets on the bed... I like purple :)So what else is new you ask? Not a whole lot... Sarah's bridal shower will be next week but I don't think I am going to be able to go. I would love to and if we can find a seat that would be great but flying standby can be tricky and sometimes there is room for me and sometimes there is not :( I love Portland but don't want to be stuck there.
Is that all? NO, we are going to NYC in 4 months!!! I can't believe it is actually coming soon!!! I love the fall though so I will try not to let my anticipation overpower the consuming of candy corn and cooking turkey. (Yumm... turkey)
Jose will be starting school again in 2010 so he is kinda excited to get back into it. I am happy for him but I hope he doesn't get too discouraged, as that can happen...
Lastly, after many months of thinking, discussing and pondering, we have decided we will be going to Europe next year! With Jose in school we will be going during the summer, which I hear is the busiest time to go but we are going to do everything we can to make it happen, so Europe and chaos here we come!!! Plus, the way I see it, what isn't fun about being surrounded by familiar languages in a country where we know not the language or customs? If you have any suggestions on places to stay, we are all ears, it is very difficult deciding on places to stay when I don't really know the area... Where are we going, you ask? Well, London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and a bunch of places in between :)
'Till next time!
Live, Laugh, Love
Thursday, July 23, 2009
You can't go wrong with Nestle Toll House Cookies!!!
I made these twice this week and I have to say they are the best. The first time I mixed chocolate chips and M&Ms the second time they were just M&Ms.
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476
This is definitely a staple recipe in every kitchen, even if you don't bake often, or at all... One thing to remember, make sure the butter is soft and sometimes I will add a little bit of extra flour to make them more cakey. The last batch I did worked well with an extra 1/4 C of flour. I would advise making a test cookie first and go from there...
Live, laugh, love
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476
This is definitely a staple recipe in every kitchen, even if you don't bake often, or at all... One thing to remember, make sure the butter is soft and sometimes I will add a little bit of extra flour to make them more cakey. The last batch I did worked well with an extra 1/4 C of flour. I would advise making a test cookie first and go from there...
Live, laugh, love
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Home Sweet Home
This is our home, we will add more pics of the interior soon. Nothing super exciting, we haven't finished much of the rooms. We have painted but the complete decor isn't complete.
I can't wait for the first party at our house, for my birthday :) Mostly just a couple of friends but I am looking forward to it and so is Jose.Live, Laugh, Love
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Seafood Cocktail
This is delicious and refreshing, especially for the hot summer months.
Ingredients:
1 can baby clams, drained
1/2 lb cooked shrimp, detailed
2 cucumbers, cubed
3 Roma tomatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
Cilantro, a handful chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
1 Lime, juiced
1 C Clamato juice
1/2 can of V8
3 T ketchup
Avocado
Combine all the ingredients together and top with avocado. If you are planning on saving the leftovers add avocado as a garnish once served. I really like this with tortilla chips but saltines would be great too!
Also, this can be done with any kind of seafood, get creative with it if you would like. If the clams are too weird for you just substitute with shrimp (about 1/2 lb). If you would like more of a soupy consistancy just add more Clamato, V8 and Ketchup.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 can baby clams, drained
1/2 lb cooked shrimp, detailed
2 cucumbers, cubed
3 Roma tomatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
Cilantro, a handful chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
1 Lime, juiced
1 C Clamato juice
1/2 can of V8
3 T ketchup
Avocado
Combine all the ingredients together and top with avocado. If you are planning on saving the leftovers add avocado as a garnish once served. I really like this with tortilla chips but saltines would be great too!
Also, this can be done with any kind of seafood, get creative with it if you would like. If the clams are too weird for you just substitute with shrimp (about 1/2 lb). If you would like more of a soupy consistancy just add more Clamato, V8 and Ketchup.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Strawberries make life sweeter!
It's strawberry season and I love them so!
Some ideas to jazz up your "fresas"...
Creamy:
Slice desired amount of strawberries in 4 pieces and sprinkle with just a little bit of sugar, and set aside. What the sugar does is extract some of the juices from the berries and creates a great topping to just about anything, I like using frozen cool whip (lite tastes good too, or chocolate). Scoop out cool whip like ice cream, and pour some of the strawberries with some of the juices on top. If looking for an extra touch, chocolate syrup should do the trick. You can use this for an easy dessert at a dinner party. Just portion the cool whip in bowls before and keep in the freezer. Add sugar to the strawberries before so you will only have to top the cool whip and serve!
Savory:
Combine spring salad mix, pecans, strawberries and sprinkle some goat cheese on top and you have a refreshing salad. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette on top and yummy! Balsamic works great with strawberries. many cooks will reduce balsamic vinegar, to a syrup, and use it for a topping on strawberries. I haven't tried it but balsamic is actually a sweeter vinegar and more full bodied than most so I can bet it tastes good. Another tidbit about balsamic, it is aged like wine, so make sure not to skimp on it. A good balsamic is important to a dish just as a good wine would be.
Other good combinations:
Rhubarb. Rhubarb has to be cooked (or it will be more sour than a lemon) so either cook it with sugar and let cool then combine with strawberries for a great ice cream topper or cook the strawberries with the rhubarb and use as a pie filling.
Cream. A classic way I used to enjoy them would be cut up in a bowl with a little bit of cream poured on top and sprinkled with sugar. Brown sugar would add a good flavor to this as well.
Goat Cheese. It is tart and the berry is sweet, put it on top of a cracker and you have the crunch. A great combination if trying to figure out what in the heck to do with all of those strawberries! I love goat cheese. it satisfies my cheese cravings but is relatively ok for you and since it is pretty rich, a little goes a long way!
Banana. Umm.. Duh :) I also love frozen bananas but since strawberries have a lot of water in them they freeze way too hard but make a strawberry sundae without ice cream, replace with frozen bananas and you have a healthier version for a sundae. Don't forget to top with whip cream and maybe a little of that chocolate syrup...
Chocolate. Again, easy... but have you ever tried dipping strawberries in chocolate pudding??? Sounds a little different but so good and at least pudding has calcium in it and can be proportionate with the individual packages.
That's about all I have for now but get creative with those fresas and don't limit yourself to sweet when they can be just a delicious paired with savory flavors!
Some ideas to jazz up your "fresas"...
Creamy:
Slice desired amount of strawberries in 4 pieces and sprinkle with just a little bit of sugar, and set aside. What the sugar does is extract some of the juices from the berries and creates a great topping to just about anything, I like using frozen cool whip (lite tastes good too, or chocolate). Scoop out cool whip like ice cream, and pour some of the strawberries with some of the juices on top. If looking for an extra touch, chocolate syrup should do the trick. You can use this for an easy dessert at a dinner party. Just portion the cool whip in bowls before and keep in the freezer. Add sugar to the strawberries before so you will only have to top the cool whip and serve!
Savory:
Combine spring salad mix, pecans, strawberries and sprinkle some goat cheese on top and you have a refreshing salad. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette on top and yummy! Balsamic works great with strawberries. many cooks will reduce balsamic vinegar, to a syrup, and use it for a topping on strawberries. I haven't tried it but balsamic is actually a sweeter vinegar and more full bodied than most so I can bet it tastes good. Another tidbit about balsamic, it is aged like wine, so make sure not to skimp on it. A good balsamic is important to a dish just as a good wine would be.
Other good combinations:
Rhubarb. Rhubarb has to be cooked (or it will be more sour than a lemon) so either cook it with sugar and let cool then combine with strawberries for a great ice cream topper or cook the strawberries with the rhubarb and use as a pie filling.
Cream. A classic way I used to enjoy them would be cut up in a bowl with a little bit of cream poured on top and sprinkled with sugar. Brown sugar would add a good flavor to this as well.
Goat Cheese. It is tart and the berry is sweet, put it on top of a cracker and you have the crunch. A great combination if trying to figure out what in the heck to do with all of those strawberries! I love goat cheese. it satisfies my cheese cravings but is relatively ok for you and since it is pretty rich, a little goes a long way!
Banana. Umm.. Duh :) I also love frozen bananas but since strawberries have a lot of water in them they freeze way too hard but make a strawberry sundae without ice cream, replace with frozen bananas and you have a healthier version for a sundae. Don't forget to top with whip cream and maybe a little of that chocolate syrup...
Chocolate. Again, easy... but have you ever tried dipping strawberries in chocolate pudding??? Sounds a little different but so good and at least pudding has calcium in it and can be proportionate with the individual packages.
That's about all I have for now but get creative with those fresas and don't limit yourself to sweet when they can be just a delicious paired with savory flavors!
Birthday...
So, I'm turning 26... I still have to think a minute about how old I am. I suppose that is a good thing that I don't feel 25 (almost 26) but yikes!
The new stuff:
Still working on the house... It's getting there! I will post pictures once they are done painting, I can't wait :)
Sarah's wedding is creeping up... So much anticipation for this event. I know it will be everything she imagines it to be and more, I will make sure of it!
Summer heat... Poor grandma and Phoenix heat, I feel I can't even say it's hot compared to what she has to deal with (105+) but it's going to get friggin' hot (~90). The past few days have been pretty hot and we are getting used to the heat. The plus side, it makes me crave fruit and veggies more than fatty stuff and I drink a lot more water than I did before so maybe the heat is a blessing in disguise... The neighbors all say we will get used to it so I am crossing my fingers and realizing I need to invest in some sun dresses :)
Life is great. Jose is such a sweety and I am so blessed to have him love me and take care of me when I am down and so patient when I go crazy. I am truly blessed :)
Live, Laugh, Love
The new stuff:
Still working on the house... It's getting there! I will post pictures once they are done painting, I can't wait :)
Sarah's wedding is creeping up... So much anticipation for this event. I know it will be everything she imagines it to be and more, I will make sure of it!
Summer heat... Poor grandma and Phoenix heat, I feel I can't even say it's hot compared to what she has to deal with (105+) but it's going to get friggin' hot (~90). The past few days have been pretty hot and we are getting used to the heat. The plus side, it makes me crave fruit and veggies more than fatty stuff and I drink a lot more water than I did before so maybe the heat is a blessing in disguise... The neighbors all say we will get used to it so I am crossing my fingers and realizing I need to invest in some sun dresses :)
Life is great. Jose is such a sweety and I am so blessed to have him love me and take care of me when I am down and so patient when I go crazy. I am truly blessed :)
Live, Laugh, Love
Monday, June 22, 2009
Excited :)
As you prolly guessed, I am starting to get excited about our NYC trip... The countdown is 159 days or 22 weeks and 5 days or 5 months and 1 week! So I have started to compile places we want to go and places we have to eat... We have decided to not set a schedule, it makes things stressful by trying to stick to it. Instead I will compile a bunch of places we would like to go and the times they are open, costs and location and try to take each day at a time. The only for sure things we will do are: visit Matt (I can't wait!), go to Ground Zero (Jose really wants to go) and go to a tall building (either the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Building). I really want to go to Katz's Deli (I love When Harry Met Sally, on of the best movies of ALL time!!!) and Ellen's Stardust Diner sounds like fun and I know Jose will get a kick out of it (I haven't ever been). I would like to go to Tavern on the Green but it is pretty pricy and I can bet we can find better food in Little Italy so I doubt we'll go but we might walk by it on our tour of Central Park.So besides the planning, our house was painted last weekend... The final touches need to be done so wait 'till next week for pics. All of the imporvements are about done, we just need new garage doors and finishing the demo of the pool and we need new grass in the front yard... I don't think we will ever be done with stuff but that's what houses do, constantly improve and I would rather it be that way then lose value, especially in this economy.
That's about all, I hope you all have a great week and enjoy summer!
Live, Laugh, Love
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
A sign I am getting old :(
We went to Six Flags Magic Mountain on Monday... Tuesday Jose and I were is so much pain that today we are still feeling it. We didn't even go on all the rides... It is probably because I hate heights and I was tense on every single ride but I did not expect to feel like I was beaten with a bat :(
So yeah...
The diet is a learning process, even after years of doing it, I am still learning new things about myself, which is great! I have lost two pounds (as of Sunday) and can't wait to see what the scale says next week. Jose is having positive results too, he feels and looks skinnier.
I have started planning Sarah's bachelorette party but since she reads this I won't indulge anything, except I am having so much fun doing it and I have to be careful because I could totally go over board.
On the vacation front, it looks like we won't be taking one. I have been able to come to peace with the decision and we figured that we wouldn't be able to enjoy it because we would be worried about the dogs and what not the whole time. I just make sure to enjoy all of life's little moments and that helps me stay sane.
That's all folks!
Live, Laugh, Love
So yeah...
The diet is a learning process, even after years of doing it, I am still learning new things about myself, which is great! I have lost two pounds (as of Sunday) and can't wait to see what the scale says next week. Jose is having positive results too, he feels and looks skinnier.
I have started planning Sarah's bachelorette party but since she reads this I won't indulge anything, except I am having so much fun doing it and I have to be careful because I could totally go over board.
On the vacation front, it looks like we won't be taking one. I have been able to come to peace with the decision and we figured that we wouldn't be able to enjoy it because we would be worried about the dogs and what not the whole time. I just make sure to enjoy all of life's little moments and that helps me stay sane.
That's all folks!
Live, Laugh, Love
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Ain't he wonderful???
Friday I got frustrated... frustrated that I didn't have anything for dinner, frustrated I don't get paid until Monday and tired of cooking on a budget, diet friendly and easy...
So, Jose being wonderful, decided to make dinner for me. The second time ever but he did it all and it was delicious!!! He made BBQ chicken with cauliflower and for an appetizer we had clam cocktail. It was diet friendly and I love him! I will admit I felt weird having him cooking and me not, but I will definitely want him to do it again, as he reminds me that it is only on certain occasions.
Tomorrow we go to Six Flags!!! Yay!!! I am deathly afraid of heights but I like roller coasters so it will be fun :P
Live, Laugh, Love
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My Struggles
So I have started dieting, again. It seems like I will be doing this for the rest of my life but I guess if that's what it takes :( I have joined Spark People and for those of you trying to diet, it really helps. It is free and allows me to network with other people (pretty much all women) and they help me with my hurdles and I help them with theirs. It really is great.
We need a vacation! With all of the home improvements, we never get down time at home. It seems, when we are home there are always things to do, cleaning, yard work, scrap booking, laundry, paying bills, etc... When we are away from home we are at work or at Jose's parents' house and that is nice but we don't stay long and the dogs are either away from us or with us. We will be venturing up north this Sept but I am thinking that is just too far in the future. I think we will go crazy before that and Sarah needs a sane MOH! I have thought about making that trip into a vacation by taking our time but I don't think that is going to happen and, again, it is too far in the future... We will be going to NYC but that is in Nov/Dec and, again, far away and we will not be bringing the dog with us on that one. I would love to go on a family vacation next month but we'll see...
My garden... Jose's dad and Steph were so generous and helped clean the area for my garden, now I just need to turn the dirt and mix it with compost or planting mix... I will do that this weekend, in between the house cleaning and laundry :( I don't like doing laundry... I know... who does, right???
I am having issues trying to find recipes that will satisfy Jose and still be diet friendly... I was able to do this before but I had included pork in the diet and it has too much cholesterol so now what do I do??? We are bored of fish and chicken already :(
What else... We need new bedroom furniture, what we have just isn't working for us and our room is cluttery, driving me crazy...
I think that is about it, thanks for letting me vent and I know much of it isn't worth getting frustrated about so I will brush it off in a bit, but for now... thank you
We need a vacation! With all of the home improvements, we never get down time at home. It seems, when we are home there are always things to do, cleaning, yard work, scrap booking, laundry, paying bills, etc... When we are away from home we are at work or at Jose's parents' house and that is nice but we don't stay long and the dogs are either away from us or with us. We will be venturing up north this Sept but I am thinking that is just too far in the future. I think we will go crazy before that and Sarah needs a sane MOH! I have thought about making that trip into a vacation by taking our time but I don't think that is going to happen and, again, it is too far in the future... We will be going to NYC but that is in Nov/Dec and, again, far away and we will not be bringing the dog with us on that one. I would love to go on a family vacation next month but we'll see...
My garden... Jose's dad and Steph were so generous and helped clean the area for my garden, now I just need to turn the dirt and mix it with compost or planting mix... I will do that this weekend, in between the house cleaning and laundry :( I don't like doing laundry... I know... who does, right???
I am having issues trying to find recipes that will satisfy Jose and still be diet friendly... I was able to do this before but I had included pork in the diet and it has too much cholesterol so now what do I do??? We are bored of fish and chicken already :(
What else... We need new bedroom furniture, what we have just isn't working for us and our room is cluttery, driving me crazy...
I think that is about it, thanks for letting me vent and I know much of it isn't worth getting frustrated about so I will brush it off in a bit, but for now... thank you
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Where is the love? My Thoughts...
As I was driving home yesterday a song came on that got me thinking...
Where is the happiness? I was thinking about how people can get so caught up in their tragedies and problems that they fail to realize that thousands of people in the world are dealing with issues far worse than they. This made me start to think about what I have gone through the past few years and yes they were painful and no I would never wish them upon any one else but I don't like to wallow in the past and I thank God every day that I am able to appreciate the life I have to live.
Where is the understanding? As I was pondering the above thoughts I started to think about Prop 8. I find it sad and frustrating that we are still back at square one. Why can't people see that? Aren't we taught to treat everyone equal regardless of their beliefs, sex or skin color? How is this any different? If people are worried about the religious aspects then why should it have anything to do with what the government decides? From what I understand, Christ loved all, regardless, and who are we to judge and condemn? Are you God? Why do people put so much energy into this when there are babies dying from starvation, people homeless and children getting raped? This seems like a fight that should have been over long ago. Let everyone know what it feels like to express eternal love to another and no one has any right to take that away. We live in America right? The land of the free?
As I always say: Live, Laugh, LOVE
Where is the happiness? I was thinking about how people can get so caught up in their tragedies and problems that they fail to realize that thousands of people in the world are dealing with issues far worse than they. This made me start to think about what I have gone through the past few years and yes they were painful and no I would never wish them upon any one else but I don't like to wallow in the past and I thank God every day that I am able to appreciate the life I have to live.
Where is the understanding? As I was pondering the above thoughts I started to think about Prop 8. I find it sad and frustrating that we are still back at square one. Why can't people see that? Aren't we taught to treat everyone equal regardless of their beliefs, sex or skin color? How is this any different? If people are worried about the religious aspects then why should it have anything to do with what the government decides? From what I understand, Christ loved all, regardless, and who are we to judge and condemn? Are you God? Why do people put so much energy into this when there are babies dying from starvation, people homeless and children getting raped? This seems like a fight that should have been over long ago. Let everyone know what it feels like to express eternal love to another and no one has any right to take that away. We live in America right? The land of the free?
As I always say: Live, Laugh, LOVE
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Fantastic Dressing!!!
I am so excited about this new dressing that right after dinner I came up to the computer and now I am telling you all about it. The dressing is refreshing yet buttery (from the olive oil) and some what healthy!
Apricot Dressing
3 T apricot preserves
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 t pepper
1 t garlic powder
Juice from 1 lemon wedge
Just whisk all together!
I used a thicker version for glazing skinless chicken legs and Jose loved them, as did I. It tasted like a fresher version of bbq sauce and soo delicious, I just cant say that enough. For a glaze just omit 1/2 T of both vinegar and olive oil.
I hope you try it out. I was inspired by Cooking Light... Actually, I will be honest, Jose was flipping through the magazine and told me that it looked pretty good so I tried it for dinner tonight so thank you Jose for finding that one! The recipe they give a bit different but the same idea.
Live, Laugh, Love
Dream Last Night
So last night I had a dream we were in NYC vacationing and it got me all excited for our upcoming trip. Only 6 months to go!!! Its hard to get too excited when we have a while but it is still pretty exciting.
You know what else is exciting? Sarah's wedding! Is hard to believe that it will be here in a matter of months... 3 1/2 to be exact. I will be heading up the Bachelorette party plans... Not sure what exactly we will be doing but I know it will be fun :)
Other than that, I have a brief trip planned for Sarah's bridal shower in August but until then I plan on just hanging around and being boring :P
Last bit that I thought was so cute. This morning I woke up to find Blue's (our youngest) head on my pillow next to me... I know he got up on the bed some time last night but how he ended up sharing my pillow I just don't know. It made me laugh :)
Live, Laugh, Love
You know what else is exciting? Sarah's wedding! Is hard to believe that it will be here in a matter of months... 3 1/2 to be exact. I will be heading up the Bachelorette party plans... Not sure what exactly we will be doing but I know it will be fun :)
Other than that, I have a brief trip planned for Sarah's bridal shower in August but until then I plan on just hanging around and being boring :P
Last bit that I thought was so cute. This morning I woke up to find Blue's (our youngest) head on my pillow next to me... I know he got up on the bed some time last night but how he ended up sharing my pillow I just don't know. It made me laugh :)
Live, Laugh, Love
Monday, May 18, 2009
Shrimp Pesto
Sarah has requested I post more recipes, so here ya go!
Shrimp Pesto
This was the first thing I ever made for Jose and it is a favorite in our house, easy and healthy!
Cook Time: 20 minutes
1/2 Jar of Pesto (I love the TJ version)
1 Pound of Shrimp (Peeled and de-veined but you can do this yourself)
1 Container of pre-sliced brown mushrooms
1 Can of artichoke hearts (TJ is the brand I buy, they can be marinated or non, your choice)
1/2 Box Angel hair pasta (I use Barilla Plus, for the added health benefits)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Cook the peeled and de-veined shrimp in a teaspoon or olive oil until almost cooked (barely pink), sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3.. Add the mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook until mushrooms are soft.
4. Add the pesto and combine. Then, immediately serve over pasta (or combine with pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese.
I have tried this with other pastas but anger hair is my favorite. It can also be served over the curly pasta. Other variations could be to add cherry or grape tomatoes about two minutes before the mushrooms are cooked. Enjoy!
(TJ = Trader Joe's)
Shrimp Pesto
This was the first thing I ever made for Jose and it is a favorite in our house, easy and healthy!
Cook Time: 20 minutes
1/2 Jar of Pesto (I love the TJ version)
1 Pound of Shrimp (Peeled and de-veined but you can do this yourself)
1 Container of pre-sliced brown mushrooms
1 Can of artichoke hearts (TJ is the brand I buy, they can be marinated or non, your choice)
1/2 Box Angel hair pasta (I use Barilla Plus, for the added health benefits)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Cook the peeled and de-veined shrimp in a teaspoon or olive oil until almost cooked (barely pink), sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3.. Add the mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook until mushrooms are soft.
4. Add the pesto and combine. Then, immediately serve over pasta (or combine with pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese.
I have tried this with other pastas but anger hair is my favorite. It can also be served over the curly pasta. Other variations could be to add cherry or grape tomatoes about two minutes before the mushrooms are cooked. Enjoy!
(TJ = Trader Joe's)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
All About Sarah
Here are some pictures of Sarah's graduation. She was glowing with happiness and I am so proud of her for all she has accomplished, through all the trials and tribulations. My Mom would have been and is so proud of her and I didn't want to bring it up on her big day but I know my Mom would have loved to cheer her on and tell her how proud she was for all she has done and will do with her knowledge. We knew she could do it and it makes me feel better knowing that she is out there in the world helping people through their tough times. I love you Sarah!
Sarah and her Grandmother
Sarah and her Mom, hugging...
Sarah and her Fiance, Adam
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Under Construction
Paradise is near... I can hear the birds chirping as I lie in my hammock sipping strawberry lemonade, maybe with a shot of vodka, enjoying the warmth of the sun... Sounds picturesque huh? The realization is near and I am more excited than can be.
Today renovation on our falling fence has made way and will soon be a brick wall. We currently have little space to grow fruits and veggies but soon we will have a huge garden in the rear of the yard. The hill will be retained and fixed to allow for ease of gardening. The dirt from all the renovating will be tossed in the pit (old pool) and that will be taken care of too. Soon the dogs will be able to run freely in the back yard, yay!
Next on the list: New garage doors, painting the house, new mail box, maybe have money left over to pave a section of the back yard. During the process I will post up pictures for you all to see.
Live, Laugh, Love
Today renovation on our falling fence has made way and will soon be a brick wall. We currently have little space to grow fruits and veggies but soon we will have a huge garden in the rear of the yard. The hill will be retained and fixed to allow for ease of gardening. The dirt from all the renovating will be tossed in the pit (old pool) and that will be taken care of too. Soon the dogs will be able to run freely in the back yard, yay!
Next on the list: New garage doors, painting the house, new mail box, maybe have money left over to pave a section of the back yard. During the process I will post up pictures for you all to see.
Live, Laugh, Love
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The love of my life...
I can't believe he has stuck with me after all this time. He is patient and understanding through all of the trials and tribulations we have been through. I love you baby!
Here are some pics...
Monday, May 4, 2009
What to do...
Summer is slowly creeping up and a few new realizations have popped into my head...
1. I need to diet and exercise again. I am determined, and so is Jose, so we will be starting that back up again. We will be trying the Mediterranean diet, which isn't really a diet, we pretty much enjoy fresh fruits and vegis but now we have to go extreme, and I love produce so I'm excited! (Jose doesn't know what to expect...)
2. We will be venturing to NYC in less than 7 months and we need to make sure we have an itinerary planned and clothes to stay warm. We probably won't bother about this stuff yet but it was a realization.
3. We will be going to Europe next year and we don't have any idea where... I think a week in Greece and a week in Italy would be great but then again Jose will be joining me and I'm not too sure what he imagines this trip to be... I just picture us in a private villa with a private pool on the beach of some Greek isle doing nothing but relaxing and sleeping all day with the Mediterranean breeze blowing in the window... Sounds nice huh? Or gallivanting across Italy sightseeing, going to the Vatican and going on a Gondola ride in Venice... Sounds interesting huh? What to do, what to do...
As you can see my life is slowing down a bit to enjoy these thoughts as a reality soon and I thank God every day that I have a minute to breathe...
Very soon we will be revamping our back yard and we are excited to be able to go in the back yard to relax, once it is done... I will be buying a hammock... so excited!
We will be doing the following:
1. New wall, the current one is wood and kinda falling down, the new one will be brick and very nice, it will include a new gate separating the front yard and the back yard, it is big enough to pull a car through...
2. Retaining the hill and making it a garden, I will love to have a vegetable and fruit garden...
3. Filling int he ghastly pool. Currently it is kinda filled but we will be buying sand to complete the process.
4. New garage doors, we have a three car garage and the current doors either don't open or don't stay up all the time... very dangerous.
5. New exterior paint, we will be painting the house a light green with green and white accent... it will look very nice...
6. Relax and maybe install a BBQ island, patio and cement.
That is all the updates I can give you but we are pretty excited and I can't wait for our vacations!
Live, Laugh, Love
1. I need to diet and exercise again. I am determined, and so is Jose, so we will be starting that back up again. We will be trying the Mediterranean diet, which isn't really a diet, we pretty much enjoy fresh fruits and vegis but now we have to go extreme, and I love produce so I'm excited! (Jose doesn't know what to expect...)
2. We will be venturing to NYC in less than 7 months and we need to make sure we have an itinerary planned and clothes to stay warm. We probably won't bother about this stuff yet but it was a realization.
3. We will be going to Europe next year and we don't have any idea where... I think a week in Greece and a week in Italy would be great but then again Jose will be joining me and I'm not too sure what he imagines this trip to be... I just picture us in a private villa with a private pool on the beach of some Greek isle doing nothing but relaxing and sleeping all day with the Mediterranean breeze blowing in the window... Sounds nice huh? Or gallivanting across Italy sightseeing, going to the Vatican and going on a Gondola ride in Venice... Sounds interesting huh? What to do, what to do...
As you can see my life is slowing down a bit to enjoy these thoughts as a reality soon and I thank God every day that I have a minute to breathe...
Very soon we will be revamping our back yard and we are excited to be able to go in the back yard to relax, once it is done... I will be buying a hammock... so excited!
We will be doing the following:
1. New wall, the current one is wood and kinda falling down, the new one will be brick and very nice, it will include a new gate separating the front yard and the back yard, it is big enough to pull a car through...
2. Retaining the hill and making it a garden, I will love to have a vegetable and fruit garden...
3. Filling int he ghastly pool. Currently it is kinda filled but we will be buying sand to complete the process.
4. New garage doors, we have a three car garage and the current doors either don't open or don't stay up all the time... very dangerous.
5. New exterior paint, we will be painting the house a light green with green and white accent... it will look very nice...
6. Relax and maybe install a BBQ island, patio and cement.
That is all the updates I can give you but we are pretty excited and I can't wait for our vacations!
Live, Laugh, Love
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Love your family!
With family holidays creeping upon us, I think it is important to remind your family how much you care for them and I am very thankful they are there to support me in many ways. Even if it is a funny email, a phone call or a card, I am happy everyone is around to support me and my brothers.
I would also like to say that if anyone is feeling a trip to So Cal, do not ever hesitate to call and you are more than welcome to stay with us.
I love you all!
I would also like to say that if anyone is feeling a trip to So Cal, do not ever hesitate to call and you are more than welcome to stay with us.
I love you all!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
I am so proud of you Sarah!
I can't believe that in a month my cousin Sarah, more like my sister, will be getting her Master's Degree from USC!!! Soo exciting! I am so happy for her and I am even more proud that she asked me to attend the exclusive event May 15th. We havn't officially discussed it but I will be going, yay :) Again, I am so proud of her and so happy for her upcoming wedding. Things just seem to be falling into place for her and I am happy for her.
On another note, Vegas was so fun but I need to download the pictures still... so they will be coming up soon.
Live, Laugh, Love and Congrats to Sarah!
On another note, Vegas was so fun but I need to download the pictures still... so they will be coming up soon.
Live, Laugh, Love and Congrats to Sarah!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
4 days to go!
I am getting pretty excited to go to Vegas, even if we aren't staying for very long. It should be a lot of fun and I like Vegas cause I never know what to expect.
On another note... The earth quake in Italy is devastating and I pray for the families and friends who have lost loved ones.
Other updates: Jose is working hard as usual and I am happy for him. He doesn't enjoy working a second job but the guy he works for allows him to come and go as he pleases and pretty much leaves Jose with the responsibility of taking care of things. He works for a pilot who manages airplanes so Jose takes care of the hangers and cleans the planes. It has been a little weird lately because his boss has been busy getting his Gulf Stream permit, which allows him to fly Gulf Streams. Pretty exciting, but for Jose its work and he is used to being around planes every day so this is nothing unusual. He is hoping, one of these days, he will ask Jose to go with him on a quick trip so he can sit in the cock pit. We have friends that fly and are getting their license but single engine planes are very different from Citations and Falcons, so we'll see.
Other news, Blue is getting bigger and more of a little butt. We love him so but he has such an attitude and personality that is hilarious and frustrating at the same time! He whimpers for no reason, except he wants to be petted or paid attention to, he licks Bear's feet and Bear hates (I mean HATES) that, which is kinda funny because we know Blue does it on purpose to bug Bear, and he pouts when we get mad at him for chewing on things or making a mess or to just pout...
Yard work is hard and frustrating with so much to do! It seems like we do so much and then, when we look at it, there is still so much to do... Our progress with the pool is slow... we are still filling it in but it was such a big pool that it is a huge undertaking.
That's all folks!
Live, Laugh, Love
On another note... The earth quake in Italy is devastating and I pray for the families and friends who have lost loved ones.
Other updates: Jose is working hard as usual and I am happy for him. He doesn't enjoy working a second job but the guy he works for allows him to come and go as he pleases and pretty much leaves Jose with the responsibility of taking care of things. He works for a pilot who manages airplanes so Jose takes care of the hangers and cleans the planes. It has been a little weird lately because his boss has been busy getting his Gulf Stream permit, which allows him to fly Gulf Streams. Pretty exciting, but for Jose its work and he is used to being around planes every day so this is nothing unusual. He is hoping, one of these days, he will ask Jose to go with him on a quick trip so he can sit in the cock pit. We have friends that fly and are getting their license but single engine planes are very different from Citations and Falcons, so we'll see.
Other news, Blue is getting bigger and more of a little butt. We love him so but he has such an attitude and personality that is hilarious and frustrating at the same time! He whimpers for no reason, except he wants to be petted or paid attention to, he licks Bear's feet and Bear hates (I mean HATES) that, which is kinda funny because we know Blue does it on purpose to bug Bear, and he pouts when we get mad at him for chewing on things or making a mess or to just pout...
Yard work is hard and frustrating with so much to do! It seems like we do so much and then, when we look at it, there is still so much to do... Our progress with the pool is slow... we are still filling it in but it was such a big pool that it is a huge undertaking.
That's all folks!
Live, Laugh, Love
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Viva Las Vegas 2009!!!
So, April 11th at 2am we will be driving to Las Vegas for the annual car show at Viva Las Vegas, now at the newly remodeled Orleans Hotel. We would stay the night but with the dogs and the fact that there are no hotels nearby that have rooms and no other hotels offering us a good deal, especially since we won't be in our room most of the time, we decided to go early in the morning. Jose is used to getting up that early... The rest of us will have to deal with it. We won't be partaking in most of these events, since our purpose is to go to the car show, but I thought it was a cute image. I am soo excited!Thursday, March 26, 2009
Lemon Raspberry Cake
This cake is sooo, yummy and refreshing. Perfect for spring/summer weather.
1 box of Lemon Cake Mix
(Eggs and oil as specified on the box)
1 small bag of frozen raspberries
Sugar
Cool Whip
1. Prepare the lemon cake in a bundt cake form as directed on the box.
2. Let cake cool
3. Puree about half of the raspberries with a bit of sugar. Use your judgement on how much you would like to add by tasting it, I used about 1/2 cup.
4. Place cake on a decorative plate and poke holes in the top with a toothpick or fork.
5. Place remaining raspberries int he center of the cake, frozen still hold their shape once thawed.
6. Slowly, pour puree over the peak of the cake and it will drip down the sides on its own.
7. Serve as you would a bundt cake and garnish with cool whip, add a sprig of mint if going for the decorative look.
Updates - Pictures!
This is the boys playing. Blue tries to use his height as an advantage, when Bear is standing up so we aren't sure why he tries to get under Bear when he is laying down...
This isn't a good picture but it shows how big Blue is now.
Our new downstairs bathroom. We need to add pictures and towel hangers, but we still love how it is.
We have made other changes to our family room but since it is still a work in progress the pictures are delayed. We need to add a pool table, shelving for the records and pictures for the walls.Live, Laugh, Love
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Funeral Friday
There will be a funeral held this Friday for Jose's aunt Ester (aka Aunt Chubby). We aren't sure where but it will be in Moreno Valley somewhere.
Live, Laugh, Love
Live, Laugh, Love
Help Kids in Need!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/stirringupwishes/Support.aspx
Go to this web site and click on an area you think should be supported. So far it looks like OC is doing pretty well but you can vote for a local chapter or one you feel needs a little support.
Live, Laugh, Love
Go to this web site and click on an area you think should be supported. So far it looks like OC is doing pretty well but you can vote for a local chapter or one you feel needs a little support.
Live, Laugh, Love
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
So little time...
Hey all. Sorry I haven't been updating, I seem to say that a lot huh? Well, it's true.
Last week we had a family tragedy. I mean it in every sense of the word. Jose's Aunt passed away. It was quite all-of-a-sudden. She went into the hospital Wednesday for congestive heart failure, basically her heart had fluid in it and it stopped. For those who don't know, when they diagnose that they say the patient has no more than five years left. Thursday we went to visit her and she was awake and talking, joking, in fact, about things. We stayed for a couple of hours until she just couldn't stay awake any more and we left, we each said good bye and that was the last any of us were ever to speak to her again.
Friday we were told she had a stroke and was in ICU and she wasn't doing well, in fact they thought she might be paralyzed. If you know, my history with ICU isn't a pleasant one but I went to visit and to be there for Jose who was taking it pretty hard, and still is. Right before we got there she, apparently, had another stroke, a really bad one. We stayed at the hospital and during that time they took her for scans to see if they were able to relieve the pressure that her brain was putting on her skull, causing the brain to push against it. They considered surgery to remove some of the inflamed tissue but decided that it would be too much for her body to handle. We left to get some rest.
Saturday morning Jose was told she was on life support. The family had decided to take her off of it after everyone said their goodbye because the doctor said there wasn't any way she would survive this, her body was too weak. Saturday we spent a lot of time in the ICU room and it is very hard to see someone who is so nice and kind, so helpless and knowing that there would be time very soon she wouldn't be with us anymore. After the family was sure everyone was able to say their goodbyes, even people flew in to see her, they took her off life support. That time after that was a blur but I remember thinking, maybe she'll hold on, maybe she'll surprise us all and wake up and be fine, like I did before, but that isn't what happened, and a few minutes before 7pm she passed away.
She is survived by her husband, two sons, four daughters and seven grandchildren. She will always be remembered as the aunt who cooked the best food and was so kind and forgiving. It truly is a tragedy and we are getting through but I worry about her children. I know what it is like to lose someone you think will always be there so I hope they are able to learn to deal with the sadness that I have, and learn to enjoy the time we have here and with the people that are still around us. Also to know that no matter what she will always be around, in the wind and rain and sunshine. She will be that little voice in their heads telling them how to be and how much she loves them.
On another note, we have been busy with the house and redecorating it. Our completions so far, you ask? The downstairs bathroom - we painted the walls revamped the carpets and all we need is some new hardware but what we have looks good, just not our ideal. The family room - we painted the walls a deep purple, bought a carpet to go over the brick floor in one half and the other half has carpet and only needs a pool table. We bought a new TV stand and hope to buy a flat screen, once things turn around, and we will be obtaining art, pictures of actors, such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn & Elvis. In the area with the pool table we will hang the likes of the rat pack and old time gangsters. The back yard - We took down a lot of the ugly trees (we found out they were olive...) on the slope and took out the decking, we will be filling in the pool with some of the dirt from the slope and build a retaining wall to grade the hill back a bit so we have more yard space. We are hoping to pave a bunch of the back yard so we can set up a bar and above ground Jacuzzi but that'll be in a while. We are also wanting to put a wall around the house to secure it and add value to the house.
The dogs are soo big and I am hoping to post pictures of them soon but my computer is being fixed as we speak so its only a matter of days until that is up and running.
My next project you ask? Since we went through all of my mom's boxes I know I have all the photos she ever took. This being the case, I am hoping to be able to start scanning them into the computer, once I figure out how, so we will have digital copies for generations to come. We also plan on taking out a lot of the shrubbery on the slope so we can start the grading.
Live, Laugh, Love
Last week we had a family tragedy. I mean it in every sense of the word. Jose's Aunt passed away. It was quite all-of-a-sudden. She went into the hospital Wednesday for congestive heart failure, basically her heart had fluid in it and it stopped. For those who don't know, when they diagnose that they say the patient has no more than five years left. Thursday we went to visit her and she was awake and talking, joking, in fact, about things. We stayed for a couple of hours until she just couldn't stay awake any more and we left, we each said good bye and that was the last any of us were ever to speak to her again.
Friday we were told she had a stroke and was in ICU and she wasn't doing well, in fact they thought she might be paralyzed. If you know, my history with ICU isn't a pleasant one but I went to visit and to be there for Jose who was taking it pretty hard, and still is. Right before we got there she, apparently, had another stroke, a really bad one. We stayed at the hospital and during that time they took her for scans to see if they were able to relieve the pressure that her brain was putting on her skull, causing the brain to push against it. They considered surgery to remove some of the inflamed tissue but decided that it would be too much for her body to handle. We left to get some rest.
Saturday morning Jose was told she was on life support. The family had decided to take her off of it after everyone said their goodbye because the doctor said there wasn't any way she would survive this, her body was too weak. Saturday we spent a lot of time in the ICU room and it is very hard to see someone who is so nice and kind, so helpless and knowing that there would be time very soon she wouldn't be with us anymore. After the family was sure everyone was able to say their goodbyes, even people flew in to see her, they took her off life support. That time after that was a blur but I remember thinking, maybe she'll hold on, maybe she'll surprise us all and wake up and be fine, like I did before, but that isn't what happened, and a few minutes before 7pm she passed away.
She is survived by her husband, two sons, four daughters and seven grandchildren. She will always be remembered as the aunt who cooked the best food and was so kind and forgiving. It truly is a tragedy and we are getting through but I worry about her children. I know what it is like to lose someone you think will always be there so I hope they are able to learn to deal with the sadness that I have, and learn to enjoy the time we have here and with the people that are still around us. Also to know that no matter what she will always be around, in the wind and rain and sunshine. She will be that little voice in their heads telling them how to be and how much she loves them.
On another note, we have been busy with the house and redecorating it. Our completions so far, you ask? The downstairs bathroom - we painted the walls revamped the carpets and all we need is some new hardware but what we have looks good, just not our ideal. The family room - we painted the walls a deep purple, bought a carpet to go over the brick floor in one half and the other half has carpet and only needs a pool table. We bought a new TV stand and hope to buy a flat screen, once things turn around, and we will be obtaining art, pictures of actors, such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn & Elvis. In the area with the pool table we will hang the likes of the rat pack and old time gangsters. The back yard - We took down a lot of the ugly trees (we found out they were olive...) on the slope and took out the decking, we will be filling in the pool with some of the dirt from the slope and build a retaining wall to grade the hill back a bit so we have more yard space. We are hoping to pave a bunch of the back yard so we can set up a bar and above ground Jacuzzi but that'll be in a while. We are also wanting to put a wall around the house to secure it and add value to the house.
The dogs are soo big and I am hoping to post pictures of them soon but my computer is being fixed as we speak so its only a matter of days until that is up and running.
My next project you ask? Since we went through all of my mom's boxes I know I have all the photos she ever took. This being the case, I am hoping to be able to start scanning them into the computer, once I figure out how, so we will have digital copies for generations to come. We also plan on taking out a lot of the shrubbery on the slope so we can start the grading.
Live, Laugh, Love
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sorry its been a while :(
So the issue now is my home computer died and I haven't really had time to figure out what to do next... I have a couple of options, one trying to reload the data on it by using the start up disk, I have a feeling my data will be gone which kinda sucks, or by just ignoring the fact there is a problem and hope it goes away. I have been doing the latter of the two but I feel I might just need to face the music and deal with the problem...
New News: Jose and I have decided we will be going to Europe next spring.We are planning on visiting the usual touristy spots, London, Paris, Marseilles, Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, maybe some places in Germany too. We haven't ironed out all the details but we are soo excited. We plan on getting an unlimited Eurail pass so we can have flexibility and be able to go every where! We are so excited in fact, that it is kinda overshadowing our New York trip. We are still pretty excited but the idea of going to Europe is even more so, for me especially since I have been to NYC a couple of times. Ideas on things to do or places to stay are definitely welcome. Also, if there is a place we must go to let us know, we are still looking into it.
The doggies are doing great! Blue is getting so big now that I can barely pick him up. When he jumps up on me his front feet reach my waist! (Keep in mind that he is only 6 1/2 months old...) We figure he will be about Bear's size when he gets fully grown but we think he will be meatier than Bear, which means Bear may pick on him now but he'll regret it later on! They are so cute together, they act just like brothers and Blue loves Bear so much he goes wherever Bear is and he likes to sleep next to him too. Bear is still getting used to that, but I know he likes having a companion.
Other than that, things are going ok. Jose, Steph and I will be working on renovating the house. We have soo many ideas and can't wait until we get the funds to do what we envision. For now we'll have to do only a couple of things but we are still pretty excited about that. When it is all done, we are hoping to have a place to escape the chaos of life and relax. Our goal is Summer but that seems to be getting closer and closer so it may be the end of the year.
Last, but not least, Sarah is getting married and it is going to be soon! I am soo happy for her and Adam. They are so cute together and I know they will be happy. So far, we know the wedding will be late summer and the bridal shower, sometime in August. Once the dates are finalized I will post them so you all know what is going on.
Live, Laugh, Love!
New News: Jose and I have decided we will be going to Europe next spring.We are planning on visiting the usual touristy spots, London, Paris, Marseilles, Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, maybe some places in Germany too. We haven't ironed out all the details but we are soo excited. We plan on getting an unlimited Eurail pass so we can have flexibility and be able to go every where! We are so excited in fact, that it is kinda overshadowing our New York trip. We are still pretty excited but the idea of going to Europe is even more so, for me especially since I have been to NYC a couple of times. Ideas on things to do or places to stay are definitely welcome. Also, if there is a place we must go to let us know, we are still looking into it.The doggies are doing great! Blue is getting so big now that I can barely pick him up. When he jumps up on me his front feet reach my waist! (Keep in mind that he is only 6 1/2 months old...) We figure he will be about Bear's size when he gets fully grown but we think he will be meatier than Bear, which means Bear may pick on him now but he'll regret it later on! They are so cute together, they act just like brothers and Blue loves Bear so much he goes wherever Bear is and he likes to sleep next to him too. Bear is still getting used to that, but I know he likes having a companion.
Other than that, things are going ok. Jose, Steph and I will be working on renovating the house. We have soo many ideas and can't wait until we get the funds to do what we envision. For now we'll have to do only a couple of things but we are still pretty excited about that. When it is all done, we are hoping to have a place to escape the chaos of life and relax. Our goal is Summer but that seems to be getting closer and closer so it may be the end of the year.
Last, but not least, Sarah is getting married and it is going to be soon! I am soo happy for her and Adam. They are so cute together and I know they will be happy. So far, we know the wedding will be late summer and the bridal shower, sometime in August. Once the dates are finalized I will post them so you all know what is going on.Live, Laugh, Love!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Roast Chicken - SOOO Delicious!
We had this last night and it was sooo good! You can use different vegis and use half of a roasting chicken if you don't plan on using leftovers.It truly is a one dish meal!
1 whole roasting chicken
6 small new potatoes
3 large carrots
1 yellow onion
1/4 c low fat butter
3 garlic cloves
2 t oregano
1 t salt
1 t pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Remove all the extras in the chicken and rinse; pat dry
- Place in large baking dish; either 9x13 or large oval roasting dish
- In a small bowl, combine all of the butter and spices
- Scoop some of the butter into your hand and stuff under the skin of the chicken breast. You can separate the skin by sliding your hand under the skin, above the meat. Do this to both breasts of the chicken.
- Once that is done save the rest of the butter to put over vegis and legs of the chicken.
- Cut the vegis into large chunks about 1 1/2 inches.
- Stuff some of the onion in the bird, make sure not to stuff it just place about a quarter of the onion inside.
- Place the rest of the vegis outside the chicken.
- Put everything int he oven and bake for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. The chicken temp should be around 180 degrees, to be safe.
- If you would like to make gravy with the juices, strain the juices and put in a sauce pan. Heat juices and sprinkle flour in until the color is a light brown (there is no specific amount because each chicken will let off a different amount of juice) I would say about a tablespoon to two... Make sure and whisk until thickens. It will be thick enough after it begins to boil. If gravy gets chunky, just strain it again.
- Enjoy!
Sorry for the delay!
Sorry it has been a while since my last post. There hasn't been much I can write about except Sarah's news. I was sworn to secrecy, however, to ensure that she was able to call the family herself. If you don't know yet, I will post it next week.
For those who don't know, Jose and I have been on a diet. We have been going strong since January 19th. He has already lost 20 lbs and I a mere 10. I guess slowly but surely is the way to go but for some reason it just doesn't seem fast enough! Our weight loss has slowed down a bit but it's still going so that is good.
Valentine's Day is coming up and we are so excited to go out and eat. We haven't eaten out since Jan 19th so we are pretty excited. We are going to go to the Yard House, one of our favorite restaurants, and then he agreed to go see "He's Just Not That Into You" that evening with me. Isn't he sweet!
New York this winter is what I'm thinking about every day... I can't wait!!! It is going to be so much fun. The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and the ice skating in Central park, just magical. It is truly what Christmas looks like to me and I can't wait! We are going to do our Christmas shopping there too! Nothing is more fun than getting random fun gifts for friends and family that can't be found anywhere else. Other than shopping we are going to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Ground Zero and best of all Macy's :)
Other than that, I have started to think about where we are going when we go to Europe. The idea here is to travel before we settle down and get married. After we get married we are going to be more settled but I'm sure we will still go and travel a bit but going to Europe takes a lot of money and time. It won't happen often so we are hoping to make the best of it. We will miss our babies but when else will we be able to go to Europe without worrying about our kids?
Regarding our babies (dogs), they are doing great. Bear is being very good but Blue is a little terror. Blue has his little ways of telling us he is upset, like when we close the door to the restroom he will find the rugs from the other restroom and take them into the living room or hallway... He does have his sweet side and he loves to snuggle but they enjoy sleeping on our Queen size bed with us and a German Shepard and Lab end up taking about half the bed, Blue is getting so big! We are trying to train them to not sleep on the bed with us but it's so hard to kick them to the floor when they look so cute!
Jose and I are both grateful that we still have a job and are able to make our bills but I have started to pay off school loans so that makes things a bit tight. We're making it through, thank you Lord. he finds ways of helping us out when we need it most so we know that we will be taken care of. We hope that Jose's parent's are able to move in with us soon but we are happy to have a roof over our head and food on the table. In times like these we need to make sure and just be grateful.
That pretty much sums it up... I pray all of you will not have too many troubles during this time and can try and enjoy the idea we are living in a historic time. I still can't believe Obama is president, it hasn't hit me yet :) I hope all goes well within the next couple of weeks and the people who are losing their livelihood will be helped.
Live, Laugh, Love
For those who don't know, Jose and I have been on a diet. We have been going strong since January 19th. He has already lost 20 lbs and I a mere 10. I guess slowly but surely is the way to go but for some reason it just doesn't seem fast enough! Our weight loss has slowed down a bit but it's still going so that is good.
Valentine's Day is coming up and we are so excited to go out and eat. We haven't eaten out since Jan 19th so we are pretty excited. We are going to go to the Yard House, one of our favorite restaurants, and then he agreed to go see "He's Just Not That Into You" that evening with me. Isn't he sweet!
New York this winter is what I'm thinking about every day... I can't wait!!! It is going to be so much fun. The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and the ice skating in Central park, just magical. It is truly what Christmas looks like to me and I can't wait! We are going to do our Christmas shopping there too! Nothing is more fun than getting random fun gifts for friends and family that can't be found anywhere else. Other than shopping we are going to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Ground Zero and best of all Macy's :)
Other than that, I have started to think about where we are going when we go to Europe. The idea here is to travel before we settle down and get married. After we get married we are going to be more settled but I'm sure we will still go and travel a bit but going to Europe takes a lot of money and time. It won't happen often so we are hoping to make the best of it. We will miss our babies but when else will we be able to go to Europe without worrying about our kids?
Regarding our babies (dogs), they are doing great. Bear is being very good but Blue is a little terror. Blue has his little ways of telling us he is upset, like when we close the door to the restroom he will find the rugs from the other restroom and take them into the living room or hallway... He does have his sweet side and he loves to snuggle but they enjoy sleeping on our Queen size bed with us and a German Shepard and Lab end up taking about half the bed, Blue is getting so big! We are trying to train them to not sleep on the bed with us but it's so hard to kick them to the floor when they look so cute!
Jose and I are both grateful that we still have a job and are able to make our bills but I have started to pay off school loans so that makes things a bit tight. We're making it through, thank you Lord. he finds ways of helping us out when we need it most so we know that we will be taken care of. We hope that Jose's parent's are able to move in with us soon but we are happy to have a roof over our head and food on the table. In times like these we need to make sure and just be grateful.
That pretty much sums it up... I pray all of you will not have too many troubles during this time and can try and enjoy the idea we are living in a historic time. I still can't believe Obama is president, it hasn't hit me yet :) I hope all goes well within the next couple of weeks and the people who are losing their livelihood will be helped.
Live, Laugh, Love
Monday, January 26, 2009
So much fun!
So I didn't get as many good pictures of Rocky playing but I hope to soon. This weekend was busy but so much fun!
First, Friday afternoon I found out my Uncle Rocky and Cousin Sarah would be joining us to see the game. The game was a good one but because Rocky was sick that week, he didn't play. Its ok though, we had so much fun hanging out afterwards. Everyone came to our house and spent the night, except Sarah, and it was nice catching up with everyone.
Then Saturday, I had brunch with the girls and then, Jose and I went to a concert, Freestyle Explosion. It was a lot of fun! We danced and laughed and had a great time.
Then Sunday, we slept in until 1. I can't remember the last time I was able to do that! The we drove to Santa Ana and hung out with his parents. They are so sweet and I really enjoyed it. Lots of laughing and talking, practicing my Spanish :)
Overall the weekend was agreat one, relaxing and fun. I can't wait to have another just like it, only four days away... and counting :)
Live Laugh Love
First, Friday afternoon I found out my Uncle Rocky and Cousin Sarah would be joining us to see the game. The game was a good one but because Rocky was sick that week, he didn't play. Its ok though, we had so much fun hanging out afterwards. Everyone came to our house and spent the night, except Sarah, and it was nice catching up with everyone.
Then Saturday, I had brunch with the girls and then, Jose and I went to a concert, Freestyle Explosion. It was a lot of fun! We danced and laughed and had a great time.
Then Sunday, we slept in until 1. I can't remember the last time I was able to do that! The we drove to Santa Ana and hung out with his parents. They are so sweet and I really enjoyed it. Lots of laughing and talking, practicing my Spanish :)
Overall the weekend was agreat one, relaxing and fun. I can't wait to have another just like it, only four days away... and counting :)
Live Laugh Love
Friday, January 23, 2009
The sky is cloudy, I love the rain!
So I don't know how much you all know but Rocky made the JV Basketball team at Newport Harbor and I am so proud of him! I am so excited to go see him play tonight! I am going to take lots of pictures so I will post those up soon.
Other news:
Jose was given Safety Employee of the Month for January for all of the Atlantics. I am so proud of him!
Jose and I are on a diet... Neither of us are enjoying it much but we are trying it out for a couple of weeks and see how we feel after that.
We are going to NYC this December (that's the plan anyway)!!! We are pretty excited but it is so far away that it is hard to get super excited about it.
Tomorrow night we are going to Freestyle Explosion in LA and I haven't ever been to a concert in LA but I'm pretty excited.
My Uncle Rocky will be moving to LA for a couple of months, so I'm told. The is very exciting to know he will be in the area to visit and hang out with.
I am very happy in Ontario working, it is so much better to be close to home and our babies (Bear and Blue).
I think that sums it up but I will be keeping you all updated!
Don't forget: Live, laugh & love!
Other news:
Jose was given Safety Employee of the Month for January for all of the Atlantics. I am so proud of him!
Jose and I are on a diet... Neither of us are enjoying it much but we are trying it out for a couple of weeks and see how we feel after that.
We are going to NYC this December (that's the plan anyway)!!! We are pretty excited but it is so far away that it is hard to get super excited about it.
Tomorrow night we are going to Freestyle Explosion in LA and I haven't ever been to a concert in LA but I'm pretty excited.
My Uncle Rocky will be moving to LA for a couple of months, so I'm told. The is very exciting to know he will be in the area to visit and hang out with.
I am very happy in Ontario working, it is so much better to be close to home and our babies (Bear and Blue).
I think that sums it up but I will be keeping you all updated!
Don't forget: Live, laugh & love!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Our Snow Trip
Here are some pics for your enjoyment from our snow trip on December 29th.
Bear liked to eat the snow :P
Steph, silly
He almost ate the concrete...
Blue liked to go sledding :)
The snow was deep and chilly :)We had a lot of fun but it was cold once we got all wet. It wasn't as cld as we thought it was going to be but still fun.
Since then we've been laying ow trying to save up money for NYC!!! We are hoping to go this December, we are sooo excited!
Live, laugh, love
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