Harbor Cruise With Family and Lights

Thanks to Kelly's mom, Rita, we all went on a Newport Harbor cruise last weekend. It was a fun night. We ate, drank, looked at the remaining Christmas lights and just had good fun. The yacht had three decks, and where were we? We sat out on the only outdoor deck. Although the view was pretty, it was cold. That will explain why we are so bundled in the pictures. But Kelly and I had such a great time spending time with the Pharis' and Kotlar's.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well, it was really two nights ago, but it's kind of hard to go out and celebrate on Christmas Day. But it's okay, I just get to celebrate on multiple days. This year Kelly took me to The Melting Pot in Brea. I have been wanting to go there for almost three years, so I'm glad we finally made it. Everything was so yummy...it was a great experience...we're definitely going back!

I Can't Believe Christmas is Over

Just like that...poof...it's done. After weeks of preparation, Christmas came and went. And by noticing the last time I did a post, we've been pretty busy. We had family come from out of town, numerous parties and family to visit with. We got together with Kelly's Pharis side last Sunday to go look at Christmas lights in Naples. It's something we try to do every year, but it happens mostly every other year...it was fun. We then got together with Kelly's immediate family and the Miller side on Monday for Christmas Eve. We had a yummy dinner at Lisa & Tim's and participated in our first ever gift exchange game. It was so much fun watching Alexis open her Christmas gifts. Although technically this is her second Christmas, it's the first one she was able to participate in and enjoy. We spent Christmas day with my family, and boy was it a busy day. We made stops at four homes that day, and visited two of the homes twice! But we got to see everyone and had plenty to eat. My mom and I even braved the after-Christmas sales. Today, Kelly and I are getting everything in order for our trip to Monterrey and Kelly's stay in Sacramento. But we're also celebrating my birthday tonight...I guess I forgot to mention that occasion came and went along with Christmas. 

You Know It's Christmas Time

When it's your last day of work for the year. I know, not everyone gets a week+ off for the holidays, but I do. It's one of the small perks of being a public servant...holidays! I even get a little more time off this year since Kelly and I are going to Monterey on the way to Sacramento. A bitter-sweet, but I'm sure fun trip. Today is also the first day of winter, that means only 4 days until Christmas. Are you done with all your Christmas shopping? We ate a Cheesecake Factory last night and the parking lot was full of people getting their shopping done. I am so grateful that I'm not one of them. And I'm sorry if you're one of those last minute shoppers, but hang in there, Christmas is almost here. And on that note, here are some Christmas pictures of Carson.

Christmas is Almost Here

And we are officially ready for it with only 8 days to go! Christmas cards are in the mail, we've had both our work Christmas parties and all the presents have been wrapped. What else is left? Although I enjoy shopping, it was nice to not have to do it. Instead, we decorated my mom's house. Kelly and I even surprised her with a Christmas tree!

Our 2007 Christmas Picture

With only 14 days left until Christmas, we finally took our annual Christmas picture last night. The one posted here isn't the one we're using for our cards, but it was a close runner-up. But I thought I would give you a sneak preview. My plan is to get the cards in the mail this weekend, so keep an eye on your mailbox next week. We finished our Christmas shopping this past weekend, so now it's wrapping time! We also attended our first Christmas party of the season. My manager hosted the office Christmas party at her home last Friday. Kelly and I had a great time mingling, eating, drinking and playing games with my co-workers and their spouses. This Friday is Kelly's work Christmas party, his last one with the company, it will be bittersweet. Well, 'tis the season and we love parties!

Update

Wow hump day already. Seems like it was just Friday. Oh well. News on my front is all is well at home. By the way for those who do not know I will be leaving my current employer at the end of this month. I have been offered a spot at the chino men’s prison as a correctional officer. Their academy is up by Sacramento and will be starting next month. Their correctional academy runs thru the end in April so looks like I will be gone till at least the beginning of May. (Just in time for Liz and my anniversary.) I hope all is well with everyone and wish me luck. I am going to try and keep in touch thru here but if not I am sure Liz will keep you guys updated on my status. I will miss you all.

Smelling the Roses

And even better than that, beating UCLA! Yes, USC did it. It wasn't a beautiful win, I had an upset stomach the entire first half, but it was a win in the end. They not only beat UCLA they are officially playing in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Hum, is that three years in a row? Victory is always sweeter when it's the Bruins. But it's also bittersweet because that means no more college football until 2008. At least there is Christmas to look forward to...only 22 more days!

Yay...Another Week is Over

And that means that Christmas is only that much closer. That notion may cause anxiety for some, but not for me. I love Christmas! It truly is my favorite time of year. Everywhere you go it's just so festive. And to add to that, we even have our home fully decorated for Christmas. We're sitting in a pretty good position this year. We 95% done with our Christmas shopping, just a few last gifts are left to pick up. I may even start gift wrapping this weekend. The Christmas tree looks so much prettier with bundles of wrapped gifts beneath it.

The fact that December arrives in two days also signifies another important time of year...the USC-UCLA game. Yup, it's this Saturday! I'm anxiously excited about the game and can't wait for Saturday to already be here. Although I'm extremely confident that USC is going to kick some major booty (haha..get it?), a part of me always gets a little nervous. USC has to win...I can't bear another year of my UCLA family taunting me!

Monday Madness

Well, once again Monday morning is here and let me be the first to say I was not looking forward to going back to work. I don’t think Liz was either although she is home sick today so I guess I will give here a free pass for today. I hope everyone had a great holiday. This time of year Liz and I look back at what we have gained. We have of course our health but more then that we are thankful to have had all of you around use this year brightening our days.

Lets see this week is jam packed here at work. Also we are looking forward to my mom’s birthday next week. Not sure what we will be doing for it but I will let you all know how it goes.

A Thanksgiving to be Thankful For

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We typically have lunch at my Nina's house, but this year my mom and I decided to host Thanksgiving. We started our cooking adventure the night before in order to have everything ready for a 3 o'clock feast. Nina also made her famous stuffing and yummy pies. And thanks to the leftovers, I've had Thanksgiving dinner again twice so far. And what made this year even better? After dinner we watched USC trounce ASU...I'm smelling roses!

Travel dose of fun

Something to think about next time you travel:

A customer was really hassling an airline agent at the ticket counter -- yelling and using foul language. However, the agent was polite, pleasant and smiled while the customer continued to abuse her. When the man finally left, the next person in line said to the agent, "Does that happen often? I can't believe how nice you were to him."
The agent smiled and said, "No problem, I took care of it. He's going to Detroit. His bags are going to Bangkok."

It's almost Thanksgiving...

So to celebrate, we had a breakfast potluck at work today. Everything was yummy! I made Amber's Pumpkin Surprise (you can find that recipe by clicking on the "recipes" label to the left) and Kamy made this amazing quiche. Part of what makes it so amazing is that it's so easy to put together. I listed the recipe below...enjoy!

Kamy's Quiche
For crust:
1 Pillsbury pie crust (fresh, not frozen)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

For filling:
1 (8-oz) package cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
6 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
¼ lb fresh asparagus spears (about 16)
1 ½ cups lowfat or nonfat milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into ungreased 10-inch quiche pan or 9-inch glass pie pan; unfold, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim crust to ½ inch from edge of pan. Crimp or flute edge of crust. Sprinkle and lightly press chives into the crust.

Make filling: Sprinkle cheese and bacon over bottom of crust. Place asparagus spears in spoke pattern on top of bacon. Combine all remaining filling ingredients and pour over asparagus. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and set in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Pictures from Alexis' 1st Birthday Party

Our niece Alexis celebrated her 1st birthday last weekend. The party was at our neighborhood park and it was a beautiful, sunny November afternoon. We had fun and can't wait for party #2!

What a weekend

Busy, busy, busy...but lots of fun too! The weekend (for me) started on Friday with a girls' shopping day at South Coast Plaza. My mom, Nina and I had way too much fun there. In fact, I had to leave them there because I had to come home to get ready for a party that night. Isn't that funny? But no worries, they were able to get a ride home. That night was Robert's surprise 30th birthday party at Duke's in HB. I had to be there on time because I was coordinating the evening for Carrie, since she had to distract Robert for the surprise. Everything went well, Robert was surprised, the food was yummy and we all had a blast. The rest of the weekend was just as busy. Breakfast at Nina's, shopping for Thanksgiving and a Nordstrom perfume event on Saturday and Alexis' 1st birthday party on Sunday. We took pictures at the birthday party so I'll get those posted in the next few days. Needless to say, by 4 pm on Sunday Carson and I were fast asleep on the couch.

Week Wrap Up

Boy it was a long week! Here I promised to touch base everyday, and it's been three days since my last post. Thankfully this is the week I get Friday off. Although there will be no rest this weekend...parties galore! But that's a good way to spend a weekend.

This is the week in November that we celebrate four birthdays. Kelly's sister's (Lisa) birthday was yesterday, today is her husband's (Tim) birthday, as well as our niece's (Alexis) first birthday. And by the way, Alexis is Tim and Lisa's daughter. So that little family celebrates three birthdays is two days! So we met for dinner last night to celebrate and on Sunday is Alexis' birthday party. I'll be sure to take pictures and post those. We have one more birthday to celebrate and that's our friend Robert's. His 30th birthday is tomorrow.

Did anyone watch football tonight? Oregon lost to UofA...yay. That's great for USC. If they can win their last two games, it looks like the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. But I'll have to wait until next week, Thanksgiving to be exact, to see them beat ASU...fight on!

Shopping and Porto's

It was a good weekend. Always good when USC manages to pull off a win. We have 7 birthdays in November, so we were busy shopping for all of them. We also took a "trip" to Glendale. I ordered a cake from Porto's and it was also an excuse to go eat their yummy Cuban cuisine. It was Kelly's first time going there, although he has eaten the food before when my mom has brought it to us. He LOVES their Potato Balls, although he eats them like they're pills. So he ate a few there and brought home a dozen. He kept saying how they should open a bakery/cafe in Orange County, but by the time we left, he wasn't so sure about that. It's probably better to have some distance between us and all their yummy temptations.

I also worked on our photos from this year's New York trip. I'm almost there and hopefully will have them up on the site this weekend. I hope!

Las Vegas 2003 for New Years

Just thought we would add some photos from our 2003 trip to Las Vegas for New Years. As you can see, it was a bit cool. Hope you enjoy then because there's more to come.

Blog Day 3

Welcome to day 3 of our blog. Well at last the weekend has arrived. No big plans right now except for the USC football game. Liz is planning on another crock-pot dinner. Yummy!!!! I predict a win. We will see though. Everyone have a great weekend.

Grandma's 90th Birthday

My grandma turned 90 this year...wow...but don't tell her I told you! Rather than being proud of her age, she still tries to hide it. She even gets upset when we tell the doctors her age. Pretty funny, huh? I guess no matter what age you are, being a woman, you never want to admit it...no matter how great you look. So we decided to surprise her with a birthday party. I collected some photos that were made into a video, thanks to my great friends Carrie and Robert. We played the video at the party and everyone loved it. I made sure to get photos of everyone in the family spanning over the years. I couldn't post the video, so I decided to post some of the photos that were used. Enjoy...

My Daily Dose of Fun

It was the day of the big sale. Rumors of the sale (and some advertising in the local paper) were the main reason for the long line that formed by 8:30, the store's opening time, in front of the store.
A small man pushed his way to the front of the line, only to be pushed back, amid loud and colorful curses. On the man's second attempt, he was punched square in the jaw, and knocked around a bit, and then thrown to the end of the line again. As he got up the second time, he said to the person at the end of the line... "That does it! If they hit me one more time, I won't open the store!"

Yummy Pumpkin Treat

I ate the yummiest pumpkin treat yesterday. It was perfect to get me in the mood for thanksgiving, which by the way is two weeks from today. my friend/co-worker Amber, came running into my office with this treat she made. It was amazing! A perfect spin on the typical pumpkin pie...which I also love and wait for every year. Amber was gracious enough to share her recipe with me and with you. I plan on making it for this year's feast.

Amber's Pumpkin Surprise
Ingredients:
2 large cans raw pumpkin mix
10 oz. can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 box white cake mix
1 stick butter

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325-350 degrees
2. Combine raw pumpkin mix, evaporated milk, eggs and beat until well mixed
3. Add pumpkin batter to greased 9x13 cake pan
4. Melt butter and add white cake mix to crumble
5. Spead crumble topping over pumpkin batter
6. Sprinkle cinammon and suger over top of crumble
7. Bake uncoverd for 1 hour (make sure the crumble browns)

It's Only Been 1 Day

We've already had wonderful comments about our new blog...thanks! Really, it is so easy to set up and manage that everyone should create one. In fact I already know of someone (Kamy) who decided to set one up for herself. Maybe she'll send me the link so I can list it here to share with you. Because this really is a whole lot of fun...so far!

Carson

Surprise, surprise...photos of Carson! Everyone who knows us, knows how much we love our doggie. In case you have never met him, he's a 2 year old Westie. He just turned 2 on October 29. We knew fate brought us to him the very first time we saw him. We were married on May 29, 2005 so we have the 29th in common. Carson was born on our 5 month anniversary. And even more special, my grandpa passed away on October 29, so it's like he sent Carson to us. At least that's how I like to think of it.

We know we're a bit crazed about Carson, but know cares!? He's our 1st dog, together as a couple, so he's that much more special. It's okay to be nuts about him because we know we are. He's our little companion who is always ready to greet us when we walk through the door. Tail wagging and toy in his mouth...it's the same everyday, but we're always excitied to see him, I think as much as he is excited to see us. He is the perfect greeter. Everyone who walks through our door gets the same exhuberant greeting. Only he won't bring a toy to you, he only saves that for us.

We Decided to Start a Blog!

Or Kelly would say I decided to start a blog. I know, I got suckered in. But it seems like everyone these days are starting their own blogs. Why not us? We're both computer and internet savy and spend too much time on both. We can write about what we're doing on holidays, special occasions or even just a plain, old weekend. You know when you want to share something but no one seems to be around? Well now we can turn to our blog! So now you can look up our blog and know what we've been up to.

We also want to post our pictures. As of right now we have no idea how to do it, but we'll figure it out. And once we do, we'll get them up so we can share them with you.