5 Years...Or Something Like That

Tomorrow is Tony and my 5 year wedding anniversary, and I could not think of a better reason to take a trip down memory lane. Although we have been married for 5 years, we have been a couple for the last 13, and in that time we have been through many adventures together. Our time together has consisted of mostly "ups", and I have found that even our "downs" aren't ever that bad. Have I wanted to put a pillow over his face sometimes and press hard? Yes. But those feelings come very few and far between. I feel so lucky to have married such a great man, a great father, friend and provider. He makes me feel safe and loved. And no matter how bad things have ever been, neither one of us has even for a moment talked of breaking up or leaving. In the words of Tony (the night before our wedding) "there is only one way out of this marraige. Death. It can be due to natural causes or not, but that is the only way out." I know what you are thinking...what a romantic! Well I gladly took my vows even with that speech because I knew that what he really meant was "this is it. You and me forever." And I still believe those words today. Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff. Now the trip down memory lane......

Tony and I met in the 6th grade at Foothill Middle School.

This is what I looked like. Obviously my "awkward" stage. One of many.


This is what Tony looked like.

Our story began when we were in the 6th grade. We became "boyfriend and girlfriend" and then he dumped me and broke my heart. I spent the first part of my 7th grade year winning him back with the sole intention of breaking up with him. Everything worked out according to plan. For the next several years we did not speak. Eventually I began taking his phone calls somewhere around our sophmore year in high school. We began hanging out. I played hard to get. He had a another girlfriend. I had another boyfriend. And then everything changed the summer before our senior year. Don't ask me how or when or why. That was just it. Done deal. We were inseparable from August 1996 forward.


At a party in the hills


Senior Picnic


Senior Ball


Graduation

After high school we went to Los Medanos Junior College together, where he played football and I played softball. After 3 years, Tony was offered a football scholarship in New Mexico. It was the only time that I truly felt our relationship was ever in jeopardy. Since I had already been accepted to Sonoma State, we decided to try a long distance relationship. What we found was that no matter how far away we were or how difficult the temptations of college life might have been we truly wanted our relationship to work. After one year I transfered to UNM and never looked back.


After A UNM Game


Tony's Graduation

In 2003, once we had both graduated, our life became a whirlwind of events. Every year brought something new and exciting and great to our lives. Well, I guess you could say it actually started in 2002.....


- Zeus joined our family at just 10 weeks
- We bought our first home

In 2003....


- We got engaged
- I started my career as a retail buyer

In 2004....




-We got married
-We got into a horrific roll over car accident
-We started 24-7 Hauling

In 2005....


-We got Tonka Maria
-Bought our second house
-Bought an apartment building
-Sold our two houses
-Moved to Texas

In 2006....


-We got pregnant with Cienna
-Figured out that we hated Texas

In 2007....


-We had Cienna Elise
-We moved from Texas
-Tony got accepted into the ABQ Fire Academy
-I moved to CA to become a buyer for Cost Plus World Market
-I quit my job with CPWM
-We sold our apartment building
-We bought a new house in ABQ

-Tony became a firefighter

In 2008....

-We bought a cabin in CO


-And found out we were having a new baby

In 2009....

-We started a "few" new businesses
-And the best has yet to come!!

Happy 5th Anniversary Babe! Here's to many, many more!!!

Good News, Bad News

Last night we went to see the Isotopes play with their newest member, Manny Ramirez. Ramirez is currently on a 50-game suspension from the Dodgers so he was sent down to the minor league to finish out his "sentence." The good news was we had a great time. A friend of ours has a suite right behind home plate so we had great (free) seats, and it was the largest crowd in Isotopes history. The bad news was that Ramirez struck out and grounded out in his only 2 at bats.

A Promising Stance


The Big Whiff!


Daddy & Daughter Waiting For A Fly Ball


Riding The Carousel In The Outfield With Mommy

Our second good news / bad news story has to do with potty training. Cienna has been peeing in the potty for about 2 months now (although not very consistently) but has absolutely refused to poop in the potty. About 3 weeks ago I wrapped a present and put it on the back of the toilet, explaining to her that she could have it once she pooped like a big girl in her big girl potty. She showed no interest. The good news is that out of the blue this morning it was like she had never seen the present before. Her eyes got big and she pooped right there in her frog shaped potty. I was elated! Overjoyed! Ecstatic! She opened her new Polly Pocket and got a red vine and 3 jelly beans for her accomplishment. We called daddy and both grandmothers to share the joyous news. The bad news? An hour later she crapped her pants. Why God? Why would you want to poop your pants when you just pooped in the potty and made mommy, daddy, Mimi and Granny so happy? Why would you poop your pants when you know that you can get a red vine and 3 damn jelly beans just for going? For the love of God, someone explain this to me, because the frog and I just don't get it!

Please Cienna...Come Back To Me!

Happy Father's Day

Just a quick post to say Happy Father's Day to everyone. We hope that you are having a nice and relaxing day like we are:

Cienna is watching TV from her new favorite "spot"...


Tony is relaxing on the couch...



The park across the street isn't crazy yet...


And the brisket is in the smoker!

Happy Father's Day and Happy First Day of Summer!

4,000 Miles

What a fabulous trip we had! It began last Thursday when we drove to Laughlin, NV and stayed the night. Laughlin is about the halfway point to the Bay and it is super cheep, which we love. Friday we woke early and got on the road. We stopped in Lompoc, CA where my college roommate Amy and her family live. She was kind enough to cook us a hot meal and pass down some baby boy clothes to us. It was a quick but great visit. I promised not to post pictures of her on my blog...so Amy I am keeping my promise!
Friday night we made it into the Bay and got some much needed rest. Saturday was full of fun. First, Marilou and I took Cienna to Pixie Play Land which Cienna just loved. It is the perfect age for Pixie...

Riding the Crazy Cars With "Mimi"

My Little Pilot Cienna

Riding the Carousel

That afternoon my mom threw a graduation party for my younger brother Jonathan. I got to catch up with all the old people from the "hood" and eat my very favorite Mexican food El Tapitio. Yummy!
Sunday we visited with Tony's great aunt Marion, brother Dominick and Phyllis as well as Whitney & Niko (Cienna's cousins.) We celebrated an early father's day for Pops in downtown Walnut Creek with more Mexican food and a little shopping. I am sad to say that I actually had to look at the store guide for downtown. They have put in so many new (and swanky!) shops that I didn't know what was there anymore! For someone who spent 4 straight years down there slangin' shoes for Nordstrom I felt so out of the loop!

Cienna with her Cousin's Niko and Whitney!

Monday my "little" brother graduated from high school. I never thought the day would come...and I still find it hard to believe that he did it (and that I am so old!) I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. My little brother is not little anymore!

My Mom with the Graduate

The Three Amigos

My Burrito Baby (It Was Cold For A June Night!)

Dinner at Skipolini's Before the Graduation

Tuesday morning we left our peanut porkchop with the grandparents (who share custody of her when we are gone) and headed up to Tahoe for 2 days. We stayed at a beautiful cabin that is owned by a friend of ours with views of the lake from the back deck. I got to catch up on Real Housewives of New Jersey, shop, eat great meals and most importantly...RELAX!

View From the Deck

Tony Feeding the Fish at Fanny Bridge

Thursday we headed to Las Vegas and the Luxor hotel. We had dinner at Palm Resturant and then went to bed. 8 hours in the car was a little much for us to be out on the town. The next day we did some more shopping (I forgot what fun it is to shop when you don't have a 2-year old with you!), had a great lunch and then rested before dinner at Bellagio. We gambled a little (I won $100!) and turned it in early for our big drive back to ABQ.
Saturday we made it home around 7:30pm...and met Marilou and Cienna at the airport at 10pm. They were not planning on coming until Sunday, but the flights were full (and they were flying standby) so Saturday was their best bet. Marilou had quite an adventure (she managed to break the escalator at the ABQ airport) and Cienna was SO EXCITED to see mommy and daddy. 4,000 miles we drove...and what a great trip it was!!!

Livin La Vida Loca

Things have been crazy as ever here in ABQ. Business is booming, and it reminds me of that old saying "be careful what you ask for because you just might get it." We definitely want the work but it has kept us out until all hours of the night trying to get it all done. I now refer to us as the "traveling trash family" because Cienna is right there in the thick of it being such a trooper! We got a break in the action last week when Tony's brother Chris and his girlfriend Wendy flew out to ABQ for a long weekend. They arrived Thursday afternoon and we immediately piled into the truck and headed for the cabin. We had a blast rafting, fishing and playing games. Cienna and I went with our friend Heather and her daughter Skylar to the circus in a nearby town. I had never been to the circus and it was everything that I imagined it would be. Cienna had her first batch of cotton candy and to my surprise she wasn't all that into it. In fact, she didn't even finish it all!

Enjoying Her Cotton Candy


Riding A Pony

Thanking Mama With A Big Smile!

We left Sunday afternoon, headed back to ABQ and enjoyed a great dinner at Pappadeaux. Monday morning they flew back to CA and Tony and I resumed our crazy life. We had our first dumpster "tagged" among other things. Never a dull moment here. Tomorrow we start our road trip to CA to see my little brother graduate from Concord High School on Monday! The weekend is already filled with parties and family gatherings that I can't wait to be at. Then Tony and I are graciously being allowed a week to ourselves as we head back to ABQ with stops in Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. Cienna will stay with the grandparents and fly out to ABQ with Tony's mom the following week. Wheew!
I have been really bad about taking pictures lately but I did have some cute ones from last week. I suddenly became overwhelmingly addicted to baked potatoes wrapped in bacon and pretty much ate them every day last week. The phase has passed but I have the pictures to prove it...and two of the best cooks that a girl could ask for!

Memorial Day Weekend

While most people spend Memorial Day weekend camping, boating, and grilling, we in the Mazotti house like to do projects. It is an age-old tradition that started, let me think...well just this year, but I think that it is going to be a life-long tradition now that I know how much stuff can actually get done in a 3-day weekend. We didn't spend Saturday running out to Home Depot getting stuff for our projects either. No, we have our "projects" piled in our family room just waiting for the right weekend to tackle them. Here is a snapshot of what we got done:

-Grouted the kitchen backsplash
-Installed new door handles
-Hung flower boxes under the front windows (well one got installed...the other is back in the living room)
-Put new tires on the smoker (one of which is already flat again)
-Planted flowers
-Replaced string lights on patio
-Mowed the front and back lawns
-Hung a bug zapper (really for mosquitos and aparently mosquitos are smarter than I thought)
-Leveled the washing machine
-Replaced a toilet
-Finally mailed a 87lb compressor for our Coke machine

While I am sure that this does not sound like much, imagine an 87lb compressor, toilet, flower boxes, door handles, bug zapper and string lights sitting in your living room for 3 months. I am damn proud of our Memorial Day accomplishments!
We hope that you all had a great weekend...and were able to relax and welcome in the summer that is finally almost here!

It's Official

I must hand it to my husband who was able to keep our baby's gender a secret for the last 6 weeks. I'll admit that I did not think he would be able to do it (or some of our friends for that matter!) but everyone came through for me....except Presbyterian of ABQ. Because of the kidney situation, I have had to go in for ultrasounds every 4 weeks and every 4 weeks someone has indicated that we are having a boy. Well yesterday it was confirmed when the doctor came in, looked at my chart and asked me "so what are we having here? Oh a male." I said "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE HAVING!" To which he replied "oh, sorry, well whatever it is a boy or a girl it looks good." I couldn't believe it! They told me! When I got home I told Tony that "his son weighs 1lb 10oz" and the grin on his face said it all. Done deal. It's a boy!
Your thoughts, prayers and "uh, ohs" are welcome. I already know that I am in trouble. Like father like son right?