Halloween

Halloween was fun, but got really screwed up. This seems really normal for us, though. All day was spent getting the backyard ready for concrete. This meant Cris with three other guys (including his best friend, Eddie) had to dig out lots of old concrete and move around nasty dirt/mud. I spent the whole day shopping for items to make White Chili and making it (yes, mostly from scratch). We finally got to Trunk-or-Treat with Smores. The chili fell over (all over) in the backseat, which was fine since there was no chili cook-off anyway and we were half an hour late. Smores growled and snapped at a kid, who was coming at her. She finally felt safe and laid next to me or grandpa the whole time and had a great time as a pirate. :)

Dr. Jen Here I Come!

I just got accepted (officially) into the Ph.D. program in the Special Education Department of UNLV for the Spring 2010 semester! I am so excited and overwhelmed at the same time...I not only need 90 units of coursework, but a whole bunch of stuff to do in addition to prepare me for to be a professor at a university. I know I don't want to be a professor at a university right now, but maybe in 10, 20, ... 30 years. I like that I will have options to be in administration, a consultant for private companies, work for private school, still be a teacher, write books, conduct trainings, or work at a university. Whatever may come, I will be prepared. :) Jen

Trying To Cram Everything In One Last Day!

Us with Caesar, Mama Testa's owner, in his shop where his fish tacos and him beat Bobby Flay on Bobby Flay Throwdown.

Yummy Fish Tacos!

Crunch :) This is Cris' pirate bite, arrrrgh!

Yum, yum! Look at my fish taco. Jealous much?

Azer, my loving AXO big sis!

Cris is so proud!

Cris' cute elephante candle that he dipped himself.

Cris working so hard...

on his candle creation.

He's so excited!

Pretty Old Town

Us in Old Town, obviously :)

Parking was almost murder...but there is a trolley in the background

Crazee Man...er, Burger

Here we are at Crazee Burger with our awesome friends, The Cannata's

Yum, french fries...what?

Last bite for Jen & cute Mommy Kristin in the back :)

Awww, we love eating and kissing

Today we decided to hang out at a bunch of places on our last day in San Diego. We met up with our friends from Vegas, The Cannata's, and went to our first stop, Crazee Burger (from the Food Network's Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives). We've gone before, but wanted to eat Big Bird...I mean, the ostrich burger. Shhh! Don't tell the kids we ate Big Bird! And he was delicious!! Then we went to Old Town (Cris' first time) and met up with Adrienne (AKA Azer or Big Sis) and her friend, Richard. Cris dipped his very own elephant candle and had a great time! We also got salt water taffy from Cousin's Old Fashioned Candy Shoppe, and got a new elephant for Cris' collection (made out of Tiger's Eye) from the Mining and Panning shop. Last, but not least, we went to Mama Testa's (from Food Network's Bobby Flay's Throwdown). We had a fun and tasty day! Thanks to all of our friends for helping us have a great last day in San Diego!

DONE WITH MY MASTER'S DEGREE

I officially finished my last M.Ed. class yesterday and no matter what I am done. It looks like I will be receiving my degree within the next few months, but will walk in December. I am super excited because this is the first time I have had a GPA close to a 4.0 since I was in middle school. My overall GPA will be 3.98! I can't believe I actually have that kind of GPA. I will have to walk in December because the head of our program is making it mandatory. Cris says I deserve it because I have worked so hard, but somehow it seems that I will be punished for all that hard work (three hours stuck in a huge stadium listening to boring speeches). I guess I am a glutton for punishment, however, because I will be walking in graduation and also taking my first Ph.D. class in the fall.

Godspell the Musical

Well, we are in San Diego trying to relax after a rough school year and we seems to be doing just fine with that. On Friday night we went to Godspell the Musical with my mom. It was fun and in a small theatre so it was like really being apart of the show.

Sicily & Rome

In front of the Panthenon in Rome.

Making wishing by throwing three coins in the Trevi Fountain.  It is supposed to ensure our return to Rome and a marriage to come soon!?!

The Roman Forum, the ancient Roman marketplace.

The Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine.

Sicilian Marketplace, where the Sicilians go to get the freshest ingredients for that night's dinner.

Temple of Concord in the Valley of the Temples (Agrigento, Sicily).

Prickly Pear Cactus...they grow everywhere just like in Mexico!

The Bar Vitelli they filmed all the bar scenes of the Godfather.

The view...

Mount Etna, the active volcano still has snow all over it.

Valley of the Temples at night.

Wow!  What a view...those Greeks could really pick the spot for their temples.

Vineyard after vineyard.

Mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale, a perserved Roman villa.

More temple ruins.

Italian police?

On the bus.

So, I almost forgot the months between Christmas and Summer...

I went with my mom to Sicily and Rome, Italy for her (guess what number)th birthday!  We had so much fun!!!  We want to plan to go on a cruise to Scandinavia and Russia for my 30th birthday (Cris can come on this one).  :)

July - Camping in Pine Valley

Playing murder in the dark was fun for everyone. Look at those smiles!

Layla is cold.

Look at all the fish we caught.

Daddy and son time with Yobo on the prowl.

Girls on the famous Pine Valley Rock.

It's our tent.

Ooo, the water is cold.

I love volleyball! It was fun to play with the whole fam!

Watermelon hats are fun!

Cris' first S'more!

At the beginning of July we were able to go to Pine Valley with all the Glassford's (some of our names may have changed, but we are all Glassfords!). It was so much fun and it was the first time Cris got to meet most of the family! We are definitely wanted to do it again next year, too.