Happy Anni-Familiversary!

Today was our three year Anni-Famili-versary! We made it to three years...now only an eternity to go!

We didn't do much this year as we are expecting our second little one any day now. Friday we went and ran errands as our "date" and went to Mimi's Cafe for dinner. Today we enjoyed a lovely quiche Lorraine for dinner with Lucas and told each other how grateful we were for each other. I got Craig a card and a V-neck T-shirt in this really great green-ish turquoise that looks just fantastic with his eyes and skin tone so really it was a gift for both of us. We got a card in the mail from my parents (gracias Nona and Papa) with a Visa gift card in it that we will spend on an afternoon sushi trip and new bathroom mats for Lucas and Darci's bathroom. We're such adults.

I love my husband and love that we, so far, have agreed on the important things in life. We are extremely lucky to have each other and, soon to be, two fantastic children. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some pictures of our fun, weird, kooky family (thus far).

Our first road trip back in 2008. Look at us...just a couple of kids!

I'm pretty sure Lucas thought that this was the opportune time to pass gas...he's definitely our son...

He wasn't smiling so I decided to make the same face he was so it wouldn't be awkward...little did I know...

Yes...this was supposed to be our Christmas Card one year...

Lucas is CLEARLY not as amused as we are...

These boys are the BEST

Happy Anni-Famili-versary!

Newport Village

After moving three times since we've been married we may have found a place we can call home...for a few years. Seriously, it drives me nuts thinking about how many times we've moved in the past three years.

So this time when looking for an apartment we made a list of absolutely everything we would need in an apartment in order to live there for an extended period of time. It's amazing that we found the place we found because it has EVERYTHING on our list checked off. I didn't think we would be able to find a place so seemingly perfect. I'm still waiting for the downside to show it's ugly face, but something tells me that after as critical as Craig and I have tried to be, we haven't found a deal breaker about it yet.

The realty company that owns the apartment has been extremely helpful and accommodating and we can't wait to move in. We're hoping to sign sometime this week and start moving our stuff in a couple of weeks from then.

It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms with jetted tubs (not a necessity but super cool anyways), a laundry room, a patio with a storage closet in it, a nice kitchen with a flat range stove and granite counter tops, and all we have to pay for in addition is gas and electric. All under the price range we were looking for.

Welcome to Newport Village

Yes we WERE able to find a bottom floor, so no hiking up any stairs anymore!!

The kitchen is just fantastic and logical and I'm so excited to fill it with our own stuff and to cook in it!

And amazingly enough we have a dining room! We'll eventually have to get a dining table set, but for now or humble table and folding chairs will have to do

And YES we FINALLY get a LAUNDRY ROOM. It wasn't enough that we were looking just for an apartment with a washer and drier but we found an apartment with a washer and drier and COUNTER SPACE to go with it!

We're very excited and can't wait to move in and make it a home for us. The neighborhood is perfect too because it's full of small families like ours. Also, it's literally a mile up the street from our place now so it won't be killer to move and Craig will still be able to ride his bike to school once the construction finishes.

Home sweet home here we come! Wish us luck!

Child Prodigy

...that's our son. He's a boy of many talents and ambitions. All of which are both classy and expensive.

It started out with your basic drumming...

...but he decided the violin was more challenging and therefore more rewarding...

...but not as rewarding as the cello which he would practice alongside Yo Yo Ma...

...however, Fred Astair and Gene Kelly were more enjoyable teachers...

So now he enjoys tap dancing to just about any song that comes on but asks as often as he can to watch "Puttin' on the Ritz" or "Singing in the Rain". As I said...a boy of many talents.

He's Two! He's Two!

On March 22, Lucas Patrick Dell turned two years old! While we were in California (see previous post) we celebrated with Craig's family and then celebrated on his birthday with my family. We HAD planned a Star Wars themed birthday party, but SOMEONE decided to get sick during the nap they were taking RIGHT BEFORE the party, so that DID NOT happen. We love him and I'm sure he would have loved the party if we had been able to have it. :)

That's right, that's ELMO on those cupcakes!

The adult cake...because Elmo was just too cool to eat...

Yay for Lucas still being a dainty eater!

Lucas is REALLY partied out, if you can't tell...

I love his hesitation...These are obviously dinosaurs, guys...I think...

And, yes, he loves Corduroy

I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE PRESENTS TO OPEN?!?!

The Lightsaber bubble wands that went un-played-with

The gift bags that were passed out at a later date with apologies

The Padawan braids that went un-worn

And finally, the Rebel Alliance cake that went uneaten by the other little padawans that were anticipated at the party.

We love Lucas, he's such an intelligent and happy boy and we're so grateful he's in our lives.

Cheesy Red Enchiladas

I've been meaning to blog more about recipes that i'm developing. These I sort of put together after asking a number of people for Cheese Enchilada recipes. So thank you all for your contribution!

Cheesy Red Enchiladas

Oil
Corn tortillas
1/2 lb. of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1-10 oz. can of La Victoria's Mild Red Enchilada Sauce (It MUST be this kind)
Kraft's mexican blend of cheese
Olives, halved or thirded (optional)
Green onions, finely chopped (optional)

Start by having the enchildada sauce warming on the stove (not boiling...you'll burn your fingers...trust me). Then fry up however many corn tortillas you want in the oil for about ten seconds per side. Just enough that they are a little crispy but not too much that it's hard to roll them. They'll also have a HEAVENLY corny smell to them which is why this step is necessary in order to bring out the flavor. Usually about 12 corn tortillas fills a 9x9 in. pan and feeds us with leftovers to spare.

When all the corn tortillas are fried, gently dip them one at a time in the enchilada sauce so that both sides are covered. You don't have to get every inch of it covered, but try to get most of it covered.

What I'll do is dip one, set it in the pan i'm using to bake the enchiladas in, fill it with however much cheese I want, roll it, and place it. That's what I do, but you can figure out your own method if you want.

Now once you've got them all in there (you can squish them together, no worries) I spread the mexican blend cheese on top, then the olives and onions. Put in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for fifteen minutes and voila! Cheesy Red Enchiladas!

Super easy and they're seriously Lucas' favorite!

Seriously...

Spring Break 2011

So WAY back in March during our spring break we took a trip out to Manteca, CA to visit Craig's parents. We caravaned over with our good friends Donnie, Jenni and their little boy Asher who were also visiting family in Sacramento!

At about midnight while we were driving we were informed it was snowing in Donner's Pass and chains were required, so we felt it necessary to stop in Reno and grab a hotel that night. Coincidentally Circus Circus was a surprisingly cheap option so we got ourselves a room.

Definitely a Circus Circus room...

Lucas' favorite part was pushing the stroller into the bathroom...go figure...

Craig's parents took us to Vivolo's Chowder House for some good ol' fashioned Clam Chowder in a Sourdough bread bowl...mmmm....

...then we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! Lucas had lots of stories about fishies after that.

Of COUSE we had to take a picture with us and the Pacific...it's been too long...

Can anyone guess what we're making?

So we realized that in all the times Craig's parents have visited us and all the times we've visited them neither party got a picture of the Grandparents and Lucas. It's a couple years late but we made it happen! He loves being tickled by his Grandma!

I Know...

So there is a new blog coming. We are alive, Craig and I finally finished a semester and have taken care of most of our to-do list. One of those things to do would be blog. S0 we're working on a new post. We promise.