The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I love the holidays!  The thing I love the most is being able to spend time with my family.  This was a tough year for us, and very soon after my last post, my grandfather passed away.  We were very close, he was a wonderful man, and with everything going on.....I just couldn't bring myself to write a post that wasn't depressing.

We miss him dearly and think of him every day.  Though he isn't with us today, he is in our hearts. 

On a happy note.....we are in Snowbird!!  Finn & I flew in yesterday, and my parents & Grandma Marie drove from Sacramento to meet us here.  On Monday night Lauren & Chris arrive, & Tuesday morning Ben, Krista & James fly in!

We've been coming here since before I was born.  The Iron Blosam Lodge was one of the first timeshare properties in the world & the first timeshare development in a ski area.  My parents bought the unit in 1979 after coming to Snowbird on a spring break ski trip & attending a time share presentation.

I have so many amazing memories of this place.  We've been coming here almost every other year since 1979.  I learned to ski here when I was two years old, and my sisters both learned here when they were very young as well.  We started on Chickadee Hill & moved on to Big Emma, and then the more difficult runs.

As little kids, my grandparents, on both sides of the family, often came with us.  I vividly recall eating grilled cheese & soup at lunch time with my grandparents, while my parents were still out on the slopes.  We always took a lesson at least the first day or so we were here, in the mornings & then meet up & ski with my parents in the afternoons. 


We always do one night of dinner at The Steak Pit, one night at the Mexican Food restaurant, & Thanksgiving dinner at the Cliff Lodge.  The other nights of the week we stay in, have soups, lasagna or order pizza from the Snowbird Center.

If you know anything about our family, you know we love our traditions.  This year however, we are changing things up a bit.  Everyone was able to make it this year, and for the first time ever, we are going to be making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in our unit!  Grandma came with us to make sure we had our cornbread dressing, and my parents drove so that they could bring all the things we would need.  As our family grows, so do the wonderful memories. 

Here's to being with family, new traditions, and the many more adventures to come.  Happy Holidays!

Sleepy Sundays

Finn had an exhausting week having fun with GG & Gramps. Today, it finally caught up with him. He woke up hungry, as he normally does at 6:45am, but after some milk, cuddled up with mommy & daddy. Normally he would relax for no more than 15min or so, but this morning, he fell back asleep & didn't wake up until 9am!

What that meant, was mommy & daddy got an extra 2 hours of sleep as well. I feel like a new person! It's amazing what a little extra sleep will do.

Maybe Finn was really tired, or maybe he made a secret deal with daddy to sleep late, so he could stay up & watch the Bears game tonight.

When Ben & I got married over 2 years ago, we registered for a waffle maker. Like many of our wedding gifts, they were stored until we had a place with a bigger kitchen to use all of our fun household gifts. On October 17, 2009 we moved into our current place. We broke out almost all our wedding gifts & the waffle maker was one of the first ones we used. We've had a tradition ever since. Happy (almost) 2 year anniversary Waffle Sunday!!

Ben is the waffle maker & I make the sides. Sometimes eggs, sometimes potatoes, & lucky days like today, I'm just in charge of pulling out the syrup!

Today's special: Fresh blueberry waffles! Mmmm, Finn & Mommy's favorite!

Here's to homemade waffles, Football, BBQ, & Beer!

Happy Sunday everyone!

We're Going to Try This Again

I thought I would give blogging a try, but like I said before, being a mommy isn't easy. There are a million things I should be doing on any given day, but the only thing I want to do, is play with my little guy.
My little man, that isn't really that little anymore. He is still small, but getting smarter & doing more everyday. Finn's a little shrimp of a guy at only 17lbs and 28inches tall. We've been taking him back in to the doctor for monthly weight checks, but this kid refuses to grow. He eats like a pig, and is normal in every sense of the word. My thought is, that he just moves too much, and eats too healthy.

Finn's favorite snack is frozen peas & corn. He's been eating them since he started on solids, and he loves them frozen, I think because it feels good on his teething gums. The little guys eats a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and potatoes and rice. And still, he does not grow. I don't mind, as long as the doctor says he's healthy. I think it's adorable to see this sweet small boy of mine running around, just like I was at his age (I was only 15lbs).

Just a few fun facts about Finn:
*Finn has been on an airplane more than 5 times
*Finn has been on vacations to Solvang, Santa Barbara, Yreka, Seattle, Disneyland, Sacramento, & Palm Springs
*Finn says "bye bye", "Momma", "Dada", "Baby", & "Dog"
*Finn no longer crawls, but walks everywhere
*Finn likes to skype with family
*Finn loves to swim & likes playing at the beach
*Finn loves to give kisses
*Finn is the sweetest baby on earth (I'm biased of course)

So......I'm going to give this a try again. Hopefully it will last more than just 1 post. It's amazing how the world changes when baby bedtime is 7pm!

Being a New Mom isn't Easy

Blogging has been the last thing on my mind for the past 6 months or so. I'd been furiously trying to prepare our home for our new addition, and once Finn was brought into our lives, there was nothing I wanted to do besides spend time with my little man.

Now that he is sleeping 10 or so hours at night, and taking naps throughout the day, I may have a little more time for blogging. That is, once dinner is made, the house is clean, and the laundry isn't overflowing.

I never knew what it was like to have someone else run your life, but a new baby definitely does it. Your priorities change, and not much else seems important, besides that beautiful baby looking up at you!

Baby Bear

It's so hard not to run out and buy every cute little boy outfit you see, now that we know what we're having. Ben is the kind of shopper, that if you really want something, you get it, while I wait for sales and am an ultimate bargain shopper.

I've been doing a little online shopping for cute onesies with funny sayings on them, sports team apparel, and educational toys.......but Ben has been a little different. He hadn't bought anything until now.

A little background: Every time we go to Disneyland (at least 4-5 times per year), we always walk through the shops in downtown Disney at the end of the night. There is a big Anne Geddes store with some of the most adorable photos, dolls and little baby outfits. Everything is beyond cute, but crazy expensive.

I about died when we got back from our cruise and Ben had a little Birthday present that he said was for me, but not for me........meaning he had an excuse to buy something he knows I never would have purchased. It was an Anne Geddes box and inside was the furry baby bear outfit we've looked at a hundred times. It's got the one piece outfit with the bear ear cap and booties. Ben's excuse was that it was just so cute and we always looked at it when we were in the shop...... and it would be perfect when we visited Yreka at Christmas time.

I will admit, it is one of the cutest things I've ever seen, although it's a bummer we'll be waiting over 6 months before he'll even be close to fitting into it!

Getting a head start on our Little Man's Room

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. I seem to always have something more important to do, or I'm just too exhausted to sit down at the computer and write anything.

However, we found out a couple of weeks ago, we are going to be having a little boy. I've already found a super cute bedding set that I love! I knew that if we were going to have a boy, I wanted to do a jungle themed room. I wanted to avoid something that was way too babyish, and fit more of the the contemporary feel of our house.

Ben will be starting on the painting of the room shortly, and we've been shopping around for a cute crib and dresser for the room as well. We've started our registry and this is what we're starting with.

The Big News!

I have been hiding from my blog, because I haven't thought of anything except the one thing I really wanted to write about. Ben is so excited, but wanted me to be far enough along before we announced........

We are having a BABY!!

As of now, I am 16 weeks and counting. We are thrilled to find out the sex of our little one at our 20 week appointment and start the process of designing the nursery.

Here are a couple of the bedding sets that I'm liking right now.
I think this ocean themed one is cute for a baby girl

And I love this one for a baby boy!

Just another month before we find out!!!

Starting the Year Off Right!

After being a little (or a lot) under the weather at the end of 2009, it may have looked like I let myself go after getting married. Having MONO, and feeling crappy for over a month, did not help my workout schedule. I ate my 3 meals a day, laying on the couch, with the most exercise being, getting up to go to the bathroom.

Ben and I are off to a great start during the new year! I have managed to make it to my twice a week 5:45am bootcamp, and my Sat. morning bootcamp. On top of that, I'm also going to a specialized fitness class on Thursday nights.

And like I do, every winter, I am dancing with Faith and Mojalet Dance Collective, for the Cafe Mojalet Show.

Ben has also been diligent about his evening P90X workouts.

It feels great to be getting back in shape. We're eating healthy, and taking care of our bodies. But I am exhausted!!! I can't wait for my body to get used to this schedule!

For those of you who haven't found that motivation yet...don't let time pass you by. Get up off that couch and do something for yourself. It may be hard initially, but you'll always feel so much better at the end of a difficult workout!

2009....A year of Beginnings!

2009 was quite a year to remember. It was a year filled with celebrations and fun! Here are some of the highlights of our fabulous year!

Krista & James get Engaged
Technically they were engaged in 2008, but were in Hawaii at the time. They came back in 2009, where Krista flashed a beaming smile and a big sparkly rock! The engaged couple are deep in the planning stages of their summer 2010 destination wedding! I can't wait for a week on the beach!





Bachelorette Party #1
An awesome cruise to Mexico with my favorite girls. I was incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful bridal party and mother who was willing to spend their entire weekend aboard a ship with me! It was the perfect girls get-away! I'm hoping for a repeat soon!




Engagement Photos
We absolutely loved our photographers. They took some of the most amazing pictures I have ever seen. Many of the photos were candid shots, but they seemed to capture the moment perfectly.








Bridal Shower Fun!
My generous Zehnder Aunt's put on a beautiful bridal shower for me in late May! My friends and I took in a little wine tasting the day before, and the day of the shower was fantastic! I was blessed with so many wonderful gifts and was so excited my new sisters and mother-in-law were able to be there as well!






Bachelorette Party #2
After having so much fun on the cruise, my girlfriends decided we needed to do it again. So they set up a fun evening riding the bull at Double Deuce in San Diego. I have to brag that I did stay on the bull the longest!




Trip to New York & Philadelphia
We took a little break from the wedding madness and visited New York & Philly! We saw 2 Met's games, 1 in the new Citi Field. We saw our first Broadway musical together, and took in all the touristy things along the way.







Bachelorette Party #3: Girls Night Out
I had so much family in town for the wedding, what else would we have done with our time, than another Bachelorette Party? We went out for Happy Hour drinks and appetizers, and then bowling! I loved that even the grandmothers came out for some fun!




Our Wedding Day!
The most memorable and heartfelt day of my life up to this point. Our wedding was so much better than I could have ever imagined! I am thrilled to be spending the rest of my life with such and amazing man!





Moving in to a New House!
We graduated from my little condo to a sweet 3 bedroom house in Rancho Bernardo. The dogs love the big back yard, and I love all our new space! The kitchen is huge and there is nothing like having a garage to store all the wedding gifts!!






Our First Christmas Together!
When I say first, I really do mean first. Every year before this, we've split up for Christmas to spend time with our families. We missed a few things, but were exposed to some new things as well. It was my first Christmas I've ever missed with the Zehnder's but my first to spend at the Conroy's. It was an excellent Christmas, with lots of great gifts I might add.

Overall, 2009 was a fantastic year! I'm sad that it's over......but so excited for the things to come!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I LOVE the holidays! Most of all, I love being able to spend a few (generally uninterrupted) days with family! We were very fortunate to have been able to spend the holidays with most of our family (and extended family)

For Ben and I, this was an exciting Christmas of firsts! For the first time, we got our own Christmas Tree, and puts lights on our own house. We also got to spend Christmas Eve & Christmas Day with one another.

We both have very strong bonds with our families, and couldn't bear to break traditions. But as we've learned, marriage is about compromise, and making a few new traditions of your own. This year we headed North from San Diego on the 20th, and made our stop in Elk Grove. We were able to visit with friends and family, before heading farther North to Ben's hometown of Yreka!

I spent my first Christmas Eve in Yreka with Ben's parents and mom's side of the family, The Conroys! Although I was sad about missing my first Zehnder Christmas ( I heard our new game was excellent), I had a fantastic time in Yreka. We played a huge game of BUNKO, and did a very fun White Elephant gift exchange. It was great to get to know everyone a little better, and meet those family members who weren't at the wedding.

Christmas Eve was great, but didn't come to a close until pretty late. So getting up at 5:30am on Christmas morning to drive back to Elk Grove, wasn't exactly easy. We loaded up and made it on the road by 6am, and were able to see a beautiful sunrise surrounding Mount Shasta. The drive south, was not necessarily fun, but the scenery and lack of cars on the road, made it a lot more enjoyable.

We made it back to Elk Grove in record time, and made it to Grandma & Grandpa's for the start of present opening! We had an extraordinary Christmas this year! Everyone was able to make it, and we got/gave some awesome gifts!

After most of the day at the grandparents, we went back to my parents to have our Christmas (normally done early Christmas morning). The presents just kept coming! (Brooklyn & Lola even got Snuggies) We went a little overboard this year, again, after saying we were going to cut back. The best part though?......everyone was there! Mom & Dad, Krista & James, Lauren & Chris, and Ben & I!

Overall, an awesome Christmas, filled with food, family, & fun! Merry Christmas Everyone!!

The Holidays

I absolutely love the holidays. So filled with tradition, and family. I haven't lived in the same town as my family for almost 10 years now. I miss them dearly, everyday. But the holidays are the time of year that I get to see them for more than a few days, at a time.

This year, we were able to go to Snowbird, Utah for our Thanksgiving vacation. This was the first year we were missing someone...Lauren, who couldn't make it. And although we missed her, there are so many memories that come back to me, when we stay there. My parents have had this time share for 30 years, and in that time, have created so many memorable experiences for us. The beautiful glass windows of our 2 story room, overlooking the mountain. You can see the lifts right from our room. The sun shines in through the windows in the morning, and the balcony is usually covered in delicate white snow.

Some of my fond memories include skiing with my family during the day, finding little bits of powder to ski through along the sides of the slopes, and maybe even a little jump or two. I also remember watching the Thanksgiving day parade on TV in front of the fire, Thanksgiving morning in our long johns, before heading out to the lifts. Dressing up, in our Thanksgiving best for a "fancy" dinner at the Cliff lodge. Enjoying a dinner around the fire, with family, usually soup and grilled cheese. And best of all, swimming in the pool (which is hot as a hot tub) while it snows down around you. The view from the pool, is extraordinary! The trees filled with fluffy, white snow, and the mountain rising up around you.

This year, as with one other (in all the years we've gone) did not really go as planned. We didn't have a whole lot of snow, and I came down sick after only a couple of days. Although we would have liked to do a little more skiing, I can't complain too much. I was in a beautiful place, filled with happy memories, and a family I love! I can't wait to share these same, and many more memories when we start a family of our own.......don't get too excited, that will be some time down the road.

Wedding Reception Dinner

Our wedding was the most incredible day of our lives. I was super excited to arrive home from school today to see a package on our door step. It was our wedding video!! I've been dying to see it, so I grabbed a glass of wine, Ben a beer and sat down to watch the video. It's absolutely beautiful and made me cry!

I've blogged about most of our wedding day with the exception of the reception. Our wedding and reception were one of the most fun days I've ever had, not to mention the most fun wedding I've ever been to. I'm biased of course, but have had numerous people tell us what a great time they had.

We started right in on dinner after the cocktail hour. We designed the evening so that the salads would be served, and then the slideshow would play. Nicole spent hours upon hours on this slideshow. Everytime she had it finished, something would go wrong.....the computer would crash, refuse to burn it to DVD or some other crazy situation. Nicole remade that video 4 or 5 times, but it still turned out great.

So the slide show played during the salad course, and then we went right into dinner. The dinner was fantastic, although I wish I had been able to eat more. I was so excited, I had butterflies in my stomach. I had to force myself to eat, but everyone said the food was great. We chose 3
entrees to offer for dinner. The chicken, beef or tortellini. All three were super yummy!

The photographers stole us away during the middle of dinner because they said we would regret it, if we didn't head outside for a few more photos while the light was fantastic.

After dinner, we went directly into speeches. All the speeches were great, but my dad's was particularly hilarious. My mom insisted he figure out what he was going to say (especially if he was going to have a drink or two before). He wrote everything on note cards, and then somehow managed to mix them up before he spoke. His speech made so little sense, people were roaring with laughter. Funny thing is....I loved it!!

Ben made us cry with his heartfelt words, both to our parents and to me. You could tell in his speech how much he dearly loves me, even if he does make crazy sometimes!