Hope for a NEW year of love and happiness...

~~As we make our resolutions for the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible—with Your help and guidance."--Anonymous


The New Year is approaching and I could not be any more excited. I am expecting that 2009 will be a year of GREAT things. I will see my Mom in January, hopefully see my brother and his family in February, I have my bachelorette weekend in California in March, then we are getting MARRIED in April(honeymoon to follow)! And this is only the first FoUR months....

After all that we are planning, at least for now, to go to Germany for our BIG trip in October, 2009. We are trying to go on one nice, fun trip once a year until the future children arrive. Jerry and I love to travel with our friends and feel that it is important to "get it out of the way" before our family grows. So far we have been to Ireland, Hawaii, and on an 8 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Jerry really wants to visit Spain sometime soon too!

I have a feeling that 2009 will go by just as fast if not faster than 2008. There is so much to look forward to this coming year and I hope that health and happiness continue to bless us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all :)

Tis' the Season...

Our gifts to ourselves, IPhones!







Another Christmas has come and gone. And pretty soon another year! I hope 2009 starts off and ends better than 2008. It has been quite the year and I must say, not a lot of it was great. Although, I did get a new Nephew and an engagement ring ;)

These last few days have been spent eating, more eating, SOME more eATinG and being merry with loved ones. I had some of the best homemade Mexican food I have ever had; one of the perks of marrying into a hispanic family! We laughed, played, joked and relaxed. Nothing better than that...

I hope all had a blessed and joyous Christmas! Love to all.

Christmas week!

It's finally Christmas week and today I decided that I would attempt to make some homemade cookies. I think that I may have chosen the wrong recipe for someone who hates to bake from scratch. I chose to make Ginger and Gingerbread cookies. I bought all the ingredients, came home and started baking....
I was doing just fine until I added the MoLASseS to the mix...that stuff smells HORRIFIC. I tried to keep going and finish the batter but I almost lost my cookies; no pun intended. I couldn't bare the smell anymore and threw the dough away. Yes that's right I wasted the dough, which I am sure was fine, put it in the trash and literally took it to the BIG trash can. Needless to say I will not be making any sort of ginger cookies again in my life.




So, after all that mess, I decided to make the pre-cut cookies. And if I do say so myself, they are delish :) Thank you Nestle Toll House!


Baking ingredients in the background, hahaha!








Oh, and I am giving some cookies away this coming week!!

Photo love

Here are some more of our engagement photos that I actually edited. The photographer did not edit these which is good because I love playing with my editing software! It is kind of a new hobby of mine :) Enjoy...

Crazy week comes to an end!

This past week has been nothing short of exhausting and exciting, all at the same time...

~Last Saturday (the 6th) started off great with me heading to a girlfriends baby shower at around 12:30pm. While on my way there I received a phone call from my boss. Not a phone call that I normally would get on the weekend. She was calling with some unfortunate news. Our co-worker who had been fighting Leukemia for over 8 months had lost her battle and passed away. I was heart broken and shocked all in the same moment. I instantly broke into tears and couldn't stop thinking about what her family must be going through, especially during this Holiday season. Christmas was my co-workers favorite time of year making her passing much harder on those left behind. In all, she will be missed dearly and is remembered for being a cheerful and genuine person.

~On Sunday we had a happy occasion, our engagement photo session! We had such a great time with our photographer and are very pleased with the results. There were so many great photos and we couldn't be happier :)

~Tuesday was my first flower appointment. Melinda came with me which was very helpful. I received a quote from the florist but am still going to get one more. Flowers are not cheap!

~Jerry has been working very hard these past few weeks due to rates being really low and he has been working 12-13 hour days. It finally caught up with him on Thursday and he ended up leaving work early. Although it was nice having him home early, he sure was exhausted and needing to rest. He is such a hard worker and I am so proud of his dedication.

~Yesterday was a fun day as well. We met with our Pastor again to give her our ceremony information. So that was fun. Then after that we had a nice lunch in Scottsdale after visiting Ikea. The fun house for home stuff. We had fun there too. Once we finished lunch, we headed to FireSky for cake tasting. We picked our cake out for the wedding which took another load off of what I still have to do. Luckily, the cake lady was awesome and made it so easy...there may be a few surprises with regards to the cake too ;) In the evening we were heading to my work Christmas party but before we could leave we were surprised by a neighbor stopping by....long story short, we have a leak in our landscape drip system which has flooded my neighbors yard and has made our front yard a sink hole waiting to happen! Yes, I know, this sounds like fun ;) We got the water turned off which has been running for about a month. ooops! I expect that our front yard will be torn to pieces in the coming week to find the issue. That should be good fun!

~And finally, today, which has been relaxing and fun. I finally made it to the gym and Jerry was able to do NOTHING! We visited his family for a bit, grabbed a bite to eat and are now home spending time together! Oh yeah and our Christmas cards will finally be going out this week. I managed to get those done today too!

Here is a sneak peak at our engagement photos!

Holiday Wishes to All!

I figured I should update on the wedding plans! We are under 5 months away from the wedding and still have a lot to do. These next few months are going to be packed with Holidays, birthday's, trips, parties and celebrations. I just hope that they don't fly by too fast that I can't keep my head on straight! Most of the big items have been taken care of but next up is ordering the invitations, booking the music for the ceremony, coordinating flowers, and getting all the little details in order. I have ordered the bridesmaid dresses and just recevied the color swatch so I can match up the linens and flowers! Now that those are ordered it takes a little stress off me. I have given Jerry 2 tasks; booking the honeymoon and organizing the the rehearsal dinner, we'll see who actually ends up doing these things, though ;) To be quite honest I have wanted to get more help from my dearest friends but in the end I am WAY to picky and HAVE to be involved in everything wedding related. I think it is part of OCD that Jerry just realized I had this morning. It isn't bad OCD but it is for sure there. Here's an example...My Matron of honor has been working on my shower invites, which she is making for me from scratch, and of course the OCD has kicked in on that and I need to be apart of the decision on colors :) Why should it matter? I'm not throwing myself the shower... Well, I guess because I want the colors to match my reception colors. Oh well, if this is the bridezilla type action so far, then we should be thankful!

We have our engagement photo session with our photgrapher on Sunday and I'm thrilled. We still haven't picked out what we are wearing yet, but I hope to get this done on Saturday. I plan on using these photos for our Christmas cards which obviously will go out late. But oh how they will be cute!

I hope everyone is having a blessed Holiday season this year! HO, HO, HO!

Elf, my favorite Holiday movie!

Thanksgiving and More!

I love my Dad and Stepmom :)
My handsome Fiance.

I figured I should update on how our Thanksgiving was. In all it was a VERY relaxing day. I enjoy the days that are spent with Jerry and where we don't HAVE to do anything. We spent the morning lounging around then made an appearance at both his cousins and my Dad's house! We had a great time with his family and were excited to see his Aunt who we hadn't seen in months. She finally made the official move down here form California. After a mid afternoon snack there, we headed to my Dad's for more yummy food. My wonderful sisters were in town and it was nice to see them. The next time we will see them will be our wedding in April! After we ate we hung around chatting away and then got to see my brother and his family on webcam! This seems to be the only way we can see them these days as they are so far away :( My niece Hayley absolutely loved seeing my nephew Carter on the computer. They were giggling and being silly and it was magical to watch! I miss my brother and his family more than anything and can't wait to see them soon. My mom is away too which is hard during the Holidays. But hopefully someday soon, we will all be close again.In all Thanksgiving was spectacular! Can't wait til next year :)
Carter and Hayley talking!

Incredibly blessed.....

Jerry and I sure have been blessed with wonderful families and are thankful for them in every way :) We really could not ask for better people than who are already in our lives. Jerry has this amazing and strong family who he is very close with and I, have a family that could not be any more supportive and inspirational to me. My Mom is a wonderful lady who is probably the strongest and most determined of any person I have met. She is strong-willed and selfless and would do anything for anyone that was in need. She is truly a hero to me and am blessed she is my Mother! My Dad, well, he is just one plain cool dude! ;) He is a big kid at heart and is someone that I can say anything to. He keeps pushing my brother and I to pursue our dreams and never give up! He is great teacher of the things that he has learned and is truly someone that I love to be around! Oh and he is a great grand-dad to Charlie :) and someday, one to my kids! He has a big heart which has much room for more love. I sure love him and can't wait for him to walk me down the isle in 5 months! I also have a wonderful step-mother, Melinda, who could not be more loving to my brother and I and I am grateful she is in my life.

And lastly, my handsome brother, Brian. He means the world to me and has been an inspiration to me in many ways. He accomplished his dream of being a pilot, which wasn't easy, as well as served our country in the Air Force, and I admire him for that. He is a great father, too, and I love to see him grow in this role each time that I see him. As a kid you never really envision you or your sibling as being a parent, but time goes by and it happens. I am so blessed that we are as close as we are and I thank my parents for that! They have always pushed us to stay in touch and taught us how important it is to be close.

In all, I am incredibly blessed.

Thoughts from today.

So, I left work early yesterday to go do my civic duty and make my voice heard. Well, at least I tried. I know that our country wants change and change is what we deserve, but I am not sure that the right choice was made yesterday... There are SO many people that look to our Presidential leaders for answers on day to day issues. Is this the right person to be questioning? Our fate as a country is not in the hands of any politician but in the hands of our true leader, God. I think some of the world has lost touch with this and it scares me to see think that our children are growing up in this world. I just hope that our new leader takes the right steps to make this country a better place, because that is all that I can ask for. And the rest is God's will.

God bless America!

Halloween weekend!

Dad's pumpkin on the right!
Ok, so, I wish Halloween was like it used to be. Halloween is definately not my favorite Holiday and here's why...1) it is an excuse for people (mostly adults) to act dumb and dress trashy (not my idea of fun) and 2) it isn't the same these days for our kids who do go trick or treating and expect to see most houses willing to pass out candy and make an abundance of comments on their costumes. That is what it is about, right? Dressing up in fun, creative costumes so that you can go out and compare your costume to someone elses and get a little sugar in between. People have become cold and uninterested in interecting with their neighbors. Society has really "screwed up" in a sense, our kids aren't safe roaming the neighborhoods by themselves, or for that matter with their parents. Here is an example; on Friday we were at my Dad's ( yes I had a blast with my family) hanging outside watching all the kids when we see police lights at the end of the street. Just a normal traffic stop, I think not. The guy ended up being arrested while all these families are trick-or-treating. So Sad! When I was little, we would be out gathering candy for hours and hours with no worries at all. Oh how I miss those days and wish that when we take our kids out there that they won't have empty streets. Maybe when we do have kids I will feel different about the whole idea of dressing up and roaming the city but until then, I'll pass.

We did carve a pumpkin this year as we do every year! Those are always fun to do :)

We made it home!!

Twin Falls
7 pools, Hana
Jerry, me, Clarissa, Mark
Sunset

Me at the beach
Jerry and I at the Lu'au



We are finally home in Phoenix but I have to say the trip home was quite an experience. The flight from Kahului, HI started off well but about half way through it there was a medical emergency with one of the other passengers. At first we thought we would have to turn around but fortunately the gentlemen came to and seemed OK to make it LA. Once we landed in LA, the paramedics had to come aboard to assist him before we could get off. Not only were we exhausted from not sleeping but also sick of being cramped in a plane for 5 hours! After we transferred terminals, which took forever, we were able to board our flight to Phoenix. This one was delayed a bit but luckily I fell asleep for a little while. We finally arrived here at about 9:30am, almost 12 hours of traveling and almost no sleep for 24 hours. We were incredibly happy to be safely home.

Once we arrived to our house, Jerry and I crashed for a few hours before going to pick up Charlie from my Dad's. It was good to see him after 10 days of being without him :( He seemed happy to see Jerry and I. Unfortunately, after we took Charlie home I had to go to the urgent care to assess my ankle situation. I had a cut on my heel from some shoes that I wore and somehow it got infected and made my ankle swell. I am guessing that swimming in the ocean is what caused the infection...1 shot in my rear and a bottle of antibiotics, I hope to be on the way to recovery even though it is still painful.

So in all, we are glad to be home and getting things back to normal. I have to start up with the wedding planning again as we are right about 6 months out! YAY!

Aloha from Maui...

Well, we have been here in Maui now for over a week and it is coming to an end. What a remarkable time we have had with our good friends. We started our time off with some relaxation and browsing around Lahaina, which is just south of where we are staying. Luckily enough we were able to stay with our friends in their family's' condo here on Maui. It is right in between the Ritz and Lahaina, a perfect location.

The Tuesday after we arrived we shopped on Front St. and ate at Cheeseburgers in Paradise....we were told that it would be AMAZING...and much to our surprise it was just OK. At least we checked out this famous place!

The next day we went on the famous drive to Hana via the Hana highway and an escalade that we rented. I must say that the scenery is unbelievable but the drive was way too long. We saw the many waterfalls and hiked into some of the landscape to explore and find more waterfalls. Once we reached Hana, we saw the 7 pools which took my breath away. Unfortunately the pools were too full to swim in but what we did get was some great photos of the pools and the ocean. It is neat to see the fresh water meet the salt water!

On Friday the 17th we hung at the beach with all the people here for the wedding and during the evening we took in the Old Lahaina Lu'au. What a time that was. Free Mai Tai's and drinks for all! Oh and there was food too ;). We got some great photos of all of us and saw some traditional Hawaii dancing and singing. What a great time we had!

Melissa and Ryan said I Do on the 18th with a beautiful ceremony on the beach in Kapalua followed by the most wonderful and intimate dinner at the Ritz Carlton. It was quite the wedding and we couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share this time with, which included my brother and sister-in-law!! Jerry and I were honored to be included in the wedding party too.

The day following the wedding was spent relaxing at the beach with the newly weds followed by dinner in Lahaina on Front Street. We had an interesting experience while in the restaurant, which I will not name, that required us to be moved tables ;) The food was good but the service was horrible!

On Monday the 20th we got our selves out of bed at 4:45am to start our trek to Kihei, which is an hour south of Lahaina. (Of course we had to stop at Starbucks first!) This is where we chartered a private boat for 14 of us which took us out to the Island of Molokini. Some of us snorkeled while the others scuba dived, some for the first time. We saw some neat fish snorkeling while the divers saw sharks, eels and octopus!! No turtles though... :(

Tuesday the 21st was spent in Lahaina shopping again and taking in the hot sun. Just winding down from our great trip and getting ready to leave today at 9pm for a red eye flight back to LA! We should arrive home in Phoenix early tomorrow morning!

Aloha for now from Maui!! I'm off to snorkel one more time and try to see one of the amazing sea turtles before we leave :-D

3 days and counting!

We are just a few days away from our vacation to Hawaii. This has a been a CrAZy week for me and I am not ready for the trip, but hopefully this weekend will be calm enough for me to get organized.

As for the the wedding, I have finally booked a photographer and a DJ!! I feel as though I can relax a little more now that those are taken care of. At least now I don't have to worry about it on my vacation! We are just under 6 months away from the big day and there is SO much more for me to do but I am excited for what is to come :)

Hawaii is right around the corner!!

So, we met with a photographer yesterday and loved what he had to say! We are really excited and I think Jerry is getting more used to the idea that the wedding is so close. YAY! He seemed really excited after the meeting and it made me smile even more than I already was. Jerry is really getting into the planning and wants to be a part of all the small details which makes me really happy :) Once we book the photographer we get to do an engagement photo session which I am really looking forward to! I love to have pictures taken :)

In other news, we are getting ready to leave for Hawaii on Monday the 13th for our good friends wedding. Jerry is the best man and I am a bridesmaid. We are really looking forward to spending time with good friends and more importantly, my brother and sister-in-law are coming too. Brian is in the wedding as well. I can't wait to see them and spend time with them as we miss them so much. Unfortunatley, we will not be able to see my nephew as he will be kept company by my mom for the week. My Mom is very excited to go see him and spend some quality time with him, and of course, I am jealous she gets the one-on-one time with him!

April 25th, 2009

We are engaged and planning our wedding for April 25th, 2009!! We have been busy over the past 2 months getting some of the larger items out of the way. I have chosen my dress and we have booked the venue for the wedding and the reception! Next we will pick the photographer and the DJ, and then I hope the other details will fall into place :) Oh and the Save-the-date announcements are on their way to our close friends and family.