Friday, February 27, 2009

Bye bye Albuquerque!

Today is our last day in Albuquerque and Mike and I are SO ready to be done. Being in a hotel room and living in such tight quarters has gotten so old that I think we may leave tire marks on the pavement on our way out of here! I've called the ambulance TWICE while living here. It's actually funny though because my phone pulls up a menu when I dial 911 which is basically asking me, "Are you sure you want to call this number?" Once was for the accident and another time was for finding a man that was laying face down in parking lot bleeding out of his head! 

But in all honesty, this experience hasn't been as horrible as I may have complained to all of you! There were great things about living here and Mike and I have made so many wonderful memories. We're a stones throw away (I've always wanted to say that!) from some of the best ski resorts and the beautiful mountain views and sunsets have been breathtaking to watch. My health is better living here because the air is so clean and my lung capacity is much stronger! Seriously, our first week here, Mike and I went for a run and I had to stop after ten minutes because I was so winded. I thought I was just out of shape but found out later that it was the altitude that made it so difficult. Now I can run outside with no problem so I may be able to run farther and longer once we're back on the east coast. 


Here's a video of the mountains

Because of our experiences here, moving to Japan will feel like such a luxury. We'll finally have our OWN house (and I don't care how old it is!) As long as it has a kitchen, I will be SO happy! I feel like such a bad wife because I don't cook and you guys know that I love to cook. It will also feel like Christmas because we have so many wedding gifts that are unused (and some even unopened) as well as new furniture still in its packaging. And lets pray that a job will fall into my lap soon after moving there. I've put in all my stuff to teach on base and now I'm just playing the waiting game until someone wants to interview me. Ever since I've graduated from college, I've longed to have my own classroom. My first year of teaching was at a private daycare center and I was the kindergarten teacher. I didn't have any of the benefits that regular teachers have at a public school. I've grown a lot from my experiences there as well as my part-time job at Hollingworth but I feel as though I haven't really applied my training in a real-life setting and I hope Japan offers me that opportunity. 

For the next few days, Mike and I will be on the road (mostly on I-40) driving to Fayetteville, NC to spend time with his family. I will post video and pictures of our road trip later. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wedding Photos

We finally got our wedding photos and I created a website that family and friends can order from here.
I'll include of a few of my favorites...



Monday, February 23, 2009

She's a Winner!

Last week I got a call from Molly telling me that she was a finalist in the Haas Avocado Recipe Contest. To qualify for the contest, Molly had to create her own original recipe using...haas avocados. I really can't remember exactly what she made but I have some great pictures of what the end result looked like! 


So after finding out that she was a finalist (which meant that she would at least receive $500), a few days later she found out that she was the grand prize winner! With the grand prize, Molly has won a free trip to San Francisco valued at $5000 plus $1000 in spending money! Her recipe will also be featured in various magazines! Way to go Molly! You've finally won something! 

Today is also Molly's 27th birthday so Happy Birthday Molly! I love you! 

Monday, February 16, 2009

Our Mini-Honeymoon

For the long weekend, Mike and I took a "mini-honeymoon" to Taos, New Mexico (which happens to be where Julia Roberts lives also!) Taos is a small artsy town nestled between beautiful snow covered mountains. We had an amazing time exploring the town, skiing at Taos Ski Valley and Angel Fire and eating at mom n pop restaurants. Our favorite part of the trip had to be where we stayed. The American Artists Gallery House was a B&B in the center of Taos and was amazing! Neither of us had ever stayed at a B&B before but were so pleased with how wonderful the place was! Charles and LeAn are the owners and they were so fun to see every morning. They cooked us delicious breakfasts and made sure to have chocolate covered strawberries and red velvet cake waiting for us when we got back from a long, cold day of skiing! There were so many happy animals including a feisty peacock named George and a lap cat named Annie. We didn't take any pictures when we were there BUT we took a couple videos!

Here's a clip of Mike skiing down the mountain

Here's George the Peacock eating his breakfast : ) 

Here's a view of the beautiful mountains in Taos. 

And here's where we stayed!

9 Reasons I Love My Husband (plus 1 for luck!)

1. I love that Mike compliments me every single day. I could be wearing my favorite pj pants with holes in them and glasses from high school and he still makes me feel beautiful. 
2. I love that Mike will seal off the shower for me so that no cold air will get in.
3. I love that Mike will randomly say to me, "Do you know that I love you? I have so much fun with you!" 
4. I love that in a crisis, Mike will stay absolutely calm and say "I've got this Bridget" and hold my hand.
5. I love that Mike makes me laugh every single day.
6. I love that Mike is so responsible and wise and thinks about things in every angle before making a decision. Well, it can get annoying at times but that is why I love him!
7. I love that Mike has red hair and freckles! 
8. I love that Mike is great at all sports. I love to watch him play or compete.
9. I love that I've been best friends with Mike since we were 14 years old. 
*10* I love that Mike and I are finally married and with each day brings a new adventure and a deeper understanding of love and commitment. 

Mike & I celebrating spirit week in 10th grade

Mike on his way to work

I love you Mike! 

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Molly & Ben's Shower

Molly & Ben's shower was a huge success! They may have had their suspicions but they had no idea who was coming or what the theme of the party would be! Friends and family from PA, NJ, and NY came to celebrate Ben and Molly's upcoming wedding at Eddie & Michael's house in Philly. Michelle and I had been working on this party since the beginning of December and knew Molly would be a hard person to please because she is so perfect at planning her own parties. Anyway, here is a short clip of them when they first walked into the house. 



Ben & his younger brother Howard

Molly & me
I just liked this picture of my mom
Mol, Michelle (Best friend and bridesmaid who helped plan the party), and me
Here's our beautiful tablescape of the yummy Greek food! You can thank Michelle for that!
My mom and her boyfriend Paul
Mol & Michelle
Ben, Eddie, Molly, & Michael. They were there the ones who so generously opened up their home and let us throw this party! 
Cute cake huh?

I just had to throw in an old photo of us from halloween year ago...
And another one of us at the end of the party.
Michelle & I at the after party at 700 club. I was quite tired by this point!
Well there you go! We had a great time and I'm so excited for their wedding in May : )