THE LIFE OF JEN AND TRAVIS

Christmas and New Year's

2012-01-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

We started the festivities with breakfast with Travis' family.

Then we went to my sister's house and played games and got Cooties.
On Christmas morning we enjoyed Brett opening up his gifts. He is becoming more and more excited to open gifts as he gets older and older.

After the presents we shared in some leisurely moments where we played and relaxed.

For New Year's we took a road trip to Tahoe for spa treatments, skiing and silliness.

Christmas Photos

2011-12-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Travis picked out a beautiful tree.

Biking to the Manhattan Beach fireworks.

At Santa Clarita with my nephew, Brett.

Mom and dad enjoying larger than life candy canes.

All us girls crammed in the back seat to see the Torrance Christmas lights as we nibbled on some cookies. Jami sat in our trunk.

Christmas at Disneyland cannot be missed,

Even at night.

Everywhere you go, there are tall Christmas trees at Dland.

Our Halloween Weekend

2011-11-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Okay this one has many options: 1: Disneyland geeks. 2. Micky Mouse Club cast members (Justin and Britney) 3. Micky and Minnie Mouse. The best part is that it was free and easy.

On Sunday night we had a gender revealing party for my new... niece. The flavor of cake revealed all.
Getting excited for a baby girl.

I dressed as a literary character for school on Halloween. If you are unfamiliar with The Help I am Skeeter.

Labor Day Bike Ride 2011

2011-09-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here we are at mile zero ready to ride from PV to the other side of Santa Monica.

The end of the strand at 22.1 miles. We were all sore from the ride .

Fun August Events

2011-08-30T19:15:00.001-07:00

Staci and I at a Skinny Cow event.

A fun bike ride to Marina del Rey with great friends, great food and great live music.

We took Travis' mom to see Elvis. He's alive and well and performs at parks during the summer. By the way that's not Travis' mom in the picture. She doesn't look that old.

Mama Mia in Hollywood. Coincidentally, the Rounds Burger advertised on the screen behind us, was phenomenal.

Concert in the park with Josh listening to an 80s tribute band. Go figure,-they paid only .25 for their ice cream sandwich.

2011-08-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Sprinkles Cupcakes in Alexandria.
Water Taxi to Gaylord Hotel.

At Mount Vernon.
DC Cupcakes.
Behind Pesky's Pole at the Red Sox Game.
Our tour guide on the freedom trail.
So epic! I wish we had these in LA.

Mark Twain House in lego form.

What?!!! Another Disneyland Blog

2011-07-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Every year we got with Brett the older he gets and the more he loves the place.

Here is Travis enjoying the fire at Grand California.

Brett and I on Travis' favorite picture.

After Travis took a picture of Brett and me, later in the day he zoomed in on the picture and found this little girl. Hunting for hidden mickeys indeed.

Happy Birthday Taylor

2011-06-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

Such a fun night celebrating a great friend. The girls had a fun night out in honor of Taylor.

We ate dinner at Four Daughters Kitchen in Manhattan Beach (http://www.fourdaughterskitchen.com/). The servers were very attentive and made the night very nice for Taylor. It has a quaint and mellow atmosphere. We are looking forward to go back and check out their highly reccomended breakfast menu.

After dinner we took a trip up the 405 for another must have...$1.50 ice cream sandwiches at Diddy Riece (http://www.diddyriese.com/home.php).

Saturday Evening Ride

2011-06-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

A beautiful ride to Marina Del Ray to grab a sandwich at Mendocino Farms.
Stopping to stretch.

Travis had the most unusual sandwich: Bacon & Housemade Peanut Butter.
Here it is in all its glory.

The sandwich club, not to be mistaken for a club sandwich.

Our Last Week of School

2011-06-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

We started celebrating Josh's birthday at Korean BBQ. Tasty beef, pork, chicken, tongue and intestines... seriously.

Then last Tuesday we went off to Wonderland...aka Disneyland with Adams Middle School
We ran into Ariel under the sea.

Even Skuttle too.

Proof we waited in line to sing along this Disney favorite.

We also had lunch at Storyteller's Cafe. Probably the best place to eat at Disneyland. Here's a fun quote Travis liked.

Here's Travis with some of the students on the bus. See how happy he is with all the noise? He better get used to it.

Yup. We also went on Star Tours.

Our new space goggles.
This is how long we waited for Star Tours. Imagine the stuff I could have done on my computer with that time?

A Hawaiian Wedding

2011-05-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

We started our trip with a stuck plane.

Some hiking.

After surfing and stand-up paddle boarding we had some ice cream.

We rented a Jeep Wrangler and rode around Maui with the top off.

The view of the ocean from our living room.

The ceremony.

The road to the reception. North Shore of Maui.

Site of the reception.

Thought these mason jars were cool.

The bar was under this mango tree and the mango juices they served were plucked from this tree.
An old sugar mill turned into beautiful wedding site.

Birthday and Easter Celebration

2011-04-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday. It was also the unveiling of my parents' new, beautiful patio.

Then on Easter we saw this cute boy hunt for Easter eggs.

"Is that a snake or an egg I feel?"

Saturday Bike Ride

2011-04-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here is the map of our adventure. From El Segundo to Santa Monica.

Our destination. Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica.
Very crowded.
Travis had the Godmother and I had the ham sandwich. Brandy Wilson recommended the place and the Godmother. Check her review out on Yelp.
On the way back we stopped at Starbucks for some reading.

Disneyland

2011-04-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

From the background you would never guess where we are? Yup DCA (Disney's California Adventures). There is so much construction going on, the park is unrecognizable. In fact even Disneyland is going through refurbishments.

That's more like it.
We met up with my parents, sister and Brett.

Weekend Down South

2011-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

On our way to a wedding, we stopped in San Clemente for breakfast.
Then we popped into the Rainbow store and read all the neat little stories accompanied by used and abused rainbows
Finally, we went to the wedding. The groom, Travis' groomsman, is notoriously late to most functions and because weddings usually start late, we thought we can be a little late. Nope. This ceremony started right on time and we were the ones sneaking in the back hoping no one saw us.

Chicago Trip

2011-03-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to spend my last weekend in Chicago. I saw some beautiful places, ate yummy food and hung out with great friends, The Wilsons. Now it's great to be back home with my husband and back to my normal routine.

Wet Weekend

2011-02-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Spent the day at Disneyland in the rain. Space Mountain trusted Jen with a timer to see how long the line was.

Then on Saturday we went on of Valentine's Day Date. It took an hour and 45 minutes to get to our parking structure in Down Town LA. The second we got outside it down poured. So we drove home, had a quick dinner, and a bite of bunt cake.

Jen gave up diet coke for a week.

On Sunday and Monday we spent time with the family.

"Bye."

Blog Update

2011-02-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

Ah, Pioneer Woman.

Rice Crispy Footballs.

Muffins for friends.

Here are some pics from a while ago.

The very verb that our bike makes us do.

Christmas and New Years

2011-01-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

We begin this blog with a dog...Elvis to be exact.

Brett was learning how to unwrap gifts. I'm sure he'll be a pro when gets holder.

Brett on his new Royal Flush.

The iphone 4 ables the user to take self photos like this.

The Foster's take flight. This was Brett's first airplane ride.
Later that day, we had a windy date at Huntington Beach.

Last night we ushered in the New Year at the Chart House in Redondo Beach.

A Christmas Celebration Weekend

2010-12-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday after we helped my mom (that being Travis' mom) move we stopped at The Hat for chili fries and a pastrami. I must say we finished the fries... of course not in one sitting.

Later that night we attended a very Smart (Becky, Matt and Kylie) Christmas party. Santa made his rounds around the neighborhood.

The following afternoon we ventured to Disneyland and partook in the beautiful Christmas decorations with our beloved family. That texting girl to our right is not some sulking teenage member of our kin, just a stranger.

It's easy to want to commandeer this child for photos.

And of course we gathered around for the Manhattan Beach fireworks. What a stunning presentation and wow what a finale.

Thanksgiving Weekend Madness

2010-11-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

Black Friday 4am morning with the family. Later that day when she got home Jen was so exhausted she didn't bother to lock her car or put things away, but instead threw things on the floor went straight to bed- atypical Jen.

Jen and I drove to Redlands for Sarah's and Daniel Ramirez's wedding.

You would think this bounty before us was the main course. Nope. Merely appetizers. How wonderful.

Bobble-heads are no longer the witnesses of a car's journey, but of something that lasts longer than 300,000 miles.

Then on Sunday we had our Disney date.

Jen and I standing in the Courtyard of the Angeles where I proposed.

This memorial plaque of Sally McWhirter found in the courtyard exemplifies Disney's attention to detail and the treasure trove of stories placed throughout the park. Sally was in charge of Disneyland's entire merchandise, but died unexpectedly. She sang in her church choir, hence the verbiage on the plaque.

Holiday Haunted Mansion broke down while we stood in line. Jen foresaw the ride would open again real soon. Everybody in line left, we stayed. 15 minutes later Jen's premonition proved correct and we got right in.

Christmas parade at the mouth of Main Street.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

Travis dressed as an injured mountain biker. Customers actually thought he was injured.

Before Brett went out on his 2nd Halloween night, he put on his skeleton shirt.

A medium size debate brewed between the Fosters, Pawlaks, and Wimers. Is he wearing a dragon suit, a dinosaur suit or a crocodile suit?

Brett was a natural with the trick or treat bag. He knew candy went inside. In fact he took more joy in putting stuff in it, than actually the candy.

Disneyland with Brett and Grandma and Grandpa

2010-10-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

On 10/10/10 we met up with Ma and Pa Pawlak, and little Brett Foster at Disneyland.

Out for a spin.

Getting ready for a long nap in It's a Small World.

"Is uncle Travis really wearing that ridiculous Micky shirt? I'm utterly appalled."

An Evening at the Beach

2010-09-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we went to see Tyrone Wells at Hermosa Beach. Amidst the crowd and labrynth of blankets and chairs, we found our peeps.

Sunset surfer.

Mammoth Summer Trip

2010-08-16T10:56:00.001-07:00

A casual stroll around horseshoe lake.

Evening concert.

A hike to Ediza lake. The 12 mile hike was stunning.

Lake Ediza.

Devil's Postpile

Visited the Ghost Town of Bodie.

Grabbed a ride on a water taxi to our Saddlebag Lake loop hike.

One of the many lakes we saw that day.

Honeymoon Pics

2010-08-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is what we call an "On No" moment, as we are on the verge of flipping. Sure enough, we flipped.

Took a hike in a rainforest that ran along the beach.

ATVing in the a tropical jungle.

Ziplining through a lush, dense, green canopy.

We saw two active volcanoes.

We took a boat to our Eco Lodge that is situated 20 yards from the Caribbean Ocean.

We watched Green Sea Turtles Lay eggs in the sand. We go drenched out there.

Taking a swim at a tropical waterfall.

Wedding Pics Sample

2010-08-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Finally things are coming back to normal after the crazy post-wedding to-dos. Here are some wedding pics taken by our friends.

We had so much fun.

Yummy!

To see the professional pics go to: http://kimberleemillerphotography.photobiz.com/cart/event_login.cfm?eventID=491291

and for the password type in: july0310

Some Early Wedding Photos

2010-07-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hey party people Travis here. Below are some pics that our friends took of our wedding. Since I am now a part of Jen's life in much more than boyfriend and girlfriend, I feel like I can say a thing or two.

Bachelorette Bike Ride!!!

2010-06-30T01:14:00.000-07:00

Some fun memories were created at the SUPER AWESOME Bachelorette Bike Rdie that Taylor and Shannon planned for me a few weeks ago. With our wedding dates only a few dates...I knew I needed to get on the ball and post the shots of this fun night.

The two party planner "tricked" out my ride. I LOVED IT!!! It was perfect for me. They decoated the basket and the baskets of the other riders. My bike had light up hearts plus...an amazing string of lights that we turned on when the sunset. I have always talked about decorating our bikes for the Christmas fireworks. So instead these wonderful women took the idea and decorated my bike for the bachelorette bike ride.

Setting up to surpirse me.

Sheri and I with our matching bikes.

The bike riding crew. Two of which rode their bikes with a baby in their tummy...special high five to Sheri and Krista.

We rode our bikes on the strand from El Segundo to Redondo, then we met up with other friends at the Cheesecake Factory. Check out that light up bling!

Here I am in outfit number 2 ready to hit our after dinner spot Beaches in Manhattan Beach...

the fun continues!

A special thank you to Christy and Alexis who came down from Santa Clarita to go out on the town with us.

Thank you ladies for a great bachelorette bike ride!

Fun with Family

2010-06-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

We have been able to go to Santa Clarita more in the past few weeks as we take care of wedding details. Here are some fun pictures from the past few weeks.

Fun idea with the frame...we liked it!

We visited the Santa Clarita Fun Life event a few weeks back. They had the above backdrop and frame picture taking areas.

Last weekend Brett experienced a swimming pool for the first time. He did great!

Just chilling.

This is his sweet ride that he takes to the pool. Don't worry...we used lots of sunscreen!

South Bay Shower

2010-05-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was blessed to have great friends together for a bridal shower in the South Bay. Here was are for a group shot...you know how I love to document with the photos!

Good food, good friends, good fun!

The Ho's backyard looked great.

A special thank you to my mom, Christy, Kristine, and Becky who got together to host this very special bridal shower for me. You ladies are the best...thanks again!

And Diane...what a great ribbon bouquet! Thanks!

Engagment Pictures

2010-05-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, our engaagment pictures are in. Check out our website for a few of our favorite pics.

http://www.pawlakwimer.weddingwindow.com/

For the complete collection you can also checkout the following link that was setup by our amazing photogrpaher Kimberlee Miller.

http://www.jenandtravis.photoherald.com/index.php/view_event.php

Brett's Birthday Celebration!

2010-05-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

A year ago Brett was born on 5/7 weighing in at 5lbs 7oz. So on 5/7/2010 we went to of course, Disneyland.

Then on Saturday we had a baseball themed party.

Avatars and Donuts

2010-04-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of Avatar on DVD, Travis became an avatar at Ralphs.

Check out his badge.

Then on Sunday we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Duarte. This is the only photo from the restaurant and of course it's a picture of Brett....and my dad.

Then we hopped onto the 210 and made our way to Donut Man in Glendora for fresh strawberry donuts.

It is the best donut Travis and I ever had.

Travis' Birthday

2010-04-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Travis turned .

We got a free .

We then a free .

Then we got a free car wash at Red Carpet.

After the car wash, we got on the freeway and headed to Disneyland.

Since no one likes to ride Travis' favorite ride, Splash Mountain, he went solo.

As it turns out I am quite the artist. DCA (Disney's California Adventure) has a drawing class, which Travis and I took.

Look at what I drew.

Tower of Terror terrorizes my stomach. So I sat out on this one. Travis casually looked at the day's pictures.

After Disneyland we met Travis' parents at Red Robin where he got his free burger.

Easter Sunday - He is RISEN

2010-04-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

We got up before the sun to celebrate Easter morning at the sunrise service.

beannie on and beannie hair

the early morning crew...Diane, Tay, and I (Travis pictured above!)

Then we went to Santa Clarita to celebrate Easter with the family...

Brett is so excited about his Easter baskets..

more detail on the baskets

What a face...enought said there.

Yum!

2010-03-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some fun food related happenings! (Not so healthy food realted happenings that is.)

On Wednesday night Taylor and I went to the Mosaic Fashion Show. We enjoyed some yummy french fries from the fry truck...check out the up close shot below.

At the last book club I became interested in learning more about the Pioneer Woman that the ladies were talking about. I have been sucked in and have tried a few of the recipes. Below is the Saturday morning project of making apple dumplings...

Before baking...

After baking...and...

Dressed up and Ready to Eat!

Disneyland with the Mo Family

2010-03-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we skipped church to play at Disneyland with John, Lauren and Kara. Here is Mommy Mo and Kara on It's A Small World.

Kara was on sensory overload.

Here we are at DCA (Disney's California Adventure) taking a picture with Chip and Dale. Kara was so happy to be with these two Characters.

Here's Kara eating at DCA. Travis sat to her left and couldn't stop touching his North Face jacket.

Here are the Mos with Minnie Mouse. I was so interested in Minnie's boots. I think she wore them on the wrong feet.

Our Mammoth Trip

2010-02-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

The morning we left to Mammoth, we spent some time with my dad and Brett. Travis and Brett were making faces at each other. Travis had an omelet called Tias. It had bacon, cherries (the ones you find in pies), peaches and cream cheese.

I love my nephew so much.

At the top of Mammoth Mountain.

Here we are lounging in a hot springs out in the middle of nowhere. Very odd contrast between the snow and us sitting comfortably in water.

Then we went snowmobiling. Travis was much quicker on that thing than I. We got up to 50mph with bumps and jumps all along the way. It felt like we were in the back country as we zoomed past trees and bushes.

Forest Ranger Travis, here, giving his "Snow Patrol" gaze.

Time for Two

2010-02-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

Hi friends...last night I had the privilege for organizing a time for two date night at church. Sheri, Carla, and I worked together to organize the dinner portion of the night. This is table setup...It was a Western theme as you can see. I will use any chance I can find to order StoneFire Grill so last night that was on the menu. When you know a good thing stick with it.

We had 30 tables...240 people.

Another version of the table setup

These last two pictures are an example of why I love event...the organization aspect. I love to plan it out in my head, on paper, etc...bounce ideas off of people and then execute the plan. These are the honey butter dishes for the last minute cornbread appetizer add-on. Special thanks to Travis for the cornbread idea and for giving of his day off to help me with all of the little pieces of the event.

Pictures of Things Yet to Come

2010-01-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I met my sister, my mom and Stephanie at the LA convention Center for the bridal expo. We got to check out some of the photo booths and here are some samples.

Holiday Happenings

2009-12-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

One of the best holdiay traditions in the South Bay is the Manhattan Beach Fireworks...here we are again this year enjoying the awesome show!

Sheri and Tim rode bikes with Travis and I to the beach. We love our bikes...in the cold or in the warm weather.

My S.O.S. small group girls blessed me with a special bride-to-be basket complete with the Minnie bride ears...those will definitely be worn in the rehersal!

Jami even made Mickey brownies...nice work Jami!

Early in the month we had Christmas Bunco complete with the special awards for the year. I was the "Biggest Loser for the Year"...I still got a cool personalized glass and cookies made by the talented Bunco Secretary Katie.

Kelly and I (Vice President and President of Bunco - self-nominated that is)

Laurie made her annual Christmas trip to L.A. This time Sam and Cohen joined her. We got to meet Cohen who is super cute.

Last Saturday was the Newport Boat Parade...some of those boats are really decked out! I suggest putting it on your holdiay calendar for next year.

Merry Christmas Blog Readers!

Family Photo Day

2009-12-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

Photos are very important to me. Every now and then when I scroll through my pictures I am thankful as I am reminded of how blessed I am. Last weekend I wanted to update my family photo that is in my living room so I "encouraged" a little family photo session...

The seven of us...Brett looks a little angry here but don't worry...mom and dad turned that frown upside down...

The bib really says it all!

A couples shot

A little extra photo for this post to give you an update. Remember the turkeys we flew with the day before Thanksgiving? Here they are at their new home at Big Thunder ranch at Disneyland.

A New Life Begins at New Orleans Square!

2009-12-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here we are recreating the moment.

The full story...step by step...(you know me...I love the lists so I will number the events!)

1. Regular day for me at school. Travis did say to me on the phone in the morning, "You are going to have one of the best days in recent memory!" I did not think much of that because he often says very nice things to me when I am stressed by thinking about the events of my typical school day.

2. My parents and I left for Disneyland around 3:30pm. We were doing our annual trip to the park for the Christmas celebration. I had my new red Minnie ears on for the event. I knew Travis was going to join us later that night around 8pm or so when he got off of work.

3. All of this time Travis was at Disneyland picking a spot for the big proposal. He was going to work and then got called off that night. He had even gone there on Thursday to do some research before he knew he was going to be off all day on Friday (good thing we have passes and free parking).

4. I kept saying things I wanted to do and my parents were just playing along all the time knowing that Travis wanted them to get me to the Pirates of the Caribbean. We went to look at the decorations at Disney's California Adventure. We stopped to watch the Christmas Parade. Then we made our way to Pirates. (A little side note is that we ate at the Blue Bayou at Pirates for our one year dating anniversary. I guess we will have many memories there).

5. Then all of the sudden half way through the ride I heard Travis' voice. My parents and I were in row 1 and Travis was in row 3. I turned back and there he was. I was asking him, "What are you doing here? How could you get down here so fast after getting off at 7pm? How did you get on our boat? Are you tracking me on some gps on your iphone? (Again you know me and all of the questions that I ask to try to figure things out.)

6. Then as we excited the ride he escorted me to a private spot in New Orleans Square (as pictured above). He got down on one knee...reminded me of the promise of a good day he told me in the morning. Told me some sweet, precious, Travis type things that neither of us can remember the exact wording on...except of course that he loves me!

7. I said "Yes...of course...aren't you going to put the ring on my finger!".

8 He did and then we met up with my parents to enjoy the rest of a great night celebrating our engagement and the Christmas Season at Disneyland.

Special shout out to Christy, Drew, and Brett who where with us from afar!

Super cool "Just Engaged" Disneyland buttons that Travis had in his pocket for both of us!

Watching the fireworks in front of the beautiful castle.

The engagement helpers also known as Mom and Dad.

Travis taking the plunge just before he "took the plunge".

As were were exiting the park we took a special "Congratulations" picture with Mickey Mouse himself.

Let the wedding planning begin...not sure on the exact day yet...SUMMER of course (you know us teachers love our summers!)

United Turkey-1

2009-11-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

Obama pardoned a turkey the day we left. The turkey rode on our plane 1st class. It was going to live in Disneyland for the rest of its life.

Here's the pardoned turkey, Courage.

Disney gave all the passengers Mickey Mouse ears. We got ours and took our picture with the pilot.

Then Disney gave us park-hopper tickets.

Here's the welcome sign at LAX.

Washington DC Trip

2009-11-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

Last year we went to Utah, this year we went to DC.

In front of the capitol. We were in the senate and the House of Representatives.

We visited the Vietnam Memorial. Since Travis' dad, who fought in the war, always wanted to go see the memorial, we got flowers for him and placed it near the names of those who were killed around the same year he fought.

Taking a nap in the autumn leaves.

Here's the room that holds the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

On top of the Washington Memorial. It feels like the whole thing sways.

At Gettysburg. We had no clue what to do, so Travis stopped and asked for help.

Here we are at our first stop at Gettysburg. See that lump of land behind us? That's where General Reynolds was shot dead in the back of the head on the first day of fighting. Travis is smirking because he doesn't know whether this is a shot to be smiling or stoic about.

I am happy I found the first post-marker.

Trina and I look at the battlefield from the POV of General Lee before Pickett's Charge.

Look out view of the field.

At the site where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address. This picture is a metaphor to who we are. Travis is more into history and I'm more into being cute and getting my picture taken.

At Gettysburg cemetery.

Sunset at Gettysburg.

Travis' first Dunkin Donut.

In front of the White house.

I really don't need to explain where we are. If you need help, look at the back of the $5 bill or a penny

In front of the Washington Memorial.

Brett's First Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

This year was my nephew Brett's frist Thankgiving!

He got to sit at the table in his new highchair and grandma and grandpa's house. He is modeling with his new turkey from Uncle Dave and Aunt Sharon.
Here he is not so happy when he found out that he would not get to try to yummy turkey and ham. But check out that super cute bib...gobble gobble!

And he even has 1st Thanksgiving pajama's that grandma found for him.

Just chilling and practicing shaking his back end to get ready to take off crawling.

What a great way to end a Thanksgiving meal!

Pre-Thanksgiving Trip to D.C.

2009-11-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

This week I was blessed to have a full week off of school. Travis and I headed to Washington D.C. and visited my very good friend Trina and explored our nation's capital. This was Travis's first trip to D.C. and we did a bunch of cool stuff. This is just post 1. Travis will do more poetic positng than I. I just wanted to get a few up (since yes I know...I have not updated the blog in a bit).

On Sunday...Trina, Travis, and I went to Gettysburg. They have a 16 stop auto tour...more photos on that coming soon.

Outside the White House - On our first night in D.C. we went on a night walking tour of the monumnets and then finished at the White House.

So...I did not get to get a free flight ticket but we did have a really fun experience for our flight home. This photo is a teaser for now...full story from Travis coming soon.

Becky Smart's Baby Shower

2009-11-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

The shower took place at 26 Beach Cafe.

Here's the quilt I made for Kylie.

Showering Becky with gifts.

Party favor bag.

October/November Adventures

2009-11-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here is my recent October adventures:

Halloween at Adam's Middle School.

Helping the Smart's move.

Time with my family at Disneyland.

Travis and I rode our bikes at Newport Beach and Balboa.

Pre-Halloween Happenings

2009-10-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Bunco was a Halloween theme this month (obviously!)...Melissa, Kristine, (me), and Kelly dressed in scrubs as the "Mathematical Order of Operations"!!! Our signs explain the steps to correctly simplify a numeric expression. (Thanks Dad for loaning us the scrubs.)

Vanessa and Frank as the "Black Eyed Peas"

Host Katie with Mya (thanks ladies for a fun night!).

Then over the weekend we have some pumpkin carving fun hosted by Kelly and Heidi. Kristine was out of town but the beautiful Isabel joined Traivs and I for the event.

Here she is with her Cinderella pumpkin (stenils can do wonders!).

Travis had a definite hand in the process.

Isable dressed like host Heidi without even planning on it.
A close-up of the pumpkin (and someone's foot!). Thanks ladies for a fun night.

And way to go with all of the orange/pumpkin treats...very creative.

Light the Night Walk

2009-10-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we joined my family in Santa Clarita for the Light the Night fundraiser wallk. Christy was gathering a group to participate in the event.

Me and my child...I mean...my nephew!

The not so happy Brett

The balloons each had lights which looked very cool as we walked the 2 mile loop.

This is How I Close my Summer

2009-09-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Travis at Olive Garden thinking about what unlimited pastas he is going to eat.

Here is Travis seriously contemplating eating another bowl of pasta. His mission that night was to put Olive Garden out of business- in fact it was the other way around.

Here we are at Fiesta Hermosa.

The first ever photograph of the mysterious, reclusive urban coffee monkey. We are submitting it to National Geographic.

Well since my boyfriend is updating my blog and he doesn't really remember the context of this photo, he is going make up a story: Here we are, the top six finalists for the Tour de France. We did a pretty good job with only beach cruisers.

Here we are listening to a concert on the beach.

Here we are riding on the strand, holding each others hand, and soon to crash into the sand because Travis forgot how to ride his bike.

Brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen, you are witnessing a rare occurrence: me eating Asian food.

We had so much fun watching Legally Blonde the Musical in LA. What a great Summer. But I'm sure autumn will be just as nice.

Blog Update

2009-09-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there faithful blog readers. Here is an update on my life.

Travis had the wonderful opportunity of running the Disneyland Half Marathon. He ran under the alias, Hanju Lee. He ran through Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, ran to the Honda Center and through the Angel's baseball field and back through DCA.

I am now officially my mom. Here is a coupon, which my mom is famous for, for Black Angus, which is my mother's one of several favorite eating establishments.

On Monday Matt, Beck, Travis and I rode our bikes to Fiesta Hermosa and stumbled upon Nic and Lyndsay and their lovable pooch, Kobe.

Back-to-School Time

2009-08-30T11:59:00.001-07:00

Do you remember that Staples Back-to-School commercial a few years ago with the dad dancing through the store with the cart singing, "It's the most wonderful time of the year"? Well I do! I have always loved getting my things ready for going Back-to-School (my parents and sister can verify that!). So all of that to say it is that time of year again...

Travis gets the "trooper award" (as always!) for joining me two Saturdays in a row for both the Staples and Office Depot Teacher Days! I love free stuff...so here we are getting some loot and complimentary breakfast treats.

Stephanie gets the "I will help out with just about anything award" for giving of one of her last days of summer to join me in setting up my new middle school classroom. Yes...that is right...I am is teaching middle school math this year! Stephanie and I were in the UCLA Teacher Educaiton Program together and have remained great friends every since.

So about that new classroom...here is a little story. Out front of my new room is a Rabbit Habitat. For those of you who know why I have this look on my face...we will leave it at that. I heard the rabbits are at home for the summer and will be returning soon.

Eveyrone else...if you are confused...ask me sometime.

A special flashback photo from 80s spirit day a few years back. Melissa...I continue to miss you and will always cherish the years we got to teach together!

August Dates With Travis

2009-08-21T13:09:00.001-07:00

We went to Disneyland last night and wore our Disneyland shirts.

Travis and I played tourists the other week. Here we are at the Getty.

Then Travis surprised me by going to dinner at 1 Pico, a swanky Santa Monica restaurant. Well, Travis essentially got kicked out for being under dressed. So we went to Rock 'N Fish and as we waited we took a walk on the pier.

Then the following week we went to Eugene's wedding. Good food and good sweets.

Yosemite Trip

2009-08-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Our first day in the valley. We did 1/4 of a trail called the Four Mile Trail. Alright class, how far did Jen and her boyfriend hike?

We woke up the next day at 3:20am to hike Half Dome. Here is Brandy and Ray at the trail head. It's a good 14-16 mile hike. It was still dark when we started.

As we hiked past a couple waterfalls, a peaceful twilight caressed the valley and soften the explosive power of the falls.

Here is the beginning of what I would call the most miserable moment in the hike. It was getting hot, no shade, I'm tired and there are relentless switchbacks.

Here we are hiking.

Us on the face of Half Dome.

We made it to the top.

Us after the hike.

We had a private section of the Merced River.

As we left Yosemite, we visited some of the oldest California residents, the sequoias.

Yosemite Preview

2009-08-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month Travis and I joined Brandy and Ray in Yosemite. They were on a road trip on their way to move to Chicago so this was a stop on their list of things to do before leaving California.

We climbed half dome (proof below). Travis is much better than I at the poetic blog posts so he is going to give the complete blog update on Yosemite. For now...two pictures to preview...

San Diego and Oceanside - Weekend Fun

2009-07-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend Travis took me on a day trip date to San Diego. He planned some fun spots for us to stop at and relax.
Before that we meet the Ho family for breakfastat Martha's. We celebrated that Kristine is now Dr. Kristine Ho! Congrats! Here she is with her special Dr. Ho placemat.

Stop 1...this cool life in La Jolla. Here I am enjoying the kick back time.

Check out the fine print.

Stop 2: Balboa park...what a place...so much to see and explore.

We had a nice dinner at Prado in the park.

Stop 3: Do you see my excitement. As you know I love sweets so Travis surprised me and took me to...

You need to go to this place isyou have never been there. We walked there to burn a few calories before consuming about 20 times what our walk worked off.

Then we made our way to Oceanside where we spent the rest of the weekend with Travis's family. Here he is with his cousin Nathan enjoying a great day of surfing.

It felt like a mini vacation to just leave the South Bay for a bit.

I love the South Bay but new scenery is always fun!

Here's to 30!

2009-07-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Wow...my 30th Birthday. I have been 30 for a weeek and so far it is pretty good!

Enoying a coffee and cheese danish treat as Travis and I...

wait for my free car wash to be done...

He loves that iphone.

He also loves to take fun pictures. Here Shannon and Travis are grilling it up at my fun Summer, Sunset, and Sangria PARTY!!!

Thank you Ben, Kristine, Isabel, and Caleb for letting me borrow your backyard for the night and being awesome hosts.

Bunco babes rock

A preparty shot to demonstrate how full the car was...thanks Christy for all of your planning and hard work...it was a very special night for me!

Stephanie making the blog!

Special "way to go" to Melissa and Jesse who came up from Huntington Beach after having their new baby boy Jack only 5 days before.

Here is Baby Brett...his face might not show it here but he had a good time!...Before I know it I will be going to his 30th Birthday Party.

Grandpa loves his little boy.

It looks like Shannon likes him too! How can you not!!!

More pictures come soon...I need everyone to send them my way so I can fill the blog with more and more shots of a super fun night!

MT. Lowell Rail Loop Trail Hike

2009-07-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here is another hike post. Travis and I hiked 11.6 miles in the San Gabriel Mountains on the Mt. Lowell Rail Loop. It took us nearly 7 hours.

Guess what inspires us? Let's just say it's not the view of Los Angeles sprawled out 2,000 feet below us.

Travis is calling my friends in Redondo Beach.

We took another trail back down. We traversed through lush forests, deep canyons, trickling creeks all with a breath taking view of LA far below

There were many surreal moments where extreme nature and city life meshed together, such as this shot. Notice the craggy cliff walls, and towering pine trees in the foreground and a bustling city going about its business in the background.

It was strange to imagine that we hiked down from that canyon.

A view from what once was the Lowell Resort. A train traversed the slippery slopes of the San Gabriel mountain side to what was once a very popular resort in the turn of the 19th century.

My Sister's Keeper Movie

2009-07-05T23:26:00.001-07:00

As many of you know I am a fan of Jodi Picoult. When I saw that My Sister's Keeper was going to be a movie I got excited. I am making my way through all of Jodi's books so I went out of order to read this one in June to be ready for the movie.

As I knew it was going to be the movie was different from the book yet I really enjoyed both.

Here is the movie crew...Travis gets the "good sport" award. He not only attended the movie with all ladies...he also read the book in preparation for the movie viewing. Thanks ladies (and Travis) for a fun night.

4th of July - I love holiday weekends!

2009-07-05T23:12:00.001-07:00

On Friday we did the second annual 4th of July weekend "epic" strand bike ride. Our destination was the Omelette Parlor in Santa Monica...it was a hit...check it out!

This was my flag cheesecake. I had seen it in a magazine last year so decided to make it for the fireworks at the Smarts.
This crew watched the El Segundo fireworks from the roof!

In the morning Travis ran the Redondo 5K...he is getting pumped up!

Tim and Sheri are festive and ready to run!

Here is Travis crossing the finish line after meeting his goal of 7 minute miles.

I might not have ran yet I looked "4th of July - ish" for the event.

Brett Time

2009-07-05T23:07:00.001-07:00

So here I am smothering aka loving my nephew Brett. Now that summer is here I get to hangout with him more...we are going to have a weekly date day!

Peaceful and ready to go out in the car.

Baby clothes are so cute!

End of June Fun

2009-06-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Disneyland celebrating my mom's birthday, which was the same year when Disneyland opened, 1955. (Consequently my birthday is on the same day as Disneyland's July 17th). Disneyland runs deep in our veins.

Travis has a love for Mark Twain (the author not the depth of water that makes it permissible for a steam boat to move through) and when he saw this life raft, he decided to take it... and then put it back.

My parents enjoying Disney's quaint Rivers of America.

And you thought of me as a city girl. Well, I ain't. Here is Travis and I at the end of our ten mile hike (round trip).

The hike had lush green, hidden valleys and babbling brooks.

Travis felt adventurous and decided to step out onto the ledge of this cliff. It's a good 70 foot drop behind him. I love the wildness in Travis.

The Random Redondo Beach Pier

2009-06-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Laurie, my very special friend, was here for work for the past week....it is so awesome that she gets to come out from Colorado so often for work and visit. This will be her last trip for a bit because in August Laurie and Sam are expecting their baby boy. We went to dinner at the Redondo Cheesecake Factory and then walked over to the "Fun Factory" at the Redondo Beach Pier.

Why random...I will let you see...

Here we are with the prizes we got for our 3 tokens...each of these was one token each. Here is the ratio...25 tickets = 1 token...it takes quite a bit of game playing to earn some of the fabulous prizes pictured below.

This is the package that our prizes came in.

So remember those prize claw machines...where you move the claw and then drop it down to get a prize. This was one of the stuffed animals available in the machine. If you get down there fast this one might still be available.

Some prizes I am highlighting...these "special lamps" are 25 tokens.

Yes...this carving is 3000 tokens...there are many other prize items to check out as well.

It was a fun experience that we got a bunch of laughs out of.

Travis...enjoys spinney rides. Jen...not so much. Laurie with child...unable to ride.

Tilt-a-Whirl...check that box. Let's just say I will not be doing that again anytime soon. Sorry Travis...you need to find another riding buddy...mom...Christy...I know you two love the spinning rides!

Blog Worthy Moments

2009-06-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

This post it note helps to explain it all. This is the note I left on both of my neighbors' doors.

Here Travis is with his head lamp setting up his new tent.

And here he is testing it out. Overall...he enjoyed the experience and can check the box. He did purchase ear plugs for the event yet said that the sound and light of Chevron (aka the New York skyline) was a little loud and bright.

Back in the kitchen whipping up a breakfast treat. Travis blessed Laurie and I with a brunch. Laurie was here for work and this was a breakfast for her on her last morning in LA.

This afternoon I got to go to Melissa's baby shower in Huntington Beach (and Jessie too). So Melissa is not a big fan of pictures so instead of took a picture of this blog worthy moment. During the gift opening one of the ladies made this gift boutique on the patio table. It was a nice way for Jesse to see all the new fun baby items. Melissa and Jesses's son Jackson is due in June (this is baby season!). I miss you Melissa teaching without my best teaching buddy down the hall is just not the same!

What's Going On...

2009-05-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...where have I been...I have not updated the blog in over 2 weeks. It is getting late yet I told myself I would update the blog tonight so here are a few highlights from the last two weeks...

On Mother's Day Travis, his mom, and I went on a bike ride to have a picnic dinner at the beach. I know I say it all of the time, yet I will say it again...I love living in the South Bay...sunset dinner at the beaches are great!
We celebrated Shannon's birthday with a dinner at a new restuarant that we had been wanting to try. Check out Shannon's blog for some more fun photos!

Travis and I tried the burgers.

Many of my friends are having babies! Melissa is due in July and this month we had a special suprise Baby Bunco night to celebrate!

The BUNCO COW had a special outfit for the night.

We played some shower games too...these girls love games...I love it!

Here is Melissa opening her gifts...she hates attention so this was priceless.

Brett is Here!

2009-05-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Christy and Drew (and the rest of our family!)...welcomed Brett yesterday afternoon at 1:45pm). He was born on May 7th and weighs 5lb 7oz...easy to remember! As you can see from the picture below he is pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Proud parents about 6 hours after he was born.

Our first family shot with Brett

Here we are looking at him in the window a few minutes after birth!

Aunt Jen and Brett...many more pictures to come!

Welcome my New Camera!

2009-05-06T23:36:00.001-07:00

Travis is welcoming my new camera...

As I say goodbye to my old one. Thank you old camera for the memories! We had a good run...yet it is time to say goodbye! You can tell by comparing these two shots that my camera was on its last leg. It even smoked as many of you have witnessed!

Looking forward to future posts!

Dad's Birthday

2009-04-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Living close to my family is great because we get to celebrate together! Last weekend we celebrated my dad's birthday. Here we are at Starbucks enjoying my dad's favorite cakes that we get from a special bakery in Downey. As you can tell from the photo...Travis also likes these special cakes...he is even trying to take a bit out of my dad's cake!

Before that we enjoyed dinner at the Olive Garden...my dad was in Heaven. He loves Olive Garden (me too...salad and breadsticks yum) and they gave him a personal coffee setup (also great becuase he loves coffee!).

After dinner and dessert we surprised my dad by taking him to a play at a local theater in Santa Clarita. We all had a fun night together...birthdays are fun...many more fun celebrations coming up in the next few months!

Lots to Celebrate!

2009-04-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was filled with fun things to celebrate. Before the shower on Saturday we celebrated Travis's birthday in Seal Beach at Hennessey's becuase you get a free meal on your birthday...fun stuff!

Then on Sunday we celebrated again and went to the Blue Bayou at Disneyland. It is that restuarant that we always see when we ride Pirates and say..."we should go there sometime."

While at Disneyland we also celebrated our one year anniversary. It is hard to believe that we have been together for a year! It is always fun to scroll through pictures and see all of the things we have got to do together of this past year.

The theme at Disneyland this year is "Celebrate". They have fun buttons so we got these Happy Anniversay ones. Thank you Travis for being so great to me! You have such a great heart and fun spirit. God knew that I needed a little more of that in my life!

Brett's Baby Shower

2009-04-21T22:51:00.001-07:00

Christy and Drew are getting ready for Brett's arrival. My nephew Brett is due to be born in 4.5 weeks...it is feeling real at this point. On Saturday we celebrated with a shower at the clubhouse of Christy and Drew's complex. It is a great room for an event like that. Here are some shots from the day. My camera seems to be getting worse and worse so as my dad reminded me...I am going to want a good one for the day Brett arrives.

A shot of the room as we were setting things up.

Mom, Michelle, Christy (Brett too!), and I

If I was giving out prizes for the most creative gift I would have awarded one of my cousin Rinda for this super cute Welcome Baby Moses Basket!

The cupcake tier made by Christy's friend...they were yummy!

Showers are always so fun to me and this one was super special. It was fun planning the details and putting in the personal touches for Christy and Drew. I am so happy for them!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T18:31:00.001-07:00

He is Risen! Today I woke up at 3:15am for the start of Easter Sunday. Taylor, Meredith, and I went to the sunrise service at the Hollywood Bowl. It is amazing how quickly you can park and walk through the tunnel to the bowl at 5:15am!

A little later in the day I went down to Newsong to go to church with Travis and see him in action at work.

Tomorrow is back to work after a week of spring break. I need to take more pictures...I cannot believe I do not have any photos from the week. Highlights of the week included a hair cut, dinner with my family, a double date to the movies, riding bikes, and sleeping in a bit (8am is sleeping in when that is the time that the bell usually rings at!).

Playing Ketchup On My Life

2009-03-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

Travis took me on a delightful date at the Americana. A year ago when we first started dating, he went to the opening night and ever since then this was a much coveted date spot for us.

Travis had an amazing Blue Cheese burger at Granville Cafe. It was one of the best burgers Travis and I ever tasted. No ketchup in this photo.

Here is me with my blue cheese and chicken pizza. I don't look too ecstatic on the outside, but on the inside I was quivering at the knees with excitement. Thank goodness I was sitting. No ketchup in this one either.

But then, afterward, there it was: standing in a golden glow of goodness was Crumbs Cupcake shop. I was so happy to grab one of their sweet Red Velvet cupcakes. Travis and I scouted the entire Americana for milk to wash down this rich delight. Eventually we indulged ourselves on the lawn as we watched the fountain show. We didn't put ketchup on the cupcake.

Jumping a week ahead, my mom and dad came down last night (that being Friday) and visited Travis and me. We went to the beach and had a picnic with pasta, salad, garlic bread and fruit as our food. Sorry, no ketchup here as well.

Here are the apple turnovers I made. So simple, so delicious, so mouth water inducing. Give me a holla and I'll give you the recipe. No ketchup was used during the baking process.

Just as a sunset concluds the day, the picture of last night's sunset will conclude this blog post- do you see ketchup anywhere in the picture?

Ten Divided by Two (aka Five) on Tuesday

2009-03-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

I have never done a Ten on Tuesday post so I thought today was a perfect day. I feel so behind on blog posting so I thought I would share ten things to give you all a few updates and to share what I have been up to.

1. My Disneyland pass is about to expire...oh no! So on Sunday we took another trip there!

2. Here we are on the teacups. I don't ride the teacups (I get sick from the spinning) and Travis loves them. So why did I ride them? Travis made up a game called Disney Chess. Where do you want to go next. He picks a ride/something to do then mine turn. You only get one veto...so when he went to the teacups I didn't want to ride to use my veto so I thought why not go for a spin.

3. Year 3 Bunco in Vegas! Kristine, Kelly and I have been to all three.

Our group has expanded...this year we had 7 girls rolling dice in Vegas!

4. Here we are at our first tournament. We get fun shirts each year. Kristine and Ben are awesome and designing them.

5. Last but not least...Today marks Shanifer's 3rd Anniversary. Shannon is one of my best friends who knows me so well. We became friends last year when we started doing social events together (in the process we birthed the name Shanifer...Shannon plus Jennifer equals Shanifer!). Check our her blog link for more of the story!

Registering is so FUN!

2009-03-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we celebrated Christy's birthday...but before that Christy, Drew, and I went to register at Babies R Us. I have a random obsession with baby products (I am just fascinated with what is out there) and did some research with many of my mommy friends out there. The three of us spent three hours in the store....quite a process!

Christy is on bed rest so she got to take advantage of the fancy wheelchairs at Babies R Us.

They also took advantage of the expecting mother's parking. I also pull in those spots before I read the sign and then have to repark.

Happy Birthday Christy!

Boys Can Bake Too

2009-03-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

Travis has been talking about making homemade cinnamon rolls for awhile now. So on Saturday morning he gathered his ingredients together and made some yummy cinnamon rolls (with cream cheese frosting!) from scratch.

Many of you know that I love to bake and love all of my baking tools. Travis enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of my baking kitchen.

Putting the mixer on the Kitchen Aid can be quite an art.

This technique of cutting the dough with thread is something I learned in middle school foods class. I have a secret (or not so secret desire) to teach a cooking elective someday.

They are ready for the oven!

Breakfast is Travis's favorite meal of the day so his cinnamon roll brunch (was very exciting)!

Triple Date at Disneyland

2009-02-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

A Friday night at Disneyland is always a fun way to start the weekend. The Smarts had a chance to get into the park last night so us passholders (the Harts, Travis, and I) joined them for a night at the park. This is such a classic Disney photo spot that I thought we should take a photo for the blog!

On Pirates...did you know that ride is 15min? Well it is...we timed it last night.

Colorado Weekend

2009-02-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

Now that it is the weekend again I have a chance to tell you about last weekend's fun weekend (I am allowed to use the word weekend that many times in one sentence?!!!)

We went to Colorado to visit Laurie and Sam and went snowboarding on Saturday. Laurie and Sam are expecting their first child in August (exciting!). All of that to say that Sam was our tour guide for the slopes since Laurie is not able to ski right now.

We enjoyed our relaxation time at Laurie and Sam's ski condo. They introduced us to "Ticket to Ride" aka "The Train Game" (Sam will only refer to it by that name!).

The game board...pretty intense stuff!

Travis ready for a snow shoeing adventure!

A Rainy Weekend

2009-02-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone in California enjoyed the rainy one minute / sun shining the next minute weekend. So what to do on a rainy night...why not go out to dinner at a fancy place...

that is right...we thought this was a blog worthy moment as we enjoyed Western Bacon Burgers at Carls Jr...good stuff! I enjoy wearing fun scarves and vests in the cold yet I am dreaming back to last summer and how fun it is to play in the sun.

Here are two flashback photos that remind me of the summer months I love so much...

Disneyland Challenges

2009-01-29T22:12:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago...we went with Krista and David to Disneyland. The low of the day was the super long parking line...the high of the day was the fun little "Disneyland Challenges" that we created...

Here we are for the funny face photo challenge. We had to pose and do a funny face at the picture spot on California Screamin'.
David and Krista enjoyed these winner churros for winning the Toy Story Mania Challenge.

New York

2009-01-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here is me emerging from the slimy recesses called New York Subway. Actually the underground transportation system was quite pleasant. I got a free coffee from it. This is us emerging out onto the city for the first time.

Murray's Bagel's. Nice and delicious.

"Where shall we go next?" You know me, Miss. Map Lady.

The little chapel that stood- St. Paul's Chapel. Right next to the WTC. George Washington worshiped here when he was president.

This is where the WTC once stood. We went into a museum about that infamous day.

Then we went to the Statue of Liberty. This is how far we got, unless we wanted to spend 4 hours just getting close to her and then our only day at NYC would have been shot.

We walked through a wintry wonderland in Central Park.

Magnolia's cupcakes. Love em'. So did half of New York City. The line was really long.

We concluded our visit at New York on top of the Empire State Building.

Here is another shot on top of the ESB. I put in another picture to get our whopping $20 per person elevator ride's worth.

Our Trip to Connecticut

2009-01-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

First plane trip together.

We visited Mark Twain's house in a snow storm. Hardly any one was there. Very intimate. Travis loved it. Mark Twain is one of his favorite authors.

On Mark Twain's porch where he once lounged on. After our tour, we were all by ourselves on the Mark Twain grounds.

We had New Year's Eve on the east coast at my cousin's house.

April, one of my cousins, and her husband took us out through the country side and we saw this coverd bridge and drank very yummy hot coco.

Here are my cousin's adorable boys.

Here we all are at Cracker Barrel. I love my Pawlak family back east.

Christmas Week...

2009-01-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

I have so many fun photos to share that were taken over the last two weeks. Travis and I went on a trip to the east coast to visit my family. I will blog about that sometime soon...so many fun times with my cousins and their kids! I love them so much and miss them already.

Yet before that...we had a great Christmas week...here are a few highlights...

We went on a Christmas date which started at a garden in Newport Beach which had so many great lights and holiday decorations.

The day after Christmas we went out in search of a Wii...my mom wanted one so we thought why not try to find one. Travis actually found it at GameStop. Here is my sister and my dad...we were surprised to even find one.

The big news in our family is...

Yep that is right...Christy and Drew are having a baby boy.
They are due in May and I cannot wait to meet him. I am so excited and talk all the time about how I cannot wait to be an aunt.

The sign I made for the shot.
Stay tuned for more posts on our trip...it was a great week!

Christmas Time Part Duex

2008-12-24T15:05:00.000-08:00

Here we are, Travis, me, Melissa and her hubby Jessie (Travis is taking picture), on a ferry from Balboa penensula to the island where our Christmas adventures await.

After a delightful stroll around the beautifully decorated Balboa island, we grabbed some hot starbucks and got cozy on the strand to watch boats donned with some of the most elaborate lights on a boat I have ever seen.

Can you believe it, under all those lights is a nautical vessle? This yacht was seen from a good mile away blazing with its neon lights and other worldy aura.

Here is best sailboat in show.

Travis and I went to Adam and Angela's for a little Christmas party. This is how we dressed.

Utah Pics Part Two Ladies and Gentlemen

2008-12-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

This is at the beginning of our 2 mile acent to where angels dwell among mortals... well Zion likes to call it Angel's Landing.

Can someone say "sudden death?" The cliffs were steep and the drops were high. I wasn't that nervous.

"Yup, we're going to hike that."

A neat little section of the trail.

Here is Walter's Wiggels. No it was not named after a guy from a children's program. But we did see a little child all by himself right before the Wiggels section. Maybe the parents thought anything with the name "Wiggels" is babysitting material.

This is Travis and I before our 1/2 mile on the famous spine of a thin ridge.

Would you still hike this trail when you see a sign like this?

A little scary section here. It's a 1,000 drop on both sides.

You need chains to climb most sections or one slip and one would truly be dwelling among angels.

Overall it was a beautiful hike that I will never forget.

More Holiday Happenings...

2008-12-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

On Friday night my parents came over to see some of the great holiday sites in the South Bay. We went to C&O for dinner (they had never been there) and then went to see the lights in "deep" Torrance and on Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo.

We borrowed Santa's sleigh at Candy Cane lane for a quick photo shoot!

Manhattan Beach Christmas Fireworks

2008-12-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight we biked to the annual Manhattan Beach Fireworks...it was quite a show.

We enjoyed the coziness on the sand.

Travis got sleepy and cold so made himself and wrap to keep warm.

Shannon and I took our annual fireworks friend shot!

This is a flashback photo from 2006!

The Cutest Gift Tree EVER!

2008-12-14T21:58:00.001-08:00

So is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen. I was lucky that I was Melissa's secret bunco pal. At Christmas bunco on Monday night she gave me this super cute gift tree. She incorporated so many of my favorite things.

Christmas at Disneyland

2008-12-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Here are more Christmas blog posts as promised...We love our Disneyland passes as you all know and this Friday was our last chance to visit the park for the holidays.

It's a small world has been redone and looked amazing all lit up.

The castle was also sporting a great deal of flair.

Here we are with Travis's mom, my parents, and their good friends.

In summary...Disneyland was decked out...the castle had more lights and glitter than ever before...It's a Small World...and then there was my dad...

with his holiday hat! He is one of my most faithful blog readers...thanks dad I love you and your enthusiasm!

Christmas is HERE!

2008-12-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

I love that there are so many fun things to do at Christmas. I wish there was just more time. Yet you know me...I will try to do as much as I can. So this is the first of what I hope to be many fun holiday posts!

Friday night was Journey to Bethelem (an awesome event at my church) and get a tree night!

Travis is always coming up with funny picture ideas...me not so much!

New tree...same window!

check out that holiday picture

On Saturday mom, Travis, and I joined the Outlet at Christmas at the Oaks. It is a service opportunity my church participates in every year...it was a fun day.

Camping for Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Travis and I went on a camping trip to Gooseberry Mesa, Utah with some of his mountain biking friends. Here is the first set of pictures from the trip...more to come soon from Edgar (our tech camping specialist!). The following pictures show the sunny portion of the trip. The majority of our first few days were spent in the car and in the tent becuase it was raining hour after hour. Yet it ended up giving us plenty of reading and resting time.

Some pretty high cliffs...they look more frightening in photos than in real life!
So fun to be bundled up in jackets and beanies. This is my favorite picture from the trip.

So this photo highlights one of my less finer moments. Let's just say there were no restrooms, showers, etc...we were roughing it. I will let you figure out with the special orange shovel is for.

So I went on a little moutain bike ride. I was nervous and not very confident. The more advanced riders (Travis and Edgar) were patient and helpful. The right gear and a sweet borrowed bike also helped to make the fire road ride nice. I would do it again.

Knott's Berry Farm Day

2008-11-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

So you are thinking...do Travis and Jen go anywhere elsethsi besides amusement parks! We do yet past Saturday we did visit Knott's Berry Farm with Travis's dad. There is a special Veteran's Day discount that we were able to use.

What else is fun to do in line then practice taking "selfy" pictures?

Travis loves the spinning, thrill rides...he spun the Mexican hat ride like nothing I had ever seen. I watched from outside the ride. This is his getting a supreme face on for supreme scream.
I think this is the look my sister claims I often do in pictures.

Don't worry...we did eat chicken from the chicken house for lunch...that just did not make it on the camera. I love that place!

Travis's New Ride...

2008-11-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

Just about a week ago Travis got a new car! He deserved it after driving his Civic for many years. He loved his car and will love the new one just as much as time goes on. Now we both have Mazdas...pretty cute! Ask him about the fax attack...it works!

What I have been up to...

2008-11-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

First let me apologize for being a little tardy on updating the blog. I am taking a quick break from school work to tell you a few things that I have been up to...

A few Wednesdays ago our small group took a field trip to the grocery store to pickup a few things for a service project. It was so fun becuase we were all able to go in one vehicle and then make a yogurt stop on the way home.

t The weekend before last I went away for a weekend in D.C. I went to visit Trina (who I have been friends with since junior high lives in D.C.) and met up with Laurie who was going to D.C. to see her friend Jill (and Rachel) run a marathon. All of that to say we all enjoyed a weekend away.

Laurie and I made it to six stops on the marathon route. Laurie has run a few marathons herself so she was a great one to figure out where to be when. She tought of fun rhymes for the signs.

Here are the marathon runners.
A fall weekend in D.C...so fun!

October Bunco

2008-10-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight was October Bunco...Katie hosted a great night...thanks Heidi...here are the highlights!

Here is the group picture of those of us who had festive attire on!

The appetizer spread and decorations

Tonight was Melissa's birthday...here she is opening her new orange tank top (orange and black are her new school colors).

Kelly (the official bunco Vice-President) passed out the secret bunco pal gifts. The theme was recycle/regift...there were some good ones.

I got this fancy gear from the Palms Hotel in Vegas...good stuff...this bag is almost a cooler (it is insulated).

Kirsten and Heidi had some of the best costumes of the night.

These were the tags Lisa's on her secret bunco pal gifts. They were so cute they needed to go on the blog. Her bunco pal gave her the dollar gift and the recycle gift...the tags were so appropriate.

Cell Phone DAY!

2008-10-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Yes...Cell Phone Day...

This picture says it all. After spending 3 hours in the AT&T store on Saturday. My parents, Travis, and I now have new phones. It was so funny that we were carrying around a total of 8 phones between 4 people. The guy at the AT&T store deserves his 5 star customer service report after dealing with us!

So Travis and I have I-Phones....I cannot believe I have one. It just kinda happended. I love being able to have the internet on the go and as Travis convinced me...if that is the case then the I-phone is where it is at. We will see...I am trying to adjust to things and see if I can make this big leap in the area of technology.