Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Girls Weekend!

Each year I get together with my girl friends. These girls have been with me through my MANY up's & down's of life these past few years. These were the girls that came to me when Jon got hurt, helped watch my kids, were physically here when I bawled my eyeballs out, helped me get through the struggles that presented themselves as time went by. I will forever be grateful for these few woman who never judged me for how I handled things but chose to instead do what they could to "just help." Don't we all need these kinds of friends!!!!




Kristen Thompson: I met her when I FIRST moved to our home here in Riverside. It was at church in the nursing room. We both were nursing our 3 month old girls. We started talking-soon discovering that we both LOVE FOOD and SLEEPING. Say NO MORE--Best friends FOR LIFE! Since that very day--I have considered Kristen one of my "best friends."
Celesta McGee: I met her at church as well. Apparently she either thought I was stuck up or just really did NOT like her! HA-I come across that way CUZ IM SOOOO SHY at first till I warm up to you. I invited her to a few of my "Bachelor Season Finale's" & the more I got to know her the MORE I got to love her. She is one of those easy going "no fake/no drama" kind of girls.
Amy Novak: I met her on my street a few months after we moved in. She lived 8 houses up from me. My oldest Rachel, 5 at the time, walked outside with her blanket and asked Amy's daughter "Hey do you want to see my blanket?" Amy-confused asked "Um where is your mom?" I came outside and we hit it off right there. Amy knows EVERYONE! Literally. Every time we go somewhere someone say's HI to her-she's like a celebrity. Cracks me up! Amy would do ANYTHING for ANYONE-I love that about her.
Erin Thompson: I met her through church. She is one of those WAY EASY going kind of girls. "Go with the flow-whatevs." She is the girl that is happy to take ALL FOUR of your children TO THE BEACH along with HER FOUR children! Every mom needs one of these friends! She dresses like a Rock Star & I am always trying to copy her latest look only she looks awesome & I come off looking like I tried WAY TOO HARD.

This year we decided to stay "local." We did GWO OC style. We have decided that from now one we will ALWAYS do the few days before Mothers Day. School is calmed down (no crazy school projects), our lives all seem a little less busy etc.

On Thur around 11am we piled into my truck & began GWO.


We drove to the OC airport to pick up Celesta

where I managed in MINUTES to get myself in trouble. Shocking I know huh. Apparently, as the nice cute officer told me, you are NOT allowed to be on the phone, have a passenger yelling out your sunroof, music blaring & not pulled ALL the way over to the curb. Who knew these rules!? Obviously not me. When the cute officer came to "deliver" all the broken rules I rolled down my window and asked "Oh perfect are you here to help load the luggage?" He actually was super cool and when he rattled off everything I had done wrong--I told him thank you and "peace out!"

We then headed off to the Mission Viejo Mall. We were starving and needed to shop. After KRISTEN was ALL done with HER shopping (inside joke) we headed off across the street to catch a movie Date Night-hilarious. We had the whole theater to ourselves. We then walked across from the theater to Riptide for our 6pm dinner reservations.
We had been waiting around for our bill-but not really caring because we had NO KIDS torturing us when suddenly the manager comes over. He asks us how our meal was? We replied "SO GOOD!" He then places a piece of paper on the table with a BIG FAT ZERO on it and says "thanks for joining us today!" What in the world?! Did he just basically tell us our meal was PAID FOR?!?! Celesta whips out "do you even work here?" Seriously-were we getting punk'd by Ashton Kutcher or what's going on?? The bill was NOT CHEAP! It HAD to have been atleast 200! We all pitched in extra for our waiter-a "pay it forward" kind of deal. We walked out of there STUNNED that someone had just paid for all of our meals!

We then headed off to our Hotel.

The Laguna Cliffs. This place was AMAZING. We plan to just come to THIS hotel EVERY year-ya it was THAT GOOD!!!!

From the entrance--just beautiful.
driving further up the hill to the hotel doors:

We pulled up to the valet and handed off the car--then walked into this GORGEOUS hotel and checked ourselves in.

They told us our room had been "upgraded" to an ocean view WITH a balcony!

They had recently remodeled the hotel.

At about 10pm that night we all had the urge for a BJ's pizookie!

We hoped back into the truck and made our way down PCH to the nearest BJ's.

We each ordered a SMALL (yes did you know you can ACTUALLY order a SMALL pizookie! It's only 2.95!)pizookie & moaned with every bite we took-dulish. If for some STRANGE REASON you have NEVER had one of THESE here is a link to show you how to make yourself one at home. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/08/how-to-make-a-pizookie-or-a-pizza-cookie-recipe.html

We then headed back to the oh so perfectly, lovely, and quiet hotel. We all plopped onto our beds and SADLY directly onto EACH of our own cell phones.
We spent a LOT of time on our cell phones!

The texting went wild, the FB status updates rocking, internet searches, emails etc-CUHRAZY! We all came to chit chat and ended up quietly alone with our own cell phones-classic. Do you know people who when they get on their cell phone SUDDENLY start talking WAY LOUD (Amy & Kristen)--isn't that funny when that happens!! I would tell them "Um HELLO you are yelling." Kristen told me, "Well I cant hear on the other end." Okay then!

The next morning SOMEONE Ms. Celesta decided we needed to get up and cracked opened the heavy drapes. Seriously-who does that?! Just kidding. We had decided the night before we would hit up Denny's for breakfast. We decided since it was SO NICE (seriously the ENTIRE TRIP was PERFECT WEATHER!!!) to walk to Denny's. The WAY CHEAP food was so grub.

Kristen was off to get her pampering massage

while the rest of us went out to the pool

and RELAXED chit chatting away in the sun. They had these GREAT Cabana chair/set up things

(like I mentioned they recently remodeled the entire hotel so even the cabana's were NICER then this! Think REALLY cushy padding.) at the END of the grass overlooking the ENTIRE ocean...HEAVEN!!!! We SERIOUSLY could have just stayed in this ONE spot the ENTIRE time we were there.

After Kristen's massage she came over to tell us to go hit the spa for our showers-they had EVERYTHING we could possibly need. So we gathered up our stuff and headed to the spa area. She was NOT JOKING!!! They give you a lovely Robe and sandals. Then you step into a HUGE shower. It had TEN sprayers on EACH wall PLUS a HUGE sprayer from the ceiling. Talk about feeling like you are drowning!! They had shampoo, conditioner, gel, cream, lotion-everything. They had the hairdryer, deodorant spray, razors, toothbrushes/paste, seriously-EVERYTHING! In the spa area they also had a steam room & a dry sauna as well as the spa. HEAVEN.

After the HEAVENLY PERFECT shower-we got ready to find ourselves a yummy Mexican place to eat. We hurried & got ourselves put together.

obviously Kristen got ready FASTER then I did! We all did the change of outfits a few times, swapping and sharing clothing items-it was like we were all roommates in college. Good times!

We found this great place right off PCH--they HANDS DOWN had THEE best chips EVER!! Thick, warm--oh sooooooooooooo good!! We then went shopping for a little bit. We hit up Nordstrom were I purchased my VERY FIRST outfit.

Too fun! Amy & Erin helped Kristen & I to find cute outfits (because seriously I cant seem to make things I pick out work right!!!) Of course we HAD to hit up BJ's once AGAIN--pizookie.

The next morning Kristen & I got up for a nice run outside. What a workout we did! We also did a little bit of weights in their gym & then hit the spa showers AGAIN-seriously I couldnt get enough of that spa area!!!!

We all checked out and hit up the OC Swap meet for a little bit MORE shopping. After we found a place to get our pedicures then off to find GRUB. We found a Yardhouse (which I had never been to before), ate a DUHLISH lunch & talked.

It was then time to get Celesta back to the aiport. She needed to be dropped off at 545pm--so OF COURSE as soon as she walks thru the doors she gets a text telling her that her flight was DELAYED till 830pm--GEESH! She ended up staying and the rest of us took off back home.

Girls Weekend was SOOOO enjoyable and perfectly positioned the DAY before Mothers Day! Thanks for coming with ladies---Big Loves to you All!

Monday, May 17, 2010

in the meantime...

I have created a whole girls weekend update--but STILL waiting on my FRIEND (hint hint ERIN THOMPSON!!) to give me her photos she took---the weekend was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fabulous!!!

SO in the meantime...here are some lovely photos of my ADORABLE two young children at their BEST!





Awesome huh! SIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHH

on the bright side-while at Girls Weekend my sweet awesome most terrific mother-in-law Sandra put in a FABULOUS new garden with my 2 older girls




How GREAT is that -right!

So I in turn spent ALL last week making the backyard cleaned up and READY to bring on summer




the end!