One Year Already?!?

Today marked one year since I started my current job in the Dean's Office... Time flies!!!

Exciting Call this morning!!!

I got a surprise and lovely call from my Maid of Honor, Kelly!!!  I was soo happy getting her call all the way from Botswana!!!  I was/still am in such a happy mood after a 43 minute phone call.  It just made my week!  We'll be planning her trip to come for my big day, one of the things I am willing to do whatever it takes to get her to be there by my side.  Aww, I love her!!!

Winter Closure 2010

What did I do during the 2 week holiday closure??

Day 1 - wedding dress shopping in BH and Northridge w/ sean and heather (boys did their own thing); kbbq dinner and bowling w/ my grade school friends
Day 2 - wedding dress shopping in Pasadena
Day 3 - stay home to do chores (and to avoid 3 straight days of driving in the pouring rain)
Day 4 - wedding dress shopping in Torrance, Glendale, and Pasadena; dinner date in Glendale
Day 5 - run errands, picked up little brother and his gf to go up to my sister's to pray
Day 6 - fly out in the am to go to the east coast [left home at 7:45am (pacific time) and got to philly between 8-9pm (eastern time)]
Day 7 - drive down to wilmington, nc
Day 8 - 11 - spent quality time w/ emmanuell's relatives for the holidays [good company, yummy food, and lots of love]
Day 12 - drove back to philly
Day 13 - kbbq lunch w/ shandy (expensive!), spent evening exploring the mall til dinner
Day 14 - breakfast/brunch w/ a few of emmanuell's friends; stayed in the rest of the day
Day 15 - left the house at 4:30am (eastern time) for early flight back home, got to LA at 1pm (pacific time); got ready to go up to see my sister; went to arcadia to meet up w/ my friends til after midnight
Day 16 - stayed home to clean and do chores 

overall, a busy break!

Happy New Year!

What we did on New Year's 2011:
4:30am eastern time (1:30am pacific time) - go to PHL airport
1pm - at Burbank airport
1:40pm - get home to drop off luggage & shower
3:30pm - in Lancaster to spend time and have dinner w/ a few of my siblings and the kids
9:15pm - leave Lancaster
10:20pm - in Arcadia to meet up with some of my friends
12am - head home

up for 24+ hours!!

Best of 2010

Highlights/Best of 2010:
- promoted to a better job
- completed 3 half marathons (2 of which were within 2 weeks of each other), earning the Cali Dreamin' medal, and setting a new personal record
- engaged to the love of my life
- first time taking a vacation from work
- engagement photos (in Hawai'i!!)
- FUN times at Paul Mitchell Estates!
- various mini-trips - Philly/Brooklyn, Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco
- my xmas present for Emmanuell - date at a resort
- finding my wedding dress
- spending xmas with Emmanuell's extended family
- setting a date (assuming the venue works)!!!

I'm excited to see what 2011 will bring.  Happy New Year everyone!! =)

Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving was at my sister's house again.  We decided to sleep over Wednesday night so we could help out.  On the plus side, we got to spend more time w/ the kids.  The down side was that it went down to 21 degrees that night!  Anyway, overall, it was alright.  I did miss my sister and her family a lot, so it is always nice to go up there to spend time w/ them.  I don't know... things just seem different w/ everyone else.  I guess I've been sensing that for a while... since being engaged actually.  I guess things don't feel the same as they used to, at least compared to last year.  I don't know what it is.  Maybe I notice how my sister is the only one asking about wedding plans and such.  No one else has mentioned anything about our engagement in person.  Come to think of it, my oldest brother still never acknowledged my engagement when I told him.  Oh well, I suppose.  I don't know if these reactions should be expected.  It just makes me think at times since my friends still bring it up.  I think that was one thing that irritated me on Thanksgiving being w/ my family.  I'm just glad Emmanuell stood by me so I didn't feel alone (which wasn't the first time feeling that way).

I had a doctor's appointment Friday morning to get tested for thyroid disease.  It was 2.5 yrs overdue, but I finally did it.  After that, we decided to kill some time by going to get crepes in BH and then did some shopping at VS.  They had the stuff I wanted!  I guess that was my "Black Friday" shopping altho there weren't really any great deals.  However, I did take home a huge VS tote w/ some goodies.  After that, we headed to Downtown to celebrate my friend Steven's birthday at Bottega Louie.  The food was good.  There were some issues in terms of being short on the bill.  I ended up covering an additional $10.  That was annoying, but whatever.  We headed back home to just hang out, watched the Lakers game, and had dinner.  Then came Saturday.  We got up to make pancakes before carpooling w/ Steven down to Rancho Cucamonga for shopping.  We met up w/ a couple friends before heading to Ontario for more shopping.  We had a late lunch/dinner at Rainforest Cafe before heading back home.  It was fun.  We each left w/ at least an item.  I bought some tops for work (I've been waiting for them to go on sale!) and found a couple of frames.  It was a fun day hanging out.  Even tho the SD plan fell through, I'm glad he had fun for his bday wknd.  After we dropped off Steven at his car, we swapped cars and headed out to West LA to hang out w/ some friends for a kbbq night.  We ended up getting home fairly late.  What a LONG day! 

I'm sure we're planning to stay in today (Sunday) just to relax and enjoy the end of the 4-day weekend.  I believe it's a good way to end the Thanksgiving break.  I am thankful for the love and support from family and friends.  I am thankful for having a job and a roof over my head.  Last but not least, I am thankful for having an amazingly wonderful fiance who cares for me, appreciates me, respects me, supports me, cherishes me, and loves me for who I am.  Thank you babe.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

another month...

today marks 65 months...