Twelve Days of Christmas

This year Gabe and I decided to surprise our good friends, with a little something everyday for 12 days. We started on Dec.13 and made our final delivery on Christmas eve.

Each day we left the surprise with a number and a little note attached saying. " on the 1st day of Christmas my true friend gave to me"... And then the rest of the saying went along with whatever we gave them.



The first day we left some homemade sugar cookies and caramel corn and said " some yummy treats to share with your family"

Day 2



"There are so many reese's why we like you and hope your Christmas is merry and bright"

Day 3



"we wash you a merry Christmas"

Day 4



"wrap yourself in a wonderful holiday season"

Day 5
This day brought a challenge because our friends gate code changed and I couldn't wait around as I had to get home and leave for the airport in a few short hours.



" sending clean and sparkling Christmas wishes your way"

Day 6 and 7 ( were combined because we were out of town and had to deliver when we got back)



"save your energy by letting us do your dishes this holiday season"

Day 8
This day I thought I was caught as our friend called and asked if it was me....but I played dumb and well they say that they gave up thinking it was me..



"thanks for being a lifesaver lately"

Day 9



"wishing you a scrumptious Christmas with homemade caramel autumn spice dip"

Day 10



"friends are the magic of the season"

Day 11



"take note we are thinking of you this holiday season"

Day 12
I didn't get a picture of it, but we left their favorite wine, beer, roll of cookie dough and a card letting them know we were their little Christmas elves.

"everyone could use some extra drinks and dough around the holidays"

We had a blast doing this and Mike and Sharon said they enjoyed getting the surprises everyday and trying to figure out who was leaving these little gifts!

Can't wait to surprise another family next year!

Christmas

Wow we can't believe Christmas has come an gone. This year we were lucky enough to have my mom, sister, and brother in law visit. This visit was long overedue, since we hadn't seen Alyssa and Chris since our wedding! They were here for a week, and what a fast week it was.
Gabe and Chris were able to golf twice and play lots of games on the Wii. Mom, Alyssa, and I enjoyed pedicures, shopping and lunch at Serendipity.



Our beautiful tree, and yes everyone was spoiled including baby L.



Makena got lots of new toys and treats!



Mom was very excited and surprised by her pink iPod!



And Alyssa by her green iPod!



Chris loved 007 for the Wii. I think gabe was secretly hoping he would forget it when he left today!



Gabe with his one request, a white TN hat with an orange T.



He also loved his wolf pack champion shirt....



And his SF giants world series champ shirt!

Personally, I think I got the best gift of all. As if my family coming for Christmas wasn't enough, Gabe surprised me with this...



No not just an apple case....



An iPad! I really think this could be the coolest present I've ever gotten.




Alyssa, Me, and Mom the night before they left



I swear gabe is happy about baby L despite the serious look.

We are so thankful to have had such a wonderful Christmas week. Also, I'm so happy because Gabe is working from home, which means he will be here through the new year.

Lastly, we are still amazed that in 6 weeks or so, we will be blessed with our new bundle of joy! We know this time is going to fly as our next few weeks are extremely busy.

We hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season as much as we did!!

PAINT SURPRISE

Ever think you have the best friends in the whole wide world?!?!?! Well, I'm sorry to tell you I think my friends are better than yours..just kidding. Anyways, our friends Sharon and Mike have been nothing but helpful and so excited for us since we told them we were expecting! Sharon, immediately started planning my baby shower, which will no doubt be the best EVER! Since they own their own painting business, Mike then offered to paint Baby L's room! Gabe and I were so blessed with this gift because neither of us have the patience, motivation, or will to paint a room.

As you know Thanksgiving weekend Gabe and his dad finished the crown moulding in the nursery, so the next step was PAINT! I had brought the crib bedding to Mike and Sharon a few weeks ago and with their expert advice of course the first paint sample they picked matched perfectly! That alone would have taken Gabe and I several trips to home depot to find just the right color. Every day Gabe would ask 'so has Sharon said when Mike wants to paint"? Every day I would tell him "no this week they are busy, out of town, etc"

Well this past Wednesday Sharon calls and says Mike wants to paint tomorrow, what do you think. What do I think? I think heck yah this is the best news I've had all week! Yippee! Like clockwork Gabe asks his usual question about when it was going to be done and my response to him tonight was a little fib because I said oh i don't know Mike's out of town this week ( which was true, until he decided not to go).

Thursday, while I was at work Mike came over and painted everything.... Crown moulding and base boards, the walls, and my bookshelves. So, 3.5 hrs later (told ya he's a professional) I came skipping in from work to find this.....






Gabe, came home Friday afternoon and first thing he says when he walks in is "Why does it smell like paint in here"? Hahaha he has a good sniffer...so I said well Mike was here!! He went into the room and was like a kid in a candy store. He was looking around in disbelief and couldn't stop saying this is awesome but I thought Mike was out of town this week. Hahaha I just laughed and said well he didn't go, so yesterday I came home to everything done and looking amazing!

Saturday, Gabe decided he would put the fan up! Well after blaming me for leaving the switch on, and getting shocked twice...we have this....



Sorry to go on so long about paint...but really if you only knew how happy this made us both you would understand!

Thank you Mike and Sharon for making Baby L's room absolutely PERFECT! We couldn't ask for better friends than you guys! We can't say thank you enough... we love you both!

December 1st

OK..so where has the time gone?!!?!? I couldn't believe it when I had to write December 1st on everything today. This set me into a slight tizzy when I realized I didn't have a Christmas wreath to hang on the door. So, immediately after work I headed to the craft store. A few hours later I had whipped up this beauty for our front door.


I'm much happier knowing that all my decorating is finally done. Now to finish my shopping and wrapping!

Mail

I used to love getting the mail when I was younger, but that has since changed. Now it seems like every time I open the mailbox, out flies a bunch of bills and junk mail. Hence, the reason I choose to check my mail every couple of days. However, yesterday when I opened my box I was greeted with the dreaded bills but also a KEY! For those of you who have real mailboxes ( you know the ones that actually are at the end of your driveway), not a community one, this key signifies you have a nice little package in a bigger mailbox. So, I took the key and opened it up to find this.....
Homemade Caramel Corn from Auntie Sheri!!!!!Originally, I thought she was joking when she said she mailed me some. She sent two nice bags of this melt in your mouth caramel corn. Yes, as you can tell the minute I opened it I couldn't resist. As of this evening that 1/2 bag went to a 1/4 bag... and well by Friday Gabe may not get any at all. Thanks Auntie, for making my Tuesday so much better and please do share the wonderful recipe! Sorry to make everyone jealous, but this stuff is addicting and delicious!

Thanksgiving

This thanksgiving we had so much to be thankful for, but a few main things:
-Both having full-time jobs
-Gabe getting to come home for an entire week!
-Adding a beautiful niece to our family
-Vacations and both sides of our family visiting us
-And of course finding out we are having a little one of our own and an easy pregnancy thus far!
Of course we could make this list go on but again these are just some highlights.

We spent an entire week together, and let me tell you it was wonderful to go to work and come home and have Gabe there waiting. Thanks to Gabe we were able to feast on an awesome Turkey dinner with all the works. His parents drove down from Reno Thanksgiving day to spend the weekend with us! Also, with plans to work on Baby L's room!

Yes, it was as good as it looks!

We decided to use a green color for Baby L's room and do crown moulding at the top.

A little paint preview

Gabe and his dad worked so hard for two days to make this perfect, and perfect it is. We are so lucky to have great friends who own a painting company and offered to paint the room for us! We are so grateful, as neither of us could paint without making a huge disaster of the entire room. We will post the finished project once it is done, hopefully, a couple weeks!

The men hard at work

We went to our good friends Luc and Linda's to watch the UNR game friday night. I'm not much into football especially when I'm tired, but I will have to say it was an awesome game! Great job Wolf Pack!

Saturday, I was able to go register for the baby with some help of my wonderful friend Sharon and mother in law. We had an awesome time scanning away at Babies R' US and Target. We then came home to a nursery with finished crown moulding, that looks awesome! All the hard work and frustration Gabe and his dad put in, finally worked out perfectly. We went for lunch and then had a relaxing dinner at home, since everyone was exhausted from such a busy weekend.

See what I mean, came home to some awesome crown moulding!

Sunday, Gabe and his parents were on the road at 6 am heading back to Cali. Unfortunately, the 8 hour drive turned into a long 10 hours! So sorry you guys had to endure the holiday traffic, but so glad we got to have an amazing weekend together!

Halloween

The great thing about working with the mobile dental clinic and school district, is you get a lot of long weekends! Also, a little thank you to Nevada for becoming a state and giving us the Friday before Halloween off! So, since I had a 4 day weekend right before Halloween, Gabe and I decided I would go visit him in Pleasanton instead of him coming to Vegas.

Friday, Gabe picked me up from the airport and we grabbed some lunch, then headed home to relax. Cousin Jena and her boyfriend Aaron joined us that evening for a trip to the pumpkin patch and a gourmet dinner made by Gabe, of course! We had a great evening enjoying many laughs, playing the jute box and a few beers for everyone except me.

He looks good wheeling around Our pumpkin

The Master Carver

Our Mickey Pumpkin (don't judge us, we tried)

Delicious Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Saturday, we went to Babies R' Us in search of crib bedding and nursery furniture. We had much success picking out the furniture we liked. However, the bedding was a whole different story. They don't have much of a selection for "gender neutral" bedding. We, also knew we wanted to stick with brown and green colors, wanted a modern look and nothing that screams baby nursery such as little teddy bears or ducks.
We ended our Saturday watching Gabe's SF giants lose the game and going to an awesome Halloween party at Cousin Darrin's! Also, we were graciously given a crib mattress by cousin Nicole, yay one less thing to worry about!

Sunday, was spent relaxing together and then watching the Giants game. Well actually my strange husband listened to it on the radio (he likes it better...don't ask me) while I anxiously watched on the couch. We waited all night for some trick- or -treaters however, only had a family of 4 little kids!

Monday, Gabe went into work and I went to the mall. Then, we went to San Francisco and had a long walk and ate at a restaurant right on the water. We grabbed some stuff for dinner and headed home to get ready for the Giants game! Yes..... the GIANTS WON!!! I don't think Gabe could have been any more excited and it was the perfect end to my mini vacay in Cali.

Pinch Your Pennies..but Don't be the Grinch

Hey Everyone, it's that time of year again....you know to get your holiday cards sent out. For those of you who have never had the joy of using Shutterfly.com you should all check out their site. I have used them several times for picture books, prints, and cards and been thoroughly pleased with the results. If you sign up for an account with them, which is free, they will email you specials all the time, with % off or free shipping codes. Right now they have some new awesome holiday designs! I especially love the modern designs they are offering and the non-traditional holiday colors. Here are my 3 favorite links to some of their great products!

Christmas cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards
photo greeting cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery
wall calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

Lastly, if you have a blog they are offering 50 free holiday cards of your choice, just for blogging about it. As you can see I'm all about free Christmas cards as they can be very pricey! With Gabe and I having such a big group of family and friends, I can now save money by only having to pay for a few!

Hope you all enjoy this deal as much as I did!

October

We can't believe it is October already, where is the time going!?! We have had a busy month, with weddings, trips, and lots of FUN!

The first weekend of october, we had family and friends come to visit. The annual OFI golf tournament took place Sat. Oct. 2. Brian and Nate were the champs for the year, taking home the big and hideous trophy. While they all enjoyed golfing I got pampered with a haircut, facial, and a little shopping. Sounds like I got the better end of the deal, right!? We had a wonderful weekend hanging out with friends and family!

Well just when Brian, Gabe and family left, my brother checked into hotel Lanini. He stayed with me for a week, which was awesome. I can't believe it had been since our wedding two years ago, that I had seen him. Unfortunately, Gabe was unable to join us for the weekend. David and I just simply enjoyed our time together and thanks to Urban Spoon, we even tried out a few new restaurants in the area! We are hoping to make it to South Carolina this summer to visit him and our other family. Thanks for a great time David and We LOVE you!

Last weekend Gabe and I met up in Sacramento for a crazy wedding weekend! We got to join our friends from Vegas in a celebration of Mike and Kim's big day! There was lots of dancing, drinking, (well for most everyone), and fun had by all. The wedding was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better company. You really do get a whole different view of a wedding, being completely sober! I had a great time, wtih many many laughs that evening and when we were re-telling the events the next day! Here are a few pics from the weekend! Congrats Pettigrew's we wish you the best!

All the guys!

GABANNA (that's what the Vegas crew calls us)

The Boys in Blue!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Pettigrew

Roy, the Best Man as usual

Us, baby bump and all!

September

Still playing catch up with the whole blog...only a few more posts to go, then I promise to try and stay more on top of our adventures. September brought us lots of new, fun, and exciting things.!!

As most of you know Gabe started a new job, in the insurance business in Northern California. It is an amazing opportunity for him and our family. Unfortunately, for him this means lots of travel back and forth to Vegas. We have been doing okay with commuting thus far, and will make a more definite plan once Baby L. arrives in February. As for right now, he comes home on Fridays and returns to Cali on Sundays. Some weeks are harder than others but I have been keeping busy with work and keeping the house clean, haha! This is definitely not our ideal situation, but we are making the best of it for our family.

On Septmenber 8, 2010, we welcomed our beautiful niece into the world. (for privacy purpsose, we will only use an initial for baby names) She is absolutely precious and we are so glad to have a new addition to brag, I mean talk about! Gabe was able to meet her a few days after she was born. I was in complete shock when I was sent a pic of him with her, considering he refused to hold any baby because he didn't want to break them (until ours of course, because then its ok if he breaks them, WHAT?) I, however, have not have the pleasure of meeting but am hoping to make it to Reno soon! I enjoy getting the pics sent straight to my phone all the time, she makes for a wonderful screensaver to look at!

All smiles from Baby J.


Lets GO GIANTS!!!

Aren't they so cute together!?!

Also, on September 18, we attended a beautiful wedding for our good friends Eric and Laura. . Thanks to them we only had to travel a few short minutes from our home! They had a wonderful ceremony and reception at the MGM, right here in Vegas. We couldn't be happier for them, and wish them the best for their future together! Love you guys!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Chubb

Lastly, my mom came to visit with me for a week at the end of the month. I was able to take a couple days of work to spend time with her, and Gabe was able to come home for a long weekend. The main purpose of her trip was to join us for our ultrasound. She had high hopes of finding out the gender, but we weren't going to let that happen. We are all about surprises around here. Mom did try to figure it out when the ultrasound tech said close your eyes, but lucky for us she couldn't tell a hand from a foot...haha Just gives everyone even more to look forward to in February!

On our way to the Ultrasound!

Camping....

Yes, I know I am months late on the whole post...time just keeps slipping by us! As usual we had an amazing time on our yearly camping trip. We did lots of fishing, eating, and everyone else did lots of drinking!

It was kind of a quiet year with most of the cousins starting school early, or having jobs these days, and Hillarie anxiously awaiting the arrival of her baby, so our camp company was very small but we had an awesome time with those who came to Burney. We are excited to have the two little ones join us next year, it's going to be a whole new experience!

We had such a fun time letting the family in on our surprise news! I believe everyone was not only shocked, but couldn't believe we waited so long to share the good news. Everyone on both sides of our family cannot wait for our new addition.

Here are a few pictures to show what it looks like around Camp Lanini!