9 months in the life of... a Herrick.

First of all, I seriously cannot believe I have not updated since January. So much has happened since then, so I'll do my best to give an accurate update!

As some may remember, I lost my boy cat to a coyote last September. My baby girl cat, Kaluah, went through some seperation anxiety for awhile, but soon got used to being the spoiled "only cat" (kinda like the only child syndrom, considering we still have our dog Saibo!) Until Mother's Day rolled around... Mark's old neighbor didn't know that a cat snuck into her garage and had kittens. Of course when I heard that, the thought of adopting another cat quickly ran though my mind. I use the word quickly because Mark isn't really a cat person. However, he took one look at those kittens and called me right over unexpectedly. I walked into the house and he was sitting in the middle of the living room playing with five little kittens, looked at me and told me to pick one out!!! I couldn't believe it!!! Naturally, since we already had a girl named Kaluah, we needed a girl named Bailey ;) With that said, meet Bailey!



Bailey - 6 wks old




Bailey - 7 wks old



& we can't forget about my Kaluah girl!

My season at work flew by and didn't skip a beat... before we knew it, the end of May was rapidly approaching, and we were all preparing to say our goodbyes for the summer. Bertha, our cosmetologist, threw an end of the season party at her new house which was awefully nice of her! I left fairly early, but hear it was quite the party after I left. Leave it to the Spa family to define the word PARTY! 

Brenda, Katie, Me, Lucia



We toasted to a long season of hard work, great teamwork, fun, laughs, lasting memories, and cheers to looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall for another fun season!


From left to right: Laura's nephew Manuel, Bertha, Laura, Lucia, Hector, Me, Jeanette, Yolanda, Ivette,
Rosa, Katie, Kimberly, Jolene, & Carrie





...Ron walked around with his camera catching the perfect moments... he really is becoming quite the photographer! Here are a couple photos of my Spa Family...



June snuck up on me! But I was okay with that... And just like last year, we planned our 2nd Annual Anaheim trip with our good friends Gus & Sheryl for the Angels vs. Yankees series. Last year was a blast, but leave it to us to make it bigger & better. Our friend hooked us up in the Hilton Anaheim, & talk about customer service! It really made me feel like I was on an actual vacation! We had such a great time... out of the two games we went to, Angels won one and the Yankees won one. No anomosity, just a plain ol' good time! & besides our Anaheim trip...

...June marked the beginning of birthdays, graduations, summer parties, etc... My niece Donelle graduated from Palm Springs High School, my oldest niece Ashley graduated from Kaplan College with her medical assistant certifications, and is now officially nationally certified! And my cousin Kristie renewed her vows with her husband Andres of 14 years. 



Ashley & I at her graduation from Kaplan College - So proud of her!

Mid-June, I was blessed with another beautiful Godson, Ryder William Spero! He joins his proud big brother, Palmer, who turned two in April. I couldn't have asked for two cuter godchildren... here's a couple pictures I snapped of the handsome Ryder William:



Big Brother Palmer :)

Aunty JP & Ryder <3

We were blessed with BEAUTIFUL weather in July, believe it or not. It was a pretty quiet month for us, not too much going on. We went to a few Angels games, hung out with great friends, and enjoyed each other's company. My great-nephew turned THREE at the end of July. Ashley did a great job throwing his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's and let me tell you, Nathaniel had the time of his life! It was really nice to spend it with close friends and family and to see all the kids having so much fun... 



Nathaniel <3

Meanwhile, I took this picture at Nathaniel's birthday party of my brother Jay and his daughter (my niece) Karma... look how big she's getting!

Just last night, Mark and I were talking about how August flew by like nothing and how fast summer is going. Although we had a great summer weather wise so far, August brought some serious heat to the desert - finally. Not that I LIKE the heat, but I would much rather have the dry heat than the humidity, that's for sure! We had a couple birthdays in the beginning of August:

The Morse boys turned ONE! It's absolutely amazing how fast this past year flew by. I can still remember driving to the Redlands hospital to go see Heather & the family when they were born right before my wedding... two of the cutest twinsies EVER!



Left: Ethan - Right: Dylan (with Uncle Mark!)



Left: Dylan - Right: Ethan



Heather (the boys' mom) & I at their first birthday party

Just a couple days later, our niece Dallas turned one, too! I think she's officially stolen our hearts, and is now offically known as "our Princess"! Her Grandmother, Shari, threw her a Yo Gabba Gabba themed birthday party and she had an absolute blast! This little girl as more toys and clothes than I ever had as a little girl! Spoiled, but so worth it!

  

Ashley also had a birthday in the middle of August, so of course we had to go out and celebrate! It makes me such a proud Aunt to think of how far she has come in the last three years... I still to this day tell her that despite our 20 month age difference, I am still her Aunt, and I can still kick her butt ;) She knows what being a sister feels like, but being an Aunt is such a different feeling... indescribable. But yes, Ashely, we are more like sisters... (I'll give you that much!)



Ashley & I on her 24th birthday 2011 :)

Believe it or not, between the birthday parties, and graduations, and every other kind of event we had to go to, we actually did find time to spend with each other! For the second year in a row, Mark played in the St. Jude's Children's Hospital Charity Softball Tournament in Anaheim at Angels Stadium. We went with some friends and Mark's team took second! Way to go guys! We also went to a couple BBQs, Angel games, etc...

Mark, Jake, Heather & Myself on the
way to Anaheim

Laura, Dave, Jake, Heather,
Myself, & Mark at Angels Stadium

Mark & I

Heather & I eating breakfast in the Diamond
Club at Angels Stadium before the tourney



Mark & I at a friends house for a UFC Fight Night

Yee Haw! Cowboy themed birthday party!

All in all, it's been a really great summer. Mark just got promoted at work, we're hoping to move into a house by October, then our first anniversary (which we decided to not go anywhere for, instead have a Sunday football BBQ because the Cowboys play the Patriots! Talk about a great anniversary present from the NFL, haha!). Next thing we know, the holidays will be around the corner, and BAM! another New Year!

I promise I'll try and keep updating as often as possible. Like I said, it's been busy!

Xoxo

2011... here we come!

I really wish I was better at updating this... It's always in the back of my mind; I promise I will be a little more proactive!

The holidays were great! We had Christmas at Kim & Marc's house and it was probably one of the best family gatherings we've ever had. The kids really made my night; watching their faces when they opened their gift was priceless :) Us adults played the White Elephant game and I ended up with a griddle, haha! That was fine with me because I didn't have one. And ironically enough, Mark made out with one of the presents that we brought to the game... I got him an iPod touch for Christmas, and we brought a portable mp3 console so it worked out in his favor! He got me a BEAUTIFUL diamond necklace in the shape of a key, amongst other fun things :)and I absolutely love it & I don't think I've taken it off since Christmas morning! Mark's uncle (& Godfather) got married in the beginning of December up in Arrowhead. On the way out there we stopped at his grandparent's house to visit and exchange gifts since we weren't going there for Christmas this year. The wedding was nice, and there was still a little snow on the mountain!

 

My brother and sister-in-law had their baby girl on the 30th! She is absolutely adorable :) Here are a couple pictures of little miss Karma Rains Fortune...

  

             

 Mark and I had such a busy month, I'm not sure where it went. Between starting softball on Friday nights again, Christmas parties, and family gatherings, the next thing I knew, it was New Year's Eve!

We spent New Year's Eve at Sheryl & Gus' house and had a great time. Only in the desert will a group of grown men play beer pong in the garage with the garage door open on the one night that it drops down to 35 degrees! It was super cold and I wasn't drinking because I had to work the next morning so I decided to spend most of the evening by the fireplace :)

January is a busy month for birthdays! My nephew, Tyler, turned 22 (which I'm still in denial about...) and my sister, Kim, turned... well... that's not important (you're welcome, Kim!). I hit my "quarter of a century, 'you're closer to 50 than the day you were born' mark" a couple weeks ago. My husband completely spoiled me! He got me a really nice Coach purse, a cute pair of pajamas, and one of each of my favorite soda's from Michigan called Faygo! He sent me flowers at work and took me out to dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant. It was an amazing birthday :) The following weekend a big group of my friends got together and went out for Mexican food and to a bar downtown. We had such a fun time! The next morning Heather, Jake, Mark and I met my nieces and Nathaniel for breakfast. It was such a beautiful day and a great way to end my birthday week :)

So, here we are, wrapping up January and the first month of 2011. I feel that this will be a good year for us...

Xoxo

Happy Holidays!

First of all, this month is flying by... Second of all, I cannot believe how busy we have been in the past two weeks and have so much left to do!

We are ALMOST done with our Christmas shopping, thank goodness. With my family this year, we narrow it down to eight people who are going to play the White Elephant Game to make it a little easier on all of our wallets. Hey - fine with me! So I'm focusing on the kids a little more this year, and making sure I get my husband something he wanted. It's crazy to think that Christmas is only two weeks away! We still have to get a tree! Ahh! At least I did my Christmas cards. Now I just have to mail them... eeeek!

Xoxo

I now pronounce you...

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Herrick!

Ok, so a little over a month as come and gone and marital bliss is upon us. Mark shared with me that his biggest concern after getting married was that our "routine" was going to change. What? Routine? We were doing the same thing the day after the wedding that we were doing a day before the wedding! Silly Mark... But in all seriousness, if I had to pick one thing that I think has changed, I would say that it's almost as if we're nicer to each other. The title of husband and wife, not to mention the rings on our fingers, has made a difference in the way we speak and treat each other, and I hope we stay that way for a very, very long time...

October 16th, 2010 was hands down the best day of my life... everything was absolutely perfect and I couldn't have asked for anything more! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend, who helped with all the details, who cried with me & laughed with me, who stood by our sides, and who shared in a memory I will never forget <3

Here are a couple wedding pictures for your viewing pleasure!

 



For a bit of an update since its been awhile since I've posted anything on my blog:

Thanksgiving was nice; we spent the morning & afternoon at Mark's grandparents house in Riverside. Chris, my brother-in-law was unable to attend with our precious niece Dallas, but Mark was able to see her a few days later. He cooked his first turkey and we transported it to Riverside with no problems... and it was delicious!! Way to go, babe!! Of course I debuted my famous green bean casserole for my in-law for the first time and it was, as always, excellent ;) ok, ok... I'm tootin' my own horn here, but it WAS fantastic! Not much was left over, so that was a good sign! Unfortunately, this was the first Thanksgiving in Lord knows how long... but Mark and I decided that we'll be spending Christmas with my side of the family.

We are Godparents again!!! On our wedding night, Justin pulled us aside and told us he would he honored if we would be his daughter's Godparents. Of course we said yes! Savannah was born on November 16th, 2010 (ironically enough, our one month anniversary!) and she is just precious... we have yet to meet her but Justin keeps Mark updated via photos :)

We have a busy month ahead of us; Mark's Burnouts softball team has reunited and will be playing again on Friday nights. I'm excited because I get to see everyone again! This weekend we have an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party to go to, THAT should be fun! Then Monday night is my company Holiday party for work, next weekend is the Toys for Tots softball tournament, Kayla's birthday, and Mark's Godfather's wedding in Arrowhead. The following weekend is Donelle's dance show, then Christmas, then New Years Eve... ahh! This month is going to FLY by and next thing you know it will be 2011!

2011 marks my quarter-of-a-century turning point with my 25th birthday mid January... at least I'll be able to rent a car now, right?

Xoxo

One more day...

& then I'll be off for nine days! Woo-hoo!

Today marks one week until our wedding. I can't begin to imagine what I will be doing next week at this particular moment in time because everytime I do, I get those excitement butterflies in my belly and it makes me want to scream like a little girl...

Tomorrow is my last day at work and then I can FINALLY cash in on my vacation days :) I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to go by sooooo ssslllooowww. Monday night my bridal party is coming over to discuss what the week shall hold for us. I just want to make sure everyone is on the same page with plans. Aunt Dini & Uncle Rick come in Wednesday. I am going to buy all the flowers Thursday morning and have the girls come over that night to put them all together. (PS, did you know you treat callalillies like asparagus? You can keep them in the crisper in your fridge as long as there is no apples, pineapples, etc. in there) Friday we are all going to get our nails done in the morning, and my two Aunts come in from Michigan as well, decorate the ballroom, do the rehearsal, go out for a drink, GET SOME SLEEP, and wake up to October 16th, 2010. My wedding day...

Sounds like I am going to have a busy, busy week. So much for "vacation", right?

Xoxo

We're in the homestretch!

So the OFFICIAL countdown has begun: 9 days!!!

Things are going so well right now, and I seem to be keeping my cool. We had a couple of mishaps along the road these past few weeks but it's nothing we can't handle! Our DJ up and moved to another state and with the help of a friend of Mark's who owns a media company, we got that problem resolved quickly. Special thanks to Multimedia Unlimited, LLC who took over our event at the last minute! I have faith in them and am sure they will do a great job!
& for everyone reading, please keep our friend Shaun's family in your prayers. They had a family tragedy this past week and could use all of our thoughts and prayers. Shaun has stepped out of the wedding to be there for his family and we wish them happy thoughts and strength as they get through the next couple weeks. Justin, a long time friend of Mark's has graciously accepted Mark's invite to join us in the wedding party. Welcome, Justin!
I picked up my wedding dress yesterday and it looks BEAUTIFUL! Actually, that word does it no justice. It's absolutely amazing and fits like a charm. THAT was my biggest concern. After all the issues we had with the dress and taking it to the tailors and back to David's Bridal and yada yada, everything worked out perfectly. & I cannot wait to show Mark as I walk down that aisle... truest me, he is anxiously waiting to see what the big hype was all about anyway.
I ordered my bouquet and Mark's boutonniere this week. Another special thanks to Dave Rohr at Desert Floral Importers for working with me last minute. I originally wanted to do all my own flowers, but second guessed myself about my bouquet. Besides, I'm the bride - shouldn't I get professional flowers?!
I am working until Sunday and then have 10 days off to finished up wedding details and whatnot. My Aunt Dini, my mom's sister, comes in on Wednesday for 10 days and my Aunt Marlene & Aunt Micky, my dad's sisters, come in on Friday for 4 days. Words cannot express how excited I am to see my family!!! It's been 4 1/2 years since I've seen Aunty Dini and over a year and a half since I've seen Aunt Marlene and Aunt Micky! Not to mention, the last time my dad's sisters were out here was for my high school graduation (and let's not count the years here...but it's been awhile) when it was the beginning of summer and 105 degrees outside!
Speaking of weather, we have been BLESSED with gorgeous weather lately... I actually wear a sweater around the house in the morning since I've been opening up the windows and doors lately! I hope the weather continues to stay cool and we don't get last minute rain like last week!!! C'MON MOTHER NATURE! WORK WITH ME HERE!

...will update later this week on any new and exciting wedding details. I'm sure I'll have more to share!

Xoxo

PS: wanna hear a funny story?! Mark and I counted our final guest list tally, turned it in, PAID for it, and......... forgot to count ourselves in the total! Who does that?! WE DO.

Dun, dun, DUN DUN! Dun, dun, DUN DUNNN!

3 WEEKS!!! 3 WEEKS UNTIL OUR WEDDING!!!

& tonight is the bachelor/bachelorette party! My girlfriends are sooo excited :) Although, Mark and I are so burnt out, it's safe to say we kind of want tonight to come and go... I'm glad he gets to have a night full of testosterone; I think every man needs a dose of that every now and then, right ladies? Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to go out

I'm not too sure what the exact plan is for tonight. I just asked that all the girls meet at the Herrick residence to start. We'll have a little bite to eat and some pre-party cocktails, and then it's off to downtown we go! My bridal party initially wanted to take me out of town, and I'm so glad we decided not to do that because I am exhausted. These next three weeks are going to FLY by and next thing I know I will be a married woman!

 ...A MARRIED WOMAN!!!

Xoxo

Showered with L.O.V.E

What a weekend!

My bridal shower was on Saturday, and we had SO much fun! On the way down there, I was shaking nervously. I am not one to be the center of attention so the excitement and the nervousness was making me nauseous. But Ashley did a great job putting it all together with the help of my bridesmaids :) We ate, drank, played games, etc. etc. and I couldn't have asked for anything more... It was so great to see my girlfriends, my family, my in-laws, and to meet Mark's two Aunts that I've never met before.

So now, we have my bachelorette party this weekend, and I cannot wait to be out with my girlfriends! It's been awhile since I had a night out with all the girls... we always have so much fun! I'm feelin' a little karaoke?! Mark's bachelor party is the same night. A little nervous? Why, yes, I am. But aren't all future wives when it comes to the dreaded 'bachelor party'?! 90% of the guys at the bachelor party have wives/girlfriends/fiances that will be with me... haha!

Ashley's dress came in...FINALLY. She isn't too happy with it, but I'm sure the seamstress will take good care of her. It's a beautiful gown, but it needs to be taken in, A LOT. It will all work out, I have faith. The color of the girls' dresses is just amazing. It is exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, Signature Bridal was the only place we found a dress in that color. I will NEVER buy anything from them again...ever... It seems like no one there knows what the heck is going on. When it comes to planning a wedding, you would think they would have their stuff together and do anything to make things go smoothly, but they don't even seem like they care. The dress is a sale to them, nothing more.

Over the weekend, every time the word MARRIAGE came out of my mouth, Mark grinned... too cute ;)

*Sigh*

23 days...

Xoxo