Reflecting on 2009!

It is hard to believe that this year is coming to an end. I honestly feel like it just started! However, I do feel like I have grown quite a lot in this year. Many things have happened this year, some I would rather forget but everything happens fora reason and we grow from it. This year I:

Subbed in Kindergarten through 8th grade classes
Discovered that I had skin cancer
Filed taxes as a married couple =)
Started my 100 list! (Which has proven to be very fun!)
Celebrated 10 years together with my husband
Gained new friends
Lost old friends
Discovered and fell in love with Zumba
Joined a new gym
Became obsessed with Twilight
Saw many amazing plays with my mom and sister (more to come in 2010!)
Starting cooking a lot more
Adopted my two kitties, Mia and Shelby
Shot a gun for the first time
Became a fourth of a century old
Went to Vegas and it wasn't as fun as I remembered it from four years ago
Welcomed many new babies into the world
Bought a new (used) truck
Spent the holidays with my family


It has really been a good year and I am very blessed. I am excited to see what 2010 will hold.


Have a safe and happy new year and I hope you are blessed in 2010!

A Holly Jolly Christmas

My favorite time of the year has come and then went in a flash! It is amazing how much time we spend preparing for that day and then it comes and goes so suddenly. Here are a few pictures from our Christmas.

Stockings hung with care



Look at the good job my hubby did hanging the lights!



My Ohana



Getting creative with the camera



Oh Christmas tree, Our Christmas tree!



Christmas at Grandma's



We all got the same coach purse!



Opening stockings



His favorite gift






I got the Cricut!



Christmas breakfast at Mom and Dad's







We also went to Holiday Lights at CALM. It was really neat, even though it cost $12 a person!













I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a blessed 2010!

LA Kings Game

For Jonathan's birthday (December 11) we went with our friends to see an LA Kings game! It was my first professional game and I was so excited!!!

Note: I don't know why the pictures won't get smaller. I've tried everything. Oh well. lol

Happy Birthday honey!



Love IKEA



Staples Center



Hockey rink



We were in the center. It was a BIG place! haha





Carl, Erin, me, Jonathan



I love hockey!






They were tied at the end of the game, so they went into...





By the end of overtime they were tied so they went into a shootout!



We were nervous



They won in sudden death!






Go kings!

Happiest Family on Earth

It seems to be a new tradition for my family to go to Disneyland every year around Christmas time. I absolutely love it! Disneyland is like our family time. We used to go every month and I thought it was the best. It was my opportunity to spend time together as a family which, let's face it, is hard these days.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!



On Splash Mountain. Mom really liked it =)



We gave mom and dad bunny ears. Dad didn't think it was funny, but we thought it was HILARIOUS!



On Thunder Mountain



"Old Fart Bench"



Tower of Terror



The ferris wheel is so pretty now!



The Brother



Jonathan and Alex thought it would be funny to fake a car wreck in Toontown. I guess it is kind of inventive



Soaked after a ride on Splash Mountain




I cannot wait to go back again! Although my feet appreciate the break =)

Thankful

It's Thanksgiving! Well, a few days past Thanksgiving actually. I was one of those crazy people who stayed up ALL night to go shopping. It was crazy but I got a lot of my shopping done and saved a bunch of money! I went to Michaels, Toys "R" Us (2 hours spent there), Walmart (5 hours!!!), and then went back that night to Target and Walmart again. It was nuts.

For Thanksgiving we went to my aunt's mother-in-law's house. We do it every year. This year I wanted to make something...different. My mom gave me this cupcake book called "Hello Cupcake" and I decided to try something from there. They are called "Turkey Dinner" cupcakes.

Turkey legs, mashed potatoes, and peas and carrots.

Here are some more pictures from Thanksgiving:











My dad. He didn't want his picture taken.



It has been a hard year for everyone this year and so I think its important to be thankful for what we do have because many families lot everything. In no particular order here are some things I am thankful for this year.



My loving husband who knows me better than I know myself
My wonderful and supportive family
My amazing friends
My apartment
Money in the bank
All my belongings. I'm lucky to have all that I do.
All the subbing jobs I've gotten this year.
My church job.
Good food
Bowling
My education/degree
Great deals at the 99 cent store
Target <3
Scrapbook parties
Our Disneyland passes
My favorite TV shows
Having the funds to pay most of my credit card debt
My cat Mia
Lazy Sunday afternoons with my husband
Date nights with friends
Thrift stores where I have found many amazing deals!
Blogspot
Facebook
Family trips
Chocolate

And
I'm just so thankful to be alive and have love around me.
I'm thankful for all that I have and all that I don't.

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving!

Another month gone by....

So I'm really not all that great at blogging. My last post was over a month ago. To take the time to write about something everyday is really just time consuming and my life is very uneventful. Trust me.

October was filled with subbing jobs. Which was wonderful for my bank account, but hard my housework and new cleaning schedule. Let's just say I have every intention of restarting that. My new goal is to get my house clutter free by the end of the year. I want to get rid of clutter and have a yard sale to make some extra money. Maybe I can get a lot of people involved because I doubt a lot of people would come to a yard sale that was from an apartment garage.

Halloween came and went. Jonathan and I went to a Halloween party at my aunt's house and to the church event that we attend every year. We dressed up as Disney tourists. It was awesome!




I went to Disneyland again with Jill and her family for the day. It was nice being able to have a relaxed trip to my favorite place.






Besides that (and my family trip this past weekend which I will post about later) nothing else has really happened.

I did start my Zumba training last month. That is going pretty well. I like that I have a trainer and that she keeps on my butt. She is supportive but pushes me as well. She's amazing. I haven't lost many pounds but my clothes are fitting a little looser and I feel more in shape. Score!

And she returns!

So, the last time I blogged it was about my 1 year anniversary which was exactly three months ago. Woops! haha

There have been many blogs started but none that I have completed.

August was spent working on my house and enjoying my last days before subbing began.

September was an eventful month.

September 9th I went with my friend Jill and her kids to Disneyland for her daughter's birthday. We had a great time!



On the train at Disneyland with Jill and her kids


For my sister's birthday I wanted to do something special. I came across this website and decided that I just had to make that cake! In truth it was my second attempt, but I think I have the kinks worked out. I'm not the best cook in the world, but I do love trying new things. I have to say that it is fun to make and fun to look at!



After putting the colored batter into the pans



Not the best picture (or the best looking cake for that matter) but you get the idea.


The weekend of the 12th and 13th I went to Las Vegas with Jonathan to meet up with some friends. My friend ended up being sick for the most part of the trip, so Jonathan and I were mostly on our own.



Standing in front of the New York New York



I actually won on the Wizard of Oz machine and then lost it all haha



On Fremont Street




The next week was my 25th birthday! It wasn't anything special, just another birthday haha. We went to dinner at Famous Daves with some friends.







On September 25th, Jonathan and I took my brother to the Kern County Fair. I'm not really sure why I go every year. I suppose it is because I rarely went as a kid because my sister and I had birthdays around the same time which meant birthday parties and presents and it left little to go to the fair with. I do like to go to the fair though. Maybe I go because its something to do in this town. Either way, we take my brother every year and walk around.





The kid area is really the best place to go. They have animals (including a kangaroo and scorpions! Ew!) and lots of other little discovery things for kids. We spent a little over an hour there.



Alex and Jonathan played a game of chess. As you can see, Jonathan won.



The cage was open and kids were picking them up and playing with them. I ran away in fear that one would fall and come after me.



And I got my funnel cake =)




October 3rd I went with Brynna and Cyndel to Disney on Ice. We had amazing seats and I loved the show! I love Disney and figure skating. So Disney+Figure skating=GENIUS! lol It was well worth the money to see the excitement on Cyndel's face.



That would be gum in her mouth haha




LOVED the show!




In other news, subbing has definitely picked up and I haven't had a day off in over a month. It's nice to have money in my bank account, but having a day off would be nice. There was a point where I worked for two straight weeks without a day off and that was including Saturdays and Sundays at both jobs.


I tried spin! (Check off to do list) and almost died!
I was sore for 3 days in places that I had no idea could get sore!


Jonathan brought home a new camera yesterday. It is one of those professional looking cameras and I'm so excited to start experimenting with it!


I am currently experimenting with a new cleaning schedule which is one room a day. So far is going pretty good and I hope to keep it up. I'll keep you posted!