3 Years Down - A Million to Go!

April 10th 2013 - Chad and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary!

The best day of my life

We had the most wonderful day! Nothing had been planned - mostly because we weren't sure if Chad was gonna get the day off work. And, I am not big on anniversaries actually... I always ask my husband if we can just stay in or not buy each other presents. Its not that I'm not excited to be married another year, its more that we go out to nice dinners often and generally have a wonderful time when we're together...

This year was no different - I had asked Chad to stay mellow - and that's exactly what we did.

We started off going to Ikea and buying furniture for our new place together. This was important to us, because Chad wasn't going to be able to help move into our new place and I wanted him to have some input on what the place looked like. We spent a long time picking out a new bed, nightstand, and dinning room table.

Our super cool new table! Its a gate leaf that folds down to just 18 inches

Walking around the city that is Ikea would make any person tired - so it was time for a beer! We stopped by Oggi's Pizza and Brewery. Its a chain down here, but a pretty darn good one. We had ourselves a few flights, with which we toasted to our wonderful lives thus far.

During pizza and beer we remembered that we had some passes to Sea World! So, we went. Spent a few hours, walking around, seeing some cool animals, enjoying the beautiful day.

There was a baby orca! Born on my birthday!

After watching the Shamu show, it was like 7pm and we were hungry again. Which was good cause apparently Chad HAD planned something for our anniversary. He wanted to take me to Hunter Steakhouse. It was the most delicious dinner, in a fancy, yet rustic space. 

Over beer and steak, we did one of my favorite things to do on an anniversary. I love to recount all the amazing things we've done so far in our marriage. Chad and I have done a lot. We've seen amazing things, been to amazing places.

We're some of the lucky ones. That couple that makes other couples just a little jealous. I love my husband with all that I am - and I can't wait to be married forever!

Another Chapter for Us Begins!

Another chapter for Pinky and I that is! Pinky is my Jeep Wrangler - my awesome, 2001 silver Jeep. My dream car when I was little. My faithful steed!

She is 12 years old this August and this just happened about a week ago-

*Sniff Sniff*

My baby is growing up! Cheers! To another 12 years!

Patio Garden - Deck 2!

I love plants. I love gardens. But unfortunately, I've been stuck in townhouses, with no yards... So, I've been forced to learn to love container gardens. Chad and I had a pretty successful patio/container garden in Washington - and that was with a super short growing season. When we moved back to SD, I started dreaming of multiple season growing seasons and super red tomatoes.... happy sigh. So - today was the day I set up our NEW patio garden! It was such a beautiful day, I couldn't stand being inside unpacking and arranging junk all day.

The best part - right near my house is the coolest plant store! We didn't get much (Milli and me, that is, not the Royal We) because I walked there, and I wasn't sure how much I could carry. But, I took my time, deciding on the few things we did get! Ended up with, 1 big pot, 1 plum tomato, 1 bbq rosemary, 1 strawberry and a lavender plant for Chad. Luckily, a friend of mine had given me a bunch of little pots (for the herbs) a few days ago, so I didn't have to get more heavy pots!

So, I went up to the cashier to pay and AWK! SOIL! I needed soil! Ok, Simple. I'll buy these things, carry them home, then come back and buy soil. No problem. But NO! Instead, how about I just borrow one of the plant stores' carts! That's right, the lady behind the counter totally laughed at the fact that I was walking, and very simply said "Why don't you just use one of our carts, then bring it back later?"

 
AWESOME! More time for playing in the dirt!!

Wheels are awesome. Cool plant stores are even more awesome. Have I mentioned how much I love our new place?

So Much Packing Paper! I'm Drowning!!

Hello Blog! Oh, how I've missed you!

This has been the busiest week ever! In a good way!

Chad and I finally found the perfect new place! Its only a mile from the beach, walkable to a bunch of businesses (everything BUT a bar, which made me just the teentiest bit sad) and AWESOME! But anywho, moving in has been taking up my entire brain and body! I'm so tired! It's all because JUST as we signed the lease - Chad had to go back to work, and has been there pretty much non-stop since then! ARG!

I've just now started getting the place looking less like a hoarder abode and more like a home.

Hoarder Abode

Home-ish

And Ikea has been our friend - but just a little bit... only a bed frame... a night stand... and a dinner table...

More to come!!

Is it a Dragon Egg or a Fruit!?

Its a fruit! A cherimoya to be specific.

I had my first cherimoya in college in Santa Barbara. I was walking the local farmers market and saw a basket of these weird fruits. Who could say no to a fruit that has dragon scales?! Once I got it home, I had to look up how to eat it on the internet. There really wasn't much information other than don't eat the big black seeds.

The other day I was driving with my brother and his wife and we stopped at one of our local farm stands. Their everywhere down here - the best ones are in Valley Center. The fruit is cheap, usually ripe and super tasty. Plus, they usually have the slightly weirder fruits like blood oranges, guavas and cherimoya.

I was excited to see the cherimoya there because I had a feeling Chad hadn't ever had one. Who doesn't like surprising their husbands with weird fruits?! The next day, I cut it up and brought it out on a cutting board - I just asked Chad if he wanted a snack - and when he saw it... well we can say there was confusion on his face.

Even though, at this point I was a cherimoya pro, Chad still went straight to the internet to look up this odd fruit. No trust.

If your looking to try a cherimoya here are a few tips. First, when they are BRIGHT green like the one at the front of the above picture, they are usually just about ripe. I like them when they are just a tinge tanner, maybe one day after bright green (like the one in the background), and they should be soft to the touch, but not mushy - like a ripe avocado. When you cut it, the flesh will be whitish and avoid cutting through the seeds. You can eat ALL of the white part - the best part is found right around the seeds. The fruit has a over-ripe apple or custardy texture (appropriate cause they are also called custard apples) and the flavor or an light apple/pear/guava. Its really nice and refreshing.

I'm a fan :) Enjoy!

Smile! My First In-N-Out Burger

I'm not crazy. Though, I know I sound that way. A born and raised southern Californian who has never had an In-N-Out burger?! What is wrong with you!? To be fair - I've been to and eaten at In-N-Out a bunch of times. I had just never had one of their burgers - and for good reason! I didn't eat burgers of ANY KIND from 1996-2012. So, until this past Monday, I had always ordered the grilled cheese animal style (which by the way, is made like the cheese burger, just without the meat).

 
Honestly, it was pretty good. Nothing that I'm gonna go crazy over or ever crave... but it was good. However, it tasted EXACTLY LIKE the grilled cheese.... so I think I'll probably just stick with those :)