Halloween and Harvest in ABQ

With the weather still very much in the 70's, it is sometimes hard to wrap my head around the time of year it is. The trees are starting to change color and are dropping their leaves which is very much a sign of fall. But the heat is saying "wear sandals and shorts still!" I know that once the weather does change it will be fast and I will miss this confusing southwest weather. But in the mean time....we are enjoying all of the activities that come with this time of year!

Living in New Mexico in the fall is amazing. We have special events that we have grown to love and would greatly miss if we ever moved away. Here are a few of our favorites....

The International Balloon Fiesta

Balloon Glow

Morning Mass Ascension

Roasted Green Chile

The Harvest Festival

Zombie AJ


Pumpkin Patch Outings

AJ with his Masterpiece

Corn Pit

Halloween

Ninja AJ (5) Army Girl Cienna (7)

Slutty Librarian Alexis (29) Slutty Rainbow Bright Jenny (29)

And while we love New Mexico, Colorado in the fall ain't bad either!

Diesel Turns 1 !!!!

Our baby boy Diesel turned 1 today and oh what a year it has been! After arriving last November in the midst of a snow storm and home remodeling, there were many times that I vocalized that either you or AJ were going to have to go. You guys became best friends / frenemies very quickly which has been both blissful and exhausting at the same time. Here are some highlights from our 1st year with you.

When you arrived at the airport you refused to come out of your crate. I don't blame you. I have never met a family as loud as us either.

After several successful baths tied to the lamp post, we had a major FAIL. You won. No more tying you to the post and washing you with the hose.

You were a lap dog for like a week. I enjoyed that week immensely. Every day you would jump up on my big blue office chair and snuggle on my lap. When you got too big to be on my lap you would lay behind me. When you got too big to share the chair with me you began laying under the desk at my feet. It is our special bond. As a 140 lb dog, it melts my heart to see you gently ram your head into the desk until I move the chair back so you can lay down. What a mama's boy.

You are a big goober at the dog park. People take one look at you and think that you are going to rip apart their dogs. If they stay, (many people do not stick around to find out) they see a gentle handsome dog who is happy playing the submissive role to even the smallest of dogs. One day I heard you whimpering because a large dog had gotten on top of you and was making a bunch of noise. Instead of using your power and strength to get him off of you, you yelped so that I would come to your rescue and then literally played dead until I could. It was the funniest thing in the world.

I leave you alone for about 1 hour a day. In that hour you manage to single-handedly rip apart the entire back yard, rearrange the furniture and chew through any electrical cords that you can get your hands on. In fact, Christmas night we awoke to see that you had chewed through all the cords attached to Cienna's karaoke machine that Santa gave her. You have chewed the eyeballs out of stuffed animals, you LOVE Barbies and you have ruined more pairs of my shoes than I can count. Separation anxiety much?

You Had Better Come Back Soon Or Else There Will Be Nothing Left!

You have jumped from a moving vehicle (out the window none the less!), had animal control called on you for greeting the walkers on our street, stuck your head in a white paint can, ate a dozen cupcakes off the kitchen counter, and smashed the iPad with just one paw. All the damage and chaos has been well worth adding you to our crazy family. We love you Diesel! Happy 1st Birthday! Hoping we have many, many more with you!

XXXV

Last weekend was EPIC. AMAZING. A ONCE IN A LIFETIME (maybe twice if you know some people who know some people) EXPERIENCE. For my 35th birthday we went back to Vegas for the I Heart Radio Music Festival with seats so good that even the ticket girl was jealous. PINCH ME.

After arriving in lovely Las Vegas Thursday night, we headed to our hotel to check in. The birthday Gods were with me because approximately 1 minute into standing in line a young man who resembled an angel walked directly up to Tony and I and asked us "if any of these bottles tickled our fancy?" The words "all of them" came flowing out of my mouth before my brain actually told me to speak and just like that he handed them to us and walked (flew) back to heaven. EPIC.

After a good night's sleep (I wish we would have fit in a couple of those) we spent the day shopping at our favorite outlet stores and then prepared for our 1st night at the festival. No preparation for a fabulous night out on the town is ever complete without some new jewels! And just like that, Tony surprised me with the red boxes I love sooo much. EPIC.

We were not as lucky as last year to get handed the "golden" black bracelets to the MGM high roller VIP room, but I was lucky enough to marry a man who doesn't need such a bracelet. After watching opening act Taylor Swift take the stage, Tony left to grab some beverages and came back with a personal butler carrying Red Bull vodkas on a tray. I couldn't make this up if I tried. Apparently he walked right into the VIP room with some major swag, threw a sizable tip into the bartenders jar and recruited a tuxedo wearing staff member to help him with his drinks...you know...with a broken wrist and all. And it didn't stop the entire evening. Or the next. EPIC.

After two days of dancing like no one was watching to the likes of 50 Cent, Eric Church, Weezer, Motley Crue and so many more, we indulged in a fantastic meal at The Palm and a Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show to round out my birthday weekend. We engaged in just enough debauchery to truly leave in Vegas (you didn't think I could tell you everything in this blog did you?) and returned back to our daily lives left with only one thing in our heads; LAST WEEKEND WAS FREAKIN EPIC!

Eat, Sleep, Sports

Kids and sports go hand in hand. Tony and I were both raised at various sports complexes throughout the Bay Area so we are familiar with this type of lifestyle. What is new to us is being on the other end of raising kids with sports; being the parents! Between paying for the activities, uniforms, accessories and travel we are having to "divide and conquer" each going in separate directions to get everyone where they need to go and trying to eat dinner before 8 o'clock at night. Being that the kids are only 7 and 5, we know that this is just the beginning...and we are hoping we have time to perfect the system!

Cienna continues to do gymnastics, where she is currently working on her back handspring. We had our 1st trip to urgent care after pulling a back muscle trying one too many times at the park. Better her than me. Every single time I see her slam against the ground, I can feel a part of my my back herniating. I either need to stop watching or she needs to get better at back handsprings soon. My back simply can't take it.

She also began horse riding lessons this month which is much more than saddling up and riding. She is learning how to care for a horse named "Maggie", grooming her, putting on her saddle and bridle, and learning how to control what Maggie should be doing vs what she would like to be doing. She is loving it and as expensive as it may be, if she continues to show sincere interest in it and not just going through the motions, we will figure out how to pay for it!

AJ has begun his 3rd soccer season and his energy and focus this time has impressed everyone around him. We have gone from him flopping his body on the ground in the middle of the field if someone got the ball from him, to no one is getting the ball from him. Period. He is aggressive to the ball and does not stop until he scores that goal. Last weekend I was told that he scored so many goals that they took him out of the game. Fortunately with age has come maturity and no meltdown ensued. Also, I think he was ready for a break!

My hands down favorite thing about AJ playing soccer is how after each and every goal he looks over to his daddy and I on the side lines and give us a big thumbs up. Melts my heart every time!

We are excited to see where sports take these amazing little people. What we know so far is that when they put their minds to something there truly is no stopping them. Here is hoping they never lose that!

Cinco de AJ

It is hard to believe that my baby has turned 5 years old. Five. Not a baby (although I still wipe his butt), not a toddler (I still brush his teeth), but a big, bad 5 year old (who wants his mommy to lay with him every night before bed.) AJ recently began his last year of preschool and with that came all of the emotions of feeling that my kids are growing up just to damn fast. Gone are the hopeless days of nursing babies, toddler tantrums and an extensive sweat pant collection. No more diapers, bottles or pacifiers. Life has evolved into very busy days and nights filled with school, sports and rooms that never stay clean. AJ has evolved from "My Man of Lamancha", "Little Squeaker Backseat Driver Boy", "Swivelneck" and my "Mr. Mr." to a sweaty, tan, muscly, sweet boy who loves Legos, Ninja Turtles, Zombies, Trash Monsters and sports of all kinds. At preschool they used to call you the "jock in the diaper." Now when I pick you up they just shake their heads and say "Oh AJ." You are truly one of a kind. Happy Birthday and many, many more!

At 5 Years Old You:

-Love iPads, iPhones, iPods
-Love Everything Zombie
-Are Obsessed With Lego "Guys"
-Do Not Like Wearing Shirts To Bed Because You Get Hot
-Get Embarrassed If You Have To Take Your Shirt Off In Front Of People
-Say "Sumping" Instead of "Something"
-Eat Smuckers Crustless PB&J Sandwiches Every Single Day
-Love Your Mommy And Never Want To Leave Her. Unless I Have Told You No More Video Games. Then You Want Me To Go To Heaven.
-Love The TV Show Monsters vs. Aliens And Sing The Theme Song Outloud
-Love Black Widow Hunting With A Hammer
-Love Soccer And The Batting Cages
-Would Wear Crocs, Flip Flops or Snow Boots Everyday If I Let You
-Taught Me How To Fish By Saying "Let Me Tell You How To Fish Mom. 1st; If There Is A Hooker On Your Pole You Throw The Hooker Out."
-Think your forearm is called your "two arm."

At 5, your sister and I love to watch you playing in the backyard by yourself. We spy on you...and giggle at the things that you do when you don't even know we are watching you. We wonder WHAT IS GOING ON IN THAT HEAD OF YOURS? I only wish I knew....

Zombie Party!

AJ will soon be turning 5 and after looking at the calender for August I realized that...if we didn't have the party like...this weekend...we wouldn't have one at all! After asking the little prince what kind of party he would like to have he immediately blurted out "ZOMBIES!" and I got right to work. My mind ran wild with all kinds of ideas for scary food, music, photo opp cutouts with guts hanging out, etc. It was going to be awesome! That is until we hand delivered the 1st invitation to a neighbor to which she replied "oh wow! A zombie party! Yea, we absolutely cannot come. Our son is TERRIFIED of zombies. We can't even say the Z word in this house." Well, shit. So much for the ultimate 5 year old zombie party! I quickly switched gears....

No more vienna sausages wrapped in tortillas dripped in ketchup. Zombie fingers finger foods would be too scary for this crowd. Instead I bought a witch pinata and did some slight modifications....

I was so excited. It was part Plants vs Zombies, part I had to deal with what I was working with here. I ran into AJ's room and drug him out to the kitchen to get his opinion. He looked up, shook his head and said "it's not good mama. It's too scary. That nose is too scary. Cut the nose off mama!" Without another word I slowly put the scissors away, placed the sharpie on the counter and poured myself a drink. This party was going to be a disaster.

Keeping in mind that my son is frightened of the pinata and our only guest to RSVP has declined, I got to work on the goodie bags. None of that chintzy plastic stuff at my kid's party! It must be useful. It must not go in the trash the moment that they leave. It must be a ZOMBIE SURVIVAL KIT!

Emergency Drinking Water. Check!
Protein in the form of Slim Jims. Check!
Food With Shelf Life. Twinkies. Yes!
Glow Sticks. Supplies. Just in Case You Need To See While You Are Running From The ZOMBIES! Boo Yea!

Party Day! Zombies everywhere! An (almost) 5 year old's dream!!

Zombie Faces, Brains and Severed Arm Cupcakes

Hope your zombie party was the best zombie party in the history of zombie parties AJ! We love you!

Alaska

Miracles do happen. As in, Tony and I just returned from a 12 day Alaskan cruise completely kid free! In honor of our 10 year wedding anniversary, my mom flew in to New Mexico to hold down the fort (and the kids underwater if they misbehaved) to ensure that our marriage would stay strong and I would not be moving home again. Ever. Thanks Mom!
We set sail on June 25th, with 2 1/2 days travel time before we would dock at our 1st port. We managed to find various things to do on board, including running stairs, yoga, massages, board games, oh and making complete fools of our self on "The Newlywed Game" in front of hundreds of strangers. The older I get the more I have an "we should try everything once" attitude so when I saw the ad for sign ups I thought "what the hell!" We were 1 of 4 couples chosen to compete be completely made fun of out of literally boat loads of couples. Get it. Boatloads! Ha! We were selected to represent a couple being married between 5 and 15 years. After round 1 we were in first place due to the fact that we apparently agreed on things like on a scale from 1-10 what would Tony say is the rating that you would give his chances of dating you when you first met (we both said 0!) and where is the strangest place you ever...you know (which now complete strangers know the answer to and family and friends do not!) However, the tide turned after round 2 where we did not agree on questions like "what kind of animal would you say Tony most represents in the bedroom." He said a Lion. I said an Ape. Sadly, we came in last place but were awarded fabulous prizes like a personal fan, chip clip and a set of playing cards. From then on, we were cruising celebrities better known as "that funny newlywed couple!"

Our 1st port was Katchikan, AK where we went crab fishing, toured the red light district and saw amazing totem poles. I would have to say that it was my favorite port in Alaska!

Next stop was Juneau, AK where we did a "Bike & Brew" which consisted of a 9 mile bike ride to Medenhall Glacier and then a tasting at the Alaskan Brew Co. The glacier was an amazing sight and the beer was delicious!

We then sailed to Skagway, AK. Here we zip lined through the trees and then took a scenic train ride all the way across the Canadian border. Breathtaking...both of them!

Our next day we traveled to Endicott Fjord Glacier where the sightseeing was beyond belief. We saw whales, seals lounging on glacier pieces and extraordinary scenery.

Another day at sea resulted in Tony becoming the 2014 Champion of the World, Universe, and Solar System at arm wrestling. Keep in mind that the average age on this ship was 60...and if you weren't 60 than you were Asian. They didn't stand a chance.

Our last stop was Victoria, British Columbia, which also happened to be one of the places where we spent our honeymoon. We joined up with some of our cruise friends for an "off the grid" pub tour, starting at Spinnakers, where we also spent several days in 2004.

Spinnakers 2004

2014

We then ventured to several other local pubs to test the waters so to speak. By the time we stopped counting we had tried 37 local beers!

Which probably explains this picture to some degree....

The last 2 days at sea were full of Bingo, trivia, sleeping and eating. It was an amazing way to celebrate an amazing 10 years of marriage with the man I love on this journey through life together.