My first time at the Pacific!!

Marty and I went to the San Diego Zoo, and we felt like terrible parents being there without our kids. The feeling passed after 10 minutes. The zoo is great, but the hills are so steep. It would be a stroller nightmare. We rode the double decker bus through part of the zoo. It was a nice way to enjoy the sunshine. The flowers were beautiful, and I wanted to share a few pictures of them with you.



A bloom on the red tree.

This bird is gorgeous!


















We spent the afternoon at Coronado Island. This was my first time to get in the Pacific Ocean, and it was cold! We walked along the beach to the famous Hotel Del Coronado.

My sweetheart

Happy 1st Birthday Preston!!

I can't believe a year has passed since we first met Preston. He is such a joy, and we are so blessed to have him as part of our family. His birth day was bittersweet. Our son was finally here, but he was sick. His lungs were underdeveloped, and he had pneumonia. He spent 8 long days in the NICU. But it was only 8 days. And we got to bring a healthy baby home with us. We don't take that for granted. We love you sweet boy!!

You can read more about his first few days here.




Preston now weighs 24 pounds, 4 ounces.

First time riding forward!
Preston moved up to the toddler class at preschool. He takes naps on a cot now instead of in a crib, and he eats at a little table in a big boy chair!

I sweet talked Marty into going back to the mall with me on Tuesday. We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We sat outside to eat, and watched the cars go by. Maseratis, Ferraris, and Bentleys by the dozen. Don't see those much where we live!

The tamale corn cakes are my favorite
time for dessert
I have never seen a tree with these red blooms! It was so pretty.





We had dinner with friends at Fleming's. Their chocolate lava cake is the best!!

Mike Love of the Beach Boy's was the guest speaker of Monday's opening session. I met him afterwards, and he was very nice. My friend Saralu and I discovered the mall of all shopping malls later in the day. Fashion Valley Mall had everything! I spent most of my time at H&M. It would be a great place for a girl's shopping trip.
Marty went golfing while I shopped.

For dinner, we joined our friends Eddie and Saralu at the Mediterranean Room's Ocean View Terrace. Not only was the view beautiful, the food was amazing!!
Saralu and Eddie...the ocean was right behind them

These gorgeous flowers were all over the restaurant!

Fun times

Our first night, we went to dinner on a sailing yacht. It was amazing. However, we forgot the camera. Nice, right?

Sunday was Mother's Day, and Marty set up a day at the spa for me while he went to the Red Bull Air Race with the guys. I got a massage, a body polish, and a scalp massage. I fell asleep at one point. It was the best gift! Then I layed at the pool by myself. It was so relaxing. I really did miss Maddie and Preston, though.

We had dinner that night at the San Diego Polo Club. We ate hors d'oeuvres as we watched the polo match, but before dinner, the guys got to play golf cart polo. It was hilarious. Here are a few pics:

The real match
Marty, Dave, and Brian
Stomping the divits

Our friend Joel
Marty taking a swing

La Jolla, CA

Marty and I went to California for a special reason. He retired from the boiler industry just over a year ago, and he was just elected as an honorary member to the National Boiler Safety Board. It is a great honor, but the best part was a free vacation for the 2 of us! We got to spend time with friends we haven't seen in over a year. We slept in every morning!! You have to love the black-out shades in hotel rooms. We flew in to San Diego, and we landed just in time to have lunch on the bay. Marty was in the Navy for 4 years, so he enjoyed looking at the ships. There is a huge statue of a sailor kissing his girl near the restaurant we ate at.

Tasty Tuesday - My Best Quick Meal

Who doesn't need a quick meal? This is something that takes very little effort, but makes you feel like you made a great dinner!

Marty discovered these broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts by Barber Foods last year. We were very surprised that they are so moist and yummy! We have fixed them for lots of friends and family, and everyone is shocked when we tell them they are from the frozen section. You can get them at Wal-Mart and Publix. We buy the 6 pack because it is the most economical. Bake them in the over for 25 minutes. That's it!

















I love this new Ore Ida product. It's frozen pre-cut peeled potatoes that you cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Mix with milk and butter, and you have homemade mashed potatoes.
















I always like to serve a green vegetable, and we like Allen's Green Beans.











Pillsbury croissants are always a good finishing touch.


What is your best quick meal?

Preston's Surgery

This morning, Preston had tubes put in his ears as well as a frenuloplasty. We were home before 8:00, and he was eating pancakes less than 2 hours later. This boy isn't going to miss a meal!! He's doing great.

The worst part was pre-op because he couldn't have his bottle. He was mad!


















This picture looks worse than it really was. This is a "before" of his connected frenulum. He hasn't had any problems, but we wanted to get it corrected before his permanent teeth come in. I will post the "after" pic once it has healed. It looks great.












Aunt Christa came in on her day off to take care of Preston. She is a nurse at the surgery center.












Eating his breakfast.

Tasty Tuesday - Hamburger Wraps

Hamburger Wraps - Marty's Way

When Marty told me he tried a hamburger wrap at a local restaurant, I thought it sounded terrible. Then he made me one at home. It's better than a traditional burger! Marty made them for our neighbors Sunday night, and they loved them. They are a little healthier because you don't have the bun.

Here's what you need:
A panini / sandwich press (you can get one for cheap at Kohl's)
Large flour tortillas
1 pound lean ground beef
All the hamburger fixins that you like

First seperate a pound of ground beef into two patties, and cook them thoroughly on the panini press. Then cut the burgers into 1 inch strips like this:












Place the burger strips onto the flour tortillas (one pound of beef makes about 5 wraps). Add your favorite toppings.












Wrap your burger, place back on the panini press, and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the wrap in half. I dip mine in ketsup.

Girl's Afternoon

Daddy had to work today, and the kids and I were stuck inside because of the rain. Needless to say, by the time daddy came home, mommy needed to get out for a bit. I decided to take Maddie Grace with me, and we had lots of fun. We got her hair cut for the first time since her 1st birthday! She was so proud of the glitter hairspray Ms. Inez put on her hair after her cut. We got our own bottle to bring home with us. She also got a flower stamp on her cheek and a sucker. You can have birthday parties at this place, and the girls get manis/pedis, and then they ride around in a pink stretch limo wearing tiaras and feather boas. Where was this place when I was 6??? Our next stop was at the local cupcake store. Can't go wrong there! We finally met up with our boys for some Mexican. So much fun. Preston loves chicken fajitas!