another year wiser...
yesterday was my birthday... i turned 34. i've decided instead of looking at my years as getting older, i'm going to look at them as years of getting wiser. i have learned a lot this year and am excited to see what the year ahead brings.
a few things i have learned:
-orange county isn't so bad, after all
-being an aunt is so much fun!
-babies are such a blessing and they change everything
-margaritas made with fresh lime juice and a top shelf tequila are divine
-it is good to make new friends, but there's nothing like a great conversation with a friend who has known you "forever"
-i love spain and feel so happy when i am there
-ibiza is crazy and beautiful
-nothing is more important than family and friends
-nobody tells a story quite like my grandpa did
-i like playing fantasy football
-santa barbara is one of my favorite places in california
-san diego is still my #1 favorite!
-cleanses make me feel healthy and are important for me to do every few months
-i can keep a secret
-i am a good cook
-exercising every day keeps the mind and body feeling young
-losing a friend or family member is hard and i'm still figuring out how to make sense of it all
-that voice in my head is not "me"
-acceptance is the key to everything
and...
-i still have A LOT to learn...
babysitting
last week i babysat my niece and we had such a great time. here are a few pictures taken during one of our many walks to the park.
trying to keep cool
last weekend it was so hot down here in so. cal. we don't have A/C, but we really could have used it. we headed to the local hyatt in huntington beach on saturday to cool off in their pool and enjoy some fruity refreshments with our friends matt and stephanie. stephanie and i have been friends since i lived in san diego, and when we moved to costa mesa we moved right across the street from her. it has been so fun to live so close to a good friend! we go to dinner together at least once a week, cook together, hang out every weekend at the beach or playing poker or some other game at night, and our guys play some kind of sport daily together-surfing, golfing, tennis.
then we decided it would be fun to play rockband, so we headed to best buy and bought it. we spent the evening barbecuing carne asada, drinking margaritas and playing rockband. rockband is so addictive! we played for like 6 hours straight.... and could have gone on longer, but it was 2 am. here are the three other members of my band trying to play wanted dead or alive by bon jovi:
the state of my marriage
we know we have issues to work on, and we have made an appointment with a counselor for next tuesday. i am excited to begin this process, but also scared. my husband keeps most of his feelings inside, and i want to know what they are, but in some ways i am afraid i won't like all of them... i hope that things work out for us, but with me turning 34 that clock is a-ticking... i hope to be in a place where we can be TTC next year.
and some sad news...
i found out last week that my uncle had passed away. he had struggled for years with alcoholism and diabetes, and was not in the best of health, but his death was still quite a shock. he had a heart attack. he has three daughters, my cousins, who i'm really close to, who are having a tough time. i'm trying to be there for them as much as i can, since i know how it is to lose a father. here is a picture of him last month meeting my niece for the first time:
