Christina's Blog

Chicago - St. Patty's Style

2009-03-18T12:04:00.017-05:00

We decided to spend our St. Patty's weekend in Chicago!
Landed on Friday, March 13 in the morning (6 am flight!) and went straight into sight-seeing. First stop, Sears Tower.
Great views from the observation deck. Can you see the Hancock Building?

Chicago River.

Such tourists...

Another view - the icy coast of Lake Michigan.

Sears Tower - straight up.
Chris had to get some work done at the Mid-America Club, where we also had lunch.

Aon Building - Home of the Mid-America Club.

Went for drinks with my friend, Tracey, at Smith & Wollensky.

After dinner at Cafe Spiaggia, we did some late night sight-seeing.

So pretty.

Biggest grill I've ever seen!

Saturday - the main event. Kayakers in the Chicago River getting ready for a race. They then turn the river green.

Waiting...

Trump's latest creation.

So festive...

There goes the boat with the dye.

GREEN...

So GREEEEEEN!

Not green.

People watching in Millenium Park.

Waiting for my pizza...

Green beer. It doesn't turn your insides or your teeth green.

Our suite at the Union League Club.

I wear my t-shirt with pride. The only green I own.

On Sunday, we went to Lou Mitchell's for breakfast. Best diner. Loved this place. We had to stand outside to wait for a seat, but worth it. Plus, they passed out hot donut holes to everyone.

It's a hot spot. The line wrapped outside and people's luggage sat by the front door.

Union Station.

Chicago Board of Trade.

... till next time. Love this city!!!

2009-03-17T08:44:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Baby Logan

2009-02-20T09:30:00.004-06:00

I will be getting my very first nephew today.
Brian and Jenny will be heading to the hospital this afternoon to have Baby Logan!

http://thearthfamily.blogspot.com/

So excited for them!

Happy Halloween - Friday, October 31, 2008

2008-10-31T13:13:00.013-05:00

I know I should be posting wedding pictures, however, in the spirit of today's Halloween fun, we dressed up at work.

Blair really got in the mood this year and it was contagious. She did a great job with the decorations for our cubicles and the Walk of Fame on the floor.
And to the dismay of many (including myself) I donned a Tony Romo Cowboys jersey for my costume of Jessica Simpson. Blair is, of course, dressed as my sister - the very pregnant Ashlee Simpson-Wentz.

My darling new husband was bullied into participating with his department, which themed out the area for Indiana Jones.

The Mummy in the middle is mine.
A good wife helps when needed, no matter what. Can't have him tripping over his wrappings.

The Pretty Princess should be arriving here soon at the office with her Frog Prince.

Catch-up Time - Beach, Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party

2008-10-03T09:51:00.012-05:00

Where did the summer go??? It flew by but was so much fun...
This will be brief in words and pics...

Girls Trip to Galveston - July 25
Long before Hurricane Ike hit, Jayden, Jackie, Audrey & I spent a quick weekend at the beach. Lots of time in the car, but worth it.

Bridal Shower - Brookhaven Country Club - August 16
A group of ladies from the office had a lovely shower for me. Loads of fun, good food, gracious guests, and precious moments.
Yummy - The cake was a hit!

Huge thanks to the hostesses: Colleen DeGarmo, Jackie Cotropia, Danielle Robertson, Blair Clark, Eileen Chatterton and Monica Bruner.

Bachelorette Party - September 20

Started the evening at Cru wine bar with Becky Lowe, Danielle Robertson, Jackie Cotropia, Kim Kenney and Ashley Kyler.

These girls had tricks up their sleeves, which included a scavenger hunt for me, as well as Mad Libs.Other than a fantastic night out, I won my prize at the end of the evening!
The wedding is just around the corner...

4th of July - San Antonio

2008-07-23T15:17:00.008-05:00

We had such a wonderful 4th of July with Audrey! We picked her up on Thursday afternoon and drove on to San Antonio. We spent Friday at Six Flags and rode all of the rides. Even got the Flash Pass so we didn't have to wait in line - I'll never wait in line at an amusement park again. Just wish I could use Flash Pass in every day life. Sure would make things easier!

Saturday we spent in downtown San Antonio. Here's Audrey at the Alamo. No, we didn't visit the basement; it's under repair according to one of the travel books.

Sometimes I'm not sure which of them is more mature...

Awww - aren't we cute???
We took a bus tour around the city and saw a couple of the missions - absolutely beautiful.
Great shot of the Riverwalk

These two just loved their Sno-Cones!

Saturday evening, we trotted on down to the Market, however, the shops were closed, but plenty of people watching and street vendors.
Another fun time had by all!

Weekend in Pittsburgh - Dad's Retirement and My Bridal Luncheon

2008-07-16T16:40:00.022-05:00

June 28-30, 2008
My Dad

Before Retirement:After Retirement:

See what all those years of work will do to a person!

What a fun evening for my father. He's been with his company for many, many years and enjoyed his retirement party immensely. They had a funny slideshow of pics from over the years, as well as a touching speech by my Uncle Chuck and my father. Truly a lovely evening.

I got to spend lots of time with all the sweet nieces over the weekend too. Not sure if Zoe ate that bread or just used it for a toy. Natalie is all smiles!

Hugs for everyone!

Eric & Zoe chilling on the stairs. Emily's getting in on the bread act.

Zoe & Natalie sure were happy to see each other!Absolutely beautiful babies!

This was actually taken Saturday morning upon my arrival - dove right in and made the girls some lunch.

After I went for a nice long run through Mt. Lebanon on Sunday morning (just like back in the day when I lived there - ah, the memories), we all proceeded to get ready for a luncheon at my favorite, Max & Erma's.

Me and the Girls

Me & Mom

A very nice luncheon for the ladies - thank you all for coming!

L-R: Jessica (sis-in-law - mother of the crazy, fun Zoe & Emily), Amy (sweet, dear old friend - met back in our Interstate days! - 5 months preggers and looks amazing), Donna (another good friend, used to work her at Rivers Club - can't wait to hear about her new job), me holding sweet Baby A.J., and Emily (oldest, bestest friend in the whole wide world)

We made a mess of the joint, but it was all about the fun!

Emily got to show off Sweet Baby A.J. The girls were very attentive to the sleeping baby boy.

Best part of the day???
Yum!

Golf Outing - June 2

2008-06-03T10:07:00.008-05:00

Monday, June 2

Chris and I participated in the ClubCorp Home Office golf outing yesterday. Had a lot of fun, but it was a hot one.

This was taken out by the pool at Brookhaven Country Club. We didn't get to play on the same team, but we both had a decent game even though it was a scramble format. Chris had golfed all weekend with Todd & friends, so he was pretty much spent.

Wedding Planning Weekend - Puerto Vallarta - April 17-21

2008-05-06T11:38:00.033-05:00

Hola!This is way overdue. We had a fantastic time in Puerto Vallarta for our wedding planning weekend. Got a lot done and things are coming together for October.

We arrived into PV on Thursday night, and our good friend, Homero, picked us up and whisked us away to the CasaMagna Marriott. Checked in and had a few cervezas in the hotel lobby. There was a large party down on the patio by the pool, in which fireworks were set off - what a way to arrive in Mexico! There were a lot of business meetings or something going on the whole time we were there - it was packed day and night - pool and bars.

Later Thursday evening, we walked up the street to a place in the marina - Beer & Tacos. Just a little place right on the street, closer to the Westin. $10 for 4 tacos, a quesadilla and two beers! Can't beat that bargain.

After a good night's beer-induced sleep, early Friday morning, we headed off to the marina to meet up with Nicole, our wedding coordinator from Las Caletas/Vallarta Adventures. (Best wedding coordinator ever! She will do it all. ) We enjoyed the boat ride - plenty of breakfast foods, coffee, water, juice, fruit.

There were controlled fires burning in the mountains, so it made things really hazy on the way to Las Caletas. I had never heard of this before, but apparently they do this all the time. But soon enough the haze burned off.

This is the beach where we will be married and the location of the dinner following is in the yellow-gold building:
Getting closer to dock the boat.
We immediately got settled into our spot on the beach while Nicole was off helping her bride-of-the-day. Chris took off for the bar shortly thereafter. Free drinks all day.
Nicole came to the beach to find us and we sat down to go over every little detail I could think of for the wedding. She then took us on a quick tour around the area just to give us an idea of what to expect on our big day. I took this of the view as we walked up to the Bridal Suite - which is where I'll get to spend the day with my girls and get ready. The water just looked so inviting - there are a few platforms out in the water in which you can swim out to and then chill on the beach chairs. Never even had time to think about that. It was a lot to pack into our day at Las Caletas.
The bride-of-the-day was settled into the suite but not around at the moment we arrived up there - it's private and high up away from all the tourists. Out back is a jacuzzi and hammock - which will be great for relaxing and hanging out.

The inside of the Bridal Suite is just as quaint and comfortable.

Just a few short steps away is the spa - mostly for massages. I highly intend to use this!

This little bridge lead to more private sitting areas - there are terraces on the hillside with beach chairs. Even further back into the woods/jungle (whatever you want to call it), is an orchid garden of some sort. I never did get to make it back there - but plan to venture there in October.
Another shot of the beach - so much space to spread out. The umbrellas in the right of the picture is where they set up lunch and there's another bar not too far from there up in the trees.

Apparently this bird was trained to be a part of a wedding. He would fly down from the hill with a little bag that included the wedding rings for the ceremony. No, I won't be doing this. Birds freak me out.
You can't see it in this picture, but there was a seal swimming with these snorkelers. Kayaking was also another activity for the tourists to participate in - a large group headed off early and they were just returning.
This is the area designated for the guys to prepare before the weddings. It's right above the dining/bar area. The hammocks look enticing.Once we got done going over details and taking the mini-tour, I was able to relax and dive into the beer. Lunch was fantastic - Mexican buffet, of course - we sat right on the water and enjoyed the surroundings. And beer.

The day went by way too fast. Before we knew it, it was time to head back. Took some great pics along the beach as we headed to the boat. So sad to leave so soon.

And more beer back on the boat ride.

Hasta luego, Las Caletas!

What??? No more beer?

This is the marina where we left to go to Las Caletas, but it's also the port for all of the cruise ships. Interestingly enough, cruise ships only make stops here, they don't launch out of Puerto Vallarta.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped off at Walmart to pick up more beer, a cooler as well as some other necessities for our stay. We took a quick cab ride back to the Marriott to hang at the pool.
Back at the room we got ready for dinner and hung out on our balcony. Another big party was being held down on the patio. You can see the pool in the background.

This is the view off to the east of our room. The haze lingered over the mountains - not sure if it's smoke or humidity.Dinner on Friday night was at one of our favorites in the malecon, La Dolce Vita. Amazing Italian food - I had the gnocchi and Chris had the fettucine alfredo. And more beer.

Much of Saturday was spent at the pool. Working on the tan and sweating out all the beer that was consumed the day before. No beer for me that day. I had an appointment at 4pm at Salon L'ococco in the Penninsula shopping center to have my trial run for my hair and makeup for the wedding. Fortunately, Patty went with me because no one at the salon spoke English. Patty is working so hard on her English and it's really coming along well. I really need to work on my Spanish - it's not so good. While my hair turned out great, the make-up not so much. I thought I looked like a zombie, but according to Patty, it was more like a raccoon. I'd post these pics, but I'm too embarrassed! Really happy about the hair though - the same girl will come to Las Caletas the day of the wedding.

Once that was over - which took longer than expected - we headed back to the hotel to meet up with Chris & Homero. Headed to dinner at Hacienda San Angel - getting there was an adventure itself. The roads are so tight throughout the city but our cab driver was a pro. If it weren't for him we would have never found the place. Once there, you have to pull the rope to ring the bell just to enter the building. And you have to pull hard. However, it was worth the trouble! This place was absolutely spectacular - since we were waiting, we had a chance to wander a little through the hotel, which is made up of five haciendas. After the misunderstanding about our reservation was straightened out, we were seated upstairs for dinner. The views were amazing and the food was delicious.

One of the many courtyards:
Homero & Patty enjoying the view.

Me and the Walton:
View from one of the roof top terraces.

All of us enjoying the evening. This is the main courtyard.
Sunday was much like Saturday - spent lounging at the pool absorbing the Mexico sun and relaxing. The pool was crawling with sales people from the states. Great for people watching and eavesdropping. Apparently a bunch of them had won the trip.

Sunday night we went into town again for dinner. I had read that El Arrayan was voted Best Mexican Food, so we gave it a shot. It was tucked away on a side street, had a lot of character and great food. I had the best plantain black bean empanadas ever! After dinner, we just walked around the malecon and caught this amazing sunset.

Things get crazy in the malecon at night, even on a Sunday.
Once we got back to the hotel, we just sat in the lobby doing more of our favorite - people watching. However, it was such a long day, I actually curled up on Chris's lap and fell asleep. So did he! He said he must have nodded off, because when he woke up there was a new group of people sitting on the couch across from us.

On Monday (our last day in PV), Chris had to go off with Homero over to Vista Vallarta to work on one of the computers. I briefly met with Rosario, our contact at the hotel and then went over to Marina Vallarta to meet with the photographer, Roberto. However, he never showed up because of a photo shoot he had in Nuevo Vallarta. I was quite disappointed. Will have to catch up with him another time over the phone. Once Chris and Homero returned, I did get the fun news that we will be featured in the PV newspaper.

The Casa Magna Marriott has it's own tequila - here's the agave they grow in the front yard:
One last shot from the lobby of the hotel:

We sat in the lobby watching the floor being waxed while waiting for Homero to take us back to the airport. They really take good care of the property, but am looking forward to seeing it after the renovations that begin in May.

While I'm always sad to leave PV, I'm happy to be going home. Especially this time knowing that I'll be back in October for our special day.

Catch up time...

2008-04-03T10:12:00.004-05:00

It's now April and I have yet to post anything in the new year. So far, this year has been a little out of control. Between the wedding planning and work and being sick, I can't believe how fast time is flying by. January was busy. February was busy. March was busier. But enough of that...

I pirated these pictures - another bride took them from her site visit to Las Caletas in Puerto Vallarta; the same location as our October wedding. We will be heading there in two weeks from today and will be experiencing the same views and have our site visit with our wedding coordinator to review the details for the wedding. Can't wait to be there!

Christmas 2007 - New Orleans

2007-12-28T09:34:00.002-06:00

December 23-26
Sunday, December 23 - Chris's birthday - Even though we celebrated Vegas-style, Sunday was his real birthday. However, we spent the day in the car - no way to spend your birthday. First, we drove to see Audrey for a short visit in Houston and then pushed on to Lake Charles, Louisiana. We were both exhausted.

Monday, Christmas Eve morning - more driving. Finally made it to New Orleans in time for lunch with the parentals and a quick spin to the French Quarter. Since we were both so tired from all the travels for the month, we spent the evening at home - watching football, naturally.

Christmas morning, Chris got lots and lots of presents for his birthday/Christmas. Can't go without getting some Saints' attire. We are in New Orleans, after all...

Christmas with the Waltons:
The majority of the day was spent with Carolyn's family at her sister, Ellen's house. Food and drink was plentiful - apparently I really enjoy a whiskey sour.

Our engagement was kept a secret in order to have a lovely celebratory champagne toast - it was terribly sweet and everyone was absolutely thrilled with our news. Feeling very welcome into the family already.

On Wednesday, it was time again to load up, get in the car and drive home to Dallas. It was a quick trip to New Orleans, but it was all about the family, and really made Christmas special.

Vegas again - Chris has a birthday!

2007-12-28T09:34:00.001-06:00

December 19-22 - Viva Las Vegas, again!

We arrived Wednesday night and immediately headed to dinner at Toby Keith's 'I Love This Bar' inside Harrah's. As usual, we stayed at the Las Vegas Hilton, but this time we decided to use the monorail system - worked out for us on this trip for getting us around town.

Great shot of the Strip.

Thursday - We spent the day doing the sight-seeing thing and some Christmas shopping. We had a fun Mexican lunch inside the Miracle Mile within Planet Hollywood. This picture is taken right outside Paris.
Thursday night Brian, Jenny, Chris & I went to ESPN Zone for the Steelers' game. Jenny and I couldn't resist these video games racing horses.
Did Chris hit it big?
Nope... better luck next time.

Here's me & my new sister-in-law inside New York New York's casino.
Most of Friday, I spent in bed feeling quite sick (never fully recovered after Pittsburgh) while Chris gambled with Dwayne at Hooters. Friday night, however, I was attempting to feel better and we headed to our big dinner at the House of Blues' Foundation Room at the top of Mandalay Bay. Really enjoyed our time with everyone - good times!

L-R: Dwayne (old friend of Chris'), Katherine (Dwayne's wife), Suzy(Katherine's sister), Eric (Suzy's husband), Chris (my beloved), me, Jenny (sister-in-law) and Brian (my brother).

Saturday, I was able to sleep in and got some well-needed rest. The rest of the day was spent walking around the Stratosphere and the Sahara - old school casinos.

Never a dull moment in Vegas...

Pittsburgh Trip

2007-12-28T09:32:00.001-06:00

December 1-3
Let the fun begin - in Texas, actually! Homero & Patty arrived into Dallas from Puerto Vallarta and stayed with us on Friday night before flying to Pittsburgh on Saturday morning. Friday night the four of us enjoyed a delightful dinner in downtown Dallas at the Tower Club. Bobby and Todd surprised us all by showing up.

Todd had another surprise up his sleeve for Homero in Pittsburgh - he arrived on a flight to Pittsburgh before us!
A Saturday in Pittsburgh isn't complete without a visit to Primanti's. Three hungry hombres.
Saturday night, we got the whole group together for dinner at a Mt. Lebanon institution, Atria's. Left to right: Jessica (my sister-in-law), Eric (my brother), Linda (my mom), Lionel (Benny's brother), Homero (friend from Puerto Vallarta), Patty (Homero's lovely and tolerant wife), Todd (aka Trope), Joe (long story - stupid Patriots), Benny (friend from Cozumel), Chris (my beloved), me, and David (my dad).
Little did I know that this handsome man would later that night be asking my parents if he could marry me. Sly and handsome - nice combo.

I had the extreme pleasure (?) of sharing a room with three stinky boys all weekend. Not sure what happened on that side of the room that night. The snoring sure was strong throughout!
Sunday morning we all loaded up the minivan and headed to Max & Erma's - best damn buffet in town.
Todd found the worst hat ever - and we all had to wear it... why not???

Since we were too early to tailgate, we hit downtown for all the good sights. PPG Place had a lovely tree with a skating rink. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Great shot of Heinz Field.

It may have been cold and rainy, but that didn't stop us from tailgating for about 4 hours. We were well prepared...
But not as prepared as this guy with the beer bong and fully-stocked bar.
Our disposable grill really kicked out some heat and made a mean burger (or so I'm told).
However, Chris is the king of the tailgate grill...
By this time of night, we conquered the art of tailgating.
Homero couldn't turn a corner without buying some Steelers' gear.
Apparently there was a game going on, but I didn't see much of the first half since I was staring at my hand. This picture doesn't even begin to do justice to the rock I am wearing.
A fantastic night for all!

Here's the happy couple on a lovely Pittsburgh evening -which includes a Steelers' win!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-12-28T09:31:00.001-06:00

Thursday, November 22
Another year spent tailgating at Texas Stadium for the Cowboys' game on Thanksgiving Day. Audrey was excited to be going with us this year, however, it was really cold for Texas.

Audrey and Chris enjoy tossing the football around. Audrey has one heck of an arm on her!
Audrey is cozy warm inside the car. Here you can see our food set-up on the side of the car - we had all the fixings: ham, potatoes, rolls, broccoli rice casserole. Delicious.

The three of us were chillin' in the car before heading into the game. Audrey and I gave up at half-time; we spent the third quarter under a heater in the bathroom. Fortunately, Chris was sufficient with the lead in the fourth quarter and let us go home, where his parents were patiently awaiting for our arrival.
Friday, November 23

Thanksgiving all over again! Not only did Chris's parents join the fun, but the Cotropia's, too. Dwayne & his little girl, Madeleine, joined us later in the afternoon for some food and libations.

Wine was flowing like water...
All that turkey knocked out Baby Landen.

Audrey had the best time with the little girls. And they were sweet as can be.

We're Engaged!

2007-12-10T16:45:00.000-06:00

Sunday, December 2 - We got engaged!!!
It's happened - Chris proposed. And I accepted, of course! All while tailgating in the rain for the Steelers game. It was perfect.

More pics to come from that weekend - it was chockfull of fun!

Chicago - 3 of 3 Updates

2007-11-13T09:03:00.000-06:00

Chicago - November 9-11

Another weekend away from home, but so many good times. I love the city of Chicago - so it was well worth being out of town. No, we didn't go to this show. I wish...We arrived late on Friday night and headed to dinner for what Chicago is known for - pizza. None other than Giordano's - tasty. No, not Gino's, but it is really good, as well.

After a fantastic hour-long run along the lake, on Saturday morning, we headed out on foot for a nutritious breakfast at Dunkin Donuts. Shortly thereafter, we made a stop at the Palmer House. The architecture was gorgeous - great lighting.
Behind Chris is the new construction for Trump's latest. Quite the endeavor - over 100 stories. We took an educational and fun architectural tour on the Chicago River on Sunday.

The Windy City skyline.The city was in full-swing preparing for the holidays. Macy's windows were already open to the public and we tried to track down Martha Stewart to see her light up the Christmas tree, but to no avail. Here's the Chicago Tribune building already decorated.
This was taken at the Wrigley Building - where ClubCorp previously had a club, however, the signage still exists.

Another great trip, however, we are looking forward to spending the next few weekends at home - especially before Thanksgiving and our trip to Pittsburgh for the Steelers game.

Santa Fe, NM - 2 of 3 Updates

2007-11-13T08:26:00.000-06:00

Still playing catch-up... Santa Fe, New Mexico - October 27-29

Santa Fe was all new to me and loved it, of course. However, a little on the chilly side. The elevation didn't fare well with me at first, but got used to it. The scenery was just breathtaking.
First stop - Sandia Peak.

The Plaza in Santa Fe is where all the fun happens - shops and restaurants all around. Great margaritas!

On Saturday, we took a tour around town and surrounding areas.

This is the Miraculous Staircase inside one of the many churches.

They jokingly call these the Dolly Parton mountains.

Markets overflowing with local goods.

The art was everywhere - shops, galleries, on the streets, homes.
On Saturday afternoon, we took a drive up to Taos. However, we were too late to view the pueblos.

Sunday, we headed back towards Albuquerque and went to the other side of the Sandia Peak where they have the gondola going up the side of the mountain.

Another fun trip for the Walton & Hansz.

Catch-up Time - Audrey's Homecoming - 1 of 3 Updates

2007-11-13T08:06:00.000-06:00

Saturday, October 27
Audrey's Homecoming Dance - the first of many to come, I'm sure. So grown up!

Here's Audrey with her date, Erik, and in the center is her good friend, Elysse.

My new haircut and color!

2007-11-01T16:52:00.000-05:00

November 1

I have been needing a change. So I did it! Feel free to let me know what you think.

Was in Santa Fe last weekend and will be heading to Houston on Friday (tomorrow) to visit Audrey. Will have pictures soon.

Baby Landen is born

2007-10-15T11:57:00.000-05:00

Friday, October 12
The Cotropia's newest addition, Landen Tate, was born this past Friday. They were so sweet to let me come hang out with them over the weekend.

I'm absolutely smitten!

Girls Weekend - Nashville, TN

2007-10-15T11:35:00.001-05:00

October 5 - 7, Nashville weekend - Girls, Girls Girls
It's only been just over a month since Jackie left Texas, but it was time to go visit Nashville. Friday night, Jackie & I went to Rumba - a rum bar and tapas restaurant. Erin joined us well.

Conveniently, Ashley has been living in Nashville since she left Pittsburgh in May. Here's me & Ashley on Saturday night - big night out on the town. Started with some drinks then moved on for some sushi.

L - R: me, Jackie, Courtney, Becky & Ashley

All blondes, of course. Courtney & Becky work with Jackie at the Nashville City Club.

Thanks for a fun weekend!

Audrey's visit - TX State Fair, S'mores & Sushi

2007-10-05T01:06:00.000-05:00

Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30

Audrey's visit last weekend couldn't have come quick enough - and it was over way too fast.

Friday night, after a speedy pick-up at the airport, the three of us headed straight to the State Fair of Texas. Audrey tried Fried Oreos for the very first time. I had the Fried Latte. Big thumbs-up! Chris ate everything else - corny dog, hamburger, nachos, fries and beer.

http://www.bigtex.com/

While the boys golfed on Saturday, Audrey & I did some shopping, cooking and hanging out. Most of which was to get ready for the cookout later that night at Casa Cotropia. It's just not a cookout without S'mores.

Audrey & Jayden playing.

Aw, Brown Bear.

Not only was Audrey with us for the weekend, we had the pleasure of having Homero stay with us. Looks like he had plenty of fun.

For the first time ever, Audrey got to have her first taste of sushi on Sunday. She loved it!

Puerto Vallarta, September 2007

2007-10-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

September 14-20, 2007 - Another fantastic trip to Puerto Vallarta!

We arrived on Friday afternoon, picked up by our friend, Homero. After a quick trip to Walmart to stock up on beer and water, we hit the pool. Later that night a light drizzle fell over PV and we wandered into the Marina where we had dinner at Las Palomas.

Saturday was much of the same - hanging at the pool. This was a big day for Mexico - Independence Day. The hotel was taken over by celebrating locals. Even got a little show when the band showed up at the pool - tubas, trumpets and drums - oh my! However, the rain was more of a thunderstorm that evening. Room service and beers on the balcony!

Rainy picture of PV skyline.

Sunday we spent the morning golfing - well, at least Chris did. After a few holes, I gave up and enjoyed the scenery and company. The afternoon was spent at, where else, but the pool. Dinner was the highlight of the day: with Homero, Patty and their beautiful daughters, Ana Paola and Valeria, we went to Barcelona (one of our favorites - local tapas restaurant).

The girls wore their sunglasses - and so did we!

Monday, we were a little tired of the pool, so despite the heat, we did some exploring in the Marina area. This included walking the perimeter of the Marina Vallarta golf course - all the way to the water. Checked out some real estate. Not in our price range.

With all the sweating we did that day, of course, we went to the pool! Followed by some Monday Night Football in the hotel's sports bar, Champ's.

Tuesday was a big day for us - the Canopy Tour, a rip-line tour in the jungle. Chris was the big brown monkey and I was chickensh*t. I didn't take the heights of being up in a tree into consideration, but once I got the hang of it, I was like a pro (HA!).

This was a shot taken from the back of the truck on the drive back to the Marina (45 minute ride each way). Considering we were there at the end of the rainy season, the terrain was just lush, green and gorgeous.

On Wednesday, we slept in a little, Chris worked a little, then we explored a little more. After a quick lunch at the club, Homero let us borrow his car for the afternoon. We drove south of the city into Mismaloya - which is one of my favorite areas; it's less populated, primitive and beautiful.
On our day's adventure in Puerto Vallarta, we drove into a little town and walked across this suspension bridge over the rushing water, which is supplied by the mountains - especially high during the rainy season. We did witness an old lady bathing in this water, but to respect her privacy a picture was not taken.

Thursday, our last and final day, was naturally spent at the pool. We love a good swim-up bar.

The Casa Magna Marriott grows agave right on the property and makes their own tequilla.

Say goodbye to PV - until next year!

Puerto Vallarta... Home Sweet Home???

2007-09-11T16:01:00.001-05:00

We will be leaving for Puerto Vallarta on Friday, September 14th.
Can't get there soon enough!

Here's a shot of our hotel from our trip there last year:
It's the pool at the Marriott Casa Magna with swim-up bar. That's where you'll find us.

Baby Shower & Sprinkles

2007-09-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday, September 1st - Jackie's Baby Shower

Landen (Jackie's soon-to-be-born baby boy) got lots of good stuff at the shower. He even had the best surprise of Amanda showing up just to see his mom. We were able to keep it a secret!

Shower games are so much fun.

HAD to take Amanda to Sprinkles! She fell in love, of course.

Since it was a girls' only weekend, Chris & Todd went off to golf

That's a whole lot of sushi - but so good!

These are the Longhorns just down the road from the house - quite the spectacle.

Audrey is 14!

2007-08-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

August 20th - Audrey turned 14!!!!

This past weekend while Audrey was still in Dallas, we celebrated her birthday. Dinner at the OG and cake & presents back at Casa Walton. Can you believe she's 14!?!?!?!?!

Mmmm... cake again...
Jayden's a big helper with all of those presents!

Just what she wanted!!!

These girls just want to have fun!

More Pics - Wedding & Vacation

2007-08-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

More pictures to share...
Here are the girls out for a night of fun! Dinner at Cheesecake Factory followed by several drinks on the South Side, starting with beers at Fathead's.

Super cute shots from the rehearsal; dinner at the Hyeholde was divine.

Zoe says, "Boo!"

Backto WV... Sweating is so much sweeter when you're with the ones you love...

What a Wild, Wonderful WV Vacation

2007-08-14T09:37:00.000-05:00

August 5 - 8
Of course, first came the wedding (see posting below), then came the vacation to the mountains/lake in West Virginia...

Here are Zoe, Caroline and Natalie - don't they look relaxed?

All those precious, smiling babies!

The parentals chillin' on the deck.

Are we seriously crashing the honeymoon?
Here are the honeymooners canoeing from the lodge over to the cottage

Who's the genius that decided to go out on the paddle boats before the storm hit?

Crazy Zoe!
I shared a room with Audrey, Caroline, Natalie & sometimes Zoe. Slobs!

This was taken prior to leaving Pittsburgh, but was too cute not to include this pic of Natalie & Zoe hanging out on the porch

Look! It's the whole Fam Damily!

Overall, we had lots of fun, stayed at a beautiful resort, gorgeous surroundings, tasty food, and way too short (of course).

What a beautiful bride!

2007-08-14T08:56:00.000-05:00

Saturday, August 4
Finally, the long awaited pictures of Brian & Jenny's wedding are available for your viewing pleasure:

Here is Audrey, Caroline, Zoe & Natalie:

Jenny & Audrey pre-ceremony

Jenny & her bridesmaids: Julie, Heidi, and Becky;

as well as the ever-important flower girls, Natalie & Zoe

Must take advantage of the professional photographer, besides when was the last time the four of us were in a picture and looked this good!

Jenny & Brian's first dance as husband & wife

Mmmm... cake...

Table #5: Chris, Jessica, Erika & Chas

Not exactly sure what I was doing here, but it's probably the only picture taken of me at the reception:

Did you hear about the go-karts?

IHOP - Girls & Pancakes (not exactly Keggs & Eggs)

2007-07-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

Thursday, July 26 - 6:50 am - The girls go to IHOP!

Audrey has been here for well over a week and we just got to IHOP this morning. Finally. We had the extreme pleasure of being joined by Jackie B, Jackie C & Jayden. What an absolute treat that they came out so early in the morning just to have some breakfast with us.

Miss Jayden is quite happy to be getting some French Toast!

Guess who else joined us for some pancakes???

(For those of you who don't know, this is Brown Bear - Jayden's companion.)

Audrey's camera has the cutest options - I'm having fun with it! More to come real soon...

Audrey is coming to town!

2007-07-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

It's Friday the 13th and nothing bad has happened.

The good news is that Audrey will be here tomorrow!

Bridal Shower, Bellagio and the Beatles

2007-07-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

6/29 Friday Night - Arrived in Vegas - late. Left late from Dallas due to the rain. Didn't get to the hotel till about 2 am and had to wait in line, of course. Then there are those people that just think they are better than everyone else and try to skip the line. I hate those people - especially at 2 am.

6/30 Saturday - Jenny's Shower. What a lovely shower it was. Jenny has a nice group of teacher friends in Vegas, all of which do not want her to leave the school. They put together a really sweet party in Jenny's behalf.

After the shower, I went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. This is the view from our room. It overlooked the Las Vegas Country Club as well as a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.

Our evening started with drinks in the House of Blues Foundation Room at the top of Mandalay Bay. Very cool view of the Strip!

After a few good drinks, we moved on to dinner down the strip within Paris at Mon Ami Gabi, fantastic French steakhouse. We had a perfect table at the window with an even better view - right across the street from the Bellagio - the water show going off as well the fireworks show from Caesar's Palace 40th anniversary. Not to mention the phenomenal meal. A wonderful evening was had by all!

7/1 Sunday - As most know, my main purpose to go to Vegas was to hit the pool and soak up some rays. We did just that on Sunday - at least I did all day. We rented a cabana at the Las Vegas Hilton pool. Our very own private space - above and away from the rest of the population. We had a ceiling fan, flat screen tv, a stocked fridge with water/juice/soda, a waitress for the alcoholic drinks, room service, and a cabana boy to spritz water all over while sunning! Heaven. Jenny joined me for a good portion of the day while Chris gambled. At 5:30, Happy Hour kicked in and Brian joined in on the fun after he was out of work. Once Happy Hour was over, we all went for dinner in the hotel's Star Trek themed restaurant, Quarks. While one wouldn't think this would possibly be edible, it really was quite good. However, that may have been the blue beer kicking in.

7/2 Monday - Another fun filled day. Can't start the day without breakfast - Brian took us to some Cracked Egg place, where I had none other than, stuffed FRENCH TOAST. After filling up, we headed off to Canyon Gate for a round of golf. And considering my game has been limited this year, I shot rather well - on the back nine.

Once again, that afternoon, I chilled at the pool for a short time while Chris gambled and before heading out to see the Cirque du Soleil show, The Beatles "Love." The Mirage built a special theater for this show; everything about it was amazing - the music, the dancers, the choreography, the set. We followed the show with a meal inside the Mirage at the Mexican restaurant, Isla.

7/3 Tuesday - Last Day. Of course, I started my morning off at the pool while Chris gambled in the Hilton. That didn't go over too well for him, so once we checked out and he headed straight to Hooters Casino. I, on the other hand, went to Fashion Show Mall on a hunt for flipflops for Jackie C, to no avail. However, I did accomplish to plant the goods to be picked up by Jackie B when she is in Vegas in September.

Soon after I was finished with the mall, I headed to Hooters to retrieve my boyfriend, whom I found to be quite happy with his winnings and Jack & Coke. Jenny & Brian joined us at the Casino for a little gambling. Chris did so well that he even got us a comp meal for all of us.

After all the fun at Hooters, it was time to head to the airport and back to Dallas. Next time we see Jenny & Brian will be in Pittsburgh for their wedding. So much to look forward to!

6/29 Vegas Baby

2007-06-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

Vegas, here we come...

6/28 The Hoff Thursday

2007-06-28T13:19:00.000-05:00

It's been all about The Hoff today. He is now my computer wallpaper.

Please enjoy this game: http://www.pipexhoffworld.com/stunt/0,18162,,00.html

Another fun game: http://www.waxhoff.com/

Be sure to read the instructions and have fun with The Hoff!

6/25 Birthday

2007-06-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

The wine party was ever so much fun - so much fun celebrating with everyone! The cake was good - the food was good - the wine was flowing.

Jackie may be pregnant but she can still enjoy sparkling grape juice. Taylor, Jackie & Jackie are just hanging out on the couch.

Katherine and Letty are enjoying themselves! Me & the Jackies.

Todd & Matt

What's up with the Princess wrapping paper? it's from Christmas...
Dwayne, Chris and Bobby toast the birthday girl!

Overall, it was a great evening. Thank you to everyone for making my birthday so special!!!

6/21 Luau baby

2007-06-21T15:26:00.000-05:00

In the office today (Thursday), there was a luau for all of the June birthdays. No cake (I will get some later at the Tower Club), but there were ice cream sandwiches and popsicles. If you weren't careful, you'd end up wearing it though - real melty.

Although I didn't participate in the hula hoop contest, I managed to confiscate a hula hoop and lei. It really made my afternoon much more pleasant.

My birthday dinner with Chris at the Tower Club was amazing! We had a private room with a great view of the city. Five course meal - delicious... and the most beautiful floral arrangement - which I got to keep. The birthday is shaping up to be a really good one.

Stay tuned for details from the wine party tomorrow night!

6/9 Indy Race

2007-06-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, June 9th, we went to the Indy Race at the Texas Motor Speedway. Chris can barbecue a mean burger, Jackie's veggies rocked and Becky brought her killer guacamole. Tailgating, of course, was the highlight. I started to fall asleep during the race itself - oops. Overall, it was a load of fun!

6/15 Weekend with Audrey and our trek through Texas

2007-06-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we drove to Houston to pick up Audrey and took her to Galveston.

Friday night, we went to the boardwalk on Kemah, walked around and watched the fireworks. Saturday, we got up early and headed over to Galveston (hotel was in Texas City). After a long drive up and down the Gulf Coast on the island (people can actually drive their cars onto the beach) we took a Duckie Tour around the city, as well as into the bayou. Took a tour of the Moody Mansion, then had lunch looking right onto the Gulf at The Spot.

Here's Audrey acting ever so silly:

We dropped Audrey off on Saturday night and we drove onto San Antonio. More rain. After leaving San Antonio at 10:30 am on Sunday (Father's Day), we continued our drive through the Hill Country. Absolutely beautiful! Hit many small towns along the way and lots of cows & horses. We finally landed at home around 7 pm. Tired, oh so tired...

These were taken at the Buchanan Dam (I think)... We only made a few stops on the long drive homeward bound.