Let the Festivities Begin!!

Sorry I've been slacking lately.... this should catch everything up!!! First off, a bit more home redecorating completes it all for now! Our bathrooms are beautiful, what more could you ask for??

Nick's parents traveled in for Thanksgiving this year, and I got to prepare my very first Thanksgiving feast (With help from Ro with the stuffing!!). It turned out great, and I even surprised Nick with my cooking skills. Ham, Turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade egg noodles, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, cranberries, and stuffing.... YUM!!  It was a great week with lots of great memories made!! We even organized the clutter in the garage, so much got accomplished!!

Now it's time for the greatest holiday of the year.... Christmas!! I finally got to retire the 1980s tree my mom gave us, and invested in our own, 9' prelit tree!! It's BEAUTIFUL!!! Don't believe me? See for yourself!! Shuggie and Kona wanted to help with the ribbon too :o) I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and I hope your holidays are bright :o)

Our 1st Anniversary- In Beautiful San Diego!

So, we're back!!! San Diego was great-- but quite cold compared to our AZ weather :o) We had such a great time finding our way around to different attractions!! It was quite the coincidence that we drove into San Diego to find a double rainbow-- for those of you at our wedding, you may remember the double rainbow that formed during the reception. Maybe it's our 'symbol' or something :o) We ate lots of great food, had great drinks, froze on some beautifully windy beaches, and got to enjoy 4 whole days together!! Doesn't happen often!!

Our first night we ate at a place called Poseidon which was right on the water in Del Mar! There was an amazing sunset that night-- just beautiful!

Saturday was action packed- we hung out at Seaport Villiage where we had lunch, seen the Navy Ship museum, took a ferry to and from Coronado Island, heard some great music and got to play with rescued exotic birds!! We headed to Gaslamp Quarter that afternoon where we spent time at Wiskey Girl eating dinner and watching college football (yes this was completely for Nick!! LOL)

Sunday we  hit up 3 different beaches in one day-- Mission Beach/Bay, Pacific Beach, and Solano Beach. All beautiful, but Pacific was my favorite!! We finished the night with an amazing sunset-- but I swear with the windchill it was only 40 degrees- then headed into town for dinner. Nick thought this little place called TideWater looked like fun, so we had our anniversary dinner in  a small sportsbar, playing the SanDiego Chargers game, that was so loud we could barely hear each other! Boy was it romantic and magical *LOL*! We ended our night back at the Hilton where we shared our anniversary cake with the hotel staff, and toasted our original champagne flutes to another great year! Over all it was an amazing trip-- if it were perfect, it wouldn't have been 'our' trip :o)

...and they lived happily ever after...

Wow, I can't believe that it has really been one year since we walked down the isle! I remember trying to 'will' the rain clouds away-- Rain in Arizona, in October?? Unheard of, unless of course we're getting married that day!! Luckily they held off until the reception, but then it sure did pour!! There was so much to get into place, so many people to try to get together, and a minister that STILL couldn't figure out our last name.... it was a beautiful day! The most amazing day of my life and for sure the most fun!!

A lot of little girls grow up, imagining that they will one day find their 'prince' and live happily ever after. I was referred to as the 'princess' quite a bit growing up, and it was only fitting that I truly did find my prince!! Nick is the most incredible person I've ever met, and spending my days with him makes me the luckiest girl in the world!! Now, I won't get too sappy on you, but I will say that although my days aren't always wonderful, they end in perfection... in his arms! One year is only the beginning.... I wonder what kind of 'blogs' will be around when we're celebrating our 25th and 50th!!?? Thanks again to those who made it out for our big day-- you made it so special for us!! Nick, thank you for making this past year (and the 4 before that) so incredible!!! It's not only in the fairytales.... because we did..... live happily ever after :o)!!

Comments!!

Alright, I think I've finally fixed it to where ANYONE can leave comments :o) So if you've tried and been unsuccessful, feel free to try again!! Thanks for checking us out! We're heading to San Diego this weekend for our 1 year anniversary... can't wait to share all of our fun with you!!

Inspirations...

Ok, before I bought the picture that is now above my tv, I attempted to recreate it myself.... I don't think it turned out too bad-- still wasn't quite finished, but I got bored with it!! I thought I would share my Picasso talents with you... also, the vase is the inspiration for my guest bathroom... pictures soon to follow!!

Living Room Renovations :o)

So... my "nesting" instincts set in the end of July, and that's where all of the fun began! I decided that I was tired of all of the 'brown' in my living room, so it was time to make a change!! With all of our bad circumstances that we've been through lately, it seems that redecorating keeps my mind off of things, and now I have a living room that I love!! Here are a few before and after pics.... Oh yeah, we got some new furniture too :o)

Before...

Our glider-recliner for when baby gets here!!

Our official dining table!! There's a leaf we can put in too :o)

Some of our 2009 Adventures... In pictures!

YAY, I can snowboard..... kinda!!

Nick's getting old :o) LOL

My Steppe Family

Our Babies!! Kona and Shug-- Below enjoying Vegas, with Lil Jon that is!!

And lastly, but not least... new wood floor and redecorating of the living room! Wait till you see the finished product!!!

Welcome Friends!!

Hello, and welcome to our blog!! This is so friends and family- near and far- can be a part of our busy lives with just the click of a mouse :oP We've had a crazy year already, and it's still not over yet!! Lots of ups and downs, smiles and tears.... and through it all we still find ourselves together enjoying the Arizona beauty! Please visit back frequently as we share our good times and bad, as well as all of the many adventures life takes us on throughout the next few years!!