Christmas 2011-Just the 2 of Us

Merry Christmas! I guess technically it just ended here, but that's ok. This year Bobby and I decided not to travel so we stayed in New York. We, or at least I was anticipating a white Christmas, but that just did not happen. We are having an unusually warm winter here, therefore we didn't get any snow. We have had a few flurries, but nothing that has really stuck around.

Since we stayed here for Christmas, it was just Bobby and me on Christmas morning. We woke up around 9:30, cooked up some breakfast, Bobby played some Modern Warfare while I played around on my new Macbook Air (thank you baby). We hadn't watched the season finale of Dexter yet so we watched that a little bit later. After some hanging out, we decided to go do what we love to do...watch a movie :) We went to the last matinee showing of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was WAY good and I highly recommend anyone goes to see it. I am now really wanting to read the trilogy! The movie was a few hours long, so once we got home I cooked up a little Christmas dinner for the two of us which is kind of hard to do (and why we have TONS of left over ham).

The rest of our night has just been extremely low key, watched some basketball, house hunters, How the Grinch Stole Christmas...pretty uneventful. I definitely miss being home with my other family and friends, but Bobby is my family too. I was not about to fly home without him and leave him here alone. I was able to talk to my family and wish them a Merry Christmas which was nice...its always nice to catch up a little bit on the phone withe everyone.

Although it was a pretty uneventful Christmas day, the weekend surrounding today was amazing and full of excitement so it was nice to finally have a day to just CHILL and do nothing. I ate like crap all weekend and am so happy to be back to the gym tomorrow haha. I am so thankful to have such a great group of friends and family to celebrate the holidays with near and far and am so glad that everyone I spoke with was having such a blessed day. I still can't believe Christmas has come and gone already and it is almost 2012. I am so looking forward to the new year and all it has in store for us. I know it will be nothing short of amazing!

A Very Bloom Christmas Eve

Today (Christmas Eve) we spent the afternoon and evening at our good friend Matt Bloom's parents house with him, his parents, two brothers, and his oldest brother's fiancé. They live in a beautiful area known as the Finger Lakes that is about an hour and 20 minutes away from where we live in Rochester. We haven't really ventured out very much since we moved here so I am glad we got invited to go over there today so we could see some more of Western New York. It was beautiful out in the country, some parts covered in snow, others not and it was especially beautiful once we arrived to their city of Bluff Point where one of Finger Lakes is. They live up on a hill overlooking the lake and it is a really beautiful view. Of course once we arrived it was straight into watching the football games, but with that also came the wine so I was ok with it haha. We met his mother "Tippy" his dad Sandy, younger brother "Piddle" which we heard a hilarious story about how he got that nickname aka Michael, and his older brother Jonathan and his fiancé Maggie.

At one point while the boys were watching football Maggie asked Matt's mom and I to come look at a dress (wedding dress) she had ordered online to get our opinions because she said her mom liked it but she wasn't sure. It was a cute dress, but wasn't "special" and you could see it in her face that she didn't love it. So we had to emphasize to her how important it is that SHE loves her dress, despite what her mom may think. She had never gone to try on dresses yet! So I told her she definitely HAS to do that so I am eager to see what dress she ends up picking for their wedding next June :)

His mom and dad made a delicious dinner; ham, smoked turkey, a yummy broccoli salad, orzo pasta, and homemade rolls which were amazing! I made dessert, cheesecake, which was just OK in my opinion. I have made it before and this was definitely not the best, not bad at all but just didn't have enough flavor for some reason. I have used a different recipe every year for the past few years and I really need to go back and find one of the other two because those were awesome! Unfortunately it is impossible to test a cheesecake after you make it so it was really just a hope for the best situation. Everyone seemed to like it, nobody died so I guess that is a success haha.

After dinner we chatted around the table for awhile, telling funny stories, etc and by 8:30 we were ready to head out since we had a long drive home. The Bloom family are definitely great people I would love to spend more time with. We feel so blessed to have such awesome friends that take us in as part of their family while we are here. It's days like these that make me so thankful for this journey that God has put us on, and makes me realize why we are here and that there is always a reason we end up where we do. We definitely never imagined in a million years we would end up in Rochester, New York but meeting all of the amazing people we have already met is a good enough reason for me:)

Niagara Falls

Today turned out to be such an amazing day! We went up to Niagara Falls for our anniversary and although it was really, really cold it was so worth the beautiful view. Bobby and I love traveling and seeing new places, and neither of us had ever been to Niagara Falls and since it is only about an hour and a half away from where we live now, we figured lets go!

I knew that during the winter months they light up the falls with beautiful lights which was one of the reasons I wanted to go up there for our anniversary, to see that. The whole festival of lights that I read about (the Christmas lights) were not impressive to say the least, but just seeing the falls was well worth it. So although the main attraction was to see the falls lit up at night, I also wanted to see it during the day time. We left around 2pm and got to the falls around 4pm which ended up to be perfect timing. The sun was still up, but setting so by the time we walked from one end of the falls to the other (Horeshoe falls) it was about sunset. We were able to capture some great pictures with the remaining daylight, then did our best to capture some good ones of the falls lit up at night too. The amount of water gushing through every second is absolutely crazy, I definitely think this is somewhere everyone should visit if they get a chance.

There are a lot of things to do near the falls; casino, restaurants, wax museum, bowling, Planet Hollywood, Margaritaville, Hard Rock, etc all within about 5 minutes of each other. It is like a mini Reno or Las Vegas, Nevada...at least that is what we would compare it too, Bobby said more like Reno haha. So, we were only at the falls for a couple of hours, we definitely spent more time driving there than we did viewing, but it was definitely worth it and we know that we want to go back up during the summer time and do the "Maid of the Mist" ferry tour where you actually go into the mist of the falls on a big ferry boat (obviously that does not run during the frigid winter months). Our toes were numb along with our faces by the time we got back to the car, we joked that it felt like we had just come from the dentist and been shot up with novocaine, that's how cold it was.

After the Falls we went and had a nice dinner (My diet is out the window this weekend btw) and went and saw Mission Impossible in Imax. We just got home not too long ago, anniversary is over...Merry Christmas EVE! We are heading to our good friend Matt's house tomorrow to spend Christmas Eve with him and his family, which should also be a very good time and I am sure we will get some pictures and have a lot of fun stuff to tell as well :)

10 years and counting

December 23, 2011 marks the TEN year anniversary of Bobby and me being together. It is so surreal to think that I have been with Bobby for almost half of my life! I feel so blessed each and every day to have found my soul mate so early in life at the age of 14. I know that we had a lot people say negative things about our relationship for a very long time in the beginning, and most of the time that ends up separating a couple, but I am so proud of us for sticking together for through every rough patch we encountered. We have always had each other to lean on during hard times, and each of those times just brought us closer and closer together.

Bobby is not only my fiance; he is my BEST FRIEND in the entire world. He is the ONE person I can always count on to be there for me. He is more than I could have ever imagined I would find in a partner. He brings me so much happiness and joy every day I couldn't imagine my life without him, all I see is our future together and I know it is a very bright one. He has seen me at my ultimate lows, my highest highs, and everything in between and never for a second did he question his love for me, nor me for him. We have gone through so much in our lives to get to where we are today and we did it together every step of the way. Our love really IS a journey and although it hasn't always been a smooth ride, it is something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

This year has been one of the best years of my life, and it is only fitting for our tenth year together. Bobby got into one of the top business schools in the world, we traveled to one of the most beautiful places in the world and he made me the happiest girl in the world by asking me to marry him, we moved 3,000 miles away from everything we ever knew, and the one common factor in all of these crazy/exciting things is we did it TOGETHER. We are so much more in love today than any other day, and we fall more and more in love everyday we are together. I have known for a LONG time that Bobby is "The One" and I seriously feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be such a major part of his life and have him be the leading man in mine. I am so proud of him everyday, there is nothing he wouldn't do for me, and me for him. He has already done so much for our future and I try to thank him everyday for everything he has given me in my life. I honestly don't know where I would be had I not met Bobby, or had we not outlasted all of this time, but I am so glad we did and I thank God for putting us together.

I could go on for days about how much I love Robert James Graham III, but I know he knows how much I love him, but I will continue to show him each and every day just as he continues to show me.

I love you so much babe, here's to another ten years <3

Christmas, Anniversary, & NYE OH MY!

The holidays are so crazy because our anniversary is December 23, then its Christmas Eve then Christmas and before we know it New Years Eve!!! Don't get me wrong, I love having our anniversary around the holidays (Although our wedding anniversary will be August 4) because Christmas time is just such a special time of year, probably my favorite! I just love all of the twinkling lights, the smell of pine (even though ours just comes from a candle LOL), all of the fun crafts there are to do with the children I care for, there is just so much! There is something just inherently special about Christmas time and I look forward to it every year. Not for the gifts, but just for the feeling it brings me. Bobby isn't really a "Christmas person" but he really does try to make it special for me because he knows its important to me, especially being so far away from family, and that is really all I can ask for from him :)

 On Friday, our anniversary we decided we will be driving up to Niagra Falls to see the festival of lights, the falls, and go to a nice dinner for our big 10 year anniversary! I feel so lucky to be marrying my best friend. He truly is the best friend a girl could ask for, and to know I have had him in my life for SUCH a long time, and that he will continue to be in my life, by my side forever is just such an amazing feeling. It sure is going to be COLD up there but I know the lights will be so beautiful and worth it, plus we get to drive in our nice toasty car to see the Christmas lights so it shouldn't be too bad! I can't wait to take pictures, I will definitely be posting them :)

Our good friend Matt invited us to his parents house for Christmas Eve dinner, so we will be going there Saturday to spend the day/evening with him and his family. I feel so blessed to have made such good friends so quickly here, good enough friends to invite us to Christmas Eve dinner with his family. He knew that we weren't flying back home to California so I think it is so very sweet and thoughtful of him and his family to invite us into their home on such a special holiday. It really does mean a lot to us and I am really excited about it!
  

Sadly, there is no snow in sight for us...so it looks like we won't be having a white Christmas after all...and I never thought I would be sad about not having snow, but I got really excited imagining waking up Christmas morning to a fresh snow fall just like in the movies...maybe next year!

New Years Eve, however, is still up in the air! Our friends and us have been talking about what to do and we may just do something locally, dress up and go out to celebrate the amazing year that was 2011 (we both got engaged this year!) and ring in what we know will be yet another amazing year in 2012! No matter what we end up doing, I know I will be with GREAT company <3

Recipes

Just wanted to point out that I added a recipes page so check it out!!! I will be adding more but I posted my fave 5 right now! :) Hope you all are brave enough to try them!! I promise they are good or I wouldn't be eating them myself! ENJOY!

My Not So Baby Boys

The boys on the first day I ever watched them

my not so baby boys <3

I love my job for so many reasons, but the main reason is because of the unique bond I get with each child I take care of. Two boys, their whole family really, stole my heart from the moment I met them and I miss them every single day. Austin Frank and Calvin Lee Etter hold such a special place in my heart. They are two of the sweetest little boys I have ever had the pleasure of caring for and feel so blessed to have them be such a big part of our lives. I had applied to a babysitting job on care in the summer of 2009, but nothing ever really came from it until I was at the beach with another little girl I had gotten hired to babysit. I received a phone call from an unknown number (which I never answer) but for some reason I decided to answer the phone, and who else than Honor Etter to be on the other line desperately seeking a sitter for her two boys THAT weekend! I could barely hear her since I was at the beach and wasn't quite understanding what she wanted but I said yes lets meet I can come by and meet you guys anytime. So, I believe it was the next day I drove over to their house to meet the family and when I walk in I see Honor holding baby Austin all of 6 months old and little crazy Calvin all of a year and half old, blond hair, blue eyed little boys and instantly fell in love with not only the boys but with the whole family. Honor was the sweetest lady, so smiley and energetic and I will never forget that while we were talking she was holding baby Aus and his eyes stayed glued on me the entire time. I came back that weekend and babysat them all day saturday and sunday (keep in mind at this point I had never watched an infant before by myself so I was kind of nervous) and from that day on I had an unbreakable bond with those boys that still holds strong till this day even though I am so far away.

I was only babysitting the boys on random weekend nights when Josh and Honor would go out to dinner or something, but after about 6 months I quit my job at the daycare I was working at an began watching the boys regularly during the week. We had already built an incredible relationship with the entire family but that just made it even better. They truly are like family to me each and every one of them. I love those boys like they are my own. I started bringing them over to our apartment and Bobby would come over and he too fell in love with those boys instantly, how could you not? He tells me randomly that he misses the boys, and its just so sweet because anyone who knows Bobby knows he isn't usually so sentimental, and it just shows how much he truly does love and care for those boys just as much as I do. The Etter's are just such special people, truly rare to find people so special and genuine these days. Honor has become one of my best friends and Shanaye is like a little sister to me.

This was all brought on today when I received a package in the mail from Honor, two framed Christmas ornaments with the boys' pictures in them and a larger frame with a picture of Bobby and I holding Austin and Calvin that is now hanging on the wall in our living room. I don't know when the next time I am going to see the boys next, I hope its soon, but until then we will continue to skype and send picture messages back and forth to each other. They are growing up way too fast without me there and it makes me so sad!! I am just so happy that we built such an incredible bond that I know we are a part of their hearts just as much as they are a part of ours.

my little Aus

waiting for Bobby

Halloween '11