Christmas Eve

Our family tradition is to spend Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family at Oma and Opa's house. It is getting too hard for Oma to make our traditional meal of Roladen, dumplings and gravy so we had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy instead. Opa made the turkey on the spit roast and it tasted exactly the way it used to when he would make it for Thanksgiving up in Seqouia. Aunt Heidi made stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. Aunt Lynette made a spinach salad and pies. I brought my stuffing and my mom made these delicious onion and feta appetizers. After dinner we opened presents. It was a very nice night.

Sugar Cookies

I thought it would be fun to bake sugar cookies with Justin and Nic. It was really fun, but we need to work on what thickness to roll the dough out to. Our first batch completely lost their shape and became one giant cookie (they tasted the best though). The shapes of the second batch were still fairly unrecognizable, but it was an improvement. The third batch looked the best, but they were too crispy to eat. We had a really good time making the cookies and hopefully we will continue to get better at making them every year. ;)

We didn't have time to decorate the cookies before we left for Christmas Eve so I had to decorate them that night. Hopefully next year we have a bit more time to decorate the cookies all together.

Christmas Eve Eve

Since Sabrina missed Thanksgiving I thought it would be fun to have a Thanksgiving dinner with the family to celebrate Christmas Eve Eve. I cooked every night during the week to prepare for our feast. On Thursday I raced home after work to get the turkey in the oven. While the turkey was cooking, I set the table and got all the side dishes ready. I made salmon pate, scalloped corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, crescent rolls, and gravy. It doesn't seem like we have been able to hang out all together much this year so it was nice to have some family time.

We had a surprise visit from Carlie, who is home for the holidays, which was a nice surprise. I don't get to see her that much so it was good to catch up. While Carlie was here we enjoyed my homemade pumpkin pie and apple crumble for dessert. Both were delicious! We were going to head out as a family to view the holiday lights, but everyone was too tired so we watched Home Alone 2 instead. I really enjoyed cooking Thanksgiving dinner and it was a really fun night with the family. I think we might have to make this Christmas Eve Eve family night a tradition! :)

Holiday Lunch at Work

On Thursday we had our annual holiday lunch at work. We had delicious Rattlers food and did our gift raffle. All employee names are in a hat and when your name is called you get to pick your present from tons of different gifts. This year I was surprised to be called fairly early on. A lot of the gifts are kitchen appliances, which as you might have guessed, I already have a bunch of, so I decided to go with a shredder instead. I literally have a stack of expired credit cards that I am really looking forward to shredding and can't wait to use this to get rid of junk mail instead of tearing it into tiny pieces and throwing it away in seperate trash bags. (I know I'm overly paranoid). So anyways, hopefully this years gift will come in handy, since last years buffet serving thing is still sitting in a cupboard somewhere, untouched. The funny thing about the shredder is that Stephanie, the other girl who writes documents, picked the shredder too. Of course everyone was joking about how the Document Team girls both picked shredders and how they had never seen people get so excited over shredders before. We thought it was pretty funny ourselves.

Pumpkin Pie

Sabrina got me the most amazing holiday pie cutters for a belated birthday present and I am in LOVE with them. They were so easy to use and made my pumkin pie so festive and fancy.

Beena's Home

Sabrina got home from Pittsburgh on Friday, December 17th! So to celebrate her return we have been eating non-stop! We were supposed to go to Magic Mountain on Sunday, but we couldn't because of the pouring rain. So to make it up to Beena I made her two nights worth of her favorite meals. On Sunday night we had Chicken with Green. It is chicken covered in goat cheese, leeks, and green onions with a side of roasted red potatoes. On Monday night I made Chicken Altogether, which is pretty much just like it sounds: it has wild rice, celery, mushrooms, and chicken with a creamy sauce and cheesy bread crumb topping.

On Tuesday night, Sabrina and I went to see the movie Burlesque. It was a great movie and it was really fun to spend time with my sister. :) It is really nice having her home.

Puppysitting

On December 18th we watched Chloe for Rachelle and Brandon. She is the cutest thing ever and we had a blast with her. Unfortunatly, it was pouring rain so we couldn't let her run around in the backyard, but she still had a great time bounding up and down the stairs and running circles around our tree. We tried to get pictures of her with a build~a~bear santa hat, but she thought it was a chew toy...of course that didn't stop us from trying for quite a while to trick her into wearing it. My favorite part of the day was when it was just me and her at the house and she curled up under my feet for a nap. She looked so precious sleeping.

Later that night Tim brought Brooke and Gracie over to play with Chloe and we really got the full "this is what it would be like to have a family" experience. It honestly took me four hours to watch one episode of America's Next Top Model, haha, but it was so fun!! I'm really looking forward to someday filling this house with our own kids and puppy! :)

Tim Tams

Nic's parents finally sent us white chocolate TimTams! Yummy! We have been wanting to try them forever. We decided to have them with some peppermint hot chocolate. The trick with Tim Tams is you nibble off a sliver of each side then use it as a straw in your drink....it was so amazingly delicious with the peppermint hot chocolate.

Celena's Shower

On Sunday, I went to Lindsay's house for Celena's Baby shower. She is due on Christmas eve and doesn't know what she is having, but she is naming the baby Tyler either way. I had so much fun spending the day with some good friends and I can't wait to meet baby Tyler!

Annual Ornament

Growing up my parents used to get each of us kids an ornament every year with our name and the year on it. I decided that is was a tradition I wanted to continue on with Nic. So every Christmas since 2006 we have picked out a special ornament.

In 2006 we got cute lovey dovey penguins.

In 2007 we got one of a bear proposing to remember our Engagement on March 10.

In 2008 we got one to commemorate our wedding day.

In 2008 we also got the bonus love reindeer as a gift from the Gatlings.

In 2009 we got one to celebrate our first Christmas in our house.

This year we got 2 new ones: We got another one with our wedding date on it because it reminded me so much of our wedding and was too cute not to get and we got one for 2010:

The Rockettes

On December 4th, 5th and 6th we finished decorating for Christmas. I had already put up decorations around the house during the week, but we still needed to put up our tree and the lights outside. We had peppermint hot chocolate and I made red velvet chocolate chip cupcakes with peppermint frosting to enjoy while we decorated. It is always so fun looking at old ornaments as we put each one on the tree. It is really starting to look and feel like Christmas. :)

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas

On December 4th, 5th and 6th we finished decorating for Christmas. I had already put up decorations around the house during the week, but we still needed to put up our tree and the lights outside. We had peppermint hot chocolate and I made red velvet chocolate chip cupcakes with peppermint frosting to enjoy while we decorated. It is always so fun looking at old ornaments as we put each one on the tree. It is really starting to look and feel like Christmas. :)

Oliver's First Christmas

Is he not the cutest thing you have ever seen?! I seriously died when I saw this picture! I have the most adorable nephew in the entire world!!

Dad's 50th Birthday

On Thursday night Nic and I had my dad over for dinenr to celebrate his 50th birhtday since we can't go up to Mammoth this weekend. I made him Chicken Altogether, which is one of his favorite meals. He fixed our fire place while he was here, which was extremely nice of him. Perfect timing too, just in time for us to enjoy it all winter. I can't wait to relax in the tub with a glass of wine and stare at it. :)

The Wall

After our red eye flight and an eight hour day at work we went to see Roger Waters from Pink Floyd perform the Wall at Staples Center. It was a really impressive concert, well actually it was more like an Opera, but either way it was an impressive show. There was tons of lighting, fireworks, a flying plane, and of course I giant Wall that kept growing throughout the show only to be knocked down at the end after the entire building shouted "Tear Down the Wall! Tear Down the Wall!" It really was an entire experience and a very fun night!

November Challenge Part 4

Here are my last 5 things I'm thankful for:
-having jobs: I'm so thankful that Nic and I have jobs. I know it has been a tough time for people and we feel very blessed to both have full time jobs.
-Grandparents: I'm so thankful that all of my grandparents are still around. I feel very blessed that they all have been able to share in so much of my life. I am also thankful for Nic's grandparents who are such wonderful, caring people who we miss so much.
-my Blog: I am so thankful that I am able to use this blog to keep in touch with all of our Australian family members. It really has made being apart a lot easier.
-Holidays: I am so thankful that for all the holidays I get to spend with my family. I love holidays and traditions and feel so blessed that I get to celebrate them with family.
-God: Most importantly, I am thankful that God has blessed me with all the previous things I have listed as being thankful for. I have a wonderful life and I am truly grateful for all the blessings God has given me.

Maui

On Friday we went snorkeling at old airport beach where we saw turtles, an octopus, tons of beautiful coral and tropical fish. In the afternoon we went to D.T. Flemings to boogie board. I was having a bit of trouble catching the waves and got "washing machined" (Nic thinks Tyler and my dad made that term up, but that is exactly what it felt like). Nic helped me catch a few waves and when you actually catch them it was really fun. After a few rides, I decided I was better suited to taking pictures of the boys from the beach. It was really fun watching them. That night we went to Roys for dinner and it was amazing as usual.

On Saturday we took Grandma and Wil to Black Rock to help them snorkel. Neither of them had ever done it before and they both loved it. They got to see a turtle, a morey eel, and tons of fish. Grandma couldn't stop talking about how beautiful it was for the rest of the trip! That afternoon we went down to the Grand Wailea to enjoy the pool and impressive water slides. We didn't have tons of time, but it was really fun. For dinner we went to Spago and Wolfgang Puck was there. He chatted with my parents for a while and apparently talked to the boys about his skiing career. He is such a funny and nice guy and it always impresses me that you can eat at his restaurants and he is actually there! I've only been to Spage Beverly Hills once and twice in Maui and he is been there 2/3 times! Anyways, dinner was fantastic and taking pictures with Wolfgang was a special treat (especially for Grandma who is a huge foodie!).

On Sunday, Nic and I snuck in one last snorkel at our favorite spot. The coral itself is just so vibrant and gorgeous and there are always tons of turtles! We also saw giant puffer fish, a huge moray eel and this funniest little fish made eye contact with me for about 30 seconds. It was such a fun morning. In the afternoon Nic, Justin, my dad, and I swam from the house to the beach next door. We didn't have any snorkel stuff and kept almost running into turtles. It was a really nice swim. Unfortunatly after that we had to pack up and head off. We did manage to squeeze in one last amazing dinner at Mama's Fish House before heading to the airport for our red eye flight home. It was a short trip, but no trip to paradise is too short. We had such a fantastic time!

Thanksgiving

Nic and I watched parts of the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade while setting the table and making Apple Crumble. In the afternoon we took Grandma and Wil next door to sit on the beach while we swam. That afternoon, a bunch of my parents friends came over to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with us. We started off by eating tons of delicious appetizers while my parents finished up the turkey. We had salmon pate, spinach dip, ahi poke, mini maui onion and pear pizzas, hummus and wine. For dinner we had mom's amazing turkey, Stephanie's delicious caesar salad, mom's stuffing, our family corn casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas and a green bean casserole. After dinner we all went out and watched the beautiful sunset before playing Wheel of Fortune on the wii, viewing Tyler's amazing photos, and eating all the delicious desserts: pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, and my favorite: Susan's apple crumble. It was a really fun Thanksgiving except for the fact that Sabrina wasn't there with us.

6 Year Anniversary

We were lucky enough to celebrate 6 years together in Maui! We went on this wonderful hike on the other side of the island. We crossed a few bridges, crossed a few streams, and ended the hike by jumping of rocks into a freezing cold pool of water. It was a great way to kick off our vacation. For dinner we went to Sansei, one of the best sushi restaurants I've ever been to. It was a great way to celebrate 6 years with the most amazing partner I could ever ask for! I am so blessed to have married such a wonderful man and can't believe we have already been together for 6 years. The time has just flown by and I'm still amazed at how I can continue to love him more and more each day.

November Challenge Part 3

I know I'm a bit late, but here are 5 more things I am thankful for:
-Traveling: I am obsessed with traveling and am so thankful that I have been blessed with so many oppportunities to explore this amazing world!
-Nic's sister: I am so lucky to have married into a wonderful family. Lauren and I have continued to get closer over the years and I really enjoy our frequent skype dates.
-Nic's brother: I don't get to catch up with Stu much these days, but when I do he always makes me laugh. I can't wait to hang out this August and play Scattegories and Phase 10!
-Oliver and being a First Time Aunt: I cannot express enough how grateful I am to be an Auntie. I can't get over how much I love Oliver. I think he is the cutest, most amazing little boy I have ever seen! I can't wait to meet him!!
-Skype: I think I might be most grateful for this one! I don't know what I would do without skype. It is so hard being away from Nic's family and skype is the next best thing to being in Australia with them.

Delta Delta Delta

Look what I found on the UCI Tri Delta Website:

I didn't quite make it to the Famous Deltas section, but it still kind of made my day. :)

Vegas

On Friday November 19th, I went to a free crop at Remember When before driving down to Huntington Beach to stay the night with Miri. I didn't get there until about 11pm and then we of course talked for hours because we never get to see each other. The next morning we got up bright and early to begin our Vegas Adventure to celebrate Kim's birthday!!

Kim, Miri, Stacey, me and our chaffeur Sean (Kim's very sweet boyfriend who braved the five hour drive with a car full of chatty girls ;)) rode up to Vegas together. We stopped in Baker to take a picture with the world's tallest thermometer at Miri's insistence:

We checked into our amazing room at the Hard Rock and then headed off to explore the strip. We walked through the Venetian and grabbed a quick lunch before window shopping in Caesars.

Next we used some coupons to grab drinks at the Bellagio. We had the best bartender who seemed like she was either going to quit her job that night or attempt to get fired and eventhough she seemed to hate the world, she really liked us and gave us free shots. After a few drinks we giddily made our way through the Bellagio and had a little photo shoot with the Fall display. Unfortunatly those pictures were taken on someone else's camera so I can't share them with you, but if I remember correctly they were really funny!

After the photo shoot, we went outside to watch the fountain show and were surprised by the beautiful night sky with a full moon and the Eiffel Tower reflecting on the water.

After the fountain show we went back to the room to get ready for dinner at Pink Taco. I, of course, had to order the "pink tacos," which have tons of pink pickled onions piled on them. I also had the most delicious Mango Margarita (and a shot of tequila to kick off the night).

After dinner we went to Tryst. We ended up meeting this really nice guy from NY (and his strange sidekick friend) who invited us to there table. Seconds after we got to the table a crazy, scary fight broke out next to us that caused all the drinks on our table to break all over the floor and couch! It was scary for a few minutes, but everyhting ended up being ok and they moved us to a better table right near the dance floor. Then they came and moved us again to an even bigger table and kept bringing us more bottles. After a few hours of fun at Tryst we went over to XS. I must say it was pretty impressive! We all had such a fantastic time!

After XS, Miri and I went with NY Guy to Drais to drink champagne. We eventually decided to call it a night and got a cab back to the hotel. On our way back to the room decided to stop and play some pokies and Kim's favorite fish slots seemed like the perfect choice!

You know it has been a good night when you get back to your room just as the sun comes up!! For only having one night in Vegas we sure lived it up (and I think Sean enjoyed the peace and quiet on the drive home)!! Happy Birthday Kim!!! Thanks for inviting me to be part of a great weekend!!