Wow, its been almost a year since my last post. So much has happened. 2016 has kicked me in the butt for sure. Don't get me wrong, so many great things too, so many adventures but honestly losing my granny and my mom being sick - you can't undo those things and they hurt so much. At the end I know I'll make it through but I would give the world to see my granny again, so many wrongs I want to do right by her. I will be forever lucky to have had this lady in my life. I cannot repay her for all the love and memories she gave me. Forever granny's pumpkin....

Irma Crespin Jan 2, 1938 - March 13, 2016
The best granny ever

Currently:

Watching – Watching all the new prime time tv shows. Yay, regular scheduled nonsense is back. I mean, I had Law & Order SVU on repeat all summer, I'd say Sammy Whammy and I were a little obsessed. Long Live Munch!

Listening – Pretty much pandora is always on babyface and/or R&B. I love the 90s!


Cooking – Still not cooking. Maybe cooking up things to do. I know I should totally cook but maybe when we get a new place. I hope it will put a fire under me. Well I'll probably be broke and have no choice but to cook. 

Celebrating – Life! Always. Even in all the craziness, I'm trying to find happiness and look for the silver lining. I will not let the universe get me down, go away bad vibes, good vibes only. For reals.

Savoring – the good things. Last time stuff at 837. Enjoying the cool breeze we now have since summer if officially over. Its kind of nice to have a breeze and not suffocate from the heat. 


Planning: a move :( I wish it was later like next year. After almost 30 years of living in our house, I can't believe we have to leave. Ultimately I knew this day would come but man its hurting so hard and I can't get past it. I know I have to be the strong one for everyone. I kind of imagined one day being able to give my parents that place, i have no idea how but it was perfect in its own broken way for us. Things change for sure but I know its ok to still feel sad about it. I mean, I had a plan that was in my head. But it is what it is. I have faith it will work out. I'm just hoping to keep my family together and happy. A new start may be what everyone needs. Just so much stuff can be so overwhelming.


Working on –Stuff. House. Credit. Plans. Life. Insert fun times here too. 


Loving – brambleberry ice cream. I kinda dream about it, ha. 

Reading – sadly, nothing right now. I miss those days but I'm all caught up in the social media game and watching shows on tv while i get my steps in and then its like repeat the next day. Sometimes life is like a repeat button. But thats ok too. 

Plotting – No plotting right now. Just trying to make things happen. Maybe thats a plot?


Learning – I can't do everything but I can plan how I react and manage what I can manage. It bothers me so much that I didn't plan for this better but I know that I can work towards a brighter future, if that makes sense. 


Praying – not enough. I mean, I pray, i talk, i ask for guidance. But its always been awkward. Why do we always seem to pray when we need something but not when we are content? I pray that I find my way someday.


Making – feels like these days, only sweetheart sunday cards. I hope to get back to the crafty mission soon. Its soothing and fulfilling in some ways. Someday it would be nice to build the craft empire instead of just hoard stuff. 

Thinking - maybe I'll blog more. 

Currently from what has been a long time coming

Just felt like I had something to say today. I don't know why but it feels better to have someplace to put it all out there. I sometimes wonder why things happen, how much a person can take and I know its not as bad as it feels but sometimes I just have to believe and pray its going to turn my frown upside. Anyways, to currently.....




Watching – Empire and lots of fun fall tv. I love you DVR, you keep me intrigued. I'm pretty much addicted to every new pilot in the fall line up. If I had time to watch them all I would never leave my house.


Listening – Pandora, Babyface station – ALL DAY. I love my R&B, I love the 90s. I love music. Oh and  This American Life Podcast, so addicting.


Cooking – me, ha. Maybe I’ll make some brownies or something when it cools down. Ordering, well that I can do easy.


Celebrating – Tonight, my BFC. My friend for years. Her birthday, yay. Loving our transition from high school friends to lifelong friends. Can’t wait to get our Golden Girls on.


Savoring – sweet moments with my sweetheart, my love, my penguin. I’m so lucky.


Planning for and even dreaming about – Our cruise to Italy, Greece and Croatia in 2017. I know its a long time away but talk about dream destination. I dream every day because its magical this cruise line. Memories take me back to Alaska and I feel so blessed to have the adventures I do with the man of my dreams. Hurry up 2017, take me away to paradise with my love.


Working on – Lots of stuff like my actual work. Trying to figure out my place and the direction of my career. Working on finding more time for my passion in the community without taking too much time away from my loved ones. Working on getting my craftiness back and trying to find the time to get organized.


Loving – my peeps. The ones that keep me going. The ones that put up with the madness. The ones that stick by me. The ones I pray and love on.


Reading – hopefully a new book about Thunder Point. The mushy but not so mushy series that I find myself floating off to when the time arises.


Plotting – Oh there are some plots thickening. Making plans, that’s my game.


Learning – how to appreciate why and how. It doesn’t always make sense but we get through it


Praying – for so much, there is so much to pray for, so much to be happy for, so much to reach out for guidance on and just so much, sometimes. Those darn lemons.


Making – Hopefully a Halloween costume for Rab, one she’ll love. I haven’t really gone to my Martha Stewart skills since Year 2 with the Baby Chicken so she definitely deserves something fun and awesome.

Sweetheart Adentures : San Antonio Style

I don't know how many times I can say it, we are just so lucky, so blessed, so awesome. We truly "believe" we can win anything and everything. This year has been filled with so many awesome adventures. January - Miami. March - San Francisco. April - San Antonio and in September - Alaska. I've traveled more this year than I have in my whole life. Just blessed. The only thing is I wish Samantha was able to join us on all these adventures. At least we had SF. One of the many things I love about my sweetheart is how he makes things happen. He's like no worries and makes it happen for us. Paying for Miami, paying for SF, paying for San Antonio. Its alot of hard work and he makes it happen for us. I love him.

We had a really good time in San Antonio. Its not like SF where you have sooo much to do and very little time.  We did all the good things - visited the Alamo (where you can almost miss it because its so small), took a tour along Riverwalk, ate a bunch of TexMex (i'm not a fan, very blah), rode in a horse drawn carriage (had my Cinderella moment thanks to my baby), had some Blue Bell ice cream (i don't know what the hype was about but it was good), went to a Laker game (and they won!) and probably walked like 5 million miles which is how I can justify all the eating. My favorite part of the trip was learning about the Alamo with my sweetheart, we're nerds like that. Yay to winning! And of course the Laker game.

Oh and can I just say, everyone in Texas is super nice. We met so many happy people. I wish that would rub off on California. We'd be a much better state if we just treated eachother with respect. Although I'm sad I'm mamn and not miss as much. I guess I'm looking old :(

Top 10 things I loved about San Antonio

1. No state sales tax (I don't really know how that affected us but I still appreciate it)
2. Riverwalk and the accessibility (we need one in l.a.)
3. How easy it was to navigate across the city without a car
4. Beef sliders from the food truck - the best thing we ate in San Antonio
5. Fiesta time - I loved how the city embraced it and people prance around the city with flowers on their heads
6. The charm of the Alamo and all the history
7. How they really believe everything's bigger and better in Texas
8. The happy taxi drivers (almost all of them really love their jobs)
9. The Lakers beat the Spurs! All the spurs fan had a good nature, totally not haters like in L.A.
10. Enjoying this great trip with my Sweetheart. We're becoming professional winners and travelers.

Sweetheart Adventure: San Antonio Style

Oh hey October

Our calendar is filling up quickly and its one of our favorite months,  October is here, yay!

Top 10 reasons why October is so awesome

1. Hello, do I have to say it, Dia de los Muertos, duh. Its like our fave. Hopefully this year we make it out to the celebration at Self Help Graphics . They're also hosting workshops where we can learn how to make sugar skulls and papel picado - which I've been wanting to do forever. Signing up stat.
   

   

   Dia de los Muertos 11/2/11 e.l.a.

2. I have a special date night planned, I'm going to get extra sweetheart points. Yay me. 
3. I'm taking this class at Papertales. I haven't actually ever joined a crop before so this should be fun. Although I haven't really started project life, I mean 2 days doesn't really count. Any class at Papertales is awesome and I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.
4. The weather should get cooler and hopefully I can make this. Betty Crocker lives inside me, I know this.
5. I'm going to the Arsenio Hall Show with my sweetheart. We're so cool. I hope we sit in the dog pound, haha.  Anything that reminds me of growing up in the 80's/90's is awesome and sharing it with my sweetheart, total bonus.
6. Report cards most likely go out this month and we can feel it in our bones that it will be one of the best ever, hopefully a celebration is in order. We do love a good celebration! Fingers crossed.
7. Fall decor - anything fall, pumpkin, scary chic, or just plain fun is awesome in my book. I can't wait to cut out paper bats and put them all over the house, I know a few people in particular that will just love it, (wink).
8. We get to wear costumes and act goofy and make instagram videos at Target. We're just fun.
   
   
9. Our first Improvcity zombie show. We are like Improvcity groupies. Whenever we sink our claws in something we hang on, first Scrabble, then trivia, now Improv.
   
   
10. More than anything, just because we'll be together. I know I need to stay home once in a while.  My house is a mess, my room is a disaster because I can't stay home long enough to wash my clothes or do anything but I love us! I'm living the good life, there is no slowing down - YOLO, haha.

Currently

Time: 10:02am
Location: #cubiclelife
Doing: Spreadsheets are my life, grrr
Listening: to This American Life podcast – episode “This week” so good, my fave
Wishing: that my phone would update to 4.1 so I could play with instagram video, hello cat videos :)
Eating: tiny pieces of the cake lady cake, trying to save it for an afternoon snack, yet I cannot resist
Drinking: water! No soda for me today.
Reading: emails and blog posts in my spare time. That’s how I roll.
Needing: a manicure, seriously. My nails feel neglected, I just know it.
Wanting: a vacation day to sleep in, go to the beach and eat lots of yummy food. Why is food such a theme in my life?
Crafting: I feel like my mojo slipped some. Where are you mojo? Come back!
Enjoying: fun adventures with my sweetheart and Samantha. We always seem to find ways to enjoy life. I love them so much.
Loving: my cats ;) haha. Just kidding. Well I do love my cats but I’m loving that the NKOTB concert countdown is about to begin, t-minus 9 days and counting...

Day Dreaming....

La Jolla Cove, CA - 2012

I want to go back here. We had so much  fun just relaxing. I love these kind of days. La Jolla, I hope you become my home away from home some day. Actually I wish you could become my home. This picture reminds me of one of the funnest most relaxing trips we've taken as a family. We had no agenda, just to enjoy the moment. We all said it was one of our best trips. Swimming at the beach, walking down the cove, eating Ghiradelli's whenever we could, walking around Gaslamp, sharing lemon bars at Gold Fish Pointe cafe, relaxing in the jacuzzi, playing board games in our room, lauging, lauging and laughing....

Insert Picture here

La Jolla Cove, Ca 2013

Can't Wait!

hmmm

I read this great quote today "where God leads, God provides." I really needed to read it, hear it, say it today. I'm having this never ending fight with myself and my decisions in life lately. Like my decision to leave Caltech and start a new job in a field I keep saying I want to be in. But then reality hit and I'm unsure if I made the right decision. But....where God leads..... So here I am. Still not feeling quite adjusted, going on almost 3 months. I know it takes time but patience is not my strong suit. Its kinda funny though because every time I feel like I'm ready to throw in the towel, something or someone helps me change my mind. Again, where God leads.... Today it was this quote, actually it was also someone I was talking to. I was listening more to their enthusiasm more than what they were saying. I want to be somewhere that has people like that. I know I can be that person. I know I can be more and maybe I'm the reason I keep contemplating my decisions. I know its partly me and my attitude.  I guess I'm just sitting on to the hope that someone notices that I can be great. But honestly how are they going to know that if I don't feel that way all the time. Its time for a change. I mean alot of change. Starting with a change in my attitude and a change in the value of me. As this turns into a Dear Diary entry, I keep thinking that I'm suppose to be here. I'm suppose to make the 1 1/2 hour drive (for now), I'm suppose to listen and learn from people that have worked in non profit for more than 20 years and I'm suppose to remember that I was lead here and.....where God leads, God provides.