London

I know I'm a couple months behind, but I thought I'd share some pictures from our European adventure!

We arrived on Christmas Eve and quickly jumped on the tube and headed into town. We heard that the Harrod's department store was amazing so we went there first. And it was amazing! The outline of the store is so much different than any of our stores. It was exciting to see all the Christmas decorations as well. Across the street in Hyde Park, was a Christmas Carnival. It was set up like the OC Fair during the summer (except you don't need to pay to get in). The carnival had tons of rides, food, and games. It was just interesting to see how other countries host fairs.

We had one full day in London and we made the most of it. Walking over 20 miles we saw all the sights that we wanted to see. We walked through Hyde Park which is massive. Very peaceful with the occasional fountain or memorial popping up. We did find the Princess Diana Memorial Path. We visited the Albert Memorial which is quite ridiculous. Very beautiful, but seemed unnecessary. Buckingham Palace was beautiful in it's own way. Very plain, but you can tell there's something special about it. I kept imaging The Mall filled with thousands of people for the Royal Wedding that took place last spring. The view of the palace from The Mall was amazing.

Even though it was Christmas Day, we were able to get into Westminster Abbey and sneak a picture. There was a tomb that was dated from the early 1500s. It's so interesting to think how young America really is.

Big Ben was impressive as was the London Eye. Since it was Christmas Day, most places were closed so we could not visit either one. Big Ben is part of the House of Commons and the entire facility is spectacular. You look at these buildings and you know they are old. We did read that the London Eye was a one hour long ride. This massive ferris wheel was pretty cool to look at, but we did not have an hour to spend in one location.

We crossed the Thames and started our long walk to the Tower Bridge. The Tower Bridge was great, but again it would have been cool to go inside. Sadly, we missed out on seeing the Crown Jewels which means we'll just have to go back!!

We ended our day in London with a visit to Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus. Trafalgar Square included the National Gallery and Nelson's Column which is guarded by 4 bronze lions. These lions were massive and just amazing. While looking for Picadilly Circus, we walked by 10 Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives. Apparently, pedestrians use to be able to walk right past the front door. Not anymore. Guarded with machine guns. No thanks.

We found Picadilly Circus which reminds me of Times Square. Bright lights and people everywhere!! This was the only time during the day that we saw a lot of people. Being Christmas Day it felt like we had the city to ourselves for the majority of the day.

And that is London in a day. Our next stop was Amsterdam!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Everyone is always thankful for their family and friends. One thing I'm really thankful for is my health and Craig's health. We have been able to do so much this year because we have changed the way we want to live. Eating better and exercising a lot more has given us more energy and helped us to loose weight. I'm thankful that my hubby has fallen in love with riding again. He loves it and puts a lot of time and effort into his workouts. He's gotten me to enjoy it as well.

Happy Turkey Day!!

So Long to a Great Summer!

Summer of 2011 was great! One of the best summers I've had!

It all started with a family reunion in Tahoe. It was great to see everyone and catch up! I also caught up on my beer pong skills even though the cousins dominated.

I watched New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys....twice!! It was great and took me back to my childhood.

I also celebrated my 29th birthday! My last year in my 20's! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends! We had a blast line dancing and enjoying beer and cupcakes!

The annual fishing trip with Dad and Craig (minus Jess). Much better fishing than last year. Had a fun trip minus the deckhand that began to seizure and the fact that someone needed the Heimlich Maneuver.

I competed in 2 triathlons, an ocean swim, and a mud run this summer. I am very pleased with all of my finishes. I continued to finish in the top 5 of my division. I've been training all summer for an Olympic distance triathlon on Sept. 11th. I can't wait!

Craig and I also went to plenty of Angel games this summer. The highlight was the Dierks Bentley concert. The Angels won and then we enjoyed a country concert. We had a great time!!

There were some many other memories made during this summer! I feel refreshed and ready to go for the upcoming school year! Wait... how many days til next summer??!

Stella- A Year in Review

On Aug. 23rd, 2010, Stella came into our lives. Craig found her on the Love Bugs Website (Doggie Rescue) and we decided to have her come over with her foster parent to see if she would fit our home. When Craig first saw her, he didn't like her undocked tail. I, however, was already in love. I have never had a dog before. I grew up in a neighborhood where it seemed like everyone had a dog. I think I would have fallen in love with any dog that came through our front door. She was such a shy dog and very scared of being in this new place. Once she got in the backyard she was running around and playing. It was an easy decision to keep her.

It was clear from the beginning that Stella was neglected and abused. You can see how skinny she is in this picture. When you would try to pet her should would cower or even run away. When we did get a chance to pet her, you could feel her spine and her bones. Poor girl.

By October, we had Stella enrolled at obedience classes at Pet Smart. This would change everything. She would graduate from beginner, intermediate, and advanced class. Those classes have helped her get over being so scared of everything.

She loves spending time with us where before she would spend all day and night outside. She is even a therapy dog for BARK (Beach Animals Reading with Kids). I took her to Morse Elementary School this summer and little kids read books to her. The kids were always excited to see Stella.

I love this dog so much! I'm excited for her to be a part of my life for a very long time. She will always be my first dog and I feel so lucky to have her.

2010-2011 School Year

The 2010-2011 school year is over. This year seemed to go by very quick. This was my fourth year at Savanna High School. I was able to see my first group of freshmen graduate. What a difference 4 years can make. These adults moving on to college and careers were once immature freshmen that could not sit still in my class. Many of them visited me during the last week of school and I got to see quite a few at graduation. It is comforting to know that even though I may not be the nicest teacher, many of my former students expressed thanks and gratitude for being in my class.

My senior polo players Audrey and Becky.

Swimmer Chey and Marco, who was in my Earth Science class as a freshman.

Graduation

After two long years, I finally earned my masters degree!! Woo-hoo! I have a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership. I was so proud to have my family with me during this accomplishment. They've been with me every step of the way. Especially my husband who has put up with my craziness for two years. He's been really supportive and has kept my focused during times that I've lost track. I'm also really proud of Jessica who also graduated with her bachelors degree. It was great to share the weekend with her and celebrate our accomplishments!

It's Been 2 Years!

Two years ago we said, "I do."

My favorite picture!

Saying our vows

My amazing bridesmaids: Nicole, Jorie, Jess, and Karen

Happy Anniversary!!