HBD Lover!!

My husband turned 30 today!!!

30!!!!!

Happy Birthday Marshall. 

I love youuuuuuu and so proud to be your wife!

kisses.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our crazy family to yours!

kisses.

From sunshine to (maybe) snow!

We're leaving Miami tomorrow for a short 11 days.

It doesn't matter that the weather is so beautiful here right now and that it's supposed to snow in Oklahoma when we get there! Nothing compares to getting to spend quality time with our families.

kisses.

gingerbread and dreidels.

This weekend we went to a Chrismukkah party hosted by one of the other interns at Marshall's work.

We made gingerbread houses.

Everyone was hating on ours, but really they just didn't have the creative eye...

 The hostess had dreidels for everyone and we played an intense gave of Spin the Dreidel

 But actually what happened was MY dreidel seriously was magical. EVERY single time it landed on "gimel" which in dreidel terms means I take all the chocolate wrapper coins. Which means I won and dominated.

We took it home and kept spinning...and maybe 1 out of 25 spins it doesn't land on "gimel". 

It's awesome. I'm going to find a dreidel competition and make some money.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!! 

gardens and gators

Remember how I told you how the Miami-Dade library is awesome and you can go to museums for free? Well we decided to check out a another free pass this weekend. It's a first come first serve check out system, and they had the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens available so we thought that would be a great after church activity (which we didn't make it too because we were STUCK in highway traffic for 45 minutes and missed it even though we left our house with plenty of time. Uh. Miami traffic/driving competes with China traffic in miserableness). 

Anyway. On to the gardens. It was hot as balls out so we hoped on the tram for a quick guided tour before we ventured out on our own.

We found this little "wishing" area.

To Bella: Keep trying. You'll get it.

To Alexander: Is there someone you can talk to at school about this?

But overall, great wishes kids. 

We were also there during the butterfly exhibit.

There were many black and gold butterflies. 

Representin' Theta. 

AND the BEST part of the whole thing... we were about to leave when this little 4 year old says to me "Do you see the alligator??" I didn't and he had to point it out to me, which I then started to freak out as we all walked closer to it. And he told me he isn't afraid of them, and then started talking in Spanish to his brother... I really need to learn what everyone keeps saying around us!

The gator didn't move. Just stared at us with his teeth all open and ready to chomp. 

It was pretty exciting. Our first alligator we have seen here.

I can only hope we see many more.

Here's to a free day at the botanical gardens!

Thank you library card!

kisses.

beach day!

Marshall finished all of his board exams on Tuesday so now our days will no longer consist of him studying and me bugging him about wanting to go do something fun (until he starts to study for the state boards)!! We went this weekend and went where I have been dying to go!

The beach!

 It was soo weird to be laying there in December and thinking "I live here for the next 5 months, this isn't vacation!"

We realized that we really needed to step up our beach accessories. The locals all have their chairs and umbrellas. So we hit up Walmart and go what we needed to be awesome.

We settled on bedlam chair colors. 

The both have cup holders.

Party time.

We are going to try and go once a week to the beach! Besides all the sand (I HATE sand) it's pretty great!

kisses.

39 years!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

39 years! Pretty impressive!

Thank you for being such wonderful parents. Love you!

kisses.

everybody's doing it.

I saw this link on a friend's Facebook and it made me laugh.

I am guilty of so many of these Instagrams.

p.s. Follow me here if you want to see more typical pics.

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

I respect you @megkiner

I have good news!

I am a professional babysitter now. 

Which has kept me pretty busy the past 5 days... and I'm exhausted. I haven't worked this hard in months. Years.  But I already have some amazing stories.

I have major respect for all the moms out there... and Megan Kiner.

If you don't see me as much (I know, I basically don't exist on here anyway) it's because I'm hanging out with kids. Making some dough. Changing lives.

kisses.

The Zoo is free!

The best thing about the Miami-Dade library system is not the books. It's the free museum passes I can check out to all kinds of places around Miami. 4 free adult tickets. Heck yes!

On Friday we packed our leftover food for a picnic and headed to the zoo... fo FREE.

What's better than eating leftover turkey in the beautiful sunshine... doing it at the zoo!

We saw lots of animals.

Took lots of pictures.

This last one of my cousin is my favorite. She looks like a celebrity in the "Their just like us" section...  "they carry their sleeping babies just like us"

We hung out in the dino pit.

I'm momma bird feeding Amber on the left in case you couldn't tell.

After a full day of walking around, enjoying the weather we drove to Star Island to check out the expensive huge famous houses. Rosie O'Donnell and 2 of the Real Housewives of Miami live there.

 I didn't take any pics of the houses... but I'll be back. 

Free Zoo, hanging with my cousins, and potential celebrity sightings make for a great Black Friday.

kisses.

Thanksgiving in Miami.

This Thanksgiving we were lucky enough to spend it with family and 80 degree weather. 

My cousin/teeth twin lives in Jacksonville with her husband and their adorable 7 month old babe, so they drove down to see us!

I am loving being so close to them. I'm hoping there are many more weekend visits in the future,

 We also had friends over from Marshall's work/school. We only have 6 chairs, so it's a good thing we don't know anyone else.

All in all I would say the meal was a success. 

I've never cooked a turkey, and wasn't really feeling this as the first time. So I ordered a cooked turkey, heated it up and BAM. Thanksgiving.

I also had the best table cloth full of turkeys and tic tac toe boards to color all over.

It. Was. Awesome. And is still on our table.

p.s. Marshall and I took no pictures together. Fail. I promise he was there.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

kisses.

Kardashians + Me = In the same room!

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter or have talked to me in the past 24 hours then you already know about the best day of my life yesterday.

But for those of you that don't (and even those that do) I'm going to give you the play by play of the day my dreams came true. I'm sorry I'm not sorry this is going to be so long.

It's no secret that I am a huge Kardashian fan. I believe that we live a few blocks away from each other here in Miami, yet I can't seem to get to their house. Dang gates. Whenever I'm driving in our hood, my eyes are always peeled for them. I can't live this close and not see them. 

Well friends. It happened. 

These are the days that I need a friend here. Doing this crazy stuff alone is tough work.

I woke up Monday morning to a tweet saying that the mayor of North Miami (the area we both are currently living) was having a ceremony for the Kardashians to give them the keys to the city at 11:30... 2 mile from me. Weird. But whatever.

What could be more important than this? Obviously, I was going to go. When does a girl from Oklahoma get to be apart of a key ceremony for the Kardashians? Never, that's when. This was my chance. I didn't know how I was going to get in, but I knew I was.

I was standing outside city hall when an older lady walked up to me looking for directions. She didn't speak very great English but I could tell that she was looking for city hall. Our conversation went like this... and imagine her speaking in a Haitian accent.

Her: The mayor told me to be here at 11:00.

Me: **thinking to myself.... the mayor is the one giving the keys. I need to be this ladies friend**

Her: I have to see the stars or something.

Me:**thinking to myself... the STARS. THE KARDASHIANS!**

Her: I just want to go home. I don't want to be here.

Me: Let's see where you need to go.... **thinking maybe she will let me be her +1...**

So I walk her inside and we find out she is supposed to go to the 2nd floor, and she waves bye at me and boom, she's gone. Bust. That was my in. So I'm onto plan B....

I see policemen and paparazzi and I think the paps... that's my way in.

So I started to hang around the paps acting like I had something else going on, trying not to seem to eager. When one of the guys from news channel something came over and said hi. I must have looked lonely... so I said to him and his little friends "I'm just going to hang around you guys so it looks like I'm doing something." 

Then one of the paparazzis said to me with this confused look, "Do you want to film on my camera for me?" 

I replied with, "Okay!"

He showed me how to work his camera, press record and then stop. Then he went and talked to the police man, came back and said "So you want to go upstairs?"

Now normally I would be careful getting into an elevator alone when the man asked me to go has a pony tail, is wearing his swimsuit as shorts and has a video camera. But for the Kardashians I take risks.

We go upstairs and walk right into the conference room that is not very big. Maybe 100 chairs.

We go stand at the back with all the other stalkers.

After maybe a minute here, my new friend, Frank, that's his name. Paparazzi Frank, asks if I want to sit closer.

Heck yes I do.

So we find some chairs and I'm freaking out because I'm 8 rows away from where my BFFs are going to be.

So then Frank decides he is going to leave the room and he gets up and goes.

But he left his camera with me. A stranger. 

I thought he was coming back, but an hour passed and still no Frank. 

So while I'm sitting there alone with some guys camera I start talking to the lady next to me. She is from England so has a cool accent and she is a fan of the girls as well. She told me that she heard on the radio that is was open to the public so she might as well go.

WHATT???? You mean I didn't have to help that old lady and make friends with the creepy paparazzi to get in? I could have just walked right in by myself?? I debated leaving that part out of the story, to make it sound cooler that I got in the room out of my awesomness alone, but I can't lie about the best day ever. It was open to the public, some fan I am, I didn't even know that!

Anyway... we were sitting there for a good 45 minutes before someone came and told us that we "would begin in about 20 minutes, oh and Khloe isn't going to be there anymore."

When they said this, half the people were like "Awww nooo" the other half made confusing faces and comments like "Who is Khloe? Who are these girls? Why am I here?" It was quite a mixed group.

While we were waiting one of the E! girls was going around having people sign release forms, I was one row too far back! UHHH. I WAS SO CLOSE to my second dream, being on E!. I should have pitched them my reality TV show idea.

I took a bathroom break and found Paparazzi Frank hanging outside in the lobby, I gave his video camera back and told him I needed to be focused.

When I got back it was go time. Sitting in our seats was the schedule of events for the day.

 Ya know, the Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem, and a musical tribute. Normal key ceremony stuff.

 And finally... as I was in mid tweet the doors open and in they walk. And up everyone stood to take pictures and block my view.

They made us sit down and this is only one of the few times in life I wished I was taller and had long arms. 

I could see Kim pretty good through the chairs, except when that chick with the long curly interesting ombre hair would cut off my view. Dumb B.

I think what I loved the most was how bored Kourtney looked the whole time. And to be honest, it was boring. Except that the Kardashians were in front of me so I didn't pay attention to anything that was being said.

 Kim was sitting forward and Kourtney was all lounged back. It was awesome.

 Finally they were presented with their award and they took the podium. I had a much better view... and let me tell you, they looked like huamns. I don't know why I didn't think they would. But they did. They are humans.

I took a video, BUT this article has a much better video, and I believe you can hear me give a little whoop when Kourtney says that Khloe had to fly home for X-Factor... Also, in the video there is a policeman in the background, he plays into my story later (yes there is more).

So the girls give us their speech and they took a few photos and that was it.

And as fast as they were in my life, they were gone.

But the day keeps getting better.

On our way out the door my buddy Paparazzi Frank finds me and we have a conversation.

Frank: Have you ever thought about working with paparazzis. 

Me: I can't say I have. **thinking to myself... dream job, celebrity stalking**

Frank: You should consider working with me... (hands me his business card that has girls in bikinis on it) You don't look like a typical paparazzi, you just look like a normal person.

Me: Aww Frank, that's so nice!

Frank: I'm going to go find Madonna, I heard she was at beach if you want to come with me..

Me: That's so cool, but I need to go to the grocery store. **thinking to myself... I shouldn't get in a car with strangers, even if celebrities are involved**

Frank: Okay, well I'll email you some of the good pictures that I got.

Me: Frank you rock! Let's stalk celebs another time.

So Frank took off and I found myself in a food line.

Because of course there was a weird Thanksgiving meal after.

Kourt and Kim skipped out (good idea it was gross) but I don't pass up a free meal. 

 While I ate I continued to hang out with the lady I was sitting next to. She told me she would call me and I could babysit her kid. Bonding over the Kardashians really makes 2 people close, and clearly I must be trustworthy...

Also a policeman came up and ate at our table. The one in the video in the background. After telling him that I don't speed because I can't afford a ticket, he told me that if I got pulled over then I wouldn't get a ticket because I'm too little and cute.... his name was Jesus. 

After I ate my free meal, I left.

The happiest ever.

Rumor has it they are here for 1 more month. I need to call ol Frank and get the scoop.

kisses.

a weekend in NC

So after only a few days in Miami, we had to leave again for Charlotte, North Carolina for Marshall's board exam. But the day before we were supposed to leave I got struck with the flu bug and it was bad. I may never eat spaghetti again, if you know what I mean.

I didn't know if I was going to be able to get on a plane, but when I woke up I felt much better, no throwing up, just a horrible head cold. But I can handle that. I'm not missing out on a weekend away for sitting home alone in a city I don't know!

We got there Thursday afternoon and I was so tired and a little achy that after we got lunch, we just went back to the hotel and rested. Marshall took a nap. I watched a horrible talk show after Lindsay Lohan's dad finding out he had another daughter. Awesome.

We were blessed to have been given our hotel room by a family member, thank you sweet L for that! And we had free happy hour so we took the princess cards, enjoyed the complimentary beverages, and relaxed before the big test.

Marshall said I need to keep different cards in my purse, but I prefer my girls.

Marshall's test was Friday at noon. People were confused why we had to go to Charlotte. Let me explain. The optometry boards are 3 parts. The first part he dominated in March in Phoenix. The second part every student must take December 4th, we have to drive another 3 hours for that! And the 3rd part you can take whenever (he took before the 2nd part) BUT it HAS to be in Charlotte at their standardize clinical rooms, or whatever. 

So he went off to this test and lucky for me there was a Panera across the street that I sat at for 4 hours.

After he finished we celebrated with walking around and then hitting up a food truck party.

After we dominated our black bean burgers and whatever weird thing Marshall had we went back to the hotel for happy hour and cards. 

We had some time on Saturday before our flight so we headed back to downtown to walk around and explore a little. We noticed how clean the city was. Coming from Philadelphia, pretty much anything is considered clean, but Charlotte was extra clean.

 There were a few different conventions going on and a marathon. So we joined in on their festivities.

We did not see Emily Maynard at the tracks...

The best part about the day was we made $20!

There was a huge car show, and Chevrolet was standing outside asking people if they wanted to test drive a car for a $10 Visa gift card. 

Heck yes!

We didn't even have to wait in line, we picked what car we wanted to drive, drove around the block, and then they gave us money.

Suckas.

And before we knew it we were on a plane headed "home".

It actually feels good to be back in this heat!

kisses.