Traveling... Traveling...

I’ve been very fortunate this year. In January I went to the Bay Area to celebrate my niece’s 10^th birthday and spend time with my sister.

In April I went on a short weekend trip with my husband up the California Coast to celebrate our 1^st Wedding Anniversary.

In August my husband and I will be heading to Las Vegas (because of one of those lame time share offer things) for a few days.

In October my husband and I will be going to a Rascal Flatt’s Concert with his parents and then to Scottsdale, Arizona to spend a week at the Four Seasons there. I’ve never been to a four seasons, but my husband tells me that it will be worth being in the dessert for 6 or 7 days.

And then in December I will be going to my sisters’ house again to celebrate Christmas with her family and enjoy her fantabulous cooking!

At the end of this month I will be heading to Maryland and to Washington DC for almost a week. My husband travels for work and has some work to do in Maryland at the beginning of July, so we figured we should take advantage of the hotel his work is paying and get me out there with him so I can tour D.C.

I’ve bene to DC before, but it was exactly 20 years ago when I culminated 5^th grade. It was our end of the year field trip. I was only 10 at the time, so while I do remember some parts of it, most of it is lost to the pictures I took (really BAD pictures, that is).

This time I get to plan where I go and what I do. I already got tickets to tour the Capital through the office of my Congressman (but since it is sort of a last minute trip it’s too late to get into the White House – although I DID get to do that in 1995). I am also planning on doing a walking tour of the area (FREE!) and maybe, possibly a hop-on, hop-off tour – but I haven’t decided that part yet.

I know I definitely want to go to the Arlington National Cemetery and see the Grave of the Unknown and the changing of the guards (there is a great documentary about this on Netflix) and see the Kennedy graves. I want to check out all the monuments and take pictures on the mall.

If you have any suggestions as to where to go, what to see, or which restaurants I really should check out – PLEASE let me know! I love recommendations!

My 1st Anniversary Trip! (picture heavy)

I was completely unsure of what to do for our anniversary. We went back and forth. Initially I wanted to do a week-long trip up the California coast. Thomas was not fond of this idea. Neither was he fond of the idea of going to Europe – for financial reasons.

I asked for help from the ever so trusty Facebook and Hearst Castle was suggested. I had been there years and years ago and the same was true for Thomas. It’s a 3 or so hour drive from our home so it was a good choice. We left on Saturday morning and headed directly to the Castle. (You can read about the Castle here). I had pre-purchased a tour ($25 for each, so not too cheap) and we waited around and did some gift shop shopping before watching a movie that told the history of the Castle. Finally we headed into the Castle in the afternoon.

A couple of miles up the coast from the castle is a place where Elephant Seals congregate. These things are HUGE! We enjoyed seeing those as well as little chipmunks that were climbing up another guys’ pant legs!

After that we drove back down the coast to Morro Bay. I had never been there, I hadn’t even heard of it.

It’s a quaint little town in the Central Coast, with incredible ocean views and a huge rock which used to be a volcano! We stayed at the Masterpiece Hotel only a few blocks from the beach/waterfront. The first night we had a nice room and they gave us a bottle of sparkling apple cider and card for our anniversary. The next day we asked if they had any of their Jacuzzi rooms available which I had read about online.

Because the lady working the front counter has a daughter who is planning a wedding she was in the giving mood for a couple on their first anniversary and for barely a little bit more she upgraded us to their suite. The room was GORGEOUS! Words can’t do it justice, so I’ll let the pictures do the job:

On Sunday we decided to walk down their waterfront and just figure out what to do. I really wanted to go kayaking and had been looking forward to it, but (un)fortunately SoCal has had a pretty cool Spring (does that mean our summer is going to be more of a scorcher than usual?) and it was windy so we decided to skip out on the kayaking. Instead we did a nice tour of the area by boat. Nice part? They served alcohol on the boat! Woo!

There was also a kite festival so we walked over to that and enjoyed some viewing of the event. We were impressed by the size of many of the kites.

We relaxed in the hotel before heading out to dinner at Window on the Water – a beautiful restaurant that was recommended to me by a friend as well as by amazing reviews. They gave us a nice window seat and we watched the sunset. The food was DELICIOUS!!

Monday was time to head back. We checked out of the hotel and headed down the coast. As we drove down we decided to take a side trip to Solvang – a little Danish town. I had been to it many times before with my family but this was the first time we went as a couple. Unfortunately Thomas had to be on his phone for most of the time for a work call, but it was still nice to walk around. We had lunch at a popular pizza place and enjoyed a tour by horse drawn carriage. We then finished it off with some delicious ice cream.

This is a classic picture of me... we have one from every time I've gone to Solvang.

On our way back to the freeway we stopped at an Ostrich Farm! I had never seen this before and am so happy that we spotted it! We got to go in for a few dollars and feed the ostriches and emus! They are strong peckers for their food! They had baby ones as well which I did go ahead and pet – they were super soft!

Catching Up on Me!

You may have noticed that I’ve sort of been on sabbatical the past little while.

I posted on Monday about the reason behind it (in part).

But let’s move past the drama and leave that in the workplace. Let’s talk about what has been going on since the last time we really spoke.

FITBIT/WALK: I’ve continued on my path of making sure I get my 10,000 steps in by using my FitBit. I absolutely love being able to track my activity. I’ve done as much as about 18k in a day and most days I make it to 10k. Because of physical limitations I’ve been not on my feet so much this week, but I should be back to normal soon.

My niece Mika also got a FitBit so we can push each other. She was doing really well for a bit but has slowed down (but she is 13, so, you know – a teenager) but I’m trying  to push her. She was beating me and I need the inspiration!  If you still aren’t my friend on there – I’d love to be FitBit Pals!

ANNIVERSARY: On April 26^th my husband and I celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary. We were able to take a day off and go on a short weekend getaway up the California Coast. If you follow me on Facebook you will have seen a ton of pictures. We went to Hearst Castle and lingered on the coast. We had both been before, but not for over 10-15 years. It’s a gorgeous place and the history is incredible. If you ever get the change I recommend it (even though it is a little pricey - $25 per tour and I think there are 2 or 3 in total). We also went to Morro Bay the next day and had a great time.  

I’ll write a post just on this because the weekend deserves its own attention.

MOTHER’s DAY: Thomas and I celebrated Mother’s Day the night before by taking our mommy’s to dinner at Flemmings. It was an interesting night. My mom doesn’t speak English and his doesn’t speak Spanish. My mom was not happy with the food – her meat with undercooked (she likes it well done). We complained and they took it back but when they brought it out again it was still red inside. One of the managers asked her how it was and when she said it was still red he said that if they cooked it more it would be burned. Umm. No. That’s only if you don’t know how to cook a steak well done.  We were able to talk to someone else, who spoke Spanish, who was able to remove the steak from her bill and give her a free dessert. Score for our bank account!

VOTE!: On May 19^th we had a small local election for school board. I have voted in every single election since I turned 18 and am happy to continue with that. Unfortunately the candidate I wanted didn’t win – but it’s the fact that I voted that counts.

May 21^st: On May 21^st it was a year since my sister passed away. I left work early and went to the cemetery with my parents and Jonathan (who was at their house at the time). It was a gorgeous day and it was nice to know that my sister is somewhere that is beautiful and that has such a great view.

NAILS: For the first time since before my wedding I went to get a mani/pedi with my mom. I had stopped going to save money because $27 every month seemed like a bit much. However I WAS paying $75/mo for a housekeeper, but her last month was December – so that’s a lot of money I’ve saved on that… and I’ve been doing it instead which means… I deserve this! It was nice to be pampered again. I decided on the pedicure at the last minute and that ended up being a good decision.

PICNIC: My niece has been planning Memorial Day picnic’s for the past 5 years (except last year since I was in Argentina on my Honeymoon at the time). This year we had it at a nice park in which she held it the first year as well.  And apparently I don’t learn my lessons. The first time we had it there in 2012 I was walking barefoot on the grass (what I always did when I was little) and stepped on a freaking bee. It stung me on my toe of my left foot. It got swollen and I got a nice little picture of it. Guess what happened this year!? Once again I stepped on a bee as I walked back from the ice cream truck (same thing as last time). This time it was smack in the middle of my right foot. The first day I was fine but the itching woke me up in the middle of the night. By Tuesday morning I could barely walk.  Luckily I brought back Caladryl from Argentina last year and that has helped, but again on Tuesday night I woke up twice with incredible itchiness! The area got more swollen and red through Wednesday but finally overnight into Thursday it finally started to get better.

I was walking on the side of my foot which now has left that painful. *sigh*

This is the reason why my steps have not been up to 10k this week.

So that is me for the past month or two! 

Blogger Men Tell All (Round 7)

I knew that Thomas would have some interesting things to say in response to these questions and I was not disappointed! 

• Do you like to cook? If yes, what's your favorite thing to make?

H: Yes. I like to make beef raviolis. 

M: How do you make them?

H: With love. 

• What is the last movie you saw in a theatre?

H: I can't remember. 

• Can you name five makeup brands?

H: Chance. Dejor, Chanel, TreeTop, Betty Boop

I have no idea where he got them from. Lol.

• What are your biggest pet peeves?

H: People who ask me questions. 

M: Anything else?

H: Yes. 

M: What else?

H: People who turn without putting on their signal. 

• What are your biggest goals in life right now?

H: To please my wife.

M: Now give me a real answer. 

H: That's my real answer, babe. To make you happy. 

Hubby's Conversation With A Nurse

As I mentioned on here last week my husband had his tonsils removed as well as his deviated septum fixed on Thursday. I had my camera ready when he came out of sedation. 

As you guys have probably figured out by now my husband is a character... so I wasn't really surprised at what I caught on video.

Although this wasn't MY conversation, I knew I needed to share it with you guys! 

Enjoy!

If you can't see the video click here!

My Grateful Heart today is for my mother-in-law. She came to the hospital and waited with me and then did grocery shopping for Thomas and spent Friday with him while I was at work. I love my husband... but I knew that I needed the day at work. My mother-in-law is great at helping out when we need her and doing it willingly. She rocks! No evil in-law stories in my marriage! 

'

 

Wednesday Wishes: Husband Style

My wishes for today are for my husband.

He will be having surgery tomorrow to have his tonsils removed as well as to fix his deviated septum.

It’s not a huge surgery, but anytime you go under general anesthesia it can become a big deal (my sister was given too much and her heart stopped!). I took the day off work to accompany  him to the hospital (even though he said I didn’t need to). As long as everything goes well he should be released the same day. On Friday I’ll probably drop him off at his mom’s house in the morning so that she can look after him and then I’ll pick him up after work.

I’m not really nervous for the operation itself – more so for the recovery. You know how they say that women can stand more pain than men? Yea, this is what worries me. I’ve loaded up in soup, protein shakes, ice cream, and other things he’ll be able to tolerate. I’ve picked up his pain medication so we should be all set.

Still – help me wish that his operation goes smoothly and that his recovery is just as quick as the operation will be!

Blogger Men Tell All - Valentine Edition

Thomas doesn't particularly enjoy it when I ask him the questions but I definitely love asking him the questions. Sometimes he is even funny... let's see how tonight goes?

1. What is your favorite winter hobby?

Him: *Thinks* - playing video games. 

Me: What is your favorite summer hobby?

Him: *thinks* - playing video games

You can imagine what his answers for Spring and Fall would be.

2. Did you do anything special for your blogger on February 14th?

Him: Can't really remember. I guess I got a card and some other junk.

He got me a card and a heart shaped box of candy. I'll take it.

3. What's your favorite kind of candy?

Him: Hard candy.

4. Which Rom-Com would you choose to watch while you snuggle up with your Valentine?

Him: I don't know what a Rom-Com is?

Me: A romantic comedy.

Him: And You call it a Rom-Com?

Me: Yes, I call it that. 

Him: That's so cool.

Me: So answer the question. 

Him: What was the question?

I repeated the question.

Him: Ducktails... Woohoo. 

Me: I don't think that's a rom-com. 

*dog tries to make out with Thomas*

Him: Duck tails the movie, not the show. 

5. Who, in your opinion, is the best US president ever?

Him: George W. Bush. Greatest World Leader we've ever had. 

Me: Are you saying this just to annoy me?

Him: *laughs* He is the greatest world leader ever. We've had this conversation a bunch of times. 

So there you have it girls... funny this time around.

Grateful for Friends and Family

I recently discovered a hiking trail near my house that I hadn't realized was there. It's a gorgeous area with a lot of history. I'm a goner for local history! My work is doing a Biggest Loser challenge and so a hike is organized for every weekend. This past Saturday we headed to the local trail near me. 

A couple of my co-workers brought their small babies and strollers so, unfortunately, we weren't able to do as long a hike as I wanted to (but I'm planning on doing it next week!). 

The story behind this area is that there were American Indians that lived here. There is a point (further from where we went on Saturday) where there are grooves in the rock where the stagecoaches were lowered by the horses. 

A couple of months ago we went on a guided tour of the area that gave us a lot of information on the area - I hope to go on another one soon!

In this next picture you can see an old truck that has basically melted into the ground. Since it's been there for more than 50 years they are unable to release it under state law (the area is a state park and is also designated as a historical area).

Nonetheless it was a nice 2 miles hike. Afterwards a coworker, my husband, and the kids headed to another local park where there are grapefruit and orange trees. They were having and open house of sorts where we could go and pick fruit for a small free ($5 for a big bag). I was a bad blogger and didn't get pictures (but my friend took a few).

After we were done picking fruit I went to see the Spongebob movie with the kids, their dad and my dad. We stopped for frozen yogurt afterward. 

My Saturday ended with a nice dinner out with Thomas...

On Sunday I did my usual weekend morning shopping trip with my mom and Nikki (my brother joined us this week). We went to Ralphs (Kroger), Wal*Mart, Big Lots, Costco, and Bed, Bath & Beyond and were home by 1:30pm! (This definitely helped me on the step goal, as of my writing of this on Sunday night, I have 15,811 steps for the day!). 

Then I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up my house. It's not a dump, but things gets left in places week after week. My husbands' cousin and his wife (and 2 kids) were coming to dinner on Sunday night so I wanted to make sure to have the house cleaned up (and it was also an excuse to get Thomas to help me get things in order). I should take pictures now that the house is all clean! 

We had a great time with the his family. Thomas grilled steaks, I made broccoli, and they brought some mashed potatoes. After dinner we played a round of Quirkle before they headed out for the night. 

So this Monday I am thankful for my family, Thomas' family and for our friends. I had a great busy weekend and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

DIY Valentines Day Gift - Cheap & Easy

Anne from Love the Here & Now came up with these Valentine Day blogging prompts and it reminded me of this DIY gift that I gave my husband (then boyfriend) a few years ago. Check out her prompts HERE. 

I actually made this for my husband (boyfriend at the time) for… well, it must have been our 1^st anniversary of dating in 2012. I wanted something cheap and creative and meaningful. I don’t remember where I got the idea, but it was fun and easy to make.

52 Weeks of Love

This is pretty self-explanatory, but why not do the whole process?

Supplies:

Deck of cards

Paper (of whatever color you want)

Shaped scissors

Sharpie(s)

Glue stick

Single hole puncher

Book ring

O N E // Come up with 52 things you love about your significant other. I know, 52 can be hard or at least daunting – but you can come up with that many. Get silly. I think I put something like about loving the way he dresses. Get creative!

T W O // Write the 52 things on paper – whichever colors you want. Make sure you write it in a way that when you cut the paper you can paste it onto the cards (so don’t make it too big). I used a black sharpie, but you may want to use different colors. It’s totally up to you.

T H R E E // Try your best to line up as many of the cards as possible and make a hole in the top left of the cards. Try to get the hole in the same place on each card so that it looks better in the end.

F O U R // Decide if there is an order to the things you wrote down. The only order I did was to not have the same color come up twice. Other than that I just put it together randomly.

F I V E // Cut out what you wrote using the shaped scissors.

S I X //  Glue them down on each card. I did this on the side with the numbers, but you can totally glue them on the back of the card. I found that glue sticks work the best – but make sure it’s Elmer’s and not a store brand – those tend to un-stick.

S E V E N // After they are dry go ahead and put each card into the book ring.

E I G H T // Last step for me was to write something on the top card and add the date.

My husband is not the most emotional person and he doesn’t necessarily appreciate these gestures, but I loved the way it turned out. He did end up reading through it, though.

Let me know if you make one!