Video Save the Dates

With all this free time on my hands, I've had extra time to get lost in the wedding world online. Apparently video save the dates are in now, and are all the rage. Who knew?! So I did some searching around to see what the fuss was all about, and this is what I found...



Talk about awesome! Please do not expect anything this good from us. I may be creative, and can figure my way through most computer programs, but I'm not that good with iMovie!

So what will we use as save the dates? Traditional cards? Postcards? Magnets? A video? Message in a bottle? Maps? Tickets? Handkerchiefs? Wine bottles? Flip flops? The possibilities are endless! Trust me...I've spent many hours looking at all the different ideas out there. But only time will tell.

In other wedding news, there may be another location in the running for our big day. Another ranch with a barn and Victorian house. We're going to try to check it out next weekend. We're getting pretty close to booking so stay tuned to see who the winner is and what the big date will be!

Sick...

...of being sick! I'm still sick. Yep, same cold that started right before New Years. For a few days it looked like I was going to get better, but then the weekend hit and it was back to being miserable again. Yes, I've been taking Airborne, and Emergen-C, and vitamins, and pumping water, and taking meds, and getting lots of rest. I think this is just what happens when you work with little kids under the age of 3 during the winter. You get sick. Half our kids aren't even showing up because they're sick. Pick any of the little ones running around with neon green snot running out of their nose, and they're to blame for my current condition.

So right now I've got a bright red raw nose from wiping/blowing it so stinking much, a deep manly voice (when I have any voice left at all), that annoying "I cough whenever I even think of laughing" thing going on, and that overall look of "Hi...I'm sick." I'm ready to be over this. My CI is bringing all her tricks tomorrow for me to try. Something about anti-ox(idants?) shots. I'm hoping they're more like the alcohol shot vs. hypodermic kind.

Last week I started what I have coined The WDW...otherwise known as The Wedding Diet & Workout. Now that the dress is on the way, and the wedding is (finally) next year, it's time to actually start acting like a bride. Ok, not super crazy like on Bridezillas, but you know, actually like I'm getting married soon instead of talking about it being so far away and having all the time in the world. I started going to the gym, have been eating salads everyday, am drinking more water, and started getting into a routine. And then I started feeling terrible again (see above). Go figure. I've been taking the last few days off to try to let my body rest, but hopefully will be back in soon.

Last weekend I went home again to my parents' house to help un-decorate. We also were determined to sort through all the Christmas stuff and separate our ornaments and re-organize all the boxes. It ended up looking like Santa threw up in the living room, but we got most of it done before I left. Hope it wasn't too bad to finish Mom!

The rotation is going well, despite being sick. I love the little kids, and their booger-filled noses too! I pretty much play all day, and try to incorporate PT into their play time. For example, get the kid to go from sitting to standing while reaching for the ball to help improve lower extremity strength. It is a definite change from my last 2 rotations, with probably the best schedule ever. And I'm already in my 3rd week...yikes!

Well, I should be going to bed, being sick and all. Hope everyone is staying healthy, since I sure don't seem to be able to. I'm hoping this doesn't turn into the non-stop sickness from last year...Thanksgiving to March again? No thank you!

New Years...

Good-bye 2009...make room for 2010! I really can't believe how quickly 2009 came and went, let alone the entire decade for that matter!

I ended 2009 by stopping in T.O. on my way up to SLO. On Thursday my mom and I headed down to good 'ol Beverly Hills to go wedding dress shopping. Not that we wanted to shop in that area per say, more that the particular store I wanted to go to was located in Beverly Hills. Well, long story short...I said yes to the dress! I am super excited and can't believe that I did it this early on (believe me the thought crossed my mind more than once), but I was worried that this particular dress that I had fallen in love with way back in May was going to get discontinued. Turns out I was still in love with it (no other dress in the store compared), and I decided to just go for it. So I ordered on the small(er) side betting on me losing weight over the course of the next year and a half (wedding diet effective starting tomorrow), and it should be here in 4-6 months!

After that I headed the rest of the way up to SLO, just in time to get a cold. Not how I pictured spending New Years Eve, but I guess that's what happens when you work with little kids. So we went to bed around 10:30, woke back up at 11:55 to watch the ball drop, had our New Years kiss at midnight, and went back to sleep. We're such party animals! Then I spent the first day of the new decade in and out of sleep on the couch while Jeff watched football all day. We didn't do much the whole weekend due to my wonderful timing of getting sick, but Jeff sure did try to nurse me back to health. Thanks sweetie! We did go see Sherlock Holmes, which was pretty good. We cooked some yummy meals together, and laid low the rest of the weekend.

Now I'm back in Tustin and have settled back in. Looking forward to spending more time with the cute kids. Although, I'll probably have to work more than 10 hours this week! :) Hope everyone had a great New Years, and stay healthy!

Christmas' galore and #100..

Christmas has come and gone. All four Christmas' to be exact. Our first celebration was with Jeff's extended family on the Sunday before Christmas. Lots of people and good food, and for an added bonus...the Chargers won! We had a sleepover with the Mitas family, and went out to breakfast at The Original Pancake House. I strongly recommend you go there if you ever get the chance. It was amazing! Be sure to bring your appetite though...the portions are definitely not on the skimpy side.

Then on Tuesday we headed down to Melissa & Derek's for an early Christmas celebration with them. Yay presents!



Then we went to the San Diego Zoo for Jungle Bells, where they light up the zoo with Christmas lights. It was freezing! Even the animals shivered under their heat lamps for warmth!


But it was still fun to see some of the animals and the pretty lights even though we were there for just a few hours.




Then we headed back to T.O. for even more Christmas celebrations! We even snuck in a visit with Jeff's grandparents and Uncle Larry! We spent Christmas Eve at my Oma's house for a yummy dinner of tamales and yet more presents. (No pictures on my camera of this one!)

Christmas day was spent at my parents' house, and the rest of the relatives came to us. We got to talk to my sister in the morning and hear about their celebrations. Good to hear from you Tori...we miss and love you! Then we opened stockings, ate yummy Kringle (we would have loved some of those Kolaches to go with it Melissa!), opened more presents (including my new camera which I still haven't used yet...oops!), stuffed ourselves with turkey, and opened the nativity that my Gam painted many many years ago. And guess who got the Baby Jesus?! Congrats Jeff! No pictures of this day on my camera either...get them from my mom!

Then Sunday Jeff and I parted ways again. He headed back up to SLO to attempt to meet his deadlines for the end of the year, and I am currently in Tustin and have started my 3rd rotation. The clinic I am working at is in Cypress by Knott's Berry Farm and is about a 15-20 minute drive from where I'm living. I'm about 5-10 minutes from Disneyland, and you can hear the fireworks every night! I am only 2 days into this rotation, but I can tell it's going to be very different from my other ones. On Mondays we do home visits or individual sessions, so yesterday we were at a park and only had 1 appointment...meaning I only had to work for 1 hour on my first day! Today we were at the actual center, and did group sessions since both our individual sessions cancelled for today...meaning I was done before noon! Woohoo! I know it won't be like this every day, but my CI doesn't work past 3:30 now that she has a daughter. Not a bad way to end my rotations! :)

And believe it or not, this is my 100th post! I can't believe I've written that many times! Thanks everyone for reading this and making it worth my while. I hope I've made it worth your effort to read it. You know I love all your comments! Here's to 100 more!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and have a fun, but safe, New Year! See you in 2010!

10 days 'til X-Mas...

This past weekend was Jeff's company x-mas party at the Madonna Inn. I'm sad to say this is the first time I've actually been inside the pink landmark despite living in SLO for so long. They did a wonderful job creating a winter wonderland, with shades of frosty blue and silver everywhere. They even took pictures like at prom which were ready for us by the end of the night, and had a musician/comedian. Here's our non-professional version...


And I also won our table's centerpiece. Meet Frosty!


Tomorrow I'll be heading back down to T.O. You'd think I'd have things packed up by now, but no. I've been running errands, wrapping presents, and being in complete denial that my time here in SLO is already over. I hope everything will fit!

Well, I guess I should get to packing. But I will leave you with this jewel of a video. For your holiday entertainment...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Catching up...

...and getting into the holiday spirit. So I know I kind of disappeared off the face of the earth for a little bit there so I'll try to catch everything back up.

Thanksgiving was spent with Jeff's family. 32 people and 3 turkeys with all the side dishes and lots of dessert. Coming from a small-ish family, these get togethers are often hard for me to wrap my head around simply because of the large head count. They always end up being a lot of fun and never seem to stress anyone out...or at least they hide it well. :) I must say Susie pulled off an amazing schindig and everything went off without a hitch, in spite of the 90º weather! Way to go Susie!


The rest of the holiday weekend was spent at Jeff's parents' house in Murrieta with Melissa, Derek and Grady. We even took Grady out to experience his first Black Friday, even though none of us scored any awesome deals. We tried to keep Jeff's dad company as he was recovering from his recent eye surgery. Hope you're feeling better Mike! And of course a lot of time was spent crawling around on the floor with that cutie of a nephew of ours.


Jeff and I also helped set up the (fake) christmas tree. Pre-lit trees sound like a good idea, but finding all the little cords to attach together again is not so easy! Nevertheless, it was a good way to jump start the holiday season.

Since I last posted, I have finished my second rotation. I can't believe how quickly these past 8 weeks flew by! I learned a lot and know that my manual techniques have vastly improved. I also got invited to the company xmas party, which was this past weekend. Of course I brought my camera and didn't take any pictures...story of my life. Being the 2nd student ever to be invited, I took this as a huge honor. I got a bunch of really sweet cards and presents from my patients too. All in all, I would consider this rotation a success, no matter which way you look at it!

My next rotation will be at a pediatrics clinic in Cypress near Knott's Berry Farm. I'll be staying with an alumni from our program who also helps teach some of the labs at school. He and his wife have generously offered to let me stay in their guest bedroom. They live about 20 minutes from the clinic, and I am so grateful for not having to find a place to live.

So this week I've been a lazy bum, and have been loving it! I could get used to not working! And it's been a good thing that I haven't had to go anywhere with the crazy downpours we've been having! I'll be heading back to T.O. sometime next week, schlepping all my stuff back down. Jeff's company xmas party is this weekend, so maybe I'll actually take pictures this time! :) So sad we're missing Bake Day again this year! I'll just have to bake on my own to make up for it.

Hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit and getting all their shopping done...only 2 more weekends left! Since I don't get a tree up here in SLO (because I "won't be here to take it down"), I guess decorating the blog in holiday cheer will have to suffice. Happy December everyone!

Happiness is...

peet's coffee, a hot-out-of-the-oven cowboy cookie, wearing a t-shirt and driving with the windows down...




a week before thanksgiving...




how i love the slo life...