A Valentine's to Remember

So, a few weeks ago it hit me that this would be our last Valentine's as just the two of us!  It made me both sad and excited for our littlest Valentine to join in on the fun... I even ordered this set of shirts for our next Valentine's Day :)

Since this would also be our last Valentine's Day in LA, the city where we met and got married, I decided we needed to make the most of it!  I planned a Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt all over the city, tracing back all our "firsts" and old favorite places full of memories.  Mark had no idea until I gave him his present (a puzzle) and his first clue.  He actually opened it Friday night (because I couldn't wait) and had no trouble figuring out where the next clue was...the first clue talked about our first date (where I actually wrote in my journal, "This is the man I'm going to marry...").  So Saturday morning we set off for...

Our first date!

Our table where we sat and chatted for hours as we fell in love :)

Once we got there, I had to pee, per usual, so after we ordered Mark wandered around (suspiciously?) looking for the clue.  I had taped it underneath a bench outside (I would have felt super awkward going inside to hide the clue and then leaving ha!)  He said it was the coolest thing to find it there, just taped under the table.  He was grinning from ear to ear when I got back, proudly holding his clue :)

We actually hadn't been back there since our first date!  I don't know why, their empanada's are amazing!!  Just like our first date, I could NOT decide what to order so Mark let me order for both of us.  We got Chicken, Ham & Cheese, Spicy Beef and Cheesy Spicy Chicken (the favorite!).  All were so delicious!

After lunch we set off for the next clue, where we shared our first kiss!  Mark knew exactly where it was...on the sidewalk outside his old apartment!

Lovely isn't it?

I actually wasn't sure exactly where it was...he had kissed me in front of my car but I was parked on the street somewhere between his apartment and the end of block.  Since I wasn't sure I just hid the clue in the best spot I could find.  Oddly enough, when we got there Mark walked down the sidewalk and then completely stopped right where I had hidden the clue!  HA!  Guess I subconsciously knew exactly where it was?

It wouldn't be an LA Scavenger Hunt without making a stop at the beach!  Too bad it was pretty cold (and I had to pee) so we didn't stay long.  But it's pretty awesome living so close to Ocean Avenue...

Our scavenger hunt didn't end there but that's the last picture I took.  His beach clue led him back to the car and we drove up in the hills and watched a movie, cuddled up in the backseat.  We used to do that all the time when we were dating in an effort to get away from our roommates :)  We watched "Little Manhattan," a perfect Valentine's Day movie about young love and the same movie we watched the night I first said 'I love you'.

What a wonderful day of celebrating our love...going back and re-living all our firsts actually gave me butterflies as I remembered those long good-byes at the end of the night, never wanting to leave each other's side, making out in the backseat of our cars and listening to music, and talking about our "hypothetical" future children.  Now, here we are, three years later with a baby on the way!

Life is just crazy and it goes by way too fast.  I feel like if I blink we'll be 80 years old and all our kids will be grown and it will be back the way it is now...just the two of us.

M&M Bowling & Other Disasters

So last Friday I decided Mark and I needed to have a real date night!  None of this staying in, ordering take out, and watching a movie on Netflix...which we would probably do every weekend!  But something we wouldn't be able to do spur of the moment post baby.  So I decided we should go bowling!  Why?  This I have no answer to and I probably should have thought long and hard about it because it turned out to be an epic fail.

So I read about a fun date idea called M&M Bowling where you follow certain rules of how to bowl based on which color m&m you draw.  Sounds fun right?  Well I bought some peanut m&m's and told Mark to get ready because we were going on a surprise date!  I got all ready too and wore real  maternity clothes, which meant no hiding this growing bowling ball of mine!

Don't you love our heart curtain?!

Do I look pregnant from the front?  I feel like I do!

Oh how happy I look, HA, just wait!

So we headed out for a night on the town with Mark clueless as to where we were going.  I was just a little excited!!  Being an LA native for 5 years, I assumed there would be no parking at the bowling alley so when we found a free parking spot in a side alley half a mile down the road, we jumped on it!  As we headed down Ventura Blvd. who did we run into?  The Sainsbury's from our ward!  She just had her third baby a few weeks ago and we had gone over to her house earlier that week to watch her two boys and give mama a break.  Such sweet, smart boys!  They had run out for a quick dinner, leaving her parents with the boys, and asked where we were headed.  I decided I may as well let the cat out of the bag and announced we were going bowling!  They seemed surprised that there was bowling nearby (remember, we parked half a mile away) and wanted to know if we were good bowlers.  I should have taken that as a sign right there that we should just have turned around and headed back to the car.  But no, we continued on our way to Pinz Bowling Alley.

After 10 more minutes of walking, we made it!  And boy was I happy to find out they had a huge, FREE parking lot!!!  What are the odds...oh well, good exercise!  I started to become a little hesitant as we walked inside and it was loud and bright and there were big groups of parties laughing and drinking and generally having a good time!  I mean, it's a bowling alley!  There were lots of families there with little kids but who did we get stuck to?  A seeming bachelorette party, only the women were all in their 40's and 50's.  They were drinking and LOUD and took up two lanes even though I'm pretty sure they were only bowling in one.  Guess who got the lane next to them?

Now mind you, this is one of the first times I've gone out in public with my bump fully visible, no hiding my pregnant self.  That alone made me feel very self conscious.  Now, remember my m&m bowling idea??  Some of the different "rules" included bowling granny style backwards, kicking the ball with your foot, and bowling with the opposite hand.  Sounds fun and silly right?  Well, I don't know what happened but I suddenly became SO self-conscious and super emotional!  We began to bowl and every time I walked up there with my huge baby bump and a bowling ball in my hand, I felt so incredibly awkward.  I got orange and had to bowl with my opposite hand.  Total gutter ball.  I felt so embarrassed and could feel everyone's eyes on me (not sure if they really were).

Then out of nowhere I LOST IT.  The tears just started flowing and wouldn't stop.  Poor Mark was absolutely clueless as to what was going on.  I told him I didn't know but that I didn't want to bowl anymore and he could take my turn.  Sweet Mark bowled for me, granny style backwards HA, and was all smiles, trying to make me laugh and get happy again.  He kept asking me if I wanted to take my turn but it was all I could do to keep the tears from coming.  He bowled the whole game for us and near the end, one of the ladies from the party next to us said to me, "Did you give up?"  She smiled and I just nodded but felt so dumb!!!

So we left after the one game (p.s. $30 for bowling is a RIP OFF!  Especially when you don't bowl, HA!)  and talked about where to go for dinner.  We walked by Carney's Express (a hamburger/hot dog place that's inside a little boxcar) and I told Mark I always wanted to try that place.  So we went inside...and it STUNK.  It was so cramped and hot and smelled of B.O.  When we walked up to the place to order I turned around and said, "Actually, nevermind," and we walked out.  Mark agreed it stunk in there and all of a sudden I started crying again!  This time, I could not stop, I was just sobbing and sobbing so hard I couldn't breathe.  Poor Mark again had no idea what was going on and just wrapped me in his arms and held me close as I cried and cried on Ventura Blvd. and people walked by and stared at the crazy pregnant girl crying.

We finally ended up going to Lemonade, which is where we had run into the Sainsbury's.  Lemonade holds a special place in our hearts...before we were engaged, we used to go there and one time while we were there, a random man took our picture from outside the window.  I could feel him taking the picture but without turning said to Mark, "That guy is taking a picture of us!"  He didn't believe me but then the man came inside and came up to us and said, "I'm sorry but I'm a photographer and I couldn't help but take your picture.  I walked by and saw you two and thought, 'Wow, that's love right there.'

I'm not sure if we had been back there actually since we've been married (Mark used to live really close to one) so I think going there helped me get a grip, haha!  I of course spent half an hour trying to decide what to get (it's one of those places where they always have new things and everything looks SO good!) but we finally decided to get two fresh portions: Green Beans & Pineapple Chicken w/ Toasted Coconut, Jalapenos, & Jerk Dressing (SO GOOD) and Orecchiette Pasta & Cherry Tomatoes w/ Perline Mozzarella & Chimichurri Vinaigrette along with two hot portions: Macaroni & Cheese (my go to) and Guava Limeade Chicken.  We shared everything and it was super delicious!!

Then we headed back home to eat candy and Mark taught me poker.  It's actually super simple...and HARD...and kind of boring, so we made it strip poker ;)  Haha, which is pretty sexy when your tummy is huge!  I feel so self-conscious all the time and I'm only going to get bigger!  Man, I don't know how many men would have put up with me that evening but my sweet, wonderful husband didn't say a word about it and always looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.  Even when I was sobbing on the street with my big pregnant belly!  Yup, I definitely chose a keeper...

Happy Birthday to Me!

This month has been super busy already!  And so much more excitement to come!!!

Last week I celebrated my 27th birthday!  All day long I got texts and phone calls from family and friends who remembered my birthday...the little boy I sit for even called me and sang "Happy Birthday" to me!  I felt so loved :)

A few days before my little sister took me out to lunch!  We went to our favorite place, Aroma Cafe!

Is it just me or do we look like twins here?!

YUM.

I can't wait until sissy is just a few states away in Arizona and we can see her for all the holidays and she can escape to Cali in the summer and we can live it up on the beach!

For my birthday, Mark got me the most beautiful bracelet!  He always amazes me with his gift giving abilities.  How did I get so lucky??

He also got me an outfit that he picked up on his lunch break from work because he felt like he hadn't gotten me enough!  What a sweetheart!  It's super cute too...pictures to come later!

Oh and he also gave me something he made at BYU when he was studying Art a long time ago.  It's  a little book with drawings of his eye at different times of the day and CD's to go along with the different moods of his day.  The morning CD is so good!  He is so creative!

Then he took me out to a romantic candlelit Italian dinner with live music and the waiters all went around and sang!  We had a great time...

We got meatballs, pepperoni, tomatoes and bell pepper!  DELISH!

Look at that CHEESINESS!

We ended the night by cuddling up with hot cocoa and watching our favorite show lately, "Once Upon A Time"!  I wonder what life will be like for my next birthday!  So much can happen in a year...but this one has been pretty great!

A Blue Bayou Anniversary

This year our anniversary fell on a Monday but we still made it magical!  Mark took me to the Blue Bayou for a romantic candlelit dinner.  I loved every minute!  The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was so nice and we felt so happy and in love.  I wish I had taken more pictures but honestly it was so dark in there you wouldn't be able to see us!

That bread!  Mmm fresh hot sourdough rolls and I think the other kind was focaccia.  Both were DELICIOUS!!!  Not to mention I was starving, ha.  But seriously so good!!

There were only like seven things to choose from on the menu but all sounded divine.  Mark ended up getting Beef Brisket with Au Gratin Potatoes, Crispy Shoestring Onions and String beans.  I ordered the Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Jus, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Assorted Vegetables.

We shared as usual and both were in Heaven.  We don't typically eat at fancy restaurants (our go to is Panda Express and Chipotle!) but we always splurge for our anniversary.  Worth every penny!!

Two years with my love and it's been the best two years of my life.  We have so many crazy adventures ahead of us and I'm so happy to share every moment with Mark.  He is my sweetheart and treats me like a Queen.  I am so lucky to call him mine!  I better take advantage while I have him all to myself.  This time next year I may have to share him with another tiny little someone... :)

Hotel Suites & Random Acts of Kindness

Our adventures in San Diego continued as we ventured to our hotel in the middle of the city!

We stayed at the Gaslamp Plaza Suites, by far the nicest hotel of the trip (Mark's work paid), and we had a whole suite to ourselves!  Mark dropped me off and had to rush to his first seminar before even getting a good look at our suite.  I took the liberty of taking pictures of everything for him (in case he got bored in his meetings).

The Gaslamp used to be an old office building from the 40's!  Staying there felt like staying back in time.  There were random doors all over the place that were sealed and didn't lead anywhere but had letter slots!  There was even one in our suite...

Our suite felt bigger than our apartment, haha.  We had a sitting room and two bathrooms!

Entrance to the sitting room

Entrance to the bedroom

Yes we used both beds, one for sleeping & one for watching TV

Bathroom #1

Bathroom #2...yes we used both bathrooms!

Our sitting room :) I worked in here while Mark attended meetings

I took breaks to people watch from our window

The view

Mark's last meeting ended early and he came home while I was trying to take a nap.  I had been trying for almost 2 hours but I just cannot nap!  I was exhausted but my brain could not shut off.  So when Mark got home we showered and got ready to venture out into the city!

Our hotel could not have been in a more prime location.  We walked out straight into the middle of the bustling chaos with taxi drivers, tour guides on bicycles, crazy people yelling in the street, and tons of restaurants everywhere you looked.  After walking around for half an hour, we started to get scared of some of the crazy people on the street...this one guy was sprinting down a block shouting obscenities at an invisible perpetrator!  People were darting out of his way and quickly crossing the street.  So after that we ducked into Buca di Beppo.

I had actually never been there.  I guess they make their portions big enough for 2 (but let's be honest, so does every other restaurant except they just don't advertise it!).  That worked out perfectly because we could write the dinner off as a work expense, since it looked like just one meal.  We ordered a sampler platter because I can never make up my mind, along with garlic bread!

I am always very aware of my surroundings so I quickly noticed there was something off about the couple in the booth behind us.  They were a little too loud and had clearly had too much to drink.  The sweet waitress came by and asked them how everything was and they mumbled "Good," but as she walked away the guy muttered, "Except the sauce was too f***ing sweet" and they started complaining to each other loudly about the meal, as though they wanted her to hear.  How annoying!!

Then when she came back to give them the check, the guy told her they didn't like their meal and wanted to send it back, except they had clearly already eaten half of it!  She asked what was wrong with it and they told her it just tasted 'off' and was 'too sweet', to which she replied, "It's Chicken Marsala.  It's supposed to be sweet."  They told her she should have the chef taste it so she picked it up and then asked if they would like anything else.  They ordered Chicken Parmigiana.  As she left, I felt so sorry for her.  How annoying being a waiter must be, having to be polite to rude, irritating people all day long and getting paid so little.

So for Christmas, Mark's dad gave everyone a $100 bill and told them to give it to someone in need or to spend it on a service or act of kindness for someone.  Mark and I have been debating since Christmas about what to do with our bills.  But suddenly I knew what I wanted to do.

We left our sweet waitress, Erica, who was constantly smiling and apologizing to us about how busy it was and not letting the other couple affect her mood, a $100 tip for our $35 meal.  We never got to see her face but I know we must have made her night. ;)

Oh and to top it off! We got a free postcard with our picture on it!

When we got back to the hotel, we headed to the roof to check out the view.  Pretty spectacular...it was so peaceful up there.

Then we watched some TV, had fun using both our beds ;) and called it a night!  Pretty great day.