Glittery Giggles

"Pin"spired

2012-01-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely addicted to pintrest. I love all of the creative ideas that one can find on the site. Uunfortunately I find myself doing more pinning than doing. Am I alone here?
Today is going to be different. I am actually going to DO some of the things I've pinned.
I plan on:
1. Making these delicious looking cookies:

found here

2. Cleaning my shower using this technique

found here

3. Making this to add to my water

found here

4. Making these for book club next week.

found here

And if I'm still in the mood, I just might

5. Shave one of my sweaters.

found here

I'll let you know how it goes.

Hudson's Announcement

2012-01-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

His adorable announcement was taken by Daddy and created by Uncle Kirk.
To. Die. For.

Two Months Old

2012-01-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Hudson,

Happy 2 month birthday! Today officially marks the 61st day you have been in our life. As I sit here and type this, you are swinging in your swing. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to write you a letter today because you have wanted me to hold you for most of the day. You got your two month shots and you have wanted to cuddle since. At your doctor’s appointment, we found out your new stats:

Height: 21 ½ inches

Weight: 10.2 oz

Well, I wasn’t able to finish this on your actual birthday. You needed a lot more mommy love, which I ate right up! So here I sit, four (now five) days later, finishing up your letter.

You have been one busy boy this month. You’ve attended a slew of holiday parties and celebrations. You’ve traveled more miles this month than most people do in a year. You have made some new friends. You have discovered your hands and learned to “communicate” with others. You love looking at people and often have a serious face on, which people comment about often. You have started to smile a lot more too. You have also been able to play with and in more of your toys. Your arms, legs, and neck continue to become stronger and have grown so much too! You have acquired so many nick names. I sometimes wonder if you’ll ever know what your real name is. Most often you are called Hudson, but we also call you Hud, Hudsonater, Nater, Nate, Bubb, Bubbs, Bubby, Little Man, and Mister. I’m sure there are more, but that’s all I can think of for now.

Here are some of this month’s highlights:

You have been sleeping for at least 8 hours a night for the past two weeks! You usually fall asleep around 11 and wake up around 7. One night you even slept from 10:30 to 8:00. Keep up the good work. It is wonderful!

We continue to go to Mommy and Me class. The past few weeks you have even been awake for them. You like to lay on the mat, stare at the babies around your or sit on my lap and look at everyone. You enjoy smiling and chatting during the class too.

In the morning, you, Daddy and I like to hang out in bed and talk. We could watch you and talk to you for hours. You are so happy and animated. I just wish I knew what you were trying to say!

You are getting so big and strong. You are now in 0-3 month clothes. You love to “stand” and see what is going on. You love when we face you forward when we hold you because you don’t want to miss a thing. Fortunately you have a strong neck, so you are able to stay in that position for a long time.

You still love playing in your play gym and swinging in your swing. You recently started sitting in your Bumbo. You usually enjoy it too, but sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to talk you in to it. Mommy loves it when your want to stay in it because it gives her time to put on her makeup or chop food for dinner.

You had a special day with just you and daddy as Mommy went to get coffee and a mani/pedi. It was wonderful for all of us!

We have gone on numerous walks around Spring Lake. We usually go with Sarah & Sabine, but recently we have also been going with some of the mommies and babies from our Mommy and Me class, Mandy & Avery and Emily & Kennedy. You love the outdoors. You usually sleep on our walks, but when we are inside you could stare out the window for hours.

You met a lot of the teachers mommy used to work with at Highlands when we went down for their holiday staff party. It was so wonderful to see them again. You were definitely the hit of the party. Although I miss them so much, I know being your mommy is the BEST job in the world. I’m sad to say that I didn’t take any pictures.

You were also able to meet Ryan. Alix (Ryan’s mom) and I have been friends since junior high. You two spent a lot of time hanging out with one another while you were in our bellies. We were so excited to introduce you to one another. You slept for your whole playdate, but both mommies loved it! Soon enough you two will be truly playing together.

You got to see your first movie! In Rohnert Park they have a “Cry Baby Matinee.” It’s the coolest idea. On Wednesday around 1, Mommies can bring their babies into the theater to watch a movie. We saw New Years Eve. Although you slept for the movie, it was a really neat treat for mommy!

Speaking of movies, you starred in your first one. It was actually a music video Uncle Brent created. I posted it on facebook and we got a ton on comments because it was too cute! Here’s the link to it:

You had your first urgent care appointment. We woke up one Sunday morning and your right eye was crusty and watery (a little yucky, right?). Mommy and Daddy were a little nervous. We called the advice nurse and she told us to come in because it might be pink eye. Fortunately, it was just a clogged tear duct. We were so relieved to find out! You got your second one last Thursday, hopefully this won’t be a common occurrence, but fortunately it doesn’t bother you too much.

You also met a lot of new people. During Christmas and New Years, you many so many new aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends when we were in Vallejo, Walnut Creek, Clayton, Santa Barbara, and Shell Beach. I’ll do a whole post on those trips later.

Well busy boy, as you can see, there is never a dull moment in your life! Thanks for making me the happiest mommy! We love you so much and can’t wait to see what you can do next month. We love you more than you could ever know!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Happy Birthday!

2012-01-06T21:37:00.001-08:00

Today is little man's 2 month birthday! I really wanted to do a long post about his past month, but he had his shots today & his little body decided it didn't want to be put down. The good news is I got to snuggle with him all day. The bad news is I got nothing else done. As you can easily see, the good news outweighed the bad. Post to come soon.
Happy birthday, Hudson!

Dear New Treadmill

2012-01-06T11:11:00.001-08:00

Dear New Treadmill-
I just met you, and I already love you. I hope we become best friends. I know you will help give me energy, strength and a peace of mind. I'm looking forward to you motivating me in to loosing the rest of the weight I gain when I was pregnant. Let's hang out at least 3 times a week. It'll be fun!
Kisses.

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T16:09:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!
We are driving home from a wonderful, relaxing, gorgeous weekend in Santa Barbara. We were able to spend some quality time and ring in the new year with Chad's siblings. As we drive home, I am counting my blessing & realizing how lucky I truly am. It feels nice to take some time to reflect on 2011, which was the best year of my life, and dream about what may come out way in 2012.
I'm declaring tonight "Resolution Eve." Tonight, I plan to sit on the couch, listen to some music, drink some wine & make my 2012 resolution list.
Cheers to 2012! May your year be filled with laughter, happiness, and love.

Pure Bliss

2011-12-20T19:15:00.001-08:00

Pure bliss. The holidays have a whole new meaning. So in love with my new little family.

New Holiday Tradition

2011-12-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas has an even more exciting feeling this year. We are so delighted to share this magical time of year with Hudson. Although we know he is too young to know or understand what the true meaning of Christmas is, we wanted to expose him to some of our favorite traditions of the holiday season. Growing up I always looked forward to being with my family, decorating the house, putting up lights, buying and wrapping presents, baking, playing games in front of the fire, and watching movies
This year we decided to start a new Christmas tradition that we will celebrate every year. It involves some of our favorite winter treats- presents, movies, pizza, fudge, blankets, family, the tree and sleeping.
We set up the inflatable bed, topped with layers of blankets and pillows, in the middle of the family room. We each opened one present...Christmas PJ's! We changed into them and ate some yummy pizza. We climbed into bed, ate some delicious fudge, cuddled and watched some of our favorite Christmas movies until we fell asleep. We had such a great night. I can't wait to do it again next year!

The bed and presents set up in front of the tree and TV.

Getting ready to open our Christmas PJ's.

Love him!

Pizza dinner

Family picture in our Christmas PJ's.

Mommy and Hudson enjoying the tree.

My two favorite boys sleeping in front of the tree. I just love how they both sleep with their mouths open!

Sock Bun

2011-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I just love about pinterest. Learning how to do a sock bun is just one of them. Wonderful alternative to the "pony tail" look for new moms (or anyone really). Check out how to do it here

My Afternoon

2011-12-07T14:54:00.001-08:00

This is how I'm spending my afternoon. Cuddling my favorite boy.
Love him!

One Month Old

2011-12-06T16:11:00.001-08:00

Dear Hudson,

Today is your one month birthday! As I sit here and type, you are sleeping in your little lamb bouncer; it is amazing how much smaller it looks compared to the first time we put you in it. Daddy and I have really fallen in love with you over this past month. We often look at one another in dibelief that you are ours always and forever. We are so greatful to have you in our lives. You have brought us more hapiness than we could have ever imagined. We are so lucky to have you as our little man. We couldn't have asked for a child as special as you.

Daddy and I have really fallen in love with you. We often look at one another in disbelief that you are ours, always and forever. We are so grateful to have you in our lives. You have brought us more happiness than we could have ever imagined. We are so lucky to have you as our little man. We couldn't have asked for a child as special as you. No matter how stressed out we can get, all we have to do is look at you and we quickly see that all is right in our world.

You have turned into such a handsome little devil! I can hardly take my eyes off of you! Your facial features become more defined every day. Since they day you were born you have had incredibly long eyelashes, an adorable little button nose, cute little ears and the most kissable lips. I might be a little biased though.

We have gotten to know you over this past month. Although there are still times when we wondering what you are thinking, we have been able to find ways to sooth you, make you smile, put you to sleep, feed you, take you out on the town, dress you, change you, snuggle you, bathe you, and many more “new” things mommy and daddy never knew how to do until we met you. As Daddy always says, “You keep us on our toes.”

We have been very busy this past month. You have been so wonderful going with the flow (you are definitely your father’s child). Some of our highlights were:

-Giving you a pacifier when you were three days old. When we got home from the hospital mommy was so tired. Daddy took the night shift (love you daddy!). You had a really rough night and cried for most of it. Finally mommy told daddy to give you a pacifier. It calmed you down. The next day mommy looked online and read that breastfed babies shouldn’t get pacifiers until they are at least a month old…WOOPS! It was worth it that night, but we waited until you were 3 weeks until we gave you it again.

-Going to your doctor’s appointments on day 3 and 16. The doctor’s appointment on day 3 was traumatic for all three of us but we made it through. Let’s just say you had to have blood drawn, outfits changed twice, and were fed in the car…not fun! Fortunately, the doctors were impressed with you and how much you had grown. We will go back to see them when you are two months old.

-Going to the factory outlets when you were four days old to get clothes that fit you just right. We had bought you clothes that were a little too big (ie: 0-3 months) . Everyone thought you were going to be a pretty big kid, even though mommy had a little belly, so we didn’t get you any newborn clothes.

-Mommy and daddy’s first adventure by ourselves. We went to Target and Trader Joe’s as Gammie babysat you. You two had a great time singing, dancing, and exercising.

-You tookyour first bath. At first, you weren't a big fan of baths, but I think it's because you didn't enjoy sponge baths. Now that you are able to take a true bath, you enjoy them. I really hope that you are a true water baby!

-Our first family walk when you were one week old. You really enjoyed being outside in our carseat/stroller. You feel asleep in the first few minutes, but it was nice to be out and about in the cool fall air.

-Mommy and Daddy’s first date night. They went out on a romantic dinner at Monti’s as Grandma watched you. The funny thing is we talked about you and stared at pictures of you the whole time.

-Taking your picture for your announcement photos. You did not like being naked. You cried through most of it. Mommy tried to sooth you as daddy took the photos. We put you on your belly and you jumped around like a frog. I think it caused your umbilical cord to come loose. A few days later it fully fell off.

-Having family visitors. You are just so loved little man. You have had multiple visits from your aunts, uncles, and cousins. It is amazing how quite the room goes when you enter it. Everyone just stares at you in awe. We sit around taking turns holding you, kissing you and saying how cute you are.

-Daddy went back to work. We were so lucky to have daddy with us the first two weeks you were born. He just loved being with you and getting to know you. We were all a little sad and worried for him to go back to work, but we survived! We love having him work from home two days a week. The more time he’s around, the better!

-You had your first Thanksgiving! You decided it wasn’t a good idea to sleep from 1:00 to 3:00 the night before (fortunately you’ve only done this twice), so mommy and daddy were pretty tired. Apparently you were too because you slept through most of our Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Judy and Uncle John’s. Everyone took turns holding you and you slept like a baby.

-Putting up Christmas decorations for your first Christmas. Gammie and Alisa helped us. We had a wonderful day listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies.

-Visiting Clayton for the first time. Daddy had to go to a recruiting event at Duke, so mommy decided we should go visit our family. While we were there she had a Sip and See so some of her friends could meet you. You didn’t really enjoy it and cried for most of the party. Auntie Melanie and Gammie were wonderful at soothing you and calming you down. Luckily you were on best behavior at couples cooking club, so everyone was able to see that you are such a loveable little man.

-You met Santa! Grandma, Gammie, Daddy and Mommy took you downtown Walnut Creek and you met Santa! We were not sure how you were going to react to the man in a red suit, but you slept the whole time and were such a good little guy.

-You took your first bottle. Daddy was so excited to give it to you. You took it like a champ. It’s nice to know that you are going to be able to use a bottle as needed to give mommy and daddy their special time if needed.

You are such a sweet, loveable, adorable baby. We feel so truly blessed to be your parents. We look forward to the many years we have ahead. Thank you for being you! We love you with all our hearts.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Introducing Hudson Vito LaSala

2011-11-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

What can I say? My heart is full. I feel as if I’m walking on clouds. I have filled a hole in my heart that I didn't even know I had. My little man is finally here!

I've been thinking, dreaming and praying of his birth for a long time. I wondered what his eyes would look like, how kissable his lips would be, how soft his skin would feel, how his first cry would sound, how he would feel as I snuggled him. And now I have witnessed it all. We have met one another outside of my tummy, and I can't be any more in love!

Everything about him is even more perfect and precious than I could have ever imagined. He is more than words can express. He is true love.

Hudson Vito LaSala
Born November 6, 2011 at 1:29 a.m.
Weighing in at 6 pounds 2 ounces
Measuring 20 1/4 inches tall
Full of love and life

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The story of his birth wll be here soon.

I've got a problem

2011-11-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

image

I think I'm addicted to sugar. I find myself looking in the cabinets after lunch, in the afternoon, and after dinner looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth. It's been really bad the past few days. I'm going to blame it on Halloween, but honestly it is due to my lack of will power.

I've decided to challenge myself to 21 days of no candy or dessert. This does not mean that I am cutting out all sugar, just the yummy treats that I have been craving. You know, candy, ice cream, cupcakes, cookies...you get the point. Now this might not seem like a big deal to you, but it's going to be a rough 21 days for me.

image

I think I'll make a paper chain and tear off a link at the end of each day. I hope that it's satisfying enough to help stop my wild craving.

I'll have to reward myself if I make it that far. Hmmm. What should my prize be? A piece of cake?
Only JOKING! (hopefully)
Wish me luck! I'll let you know if I make it to November 23.

2011-10-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp mornings, falling leaves, reading by a fire, rainy days, cooking soup, apple cider, Halloween, pumpkins... Pretty much anything associated with the season.

I wanted to share a few of my recent fall finds.
IPhone calendar from redstamp.comGlittery candy corn from pier1door mat from cost plus

These new decorations make our house feel festive.

I know my favorite thing about this fall will be meeting our little man! Can't wait!

Durham Baby Shower

2011-09-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

While living in Durham, I met some incredible women who I truly hold dear to my heart. They are all so kind, sweet, thoughtful, generous, and beautiful. The bond we all created over the past two years is incredible. Many of us are pregnant and I cannot wait for reunions when we get all the munchkins together!

Because we are now living all over the states, they decided to throw me an early baby shower; I was 13 weeks prego. On April 26th, my sweet girlfriends and I headed to Pop's to celebrate the bun in the oven. It was a beautiful evening filled with love, laughter, games and good stories.

The beautiful flowers and favors.

Julie (due in December), me, and Kate

Kate, Christen (due a few days after me), and Ashley

Trisha (due in January), Alex, and Caroline

Tricia, Alex, Caroline, Marie, and Amy

All the ladies

The hostesses and me.

Thank you for an incredible night. I love you ladies so much!

Belly Pics

2011-09-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my belly pics from the first four and a half months. Please excuse the bead head, no make up and pj Iphone photos; super classy I know. I'm just keeping it real.

8 weeks

13 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

Spring Break 2011 - Cancun

2011-09-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

Back in March, we headed to Cancun for a few days of relaxing, hanging out with friends and having a good time. Seeing as this would probably be our last "Spring Break," seventeen of us flew from Durham to Cancun for a fun filled trip.

I was 5+ weeks pregnant on this trip, so my trip looked and felt quite different from the rest of the crew. :)

We spent the days working out, taking walks on the beach, laying out by the pool, and eating as much chips and guacamole as possible. The afternoons were filled with naps. But night time was when the real party started. We'd have long dinners and I'd watch everyone else consume large quantities of alcohol as they got ready to take on downtown Cancun. After dinner I'd head back to the room to read as everyone else piled into taxis to live it up.

I wish I would have taken more pictures, but the first trimester got the best of me.

How I told Mr.

2011-09-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, February 22, I woke up and started to get ready for a professional development day at work. It was a cold, drizzly day in Durham, and I was looking forward to a day of comfy clothes and UGGs. As I was showering, I realized that today was the day I had told myself that I was going to take my pregnancy test. I blew it off at first thinking that there was no way I could be pregnant. I had taken the test with negative results for the past two months, and I didn't feel any different. "What's the point?" I thought to myself.

Once I got out of the shower, something inside me was aching to check it, just in case. I took the test and stared at the stick. Almost immediately a plus sign showed up. No way! There must be something wrong with the test. I feel normal. I want to tell Chad, but what if the test is wrong? I'll stop by Target on the way home and buy another one just to be sure.

I finished up getting ready, hid the pregnancy test, kissed Hubby goodbye,and headed off to work, but I did not say a word.

All day at work my mind was somewhere else. I could not focus on any conversation or task at hand. I wanted to say something to some one, but knew I couldn't. I decided to think of different ways I could tell Chad. I wanted to be creative, but it also had to be something I could do quickly. I finally came up with a great plan (or so I thought). The rest of the day slowly passed by. Finally I was able to head off to start the plan.

As I walked into Target, I headed straight to the pregnancy test isle. I then shopped around grabbing a few other essentials and the items necessary to surprise Hubby with the great news.

I walked into our house and noticed that Hubby was doing school work on the computer. Oh good. I think my plan might work. I gave him a kiss hello and snook away to start the plan.

First thing on the agenda, take another pregnancy test. Positive again! Yep, I'm really pregnant! I went into the kitchen and got it set up for the "big reveal."

Once everything was in place I called Chad into the kitchen. I pointed to the toaster oven and said, "Hey babe, what's that?"

"I don't know. Is it a muffin?" he responded. Oh great. This WONDERFUL idea is going to be a FLOP!

"No...I don't think so. What is it?" This went on for a little bit before I said, "Go look into our bathroom."

With a confused look on his face, he walked into our bathroom and saw the two pregnancy tests. "Woohoo!" he cheered. We hugged, cried, and could barley believe that it had worked.

Although my great plan was a total flop, I just love this story. We still smile and crack up when we think back to this day.

Bun in the oven

2011-09-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

This post is going to contain TMI. Just wanted to give you a heads up!

Hubby and I started dating 14 years ago. We have been married for six years. We've wanted to start a little family for a while now, but had some personal and professional goals that we wanted to accomplish first. Last December, we had a long chat, decided that we had pretty much accomplished all of our goals, so we decided it was time to get serious about starting our own little family. We got a few books and started to read up on getting pregnant.

We tried using the Basal Body Temperature method for two months, but didn't get the results which we were hoping for. For month three, we decided to go ahead try ovulation sticks.

A few weeks later I took a pregnancy test (story to come), and BAM! it worked!

We are beyond thrilled and cannot wait to meet our little one and become parents!

I'm Back

2011-09-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

and I've got a lot to share. It'll take a while to update all the details, but some of the big news is:
*I have a bun in the oven
*Chad graduated from Fuqua
*We moved back to CA
*Chad started his new job
*I started my new job
*We've been traveling
*Life is great
Can't wait to fill you in!

Dinner This Week

2011-02-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday: Going out to dinner (Gerber is in town!)

Monday: Spicy Grilled Chicken and Green Onions with grilled zucchini

Tuesday: Taco Salad (I love to top it with doritos)

Wednesday: Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad

Thursday:Lettuce Wraps

Friday: Spinach Pizza (with TJ's whole wheat pizza crust)

Love Month: Vacations

2011-02-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

In 10 days we will be getting on a plane and heading to Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break 2011! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.

I'm really looking forward to:

sleeping in

laying out at the beach and pool

reading a book and some magazines

checking out Chichen Itza

soaking in the local culture

taking long walks on the beach

eating some tasty Mexican food

shopping at the local shops

going to Senor Frogs, Carlos and Charlies, or Pat O'Briens

not having to make my bed!

and RELAXING in general!!!

I'm also excited to wear my new beach gear, but I'm still searching for a cute beach bag!

bag, Bikini, tunic, shoes, beach

Dinner This Week

2011-02-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday: Chicken Noodle Soup

Monday: Yogurt-Basil Chicken Kabobs and Arugula Salad

Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Tender Salad

{I’m going to substitute with buttermilk for ff greek yogurt}

Wednesday: ?

Thursday: BBQ Shrimp, zucchini, and brown rice

Friday: Turkey burgers (sans bun) with sweet potato fries

Turkey burgers:

Ingredients:

1 package of 99% Fat free ground turkey

Chulula (add as much as you like depending on taste)

½ cup chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 slices of fat free Kraft Cheese

Avocado

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Mix turkey, chulula, red onion, and garlic. Divide into 4 equal patties.

Grill burgers until thoroughly cooked.

Top with cheese and avocado

Sweet Potato Fries:

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes

Pam Olive Oil

Sea Salt,

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F

Line a sheet tray with parchment.

In a bowl, coat sweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

I've missed you

2011-02-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

I have been sick as a dog for the past 7 days

Temperature of 100+ for 4 days

Only leaving the house to go to the doctors

Laying on the couch watching countless hours of reality tv, movies, DIY shows, etc

My best friends have been Kleenex, tylenol, and azithromycin

I decided that I was sick of being inside on Saturday and ventured out

Unfortunately, I couldn't get off the couch yesterday

Today is a new day

I'm feeling stronger

I am going to accomplish something today (but make sure I do not burn out!)

It's supposed to be 76 degrees out today!!! I'm ready to be back in the real world

Love Month: Phones

2011-02-15T02:53:00.001-08:00

phone

i love phone calls

it is so nice to be able to get in touch with someone across the country in a snap

it is wonderful to be able to talk to friends and still feel connected no matter how far away they live

just a quick hello can brighten my day

i'm setting a personal goal to make them more often

if i lost my iphone i would feel completely lost...not sure if that's a good thing or not...

Love Month: My Mom

2011-02-14T03:04:00.000-08:00

I kept my most special post of love month for Valentine’s Day. Today’s post is dedicated to my MOMMA!

I am so blessed to have her in my life. She is such a beautiful woman with a heart of gold. She always puts others in front of herself and goes above and beyond to help others in need. She is the true rock in our family, and I am so thankful for her strength and support. She inspires me to be the best person I can be. She is always patient with me and listens to my stories (no matter how lame or mundane they may be). She has a wonderful way of making everyone feel special and loved. She always knows when to call, text, or write an email.

I have always thought she was amazing (even when I was being a rotten tween and teen pushing the card WAY too far at times). She was always did a wonderful job of letting me knowthat she loved me and would be there for me, even though she could be “strict.” As I look back on it now, I fully understand why I got grounded, was not able to do everything, or get everything that I wanted. I know that this lead me to be a better person.

One of my favorite qualities of my mom (there are sooo many it is hard to narrow it down to just one) is how wonderful of a party planner/hostess she is. She loves to entertain and wants to make sure everyone is having a great time. She makes everyone feel at home and there is no way anyone has left her house hungry! Not to mention, she is also wonderful at dancing and karaoke.

I was so very fortunate to go on atrip to Europe with her this summer. It was by far the best trip I have been on in my life. We had a great time bonding as we spent time together in the beautiful, quaint streets of Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest. We would share countless hours walking, eating, chatting, drinkingwine, and just being together. I often think about how lucky I was that she invited me to go on this trip with her. This trip contains some of my favorite memories and I reminisce about it often.

I hope one day I can be half the mother that she is to me.

Love you momma! Can’t wait to see you in three months!

Dinner This Week

2011-02-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

I have seen some bloggers who post their weekly dinner menus, and I thought, "Hey, why not give it a try? Maybe it will help spice up our regular weekly meals that we always seem to rotate." So, without further adieu, here is what we are going to eat this week:

Sunday: Rosemary and lemon chicken with roasted red potatoes and asparagus

*Recipe via Peacock's Roost

Monday: "Chicken" Parmesean

*Recipe

Tuesday: Asian Grilled Salmon Salmon with sweet potatoes and asparagus

*Recipe

Wednesday: Chicken and Cabbage bowl with black beans, avocado and Cholula

Thursday: "Taco" Salad

Note: Anything with quotation marks around it will be a vegetarian meal. I am going to start to participate in "Meatless Mondays" and "Vegan Thursdays" with some of my friends from work...I'll keep you updated as to how it goes.

Sorry that there is not a recipe for the last two, I usually make it up as I go, but I will do my best to measure this week!

Love Month: Date Days

2011-02-13T06:08:00.001-08:00

Every once in a while Wick and I will have a “date day.” We like to plan a day where it is just the two of us. We think of relaxing, fun activities to do and plan a whole day based around them. Sometimes it is staying in and watching movies as we snuggle or other times it is being outside wondering around town. Yesterday was one of our “date days” and it was perfect!

1 2

We slept in then laid in bed talking about how excited we were for our special “date day.” We finally dragged ourselves out of bed and headed over to Parker and Otis for brunch. I love looking at all of the nick knacks as we wait for our food. I got their #1: Open-faced egg sandwich on whole wheat toast with two eggs any style, cheddar, tomato and mixed greens. It was delicious as always.

From there we headed to East Campus to walk around the trail. It was a great day out and the trail was full of walkers and runners. I love to walk by some of the houses on Buchanan Blvd. and pretend that we live in them.

After our walk, we headed back to our place to relax on the couch and watch a movie. Redbox had delivered Extraordinary Measures on Friday, so we decided to watch it. Talk about a tear jerker. I cried numerous times throughout the movie! I would definitely recommend it, but have your box of tissues close by as you do.

Next we got ready and headed to Raleigh for our massage. It was amazingly relaxing. My masseuse was wonderful and focused on my back and feet. L.O.V.E.D. it! On our way home my stomach was growling as I started thinking about the yummy dinner ahead.

For dinner we headed to 604 West. The ambiance there was perfect for our nice, intimate chat. I love having time with just the hubby where we talk about any and everything we can think of. I also need to mention that the food was delicious. I got the filet mignon and it was divine. I love a good steak, but I honestly cannot tell you the last time I ate one. Last but not lease, we ordered crème brulee…yummy! It is by far my favorite dessert.

With our bellies full, we decided to call it a night and head back home. It was one of my favorite days with Wick. I just love spending quality “date days” with just the two of us. Love him!

Love Month: Snow Flakes

2011-02-11T20:17:00.001-08:00

Each is so unique, just like all of us.

Love Month: Tulips

2011-02-10T03:29:00.000-08:00

Hands down tulips are my favorite flower. I am drawn to them in any color. There is just something about their simple beauty that is easy on my eyes. They can add so elegance to their setting. I wish they were in bloom year round.

Tulips

Love Month: Socks

2011-02-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

There are few things better than putting on a new, warm pair of socks. The gentle way they warm my feet reminds me of sitting in front of a warm fire on a cold winter day. Their soft, smooth, cotton stitching snuggles my toes and warms my heart.

Although I can be a little bit of a sock snob, I always do my best to find them at a good price. I always search for them when I am at gap, nordys, or tj’s. They seem to have the perfect colors, lengths, and thickness. Finding a new, swanky pair makes me want to break out in a dance (but I do my best to wait until I get home, don’t want to get weird looks from the other customers).

I just love coordinating them with my outfits. It’s a finishing touch that can put me in a good mood for the rest of the day (even if I am the only one who sees them). I wonder which pair I will wear tomorrow.

pic

Love Month: Magic Bullet

2011-02-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

A smoothie in 10 seconds or less! What's not to love?

I must admit that I use this handy, dandy gadget at least once a day. You can make salsa, dips, margaritas, pasta sauce, or just about anything else you can imagine.

My favorite recipe is Yumminess in a Cup (made it up all by myself!). We usually don’t measure, just put the ingredients in the blender and let it do it’s thing.

Yumminess in a Cup:

½ banana

1 Cup ice

1 or 2 t peanut butter

1T l-gutamine powder

½ cup milk

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

Fill the rest of the cup with water

pic

Love Month: US Weekly

2011-02-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

On my way home from work on Thursday there is always a huge smile on my face. I cannot wait to get home and open our mail box. I know inside will be a new US Weekly. Looking at the cover and checking out what articles will be inside just brings me happiness. I love seeing ‘Who Wore It Best,’ even thought I do not always agree. I wonder how they pick who they spotlight in ‘25 Things You Don’t Know About Me.’ I daydream about buying the clothes “Hollywood” wears in the ‘Hot Picks’ or ‘Just Like Us.’ Ok, you get the point.

But want to know a secret? I usually wait to read the articles until Friday so I can savor it just a little longer. :)

logo

Love Month: Frozen Yogurt

2011-02-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

I love frozen yogurt!

They are building a new shop 1.2 miles away. I cannot wait to walk there this Spring!

It’s going to be right next to the library, so now you know where to find me on Saturday afternoons. I’ll be sitting outside the local yogurt shop reading a book that I just checked out of the library.

Speaking of local yogurt…

I love that place. If it was a little close, I would eat there every day; thank goodness it isn’t!

It’s where I first learned about my new FAVORITE yogurt creation: plain (tart) with strawberries, granola, and honey. You should try it. You might love it too!

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Weekly Menu and Shopping List

2011-02-05T07:42:00.001-08:00

I have been looking for an easy way to organize my shopping list and weekly menu. I found an adorable format at The Crafting Chicks. I liked their layout, but wanted to create one for the month of February. Because I am a Publisher novice, mine is quite simple. I plan on creating more once I figure out all the fancy tricks Publisher can do. Until then, this is what I got. Feel free to use it!

I got the idea here

Love Month: Rainy Days

2011-02-05T05:47:00.001-08:00

i love falling asleep to the sound of rain

i love the way it can make the world feel so peaceful
i love the beautiful image it creates on window panes
i love the smell of wet cement
i love to curl up under warm blankets and read
i love jumping in puddles
i love rainboots
i love gazing at beautiful rainbows after the rain ends

rain photo

Love Month: Fresh Cut Grass

2011-02-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

i love the smell of fresh cut grass

i love the how it tickles my feet as i run on it with my bare feet

i love all of the childhood memories that come rushing back as i look at it

i love how calming it is to run your hands along it's blades

i love having a picnic on it

i love how it entices you to go outside on cold days

i love it's beautiful color

photo: here

Love Month: Books

2011-02-03T03:06:00.000-08:00

i love going to libraries

i love looking at book covers

i love reading book blurbs

i love the black letters on the white pages

i love the way authors can string sentences together

i love making mind movies in my head

i love getting borders coupons in my inbox

i love that i took a speed reading class to read faster

i love bookswap

i love beach reads

i love anything by nicholas sparks

or jodi picoult

or kristin hannah

or marian keys

i love talking with friends about good reads

i love sitting outside on a warm day as i read

i love listening to books on tape

i love teaching kids to read

i love watching my students learn to sound out words

i love helping kids find THE books that makes them a true, lifelong reader

i love listening to my students have rich, engaging book talks

i absolutely love getting lost in books

Love Month: Nail Polish

2011-02-02T03:18:00.001-08:00

I love nail polish!

I used to hate it. I would get a manicure and within a few days my nails would chip. I would tell myself to take it off as soon as I got home, but then...something would happen, and I would forget. I would walk around with semi painted fingers for a week or two and promise myself that I would NOT get them painted again, only to return to the nail salon a few weeks later asking for a manicure.

Well, all that has changed since I have decided to paint my own fingernails.

I love walking the makeup isles of Target or CVS looking at the beautiful colors and reading their names, and grabbing one that matches my mood.

Don't they have the most unique names? Pump up the Jam, Feisty, Sand in My Swimsuit. Love it!

I enjoy the guilty pleasure of relaxing on the couch and painting my own fingernails. There is something about it that is so calming to me. Plus, once they are wet, I cannot get off the couch until they are dry! I just hang out and read, watch tv or talk with Wick.

I have come to changing my polish at least once a week. This way I (usually) have pretty polish on ALL of my fingers for the whole week.

As of now, I do not have a favorite brand, but I will let you know if I find one that blows the socks off of the rest.

I am smiling now as I think about what my next color will be...

Love Month

2011-02-01T04:22:00.000-08:00

February is love month!
In honor of love, I am going to post something I love (almost) ever day this month.

Love #1: Chadwick
i love his laugh
i love his dimples
i love the way he always falls asleep in cars on long drives (when he's not driving)
i love his dance moves
i love his patients
i love his heart of gold
i love his commitment to me
i love his sense of self
i love his determination to accomplish his goals

i love his kindness

i love his friendship

i love that he's known me for 20 years

i love that my favorite memories involve him
i love his hugs and kisses
i love that he will make an amazing father one day
i love that he accepts me for me (with all my faults)
i love that he helps me clean, even though he hates toilets

i love that he is so laid back

i love that he loves my family
i love that he is learning to cook

i love that he's mine
i love him

Layered Bean Dip

2011-01-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

I made some delicious bean dip yesterday! I've never made it before, but I must say I will definitely make it again! I didn't follow a recipe, I just chopped and added until it looked right.

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz) refried black beans

1 can (4 oz) fire roasted diced green chiles

Fat free sour cream

cholula

lettuce

2% mexican blend cheese

2 diced roma tomatoes

1/4 diced red onion

diced avocado

bag of Doritos

**Here's what I did:

1. warmed up the beans for about 30 seconds

2. added chiles to beans, stirred then spread across the bottom of a dish

3. spread sour cream on top

4. sprinkled on some Cholula

5. chopped lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and avocado into small bite size pieces

6. layered lettuce, cheese, onions, tomatoes, and onions on top of one another

7. poured some Doritos into a bowl

8. ENJOYED!!!!

I cannot wait to make this yummy treat again.

Valentine PomPoms

2011-01-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

These adorable Valentine PomPoms are adorable, cheap, and easy to create. Just follow the directions below:

1. Supplies:
*5 pieces of tissue paper
*Scissors
*String (I used ribbon, but I would suggest using fishing wire)

2. Fold your tissue paper in half and cut on the crease.

3 and 4. Accordion fold the tissue paper.

5. Fold in half and tie the string around the center.

6. Cut the end of the tissue paper in an oval or an angle. I made a triangular angle.

7. Take one layer of the tissue paper and spread it open. Repeat with the next for layers on that side. Turn your pompom half way and repeat with other side.

8. Turn your pompom over and repeat with the bottom half.

9. Fluff your tissue paper so that it forms a ball shape.

10. Hang your pompom.

11. Make it some friends same way.

Enjoy!

New Year's Resolution #2

2011-01-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

Get crafty...

I love, love, love crafts! Unfortunately, I do not spend as much time as I would like on them. I am going to do one new craft project very month this year.

This Valentine wreath is my first one:

You will need:

Scissors

3/4 yard felt

Styrofoam heart

Straight pins

Patience (it took me about 2 hours to cut out the 3" circles and pin them on)

I got this cute idea here .

New Years Resolution #1

2011-01-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

Eat healthy...

I know this is typical resolution, but I am going to jump on this bandwagon (again).

I decided I always eat healthier when I plan my meals, so I am going to plan my meals for the week, make a shopping list, and go grocery shopping on Sundays. Then Sunday afternoon, I am going to chop, measure, mix, until I have my meals together. It is so nice to grab prechopped veggies when I need a snack or grab my premade salads for lunch.

Here are some pics of what I made last Sunday.

Have yourself a MERRY little Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

Sending love to you and your family! Merry Christmas!

Prom

2010-12-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Every year Fuqua puts on a prom. It is a blast! We all get dressed up, have a preparty, take busses to the event, shake our groove thing, and have a wonderful time with our friends. This year did not disapoint. It was a masqurade theme!

Sam's Quick Shop

2010-12-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

This is our new find! We have driven by this place hundreds of times, but have never once even thought to go inside. Fortunately a kind bartender from Alivia's told us about it. From the outside it looks like a dirty, old quick stop. BUT...looks can be deceiving, the inside is the beer mecca. It has just about every beer imaginable. Chad's new favorite is Bell's Two Hearted.

GOTR 5K

2010-12-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

December 11th, I ran the GOTR Reindeer Romp 5k with some of the girls in my class. One of my students asked me to be her buddy runner; I was honored! It was a crisp morning, a perfect day for a run. I was one of 1, 500 people who participated. 600 of them were girls ages 8-12. I was so impressed with the determination of these young ladies. I would have never wanted to run 3.1 miles when I was 10! The girls we all smiles and pushed themselves to run the whole time. Fortunatley we finished just in time, it started to rain just as I got in my car to drive home!

Snow!

2010-12-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

The first weekend in December, we had our first dusting of snow. It was a truly magical day! Chad and I laid on the couch with the Christmas lights on, watched Christmas movies and drank hot chocolate. It was such a perfect day. It really got me excited for the Christmas holiday.

As you can see, I was really excited for the snow, but Chad was not as interested in taking pictures...
It only snowed a few times last year, in Durham, but I loved it. I had never had a "Snow Day" in California. I was lucky enough to have three consecutive days off; it was such a wonderful surprise. The funny thing was that the snow was not that bad, maybe just a few inches. Unfortunately the town is not equipped to handle the snow, so the schools close down.
I was hoping for snow this year, and I've been a little lucky so far. Last week, I missed one day of school due to the snow. Apparently the Head of School does not like to close down the school for snow days, so I was soooo happy we lucked out! It is such a wonderful feeling to wake up in the morning and check your email to find out that school is closed for the day. I hope we have a few more. :)
Wondering what I did on my last snow day? Well, I scrubbed the shower, cleaned out ALL of my drawers and cabinets, rearranged my closet, cleaned our apartment, did laundry, went grocery shopping, did a little holiday shopping, and made some yummy enchiladas for dinner. I think I was a little too excited to have an "extra" day!

I can't wait for our next snow day!

Pat's vs Geno's

2010-11-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen that show man vs food? Although it can be pretty gross, we watched the episode on Philly cheese steaks right before we went to Philadelphia. The guy ate a cheese steak from Pat's and Geno's and picked a winner. It inspired us to try it for ourselves.

I got a cheese steak from Pat's and Chad got one from Geno's. We tried both and there was definitely a winner...

...hands down PAT'S! It was also the winner on Man vs. Food.

I definitely recommend trying both when you are there. And get it with Wizz!

Philly

2010-11-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia.

The city of LOVE.

Wick and I headed to Philly (a few weekends ago) for a fun weekend getaway. We had a great time enjoying the beautiful fall weather and historic sites.
The trees were absolutely stunning! We were in awe as we walked 10 plus miles around Philly on Saturday and even more on Sunday. It was so nice to wander around with nothing planned. I am usually such a planner, but instead of planning out all the details, I decided that we'd get to the spots whenever we get there. If we were to move to Philly I would definitely live in Society Hill. It is such an adorable area to walk around. I loved this cute house, so I decided to pretend as if we lived there. Thankfully the owner did not come out as I was awkwardly walking up their steps! One of my favorite spots in Philly is Betsy Ross' house. I am in love with American Flags and her house is just adorable!
We also took the Pat's vs Geno's challenge. I'll post about that later...
I can't wait to go back one day.

P.S. We didn't check our flight before we headed to the Durham airport Friday night. Unfortunately our flight had a two hour delay, so we had a few hours to kill. We decided to head to the airport bar to have some libations. I got a little bored and started to do a photo shoot on Wick. He was really embarrassed, but I just think he's so HANDSOME!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

We decided to spice things up this Thanksgiving and head to Asheville, NC. We had a beautiful drive on Wednesday morning. When we got into town, we dropped off our items at the hotel and went to explore the downtown area. It reminded me of Berkeley; it's a college town and had a ton of art and craft shops.

On Thanksgiving morning, we got ready to head to the Asheville Estate (America's largest home). It was built in the late 1800's by George Washington Vanderbilt, and boy is it beautiful. We walked around the house, explored the gardens, drove around the land, Later that day we headed back to the hotel to relax in the hotel before we headed to dinner.

Although it was a wonderful trip, it didn't really feel like Thanksgiving. We decided to pack up early Friday morning and head back to Durham to make a real Thanksgiving dinner. It was the first time I cooked a turkey with out my mom's help.

As the turkey was cooking, we decorated the house and then relaxed. It was LOVELY!

The turkey turned out delicious! We were pretty proud of ourselves.

But it still didn't feel like Thanksgiving since we weren't with our families!

Arizonza

2010-02-27T09:42:00.001-08:00

This week I was given a wonderful opportunity to go to Arizona for work! I was part of a team that went to a summit on Professional Learning Communities. I learned a lot and had a great time listening to the gurus of the fields.

Not only did I get to enjoy the summit, I was also able to get out and explore Phoenix as well.

We got in Tuesday afternoon and checked out the area around our hotel.

Wednesday night we had a blast a the Sun's game.

Thursday I met up with Cheryl and the three Willis' boys and we went to a park to play.Jaden, Me, Colton, and Brady Colton (6 months) That night, Cheryl and Ryan met up with some of my coworkers and me for dinner and drinks.
Now I'm in CA visiting my mom!

Love Day!

2010-02-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, we went to Minneapolis, Minnesota to visit some of my favorites:Chad had an interview for a summer internship there so we decided to make a weekend of it!
We had great time catching up and spending time with Jocelyn and John as they showed us around town; one of our potential homes for the summer. I was quite hesitant of Minnesota, but they did a nice job of selling us on the place.
While we were there, we all went to a hilarious comedy club where we watched:

I would suggest this show to anyone who plans on going to Minnesota soon...

This year, my pink gift for Valentine's Day was...Fantastic pink shampoo and conditioner from Pureology, and I have become a huge fan. I would definitely recommend it to others!

On a side note, I am going to try to be better about blogging! We will see how long this lasts!

A New Addition to the Fam!!!

2009-07-28T04:52:00.001-07:00

Meet Gail:

So, we decided to sell both of our cars before we moved. I mean, what a great idea... Drive around town for a few days in a rental and then find the car of you dreams for dirt cheap. Sure.

Well, although she might not be the car of my dreams, I do love her with all of my heart!

Pros:

Smells like crayons

she purrs (guess she likes me)

I smile every time I see her!!! :)

Fits 5 adults comfortably, and I could easily fit 2 more in the trunk (although it may not be legal)

Has a sun roof

6 disc CD player (not sure if I even own Cd's)

leather seats

peeled out in her this morning on the way to the dry cleaners, and I'm still alive

made it to the beach and back

Did I mention SEAT WARMERS?!?!

Cons:

Smells like crayons

she purrs

stereo speakers are blown

Rear light failure started on day 3

Key less remote stopped working after the first week

The check engine light comes and goes as she pleases...

Overall, I'm quite happy with Gail. Lets just home she can make it until June 2011!!!

P.S. I accidentally failed the NC written drivers test. I guess that's what happens when you get cocky and decide you do not need to read the book because you've been driving for 14 years... I downloaded the book last night, so I'm sure I'll pass this time!

Wish me luck with the test and Gail!

Durham Bulls

2009-07-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Chad started school today! He seems to really being enjoying it and has met some really cool people. Tonight, Fuqua's Health Sector Management had an event at the Durham Bulls' Stadium. It was fun to meet some of his classmates and their girlfriends/wives and watch some minor league baseball. As always, it was a super hot night (everyone was sweating), but we had a great time. The ladies: Lia (she is 7 months pregnant), me, and Marie. The gentlemen: Aris, Trey, Chad, and Steve

The NC Pad

2009-07-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

We are pretty much settled into our apartment in Durham. It is is an adorable complex with so many nice people. We are so glad we found it!
Here are some pictures (sorry about the lighting):

Walking into the apartment.The kitchen.
The living room from the kitchen.

The family room.

The guest room and den.

Our bedroom.

My Wonderful Family

2009-07-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

We stayed at my parents house for 2 and a half weeks before we moved to NC. Although it flew by faster than I hoped it would, I feel so lucky to have been so close to them. They are such kind, loving, generous, thoughtful parents, and I LOVE them so much! It is going to be very hard to be away from them, but at least I'll have our daily phone calls. It was so wonderful to be able to spend that time with them! Plus, we were truly treated like royalty!!! My mom cooked, cleaned, did laundry. My parents are so amazing!

My dad and I both have July birthdays, so we always have a birthday party together. This year we went to dinner at Benihana's...delicious! My dad and me before we blew out the candles.

Us at dinner.

My gorgeous niece! I can't believe that she is turning 12 next month!

Thanks for letting us stay! We love you and we miss you!

We did it!

2009-04-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Good news! I got 700th place!!!! I'm not kidding.
I am quite impressed that the four of us lovely ladies ran the whole 10k. I was only up to 4 miles before the race, but I somehow mustered up the capacity to run the whole thing. I'm sure that it was a lot easier with the gorgeous view of the ocean and chatting with friends.
After the race, we headed to Melissa's beautiful house which over looks the ocean. We celebrated with some mimosas and yummy yogurt. We kept talking about how we cannot wait to do out next race, so hopefully we'll find another one soon (Bay to Breakers is just around the corner).

Later that day, we headed to downtown Santa Cruz to do some shopping and grab lunch.

All in all it was way more than I could have ever asked for. Thanks for hosting Melis!

Skips

2009-04-18T09:03:00.001-07:00

'Tis the season for outside dinners. I love that the weather is getting warmer and we can head to Skips with friends for a fun dinner out. The weather was perfect last night, so we had a blast watching the McGee and Willis kids run around and play on the jungle gym. Cheryl, Ellie, Paris, me

Ellie is such a model baby. Everytime the camera was in her face, she would put on a huge smile; too cute!

Elizabeth, Justin, Ian, Emily

Wick and meJamie and Anthony

Cooking Club

2009-04-17T17:19:00.001-07:00

Well, last night was a big night for cooking club.
In a nutshell:
I did slim to no chopping, cutting or cooking. We went on a wine run. We ate some yummy chicken curry. We had a candle passing. There were tears. I got home a little after midnight (a cooking club first for me).

I believe that we need to change our name to wine club.

CHEERS!

Santa Cruz 10K

2009-04-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well, this sounded like a great idea in January when I was setting all of my New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately, it does not seem like such a grand idea any more.

I know that some people are born to be runners, or at least have the body stature to run with ease. The truth of the matter is that most of these people are not 5' 2" and that's pushing it for me.

My first 10k is this Sunday. I'll let you know how it goes... Wish me luck!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T08:04:00.001-07:00

From our family to yours!

In Just 4 days...

2009-03-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

we will be heading here:

to sleep here:to learn about this:

to walk around these places:

I cannot wait!

Recently

2009-03-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. I wish I had some great excuse like we've been traveling through Europe, but in reality, we've just been busy with daily life.

Fortunately we have been able to schedule some fun times. Here are some of the fun adventures that we've been up to:

Friday night we headed up to Salt Point for Kirk's birthday camping trip. Driving up 1 is so beautiful, but I am always so scared driving along the coast. The campsite was gorgeous. We had a good time playing horseshoes, beer pong, sitting by the fire, and telling stories. It was great to camp on the coast with the LaSala kids and Kirk's friends.

Wick and meDon't mind the cheesy pose! If you look in the background, behind the trees, you can see the ocean. Dayna. I just love this picture (yes, she is mocking my pose).

Kirk, Lo and Brent super enthusiastic about camping. The Crew. I'll photo shop the picture later so you can see it better.

Saturday Chad and I headed to Napa. Since I wasn't too excited to be heading south on 1 for very long, we cut through Jenner and drove through the Russian River. It was a gorgeous drive. We saw the coast, river, forest, and wine country.

We stayed at the Silverado; probably our favorite hotel in Napa. The grounds are beautiful, the spa is lovely and the rooms are super cute. Saturday we just went to downtown Napa and shopped. Sunday we hit up a couple of wineries. I think my favorite was Rombauer (I LOVE their Chardonnay). We had lunch at Vi Sattui on the grass. It is always fun trying new wines and talking to the winetender (what do you call them? I could only think of bartender, but I knew that wasn't right).

Grounds at Silverado.

A few weekends ago, my school had an auction. It was very fun to hang out with my teacher friends somewhere other than the lunch room. These are amazing women and I am so lucky to teach with them!

Emily, me, Danielle, and Briannon

Well there's more, but at least this was a good start! I'll be back soon to fill you in on some of the other events.

Lake Tahoe

2009-03-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

We just got back form an exciting weekend in Lake Tahoe. We headed up Friday with Brent and Linsy to stay at Brent's place in Incline Village. I have wanted to go skiing for a while, but we haven't gotten around to it.
We went to North Star on Saturday to ski. I've only been "skiing" once in my life, and I do not know if you can even consider that skiing. I was super nervous! Fortunately Brent is a great teacher (and super patient), so he coached me through my first run. At the top of the mountain he was telling me how to correctly hold my body. I was scared and my heart was pounding very hard, but I thought to myself "You can do it!" and I started off. Well, need less to say, seconds later I was not thinking as positively. I couldn't figure out how to stop... I decided the only option was to do a face plant to force my body from going down the hill at an amazing speed. Brent helped me up and gave me a few pointers. I started to do much better. I only fell one more time on that run.
When we were at the bottom Brent gave me a great compliment, saying I did super. I was really proud. He then headed down the last SMALL slope towards the ski lifts, and I started to follow. Surprise, surprise...I fell again! This time no one was there to help me up. Some kind skier took pitty on me and stood in front of me, protecting me from the oncoming skiers as I got up.
After I composed myself, I headed back to the ski lift to try it again. Good news, I did much better! Brent, Linsy, and Chad told me that we were going to do a different run. As we were heading up the ski lift (a much longer one this time), my heart started racing again. They told me that this one was longer, but they ensured me that I would do much better this time because the steeper slope would help me (hmmm...now that I think back on it, I bet they were all laughing in their heads).
Long story short, they all lied! Although I only fell twice, there was a slew of swear words floating about my head as I was holding back tears and pretending that I wasn't SCARED to death. After that run, I decided to take a break for a while.
In the end, they day turned out to be fun, but I think I'll wait until next winter to try to ski again. The memory is too close right now.
By the way, my boots were too small, so my two big toes are now black and blue.

Babies Galore!

2009-02-16T18:53:00.002-08:00

This weekend was full of baby fun!

Thursday Emily and Ian had precious baby T.J.

Sunday was Heather's baby shower.

Today Jenny and Alex had adorable baby Isabel!

Congrats to the new additions!

Busy Weekend!

2009-02-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Friday night I met up with the girls at Lark Creek for some premovie fun. (sorry for the blurry picture, but that was all that I have). We headed over to the movies to see He's Just Not That Into You. I wasn't a big fan of the movie, but loved being around friends.

Saturday morning I headed over to Brentwood for Jenny's baby shower. She was one of my eleven roommates (yes 12 ladies under one roof) at the Pi Phi house in Chico. It was so great to see her and catch up with some of my sorority sisters.

Megan (the blond above) came up with the cutest shower game that I would recommend to anyone who is planning a shower. She sent out onesies in various sizes with the invitations. Everyone decorated their onesie and brought it to the shower. Jenny guessed who made the different onesies. You can see some of the creative ideas in the pictures below; they were too cute!
Saturday night, we headed to the Freeman's house for Kelly and Christian's engagement party. As always, a good time was had by all. The pictures below show some of the dance party.

Sunday I headed to Shayla's baby shower. It is her first girl, so she got so many adorable pink items for their baby. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of this, but it was very fun.

Thankfully I had Monday off!

Visit from Jocelyn

2009-02-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

This weekend my best friend from high school, Jocelyn, came into town. Every time we get together, it seems as if no time has passed since the last time we hung out. She is such a kind, hilarious, loving, giving friend who always puts a positive spin on life. She always puts a HUGE smile on my face every time I see her. I wish she lived closer. I miss her and I cannot wait for our next play date!

Seattle

2009-01-25T09:15:00.001-08:00

I just go back from a fun filled girls weekend in Seattle. Melissa, Staci and I had a blast touring the town, eating yummy seafood and checking out the night club. I was so impressed how easy and convenient it was to navigate through Seattle.

On Thursday Night we all met at the airport and headed to Hotel Max:

We got a drink at Amber before we headed to the Flying Fish for dinner. We went and grabbed a few drinks at ______ and listened to an AMAZING band. Unfortunately, I forgot the name, but I'll let you know it once I talk to Melissa.
Friday Melissa had to work, so after coffee and a run, Staci and I toured the town. We went to Pikes Place to shop around.

We had a yummy lunch at Lowells'. It was the first time I had ever had clam chowder and I loved it!After lunch we saw the first Starbucks and Sur la Table. Then shopped around town some more.

We went and had a drink at The Triple Door and then headed next door to Wild Ginger.

Melissa met up with us at Wild Ginger, and we all headed to Pioneer Square for some more bar hopping. The bars were a little dirty, but made great drinks. From there we headed to Alibi to get our groove on.

It would be an understatement to say Saturday was more mellow than the two days before. We revisited our favorite shops one last time before we had to head to the airport.

My flight was 2 hours after the girls, so at first I was bummed to just sit at the airport. Fortunately, the Seattle a well stocked airport. I shopped at Fireworks for a while. Then I headed to Butter - LONDON. I had the BEST pedicure and manicure as I waited for my flight.
I have never been to Seattle before, but this trip makes me want to go back! Thanks for planning a great girls weekend Melissa!

Welcome President Obama!

2009-01-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Today was a HUGE day in America's history.

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

-President Obama

There are many reasons I will always remember this day:

-the first African American President gave his oath of office

-the first time I wanted to watch the whole inauguration because I believed in true change for our country

-the first time I was moved enough to cry (yes in front of the 19 kids in my class) as I watched a President's promise to our country

-the first time I felt a President could relate to my generation

-the first time I felt our country was ready and capable of true change

I'm looking forward to watching the positive change that will come in the next 4 (or 8) years.

Couch to 10K

2009-01-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions is to run a 10K. Although this does not seem too challenging, I had no idea how to start training until I found this great website:

http://rununiversity.com/couchtok.html

It gives a wonderful formula to follow to be able to run a 10K in 10 weeks. It starts off super easy with walking and jogging intervals and slowly adds on longer distances of jogging/running. I am just starting week 2 and it is going well (let's see how I am doing around week 7).

My first 10K is going to be on Sunday, April 19 in Santa Cruz (thanks for helping me get the ball rolling Kelly)!Check out the link and let me know if you are interested.

http://www.firstwave-events.com/sc_half/10k_walk.html

Sewing Class

2009-01-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to learn a new hobby. For the past few years, I have wanted to learn to sew, but it has always intimidated me. In September, I took a 3 hour introduction to sewing class at JoAnn's Fabrics, but I never did anything beyond that.

Tonight that changed...I took my first real class, and actually created an apron. It was GREAT! I was nervous and excited as I drove to the class because I thought that everyone else would know more than me. Luckily, I was the only one in the class! The instructor was able to give me one-on-one attention, which I absolutely needed. Most importantly, I was able to gain some confidence about sewing. Here is my apron:

Hopefully I will be posting some other sewing creations throughout the year.

Birthdays Galore!

2009-01-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

This week was filled with many important birthdays! I don't know what it is about January, but the people born this month have such kind hearts that are just filled with love, sincerity and patience. Everyone who meets these January birthday girls loves them.

My mom's birthday was Thursday. She is such a beautiful woman who always puts everyone else before herself. She is always there for others (especially our family) and goes above and beyond to make everyone feel special and welcome. I love getting to know more about her as I grow up, and I hope I am as wonderful of a mom as she is (when we have kids).

Chad's mom's birthday was Saturday. She is such a nurturing, kind woman who has done a terrific job of raising five great kids. Maple loves it when Mindy babysits her because she gets spoiled with walks and attention.

Saturday night we also celebrated Heather and Melissa's birthday...Disco style. I have known these two girls since junior high, and I love spending time with them. They always have huge smiles on their faces and love to have a good time. (I will post pictures from the party soon.)

Optimistic

2009-01-02T22:32:00.002-08:00

So, it's that time of year again that I need to think about how I can be a better person and enjoy this year even more than the last. Here are some of the ways I am going to make 2009 one of my favorite years::
-Slow down.
-Spend more time outside.
-Run a 10K by the time I am 30.
-Learn a new hobby (preferably sewing).
-Learn how to cook at least 2 NEW meals a month.
-Read 2 new books a month.
-Give back.

I believe that these goals will help me become a better person and make our world a better place.

Cheers to 2009!

Alix's 30th Birthday!

2008-12-28T08:59:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we went to Bridges in Danville to celebrate Alix's 30th birthday. It was very fun to get together with everyone to show Alix how loved she is. She is a wonderful friend who loves you for who you are, is extremely honest and open, and always goes out of her way to make everyone feel special. Happy Birthday Alix! Tracy, Alix, me, Kelly, and Melissa
Here's a picture of Alix's adorable baby, Ayla.

They're back...

2008-12-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

I go back and forth as to whether I like bangs or not, but today (on a whim) I decided that it was time to test them out again. The jury is still out, but I think I enjoy them...I doubt they will look this way when I try to style them.

If you live in the Bay Area and need a GREAT hairdresser, my sister does amazing work. Call, email, or leave a comment on this post and I will give you her contact info.

Good News!

2008-12-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

My super smart husband was the first to use our new plate. I am so proud of him! He set the bar very high, but all of his hard work, determination, brains, and passion truly paid off.

You did it!

Cooking Club Gift Exchange

2008-12-16T10:54:00.001-08:00

Last night Tracy and Jolynn hosted our December Cooking Club. In true holiday spirit, we had a kitchen gadget white elephant gift exchange too. Here is the cute plate I got. I have seen this plate numerous times at the store and thought how cute it was, but never bought it. Lucy for me, I was able to steal it from Heather O'Brien (Sorry Heather; I just couldn't resist!).

Christmas Cards - Lazy Style

2008-12-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

Well, we had the best of intentions to put together real Christmas cards this year (this would have been our first year). But as you can see by the title of the post, we just didn't get our act together.
Do us a favor, pretend that you are walking out to your mailbox, opening the mailbox, taking out a beautiful shiny red envelope addressed to your family, open the envelope, and enjoying our holiday card mad especially for you!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

The LaSalas

Zachary's Pizza

2008-12-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

If you have never been to Zachary's Pizza, get in your car and head there now! It is my favorite pizza spot. They have a delicious deep dish pizza that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I love that they have the toppings "backwards." We have been to their restaurants in Berkeley and San Ramon (both are great), but I enjoy the atmosphere in Berkeley more.

For more info: http://www.zacharys.com/

Our Tree

2008-12-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

At first, it looked like this:

But now, it looks like this:

Flashback of Hillside Inn

2008-11-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

We got to North Carolina late Friday night. After getting our bags and our rental car, we headed to our hotel ready for a good night sleep.

As always, we got lost on the way to the hotel. For some reason, this happens to us on EVERY trip we take. I thank our lucky stars for the iphone. But as our "direction skills" go, we still got lost, even with its help. Next time we will rent a GPS with the car.

Once we finally made it down the dark, scary street to our hotel, the front door was locked. We rang the buzzer multiple times with no response. I finally called the hotel to tell them we were outside. A nice woman with half her teeth (if even that many) answered the door. She checked us in and gave us our room key. I knew it was not my type of place, but I tried to be as optimistic as possible.

As we brought our items into the hotel, I almost passed out due to the amount of smoke in the air. We made it into our room, and I almost died. I wished I was almost anywhere else. Since it was after 1, and I knew we would get lost if we tried to go to another hotel, so I sacked it up and decided to stay for one night.

It was a long night. I might have slept for a total of 4 to 7 minutes. There were multiple high school parties going on. I tried to call the front desk, but no one answered. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

First thing in the morning, we changed hotels (yes, we did get lost on the way to the new hotel). I am so happy with our new hotel! It has clean air, sanitary beds, internet access, and many other ideal items I never thought I would need to wish for in a hotel. Most importantly, we (meaning me) feel a lot safer in the new hotel!!

Through out the time, Chad just continued to say, "I'm so glad you're the one who booked the room."

P.S. The rest of our trip has been a blast. I will blog about it later...

North Carolina, Here we come!

2008-11-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

We are taking off today to North Carolina. I cannot wait to venture around Durham and North Carolina for the next few days with Wick!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Waking up to see the fog in the sky and to feel the crisp air, I could not wait to start the day! We took Maple on a long walk around Clayton to enjoy the fall weather, and to make us feel better when we ate a ton of food.

Once we came back, we made guacamole and salad to bring to Thanksgiving dinner at the LaSala's. I made the yummy red pear salad that Paris brought to Cooking Club; it was a hit. From there, we put up the Christmas lights...well, Chad actually did, but I made sure the lights were working before he hung them. I love watching him hang the lights. He takes this job very seriously and makes sure that each strand is in place. I love having the lights up on our house. I cannot wait to drive around at night and see all of the houses decorated for Christmas.

After the lights, we got ready and headed down to the LaSala's for Thanksgiving. THis was the first year my family celebrated Thanksgiving with Chad's family. We all had a wonderful time eating, talking and sharing funny stories. I am so thankful that my parents and the LaSala's enjoy each other's company; it makes holidays sooo special to have both families together.

Mindy did a wonderful job making too much yummy food and decorating the house! She has a ton of pumpkins that made the house truly feel like it was Thanksgiving. I only wish that I had taken more pictures!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

Family Time!

2008-11-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

One of the main reasons that I love the holidays is due to all of the special family time!

Yesterday, my Aunt Judy, Uncle John and their grandkids came down form Santa Rosa for some family time. My mom made us a yummy waffle lunch. All the girls headed to downtown Clayton to visit the library, get some coffee, shop at Royal Rooster, and play at the park. When we got back to my parents' house, the girls made some holiday cookies. It is so great to have such a wonderful family to spend time with.

P.S. Dad and Uncle John,

I added the playlist again just for you guys. :)

Bad Luck!

2008-11-25T09:09:00.001-08:00

Although Chad doesn't go out of town often, I do NOT like it when he is gone. Not only do I miss him, something (or a couple of things) are bound to go wrong. Well Sunday night was no different than any other night he has been gone.

First I fell and got this:

Then I woke up Monday morning to find one of these on our garage:

I am sooo glad he is back!

Classroom Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

In the month of November, my class learns about the Pilgrims coming to the New World. We share the good, the bad and the funny stories with one another. Although they learn the typical information, I always add some of the more interesting facts from Don't Know Much about the Pilgrims. I think one of their favorite stories is that the Pilgrims could not take a bath during the 66 days they sailed on the Mayflower from Holland to the New World. Some think it is cool, while others are absolutely grossed out! During this time, the kids write more paragraphs than they could ever want to, as they describe their new learning.
This year, after all of their hard work was done, we got together with Mrs. McCurdy's class and had a feast! We were the pilgrims and her class was the Indians. We made costumes, read poems, and exchanged gifts (necklaces and place mats). My room moms did a wonderful job decorating the room and getting all the food together. As the kids came in, all the lights were off and the room was lit by a few candles. The kids were adorable as they said what they were thankful for. They also enjoyed all of the delicious food that the families prepared. They had turkey, corn, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberries, salad, 7 pumpkin pies (yes, I said SEVEN!!!) - you name it and it was there. The kids just loved it. It was a great payoff after all of their hard work.

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we had Cooking Club with a twist. Instead of preparing the food as a group, everyone brought over their own favorite Thanksgiving side dish. We also decided that it would be fun to let the men come an join us for a change.

For some silly reason, I offered to cook the turkey. I have heard multiple horror stories of turkeys gone wrong, and who can forget the scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, when they go to cut the turkey and it is basically nonexistent, but I decided...what the heck. Although the turkey turned out delicious, there is no way I would have been able to do it with out my mom's help. She coached me (aka- pretty much did most of the dirty work) as I learned how to cook a turkey. Not only was she there when I began to cook it, she answered multiple phone calls, and even did a surprise drop by when she could tell I was getting quite nervous. Thank you mama! Fortunately for everyone, the turkey turned out delicious in the long run, despite my panic!

As I said, everyone brought a dish (some even brought a few) so there was way too much food. We were all super stuffed by the end of the night. I could do little more than sit by the fire pit and laugh at all of the hilarious stories being told. I distinctly remember on about deep frying a Twinkies as well as a snack well cookie (YUCK!). It was wonderful eating, drinking, and talking with everyone. I cannot wait to do it again next year.

CMA Awards

2008-11-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

Being such a huge country fan, I was so excited that the CMA Awards (Country Music Association - for those of you who do not know) were on tonight. There were so many wonderful performances; it just kept on getting better.
I just about jumped up and down on the couch when Brad Paisley announced that one of my favorite songs ("Just Got Started Loving You" by James Otto) was going to be played (WOOHOO!). I turned up the volume on the TV in anticipation. "This is the best," I thought to myself as I closed my eyes to take in the first few words. As soon as I opened my eyes, my jaw just about hit the floor (and not in a good way). This song is pretty steamy, so I have always pictured a steamy man singing it (think my husband or McSteamy from Grey's Anatomy), but no - the exact opposite... Here is the "steamy" singer... I hope this image does not pop into my head every time I hear this great song. Maybe I can talk Chad into making a lip sync video of it for me so I can replace the image in my head.

Getting Crafty!

2008-11-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

Yippie! I have the next two days off! I woke up this morning in a crafty mood. I decided to make cards, gift tags, and some yummy treats. Here are a few pictures of some of the items I made:

The Willis'

2008-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

We have not seen the Willis' in more than a month, so we stopped by yesterday to hang out. It is amazing how big the boys are getting! Jaden is 4 and Brady just turned 2 Friday. The boys are at a great age where they are able to play together and entertain one another. Brady got a Thomas the train set, so the two of them worked together to set it up. It is so fun to watch these two grow up!

God Bless the USA!

2008-11-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today was an amazing day! I went to the gym early to make sure that I was home in time to get ready by 7 am. I headed to the local voting booth to cast my vote. I truly felt nervous as I was turning in my ballot because there were so many important votes to cast. Who will be our next president? What will happen to marriage in California? What about teenage abortion, not to mention the farm animals? The list of changes could continue, but you get the gist.
Although I thought that I was excited, I could have never imagined the buzz among the students in my class. They were all so excited about today's election too. Their conversations were too funny. They were debating (mind you they are second graders) about whether McCain or Obama will raise taxes, who will truly help us with the war, and who is old or young enough to do a good job.
We held an election with id's, voting booth, ballots and "I voted" stickers. The voting booth was a total hit. The kids loved voting in secret. To my surprise, the kids were quite nervous to "vote." One child even yelled, "I can't remember who I was supposed to vote for!" from the voting booth.
The kids could not wait to hear the outcome of our vote. After our chat about majority vote (which needed to be 10 of the 18), I began to tally the votes. It was hilarious to watch the kids responses. I had a few (2) grumpy faces after the first ten votes (10 Obama, 0 McCain) because the McCain supporters knew they were out numbered. At the end of the tally,Obama won 14 to 4.
Two of the McCain supporters were so upset they were giving everyone dirty looks. I had to explain to the whole class that we could all be friends no matter our political party. Unfortunately, this did not help. I tried to explain that we were the only ones in control of our own emotions, and we could make or break our day...still no luck.
Then I explained that we would all be able to all have snack no matter our political affiliation; this made things a little better.
Fortunately, we made it through the day with out anymore dirty looks or upset children.
As I look back on the day, I am quite impressed how my students handled the situation. No rude words or tears, just friendship through the thick and thin.
They also proved that food can solve most problems.
I hope the rest of the world is able to handle the outcome in a mature fashion too no matter who wins.

Jamie and Anthony's Wedding

2008-11-03T17:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Seester!

2008-10-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not my sister turned 32 yesterday. We went over to my parents' house to have dinner. In true, mature Melanie style, she decided to dress up in funny outfits just to watch me laugh until I cried. She always enjoys having fun and bringing out the kid in everyone!

Happy Halloween to my fellow Americans!

2008-10-31T11:56:00.001-07:00

Field Trip!

2008-10-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

On Monday I went with my class on a field trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley. It is an annual trip that the second grade does, and I just love it! We all (kids and chaperons alike) enjoyed exploring all exhibits of the hall. At the end of the day, none of us were ready to go even though we had spent more than three hours there.

This is a must go for any parents with children two years or older. The kids have such a wonderful time with all of the hands on activities that they are able to experience. We will definitely get a membership when we have kids.

Pumpkin Party

2008-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Friday night I had some of my girlfriends over for a Pumpkin Decorating Party. Although I enjoy carving pumpkins, I decided to try something new this year. I used ribbon and spray paint to decorate my pumpkins. They turned out pretty cute, but not as cute as the cute inspirations I found in Good Housekeeping, so I decided to borrow their pictures instead of showing mine.
It was so fun to see everyone's creative juices at work. Everyone used their imagination and all of the pumpkins turned out so the pumpkin Maya made for Danielle was the cutest pumpkin. She added ribbon detail to create bangs and pigtails.

We also had some yummy turkey chili recipe that I found here: YUMMY!

Where did the tree go?

2008-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I asked Chad to rake off the leaves that have fallen on our roof. When he was up there he decided to take his job to the next level. He told me that he was going to trim a few branches that were touching the house. I thought, "Great idea." Little did I know that he was planning on cutting more than a few. Here is what he decided to chop down.

Jamie's Shower

2008-10-26T09:15:00.001-07:00

I am so excited that Jamie is getting married! I have known Jamie for about 7 years now; we met in the teaching credential program. She is a wonderful, funny, creative, kind, giving friend. I always knew that she would meet a great man and fall in love . Her and Anthony make an adorable couple. Seeing the two of them together, it is easy to feel their true happiness. I cannot wait until next Saturday to see them become husband and wife. Congratulations Jamie and Anthony.