One Year!

We kicked off our anniversary celebration the day before at The Ranch near our house. It's a restaurant that's kind of in the middle of nowhere but has the most amazing food!

 

 On our actual anniversary we had a picnic with our pups, the same way Jason proposed! We live by a "lake" (It's man made) so we headed out there with the pups, some champagne and some picnic food.

And of course, we had to eat our year old cake. By eat, I mean take a bite. It actually wasn't too bad considering it was a year old and had been transferred between our freezer and my parents' freezer when ours was on the fritz!

 

Here's to one and to our forever! People always say the first year is the hardest...but I really didn't think it was that hard! (Jason's opinion might differ though :] ) Can't wait for what our second year has in store for us!

One Year

It's hard to believe it's already been one year since we got married! It's amazing how time flies, but it's been a fantastic year. Not to sound corny, but if people say the first year is the hardest, I don't know how it could get any easier! Happy Anniversary to my favorite husband! ;]

Pictures of how we celebrated to come later!

Bits + Pieces

1. Homemade chili seasoning mix

2. We like whiskey.

3. It's nice when you get the things you meant to do weeks ago done

4. Homemade chili for work chili cook off! (I lost :[ but came in second!)

5. Thoughtful pup

6. The husband won an award at his quarterly meeting. The pup and I couldn't be prouder.

Las Vegas = Family

When I met Jason, the thought of "going to Vegas" changed completely. Jason was born and raised in Vegas and a lot of his family is still there. Going to Vegas now means seeing and spending time with family. After experiencing Vegas as many people who don't live in Vegas see Vegas, I like it a lot better now.

Family

Throwback - Christmas Cookies 2012

In going through pictures on my camera lately, I realized I've done a really poor job of keeping this blog up and running. Although, I am unsure how far back a "throwback" post needs to be to be considered "throwback," I have no idea what else to call them so here we go!

We decided at Christmas time that we wanted to make cookies, but none of the stores we went to had the right food coloring! We ended up with Valentine's/Easter colored cookies, but they were still a lot of fun to make and delicious. The last one is supposed to be Kirin... :]

Bits + Pieces

1. I won the football pool at work this year! Go Ravens!
2. Our appetizers from our Valentine's Day/Anniversary dinner at The Ranch. A new favorite spot.
3. We got new windows this past Saturday, it's funny how things like new windows are now exciting in so many ways.
4. Kir bear hiding from her papa knowing that he is going to brush her teeth.
5. Rummikub
6. Kir bear hiding from the noise of the tiles from Rummikub!

Portland

Ever since we went to Seattle a couple years ago, Jason has been sold on the Northwest portion of the United States. Immediately after we came back, he asked if I wanted to move there. I think the fact that we went during the summer time, when there is less rain and lots of sun, was a selling season but not a good indicator of the actual weather majority of the time there.

The thought is back now with taxes around the corner, except now the thought is to move to Portland. Starting over in somewhere new in a wholesome place to raise future kids doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Except the wholesome thought is basically a dream of what Portland is, because we've never been there! Also, we would be leaving all our family and friends behind, not only in California, but also we'd be further away from Nevada where much of Jason's family is. Which are all many strong negatives among dream positives.

It's just a thought for now. We plan on visiting this summer to actually find out what Portland is about.

A Day At the Beach

This warm January weather got us thinking about an outdoor activity to do with our bug. After much debate between hiking or the dog beach, we settled on the dog beach since we are still waiting for her pup sling. (I know, I know...we're one of those people). Since she's so small, about five pounds, we really don't think she'll be able to make a hike the whole way. Add in the fact that she already has joint problems, it's best to be able to carry her when necessary! Trying to keep her happy and healthy is the main goal. Back to the beach, she seemed to have had fun. Chasing after dogs much bigger than herself, going over and visiting other people's blankets, sitting on people's backs, and probably the fact that Jason didn't dunk her like he said he would was on added bonus. This warm weather is a little unusual for January, even in California, but was much welcomed after the cold weather we've been having lately.

Bit + Pieces: Holiday

The last couple weeks seem like they have flown by. We visited Jason's family in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving away from my family, but happily enjoyed it with new family as well.

Here are some bits + pieces of our first holiday season as an official family. :]

Nabe

Nabe, short for nabemono, is a term used for Japanese hot pot, also known as one pot meals. The great thing about nabe, is you can add basically whatever you like to cook in the broth and it can result in a variety of tastes even when using the same broth for many meals. The hubs and I enjoyed Nabe for multiple meals this past weekend.

For the broth:
niboshi
kombu

To add to the pot:
tofu
shrimp
spinach
fish balls
carrots
green onions
shrimp balls
white fish
yu choy
bean sprouts
thinly sliced beef
napa cabbage
enoki mushrooms

Super simple, but very delicious and will be great for the cold weather that is a coming. (hopefully? it's still 80 degrees in California and we're almost into November!)

Bits + Pieces: Mama's Birthday Edition

1. a decorated cubie
2. the note on the door when i got home
3. it's amazing how well the papa knows this mama, i am a lucky girl <3
4. the birthday line up
5. a delicious papa made birthday dinner
6. i think she's warming up to gerard :]