Lisa and Christian... A Mini Blog

Technology Burn...

2011-11-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

I'm so frustrated! Every time I try and attach a picture to my blog my whole Chrome browser crashes and burns! I now remember why I haven't blogged for a while... Sorry folks! I want to post pics from our Europe trip and some pics from Halloween and probably some pics of our kitty because he's cute. I'll have my tech guy work on this problem tonight! I really am trying, I swear!

xoxo,
Lisa

Cocktail Anyone?!?

2011-10-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

This is random but I found my old cocktail cheat sheet from my LA restaurant days! It is a list of the most commonly ordered cocktails. You may notice that there aren't any measurement and that is because ever glass is a different size and everyone likes drinks mixed the way they like drinks mixed... But I can give you these tips: 1. For a cocktail on the rocks, fill the glass with ice first and pack it! That way the drink won't fall short and that's just how the pro's do it! 2. Most cocktails are 1.5 oz or 2 oz of liquor and the rest filled with mixer. So for the first drink on the list Madras (for example), you'd fill your collins glass with ice, add 1.5 oz vodka and equal parts Cranberry and Orange Juice to almost fill the glass. Easy! 3. If you want to be exact just fill your martini glass, collins glass or whatever glass you have with water (and ice) and pour out an ounce at a time to see how many ounces it holds! 4. There are NO RULES, just go for it! Enjoy!

Basic Cocktail List ('On The Rocks'):

Madras: Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Orange Juice

Bay Breeze: Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Pineapple Juice

Sea Breeze: Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Grapefruit Juice

Cape Cod: Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Lime Wedge

Greyhound: Vodka, Grapefruit Juice

Cuba Libre: Rum & Coke with a Lime Wedge

Fuzzy Navel: Vodka, Peach Schnapps, OJ

Mai Tai: White Rum, Pineapple Juice, OJ, Grenadine, Float of Dark Rum

Tom Collins: Gin or Vodka, Sweet & Sour Mix, Soda Water

Sex on the Beach: Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Pineapple Juice, Cranberry Juice

Screwdriver: Vodka, OJ

Tequila Sunrise: Tequila, OJ, Grenadine

7 and 7: Seagrams 7 (Whiskey) and 7up, Lemon Wedge

Gimlet: Gin or Vodka and Lime Juice (Roses Lime or Fresh squeezed or both)

Kamikaze: 3/4 oz of each: Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime Juice (Rose's or Fresh Squeezed or a little of both)

Margarita: 1.5oz Tequila, 3/4oz Triple Sec, Fresh Lime Juice, fill with Sweet & Sour

Side Car: 2oz Brandy, 1/2oz Triple Sec, 1/2oz Lemon Juice

White Russian: Vodka, Kahlua, fill with cream

Black Russian: Vodka, Kahlua

Negroni: Equal parts Compari, Gin, & Sweet Vermouth

French Connection: Courvosier, Grand Marnier

Rusty Nail: Scotch, Drambuie

Melon Ball: Vodka, Midori, OJ

Scooby Snack: Malibu Rum, Midori, Pineapple Juice, Cream (on the rocks or a shot)

Colorado Bulldog: Vodka, Kahlua, Cream, Coke

Irish Car Bomb: Half Pint of Guinness, shot of Irish Cream & Irish Whisky dropped in & chugged.

Highball drinks (Basically they have more mixer in them so they need to be in a bigger glass)

Long Island Iced Tea: Vodka, Tequila, White Rum, Triple Sec, Gin, Sweet & Sour Mix, & Coke with a cherry & Lemon Wedge

Bloody Mary: Vodka, Tomato Juice or Mary Mix, dash of Worcester Sauce, dash of Tabasco, dash of fresh Lemon Juice, pepper, Salt rim on glass, garnish with celery and/or olives, lemon or lime, cheese, onions, whatever you like to eat in your drink!

Coffee Cocktails (Served Hot):

Keoke Coffee: Kahlua, Brandy, Coffee

Mexican Coffee: Tequila Kahlua, Coffee

Irish Coffee: Bushmills, Baileys, Coffee

Martini's (Served 'Up' in a Martini Glass):

Traditional Martini: Can be made with Gin or Vodka. Can be served 'Up' = in a chilled martini glass or 'On The Rocks' = over ice. It's usually garnished with olives but can be served with a twist of lemon, or cocktail onions (which is called a 'Gibson'), Dirty = adding some brine juice from the olive jar, Dry = little or no vermouth.

Cosmopolitan: Vodka, Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice, Lime Juice with Lime Wedge

Lemon Drop: Vodka, Lemon Juice, Sugar cube, Triple Sec with Lemon Twist (Shake until sugar dissolves) (Can be a shot too)

Mojito: White Rum, Fresh Lime Juice or wedges, fresh mint, sugar (muddle all but the rum until sugar is mostly dissolved then add rum & ice, shake, strain into a martini glass lined with sugar, add wedge of lime, sprig of mint! (Can be served on the rocks too, just pour mix over ice, muddled mint included and top with Club Soda, garnish is the same.)

Manhattan: Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Bitters, garnish with a cherry

French 75: Gin, Champagne, Lemon Juice, Sugar, twist of lemon. (Can be on the rocks too)

Appeltini or Apple Martini: Vodka with (usually) Apple Puckers and a cherry (Or you can use apple juice, cider, brandy or other apple liqueurs)

Nut's & Berries: Frangelico (Hazelnut Liquor), Chambord (Raspberry Liquor) and Cream shaken up in a Chocolate rimmed glass

Sparkling Drinks (Served in a Flute):

Bellini: Pureed Peaches, Prosecco OR (in real life) Prosecco & Peaches Schnapps

Champagne Cocktail: Cube of Sugar, Bitters poured over sugar and topped with Champagne or Sparking Wine

Flirtini: Vodka, Champagne, Lime Juice, & Pineapple Juice

Kir Royal: Creme de Cassis topped with Champagne

Mimosa: Champagne and chilled OJ

*I did not include drinks in which all the ingredients are listed in the name (i.e. Rum & Coke, Vodka Soda, Gin & Tonic, Whiskey Sour, Jack n' Ginger, if you must Vodka & Redbull).

* Feel free to turn martini's into cocktails and cocktails into martini's, shots can make good martini's too (Scooby Snack Martini, why not!?!).

2011-10-25T20:05:00.000-05:00

Ciao Bellas!

We are home from Europe and it was a wonderful trip! I'm sorry we weren't able to blog during our journey but we had some technical difficulties as well as some Internet connection difficulties! But not to worry, I plan on doing a blog per country! We are working on pictures now! Anyway, it was an awesome trip, some of the highlights include The Tower of London, Oktoberfest in Munich, Relaxing on the beach in Cinque Terre, Italy! Stories and pictures to come!

2011-09-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends!

Depending on where we find some free wifi in Europe we hope to blog post while we are over seas! We will be in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Munich, Venice, Cinque Terre, and Rome over the next 25 days! Yes, I think that makes us Jet Setters! We will keep you posted...

Here's us leaving for the airport.

I'll be back ASAP! I sure do miss the Interwebs..... :(

2011-08-05T15:51:00.004-05:00

Our Internet is down for the next week! We lost our 'cable' cable in a big storm on Monday and they said they couldn't come for 10 days...sigh! Anyway, I'm at a coffee shop now but I'm hungry and cheap so I'm going home to eat. I have a few post in the queue that will be ready soon... Just wanted you (the few of you) to know I'm still on the blog track! We leave for our Europe/Honeymoon trip in about 5 weeks and I'm researching and booking things! We hope to blog from Europe and we hope you will journey along with us!!

See you soon,

Lisa

CSA Summer Part 2

2011-07-22T22:29:00.010-05:00

We are well into week 5 of our CSA/La Finca adventure! And it's been going pretty smoothly so far, if I do say so myself! We started out receiving mostly salad greens but as the weeks progress so has the diversity of our boxes! I think salad greens are a good way to start. There are so many combinations of salad dressing and ingredients that you just can't go wrong! And frankly, it's been too hot to cook the last couple of weeks so salads keep your kitchen cool! But we've also made stir fry dishes, soups, cakes, and chips! Here are a few pictures to inspire you! If you'd like recipes for anything you see, just ask and I'll forward them on to you! And please feel free to forward me any veggie based dishes that you love! I'm very open to suggestions!

Stir Fry Veggies w/ Eggs & Garden Herbs!

Stir Fry w/out Eggs

Berry Themed Dinner Night!

Parmesan Kale Chips!

(50% Garden Kale 50% Farm Kale)

Strawberry Pecan Salad

Strawberry Chilled Soup

Sweet Potato & Kohlrabi Pancakes

The Raw Ingredients!

Orange, Hazelnut, & Bread Salad

Bok Choy & Tofu Noodles

I heart Public Broadcasting!!

2011-07-22T11:18:00.009-05:00

I don't think it's fair or right that public broadcasting is in jeopardy of losing it's federal funding AGAIN! So, I'm ready to fight back (again). Are you? If the answer is Yes and you haven't already visited 170MillionAmericans.org then please do so now, sign their petition and spread the word! Just trying to do my part for what I believe is an important part of our American life.

Thanks.

Lisa

Public radio and television stations could be lost in the 2012 federal budget! Get involved at 170MillionAmericans.org. – or – Did you know that 170 million people – more than half of all Americans – use public broadcasting each month? Help me protect this amazing public service at 170MillionAmericans.org.

Have you ever had Poutine?

2011-07-20T15:36:00.007-05:00

I've heard of it and seen versions of it on food tv shows but this was my first tasting of the actual dish... Canadians, you are BRILLIANT!!! I only wish I was drunk or hung over or something because it's perfect midnight snack fare but it was so yummy and naughty that I would be up for eating Poutine under most circumstances!

What is Poutine? Glad you asked, it's a dish from Canada made of french fries, cheese curds (fresh not fried) and beef gravy. This version (from Burger Jone's near Lake Calhoun) also has green onions and bacon on it! I mean, seriously!?!? So. So. Good. But bring a friend (or three) to share it with you because otherwise you might not be able to look yourself in the mirror for a while (both literally and figuratively).

Burger Jones' Poutine!

Poutine in Minneapolis:

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=poutine&find_loc=Minneapolis,+MN

Busiest Weekend EVER!!

2011-07-11T12:28:00.011-05:00

That being said it was also a very fun weekend! We had friend's Ken and Aubrey Schulz in town for a visit and to race in the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon! Christian took 3rd place in his age group and 10th overall while Ken took 6th in age group and Aubrey took 5th in her age group (in the Olympic distance race)!! I was super impressed and proud of all! (I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures of the four of us!)

We went to our dear friends Erin and Krzysztof's Minnesota Wedding Reception on Saturday and danced the night away! Pictures are all from my phone since I left my camera in my Mother in law's purse (D'oh)! Sorry they aren't the best quality! Still glad I got a few shots!

Fuzzy Pic of Michael, Edith, ReNae, & I

Christian & his celebratory cigar!

Lots of silly dancing... YMCA!

Lovely & Tasty Cake

First Dance...

The Bride & Groom

And I went to TWO Bachelorette Parties this weekend as well! The first was for Dr. Erin Karski and the second was for Ms. Julie Neuman!!! For Erin's party we went to a really yummy Tapas place called El Meson. I hadn't been there before but I would go back! It's cute and the food was really good, I think next time I'll get the Paella (for 2-4 people to share)! For Julie's party we rented a pontoon on Lake Minnetonka and parked our boat at Big Island and floated in the water all day. It was super fun, relaxed, and entertaining to say the least. Julie has a lot of sporty friends and any boys/men who tried to approach our group of 14 girls to play football were quickly schooled by 9 tough girls! A few of us just watched the game. Then we changed and went to the Bay Breeze and Maynard's restaurants for drinks and food! I've never been to that part of town and it felt like a resort! A fun get away just 20 minutes from our house, who knew?! Well, probably a lot of people, just not me....

Edith & I @ Dinner

Me & The Bride Erin!

Bride to be Julie & her 'Wifey' T-shirt

Chrissy, Becca, Lisa, & Lei's!

Jenn 8 1/2 Months Pregnant was a trouper!

The Girls, Pontoon, & Lake Minnetonka.

Lisa & Becca! Big Island.

Boys showed up with Floating Beer Pong & we beat them at their own game...

It was a fun weekend! Now I need a few days off to recover! :)

Welcome!!

2011-07-06T10:21:00.003-05:00

Here is the blog I emailed you about today! Please feel free to scroll down and check out the last 4-5 posts. The big 'catch up' post is down a bit. Enjoy! Thanks, Lisa

Christian's Birthday Cupcakes

2011-06-30T11:07:00.012-05:00

I just had to blog about these cupcakes. I did not make up the concept, it's not the first time they've been done and though they are very tasty they are by no means the best cupcakes I've ever had! But, damn if these cupcakes aren't really impressive! Once I saw how fun the colors were, I decided to document my cupcake adventure. These are some of the most colorful pictures I've taken! Also, the recipe is silly easy. Boxed white cake (make as directed), vanilla or white frosting and food coloring, that's it. I used both the traditional primary color set and the neon food color set. The most time consuming part is swirling the layers of batter into the cupcake tins. I was pretty meticulous about it but I think just soup spoon fulls of each will do. I just wanted to make sure the batter went all the way to the edges so you could see it! Not much more to say about it.

This post is more of a visual journey.... Won't you join me?

And Happy Birthday Christian (Yes, we got a Dairy Queen cake too, you can never have enough birthday treats)!!

Make batter, split equally into 6 bowls

Food Coloring

About 12 drops in each bowl. **Red needed way more!

Time to Mix!

Swirly Blue....

Swirly Yellow!

Swirly Purple...

Pretty Mixed Batter!

Didn't shoot Purple Layer but it's there. Then Blue...

And Green...

Next is Yellow...

Don't forget Orange...

And Finally Red!

I suggest swirling each layer using a soup spoon. You need less then a tablespoon of each color. I over filled some of mine a bit. It was a long process but totally worth it!

Bowls, the aftermath!

Our Finished Cupcake!!

Cut in Half!! Even the crumbs are cool...

Then you can frost them and enjoy! I like them frosted plain white but you could add rainbow sprinkles on the white frosting or even dye your frosting different colors! I hope that was as fun for you as it was for me!

CSA Summer....

2011-06-30T09:48:00.005-05:00

So, we finally signed up for a CSA this year! For those of you not familiar, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The farm we are 'sharing' with is 100 miles north of the Metro area and is run by a husband and wife team. We picked them because they have a big variety of veggies, they have a pick up very close to our house and they are certified organic. If you are interested in CSA shares here is their website as well as the website that lists and explains the different CSA farms and what they grow! http://www.lafincacsa.com/ and http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html

Our first share was mostly greens, green left lettuce, arugula, spinach, mixed greens, bok choy, and radishes. So this week we had a lot of salads! Here are a few pictures of salads we made. I pick up our next share tonight! I'm hoping there are some veggies with the lettuce to help aid in my salad creativity!

Greens with Edith's Honey Chive Dressing* and candies Pecans

Arugula with candies pecans, strawberries, quinoa and balsamic reduction

Mixed greens, black beans, cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream, green onions and chips.

* For Edith's dressing recipe visit her wonderful food blog: www.cakeandedith.com! Here is a link to the dressing recipe! http://www.cakeandedith.com/2011/06/local-schmocal-salmon-and-spring-greens.html

True Blood

2011-06-29T11:15:00.006-05:00

Ok. True Blood is back on HBO! I'm so excited. I've read all the books (yeah, I admit it) and it's pretty fun to see the characters come to life in the show. They've deviated a lot from the books too which in a way is fun because you never know what's going to happen! We have HBO until True Blood's season is over, so come on down to Hopkins and join us on Sunday nights, 9pm... We don't have blood on hand but we do have wine! Sookie.

Hello Again Blog!!!

2011-06-24T15:09:00.016-05:00

My heavens! I haven't visited you, Mr. Blog since 2010 and here it is June 2011!! So very much has happened, it might be impossible to catch up but maybe I'll start with the here and now and work my way back through time over the last year (almost)!

To start, I'm now Mrs. Christian Oestreich. But you can call me Lisa Ostrich....

JUST KIDDING! Think "Ace" and "Strike" or "A Strike" in baseball! These are easier ways to remember how to pronounce it! Christian and his Dad Tom are often referred to as "Ace" and now you know why! So the wedding was beautiful and I will post some of the highlight photos up very soon or contact me for a link to flickr, I'm happy to share our beautiful pics! Ok, here are a few photos from the wedding (I can't resist)!

Nice, eh? Our photographer Michael Barnholdt is AMAZING!!! If you ever need a photographer in the twin cities (for weddings, engagements, reunions, senior pics, etc...) he comes very highly recommended from us! http://www.michaelbarnholdt.com/

Also, we got a kitty! His name is Rygel or Rigel and he's named after a character in our favorite SiFi series called Farscape (a Jim Hensen production). Rigel is also the name for the brightest star in the constellation Orion! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigel) Our Rygel is a seal point Siamese and is a humane society rescue (http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption?t=cat)! He is very cute, playful, sassy, and a snuggle bunny! Here he is as a kitten (3 Months old) and as a bigger kitty (10 Months).

And the third bit of big news is that I got a job! In fact my job is almost over... I booked a six month run of a musical here in the twin cities. It's called The Marvelous Wonderettes and it's playing at The Plymouth Playhouse until July 24th! It has been a very fun experience but also a very stressful one. See, I am the cover (understudy) for all FOUR roles in the show. That means I had to learn 4 sets of lines, 4 sets of harmony music, 4 sets of solo songs plus choreography, props, and where to stand and move mics! I do have to say it was a challenge that I wasn't sure I was up for, I haven't done a show at all in about 3 years and before that I was doing straight plays (no singing). I have been impressed by the twin cities artists and actors who take on 6th month runs of musicals over and over again. If anyone would be prepared for a long run on Broadway, it's these folks! Now we have 1 month left of the run and it's bitter sweet. I'm sad that the show will be closing but I'm very happy not to be on call anymore! I have confirmed my suspicion that I should not be a Doctor. Glad I made the right choice! ;) There are still some tickets available for the shows! Please check it out! Info and show times can be found at www.plymouthplayhouse.com

Here is a picture of the girls (that I cover) and pictures of me as 3 of the characters!

Cindy Lou (Anne Reason), Betty Jean (Justine Carrol), Suzy (Debi Kilde), Missy (Megan Kelly Hubbell)

Suzy (with Edith)!! Both Pregnant....

Cindy Lou

Missy

Well, I hope that caught you up a bit on our lives! There will be more posts to come! We have a big trip coming up in September and I HOPE to be blogging my way through it! I'll let you know! Have a great weekend, I need to get ready to head to the theater... xoxo, Lisa

P.S. Here is a poster from Farscape, just for fun!

2010-10-27T23:02:00.007-05:00

Christian, Edith and I went to a cheese making class at Local D'lish grocery store and it was pretty fun! We made Mozzarella and Paaner and got some great recipes for Queso Fresco and Ricotta as well! Here are some pictures of us in action:

What you start with: "Curd"

Say 'Cheese'!!

Hi Edith!

Christian hard a work...

Finish Product! Mozzarella Cheese!

We are back and we are married!!

2010-10-25T14:47:00.003-05:00

Hi! For the record, I have two blogs... One is filled with personal photos and a little commentary about our lives (that's what you are reading right now) and the other one is our wedding blog (Cheers, it's time for a vino wedding! http://vinowedding.blogspot.com/) which I think I will finish out by adding some wedding pictures from our professional photographer! I hope he took some detail pictures of stuff because that's the hard work I would like to show off!! We have not received our pictures yet but anxiously await them!!

I do plan on continuing with this blog for whom ever cares about it (Hi Mom, Edith)!!

Christian and I are still living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We are now newlyweds and officially celebrate our 1 month wedding anniversary TODAY! I am an actor/singer with ambitions to produce theater and film! And I'm looking for a job. Beside the craft of acting, I'm also trying to figure out what I want to be when I'm grown up even though I'm already grown up. We are about half way to 'setting up shop' in our home with some of our new wedding gifts! That has been fun, though we don't have anywhere to put things... Looking for a hutch or buffet for some of our goodies. And, we still really hope we are able to do some traveling this year!! We would love to go somewhere out of the country and hopefully work a honeymoon into our travels! Christian wants to continue to do triathlons and I continue to think he is a little crazy for that. But it keeps him healthy and happy so I'm not complaining! I would like to get back to strength training as well as go back to dance class this winter and maybe learn a winter sport. I am taking suggestions from my cool weather friends (because I doubt I can name 3 winter sports)!! I also hope to make some fabulous food this winter because I love to cook and eat (and if I'm working out a lot I'm going to be hungry)! That's that for now! I will be back soon... Happy Fall & Halloween Season!!

xoxo,

Lisa

Wedding Blog!!!

2010-02-27T09:50:00.004-06:00

Hello 7 Followers:

I know I haven't updated much lately but I've been planning a wedding which is keeping me a bit busy!! I started a small wedding blog which you can find here:

http://vinowedding.blogspot.com/

And we are working with our wedding website a lot, and I will be re-posting my wedding blog on our wedding website....geez!!! Wedding + technology = a lot of extra work!!! But all this work has been very fun for Christian and I...

7 months from now (if not sooner), I will be back with my new marriage blog (haha!!)!! xoxo

New York City (Mini-Break)!!

2010-02-10T15:48:00.008-06:00

Christian and I took a Mini Break (weekend vacation) to the big apple! It was so much fun, we got to see a few old friends, a Broadway show and eat some really good food! Here are a few pics of our time.

Christian's good friend from Minnesota, Heather!

Korean BBQ! YUM.

We like it!

Christian in the subway.

A fun night catching up with friends...

I want a big table like this one in our house someday!

Our friend Rob Lyon's new Broadway Show!

Me with Rob and Rob (on the poster)!

Lisa and Christian Chillin'

Our hotel lobby

Christian in Central Park

Central Park

Apple Store!

Reunion with high school friend Siobhan!

Sadie, Sadie, Pretty Lady!!

2010-01-28T12:24:00.004-06:00

So, tomorrow is my final day as Sadie Cameron's Nanny!! I can't believe how quickly this day has come! I started my nanny career about four months ago, a little bit scared, and not knowing what to expect or really what 'to do' with or for a baby. Boy have I learned!! I remember on my first day thinking "How do I know what she needs?" "How can I tell if she's hungry or tired or wet or something else?" And I tell you, Edith's little written out schedule those first days saved my life.

But I also realized I DO have motherly instincts, and I DID (eventually) figure out what she needed! It's almost funny now because I see her eyes and think "Sadie is SO tired." In fact, you can pretty much tell tired, wet, poopy, and hungry as they all have a slightly different "call". What is also pretty amazing is the feeling you get when a six month old child smiles at you and giggles when you use a funny voice or make a funny face or when she touches you with her little hand. It's crazy how fiercely you want to protect and serve her!! Some of my favorite moments include when she is in your arms and you are feeding her a bottle and she looks up with you with those BIG blue eyes, and sometimes I get a little smile of contentment out of her. And, when she decides to tell you a story and you just listen to the very committed "Ahh, Ahh, Kahh, Goo, Kaah!" Sadie, I know this isn't good bye, but I will miss seeing you 3 full days a week! I hope that our friendship will be a life long one! I love you little girl! Now, be good for your Mommy! xoxo, Auntie Lisa

Last day as Sadie's Nanny Photo Shoot!

Christian & Lisa Visit The Stuber-Cochran Family!

2010-01-05T13:01:00.006-06:00

We had such a fun time hanging out with the Stuber-Cochran Family over the holidays (including Michelle, Hi Mich)!! Christian and I enjoyed picking out some gifts for the kids and we were so excited that they seemed to like them as much as we did!! Then Jamison and Amelia showed us some of their other gifts from Santa and don't forget the Dance Party!! Love you guys!!!

Brian & Kendra watch Jamison open his gift!

Amelia chatting on her new cell phone... (I know we shouldn't encourage it, but she's so cute on that phone!!)

Amelia & Kendra explore Millie's "First Purse"

Looks AbFab Millie!!

What's this??

Riding her Purple Pony (with a little help from Christian)!! Of course she loves it, it's genetic!!

Jamison wants to ride too!! Go, Puppy, GO!!!

Hi, Amelia!

Remote Control Bee and Jamo working it out....

Jamo shows Christian how it's done on his sweet electric guitar!!

So many fun buttons and sounds!!

He's a natural.

Dance Party Time!!!!

Up in the air (he was enjoying it, even though it doesn't look like it in this picture...)!!

Family Dance Party!!!

Save The Dates!

2009-11-30T14:46:00.002-06:00

So, after Christian's hard design and computer work we have a fun design for our 'Save The Date' cards for the wedding!! They are postcards and they will be in the mail by January (not sure the exact date)!!! So fun!!!

We are going wedding dress shopping for me this Saturday while Miss Dana Shew is in town from Denver! Can't wait for Miss Dana! We are going to have so much fun and she is just going to LOVE Sadie Katie Cameron....

Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving.

2009-11-24T09:21:00.004-06:00

I can't believe we are just a few days away from Thanksgiving!! It seems like I'm still getting over the end of the Summer season...

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to all in Blogger-land!!!

I am very thankful for a lot this year.....

I'm thankful that my family is as awesome as ever, my parents have been Rockstar 'local arrangements' persons for our wedding!! It would be a very different experience (aka very hard to plan from a different state) and their party throwing experience and skills are priceless!! So, Thank You, Thank You, BOTH!!!

I'm also very thankful and lucky to have such a great support team and so much love from Christian's family (my soon to be family)!! We've had a good year filled with a lot of family events, vacations, weekend brunches, shared dinners, and football! It's been fun and I've been welcomed with open arms which gives me such a good feeling and really reaffirms Christian and my relationship.

I'm thankful for my friends who are always a great support team, even when it takes me a while to call them back!! Sorry, I know I kinda suck at promptly returning calls... I'm working on it!! I miss you guys!! :)

I'm thankful to my friends and employers, Edith and Michael Cameron, for giving me a part time job as Nanny/Care Taker of Miss Sadie Katie Cameron! It's hard work and I have to get up earlier then I'd prefer, but I have learned a lot about babies (and feel more confident in my mad Nanny/Future Mommy skills)!!! Sadie is so cute and changes everyday, I love her so much! It's been a fun adventure and I'm glad I got to do it for a spell. :)

And finally, I'm very thankful for Christian. He has made me a very happy gal. My life with him is so easy and joyful and that's rare in a relationship (in my experience and his too)! Also, he is so cute and excited about our wedding and is actually involved in the planning process. It's a lot of decisions to make (not my strong point) and we've been seeing eye to eye on a lot or working to help our visions come together!! Love You Baby...

I'm so excited about our wedding!! We are so lucky that we have our wedding in such a beautiful place with all the people we love most!!! Here is the website, www.vintnersinn.com and we are working on our Wedding website now, it will be officially announced soon!!

Be Safe this Holiday Weekend an Gobble Gobble!!!

Ok, so it's been a while!!!

2009-11-02T14:32:00.005-06:00

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted!! I know it's no fun when you keep checking back to your favorite blogs only to find them untouched since the last time you checked!!! I totally get it... And, please check out the 3 posts that come before this one (from Sep to October), they are also new (Sadie Baptism, Lisa's B-day, and Last Garden Update).

It's just, I'm starting to plan a wedding!!! AND, I got a new part time job as Sadie's Nanny!!! It's been so much fun and I've learned a lot about babies this last month!!! Sadie is a lot of work (as all babies are) but when she smiles at you, you forget every poopie diaper, every cry, every spit up stain on your clothes, it's amazing.... I can't even imagine how it feels to have one of your own.

And these days while I'm not working (aka playing with Sadie) I'm hunting for wedding ideas, trying to nail down vendors, and trying to get invites out of the design phase and into the mailing out phase!! That is our goal by the December holidays!!! I'm also trying to keep the house as clean as possible, make homemade dinners, workout, look for auditions, and spend time with my Fiance!!

I'll keep you up to date on Thanksgiving, Holiday plans, Wedding Dress shopping, and more as it comes up!!!

I missed you guys too.... xoxo Auntie Lisa

Happy Baptismal Day Sadie!!

2009-10-18T21:23:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure Baptismal is a word and if it is a word I'm not sure I used it the correct way but it sounds good to me!!

Today we spend the afternoon with the WHOLE Lenz/Cameron Clan at St. Mary's Basilica and then a lunch at the Cameron's house!!

First, I'd like to say, that Sadie did SO great! She did cry a bit while being Baptised but not the most and there were a lot of fussy and chatty little one's at the church. She was a perfect Angel and looked like one too!!!

Second, I have officially seen and hung out with the Lenz family more then I have seen my own family this year (and I am including all 5 siblings and both Dr. and Mrs. Lenz). So, I might add Lenz to my name... Lisa LuChar Lenz Harman Oestreich. Has a ring to it... ;)

Thirdly, White Chicken Chili with Pico De Gallo Sauce is my new favorite soup/stew!!! YUM. Thank you Edith, Mrs. Lenz, Megan, and who ever else helped make that happen!!! The corn chowder and Chili (Tradition) were wonderful too!!!

We got a few pics but it was hard at the church and I was too hungry to remember to take pictures at Edith and Michael's!

One of my Favorite pics, Daddy with his little Angel....

She looks so peaceful in her gown and bonnet.

Holy Water time with the whole family!!

"Lisa it's your Birthday, Happy Birthday Lisa..."

2009-10-05T20:25:00.006-05:00

I am now 31 years old.

Edith and Kryzszyof joined Christian and I for a yummy dinner followed by and interesting night at The Kitty Kat Klub in Dinkytown!! I have some cute pictures of the earlier part of the night and no pictures of the later part (because I was in no condition to take pictures)!!! tee hee.... Happy Birthday to Me.

My pretty and yummy wine flight!!

Birthday Girl or Women really....!!!

My Main Man...Thanks for a fun time Honey!!!

Edith and Lisa with REALLY good Martini's!!!!

Cheers!!! Christian and Kryzsztof!!

Candles!!!

Who is that?!?!

Martini by Candle Light....

Group Shot.

At The Kitty Kat Klub Kryz, Gretchen, and Mark....

Garden Update (the last one, sniff sniff!!)

2009-09-28T16:33:00.006-05:00

Oh Garden, I will miss you so.... We had a great, be it short, time together! You see, Garden, we live in Minnesota and in Minnesota Mr. Summer has a tendency to head south with the birds! This happens the very minute Ms. Winter comes a knockin' at Sir Fall's door with her icy, cold nose all stubborn and proud!! I will miss you and the way your Tomatoes turn bright colors, and your Beets pop just above the soil, and how tall and strong your Carrot Tops grow!! Alas, Ms. Winter came early this year....

Un 'Till' Next Year,
Mama Lisa

Snow on my Lil' Mushrooms!

I tried to cover you with sheets to keep the chill off, how was I to know it would snow and freeze too!!! :(

Tomatoes with SNOW on them in September... Gotta love Minnesota.

A few I picked before the snow!

Icey winds, burrrr.....

2009-09-28T14:27:00.004-05:00

Summer is officially over!! It's freezing and very, very windy out!! I guess to be fair, it is almost October. But wow, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for another winter in Minnesota. I need to find a job and some dance classes to help me pass the time!! Any ideas of work I can do? My OTHER job will be wedding planning... So much going on this year!!!

Here is the working weekend part....

2009-09-21T23:20:00.006-05:00

Christian decided to spruce up our very old garage and try to make it look a little nicer... Well, of course you start the work and then the power washer quits and you find rotten out pieces of wood you weren't expecting and you have to remove them and then scrap the rest of the paint off by hand!! In the end it was a lot more work then you bargained for, but that's how it goes! Here are some pics through out the day, I will post the finished garage when we are done (which I hope will happen sooner then later)!!

The Sweaty, Wet, & Paint Chipped Dude...

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

BONUS PICTURE: Veggies picked fresh from my garden!!!

Chrissy & Damon's Wedding Weekend!!!

2009-09-21T15:50:00.010-05:00

This weekend Christian and I were honored to attend Christina and Damon Dahlheimer's lovely wedding!! Congratulations to you two!!! It was a very fun event and (of course) we have some pictures...

The Reception Hall is actually a functioning Library in St. Paul!!

It was a beautiful venue!!
Our lovely place cards (hand made too)!

Who's that Hottie?!?! Think I'll try & take him home with me tonight...

Jenn & Michael!

Julie & Gretchen!

Lisa & Christian!

Amber & Jason!

Funny Faced Julie & Scott...

Cheers Edith & Michael! "To a night on the town (and a babysitter you trust)!!"

Gretchen & Edith Deep in Conversation...

The Twins, Maid of Honor Andy & Bride Chrissy!! Our first time seeing them together!!

Girls, getting down on the dance floor!!!

Boys, sitting down NEAR the dance floor...oh well!!!
Mr. & Mrs. Dahlheimer's First Dance.

Happy to be back in Minneapolis!!

2009-09-17T23:19:00.004-05:00

We had a great time in Northern California, but MAN it was stressful. I'm very happy to be home with my honey who made me dinner, rubbed my feet (without me asking him too), and snuggled with me on the couch while watching 'my' shows Glee and So You Think You Can Dance (truthfully, he introduced me to SYTYCD)!!

This weekend we are going to the wedding of friends Christina and Damon and celebrating a 21st birthday with Christian's little sister Casey!! No, Christian, that does not make you old, well...maybe but I still love you!!! I'm sure there are going to be a few picture opportunities!!

Also, the garden does grow and we've been cooking!! Christian just discovered what I think is an awesome talent, Brilliant Salsa Chef!!! Really good stuff....

xoxo

Back from Northern California...

2009-09-16T22:51:00.011-05:00

Well, we had quite the trip to Sonoma County this Labor Day Weekend!! Most of our time was spent looking at wedding venues but we did manage to have so fun too!! Christian and I got to spend time with my best friend Kendra and her family (Brian, Jameson, and baby Amelia) which is always fun, we did some grillin' at the Harman Household, visited Gramma at Villa Capri, went wine tasting (of course), and got to spend some time with the Lenz family in Sonoma Square!! After Christian left (sniff sniff...) my parents and I went to a taping of Food Network's "Dinner Impossible" with family friends Penny, Jim, and Guy Fieri and had fun at Kendall Jackson Winery for their annual Tomato Festival!!! Busy trip!! Here are a few pictures from our adventures...

Dad starting our trip out right! Harman's Happy Hour!

Christian, Dad & Mom in Sonoma Square.

Kendra & Brian's son Jamo & his treat!!

Christian & Amelia Playing, she really liked him!

Me-Me & Auntie Lisa. Love her...!

Jamo, out to lunch!

Look at that face!! So cute!!

She's the only one who can get away with feet on the table!

Jamo & Auntie Lisa. Miss ya Babe!!

Kendall Jackson Winery's Annual Tomato Festival.
Mini Taco at the Tomato Festival.

Mini Tomato Carrot Cupcakes (SO GOOD)!

You could sample EVERY type of Tomato in the World!

Best Table display and Yummy Thai Food!!

Really interesting tomato cake, still not sure what I think about it...

I might post more pictures of this trip if I get a chance! :)

Follow me on Twitter @LisaLuChar

2009-09-02T14:08:00.004-05:00

Follow me on Twitter!

It's kind of fun. And, trust me, I don't take it too seriously...

@LisaLuChar

Have a Lovely Day!!!

"Our State Fair is a Great State Fair!!"

2009-09-02T10:08:00.008-05:00

"...is a Great, is a Great, is a Great State Fair!!!!"

Yes, the title and first line of this post is quoted from the classic (yet not often performed) Musical 'State Fair'.

Yes, I have been in said musical.

Yes, I played a tap dancing pig in it.

Anyway, we did go to the Minnesota State Fair last night and it was a great time!! We got there a bit late so missed the 'Living Birth' Hall and the 4H Halls but we did get to see a local (and popular) band (of cute boys) called QuietDrive. They were kind of a Punk band meets Maroon 5. We also checked out the Agriculture Hall (and got some local Honey) and the Grand Stand where they sell all the stuff you really don't need. It didn't let us down, lots of great, handy and crafty stuff that we didn't buy!! Later in the evening we checked out the Mighty Midway (aka Carnival) which hasn't changed a bit from my childhood memory! It smells of sawdust and stale beer with flashing lights and screams from ride goers, and of course chain smoking carnival folks trying to lure you into their booth to win a cheap stuffed animal (that is prized at the fair but that you don't know what to do with once you get home). They even have a "Freak Show"!! I had Jr. High flashbacks just being there....

The best part of the fair is the FOOD. This is a list of food we ate or tasted, and it was glorious......

French Fries, Strawberry Rhubarb Sundae, Falafal & Stuffed Grape Leaf, Apple Cider, Spun Honey, Candied Almonds, CHEESE CURDS, Fried Pickles, Smores on a Stick, Fried Green Beans, Dippin' Dots, Bacon on a Stick, Pork Chop on a Stick, Summit Ale, Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss, Fish Tacos, Really HOT Hot Sauce, Tom Tom Donuts, and Sweet Martha's Cookies (note: The milk stand closes early so we didn't get milk with our cookies, so sad)!!!

Well, it was a good time and now I start my fast, diet, and exercise program.... ;)

Here are the only pictures we took at the fair, as we were too busy stuffing our faces to worry about documentation.

The FAMOUS Cheese Curds. Yum.

Christian and Lisa share a beer sampler.

Kryzszyof, Erin, and Christian (again sorry Krzy, got you one second too late...)

Mark, ReNae, Allissa, and Kryzszyof not aware I'm taking a picture, sorry Kryz...

Christian & Sampler (Beer on a Stick!?!)

Christian and Mark with Summit Sampler.

Me holding up Stuffed Grape Leaves on a stick!!

Rain Day = Tornado Day!!!

2009-08-19T17:38:00.003-05:00

So, my little rain day turned out to be a BIG Tornado Day!!! Touch down in the Downtown area of Minneapolis (the guy on the radio said he hasn't recalled that happening since 1980)!! The rain was intense and our street looked like it was starting to flood but then it calmed down and now we even have a little bit of sun. Edith & Sadie, I hope you ladies are ok and not too shaken up!! Here is a link to the local news with pictures of the Tornadoes!!

http://bit.ly/Wbm2u

I Survived My 1st "Jonny Class"!!!

2009-08-19T13:08:00.003-05:00

So, last night I took (and survived) my first "Jonny's Class" with Christian!!! It's a 2 HOUR LONG class that includes two hours (duh) of intense biking (wattage training) with running drills build in between the bike drills. So we biked (and biked and biked...) and we did laps (up a set of stairs, across a long hall, down another set of stairs then back across another long hall). We did 2 sets of laps between the riding. The first set was 10 "Laps" and the second set was 25 "Laps"!!! OH MY GOD!!!! I thought he was kidding!!! Nope. I almost died or passed out but I still did it (even if I finished dead last). And I was proud of myself because as each person passed me (and lapped me), I couldn't help but notice the Ironman tattoos on their strong calves. Yes, this class is filled with elite athletes that do Ironman Races (a 2.4 mile Swim, a 112 mile Bike, and a Marathon Run 26 miles, 385 yards, if you didn't know). They are hardcore. I am me. It was scary. But, I might still go back, if my muscles ever recover...

http://www.spineandsportsinstitute.com/class-details/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon

Rainy Summer Day...

2009-08-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

It's a rainy day, and I'm totally living it up "rainy day style"!!!

First:
Lots of laundry!

Then:
Long shower, buy groceries (and maybe a little treat), paint my nails, read my new Sookie Stackhouse books (I'm on the first one, Dead Until Dark), prep dinner, then wait for my honey to get home, eat said dinner, and maybe watch or go to a movie?!?!? Fun rain day!!!

I DID IT!!!

2009-08-13T23:30:00.006-05:00

I ran in my first race ever!! It was a 5K and I did it in exactly 30:00 minutes at a 10 minute mile pace! I was 94th overall and 37 out of 56 in my age group!! I didn't run it fast but I achieved my goals which included:

A. Finish the Race.

B. Try to actually RUN, not walk, for as long as possible (which I did for about 29 of the 30 minutes).

C. Try not to cry or curse (about how I hate, stupid running) in front of children or Olympians (and for the record there were 3 Olympic Runners participating tonight)!!!

D. Don't get passed by EVERYONE (or come in last). I only got passed by 93 people (and 3 dogs), not too bad considering we signed up for this thing on Tuesday and I did Zero training for it.

And is was fun, almost. Plus we got free beer at the finish line. Word. Now I am pretty tired and going to race to bed... ha. Night Night!!!

Sweaty Lisa & Christian Post Run.

Here's the Gatorade...I mean BEER they gave us after the race, Sweet!!

Wish Me LUCK Tonight!!

2009-08-13T11:03:00.003-05:00

Christian emailed me Tuesday while he was as work and showed me a website for a 5K Race happening on Thursday Night! It's called the Midsummer Night's Run, of course I loved the name and thought it was cool that it happened at night and not at some ridiculously earlier hour like many races seem to be. Anyway, he asked if I wanted to do it and I had a moment of weakness and said "It sounds like fun, maybe." So he signed us up, AAAAHHHHH!!!!

We are racing TONIGHT!!!! I have done ZERO training for it and hope I don't come in dead last. I hope it's fun, I hope I don't get hurt, I hope there is no rain, thunder, or lightning, I hope I can finish....

I will let you know how it goes!!!
Here is the website for the race.
Happy Thursday!!!
Gulp....!!!!

http://www.needtorace.com/race.php?calendar_id=5128

PS. Christian's Running magazine says the best way to improve your running is to lose weight. Thanks Runner's World that helps a lot...

Garden Update (It's actually September 2nd)!!

2009-08-06T14:11:00.008-05:00

My Garden DOES grow!!! Here is what it looked like a few weeks ago (Zucchini in the back along with the Beets, Carrots in the middle, and Tomatoes in the front)!

And as of September 2, it looks like this!! Tomatoes have gone crazy!!
Gnome Watching over the Baby Beets (in July)!

Baby Tomatoes (July)!

September 2, 2009 shot from other side.

We had a TON of Zucchini (much of which is chopped and in the freezer) but unfortunately I had to pull the Zucchini plants out because they got attacked by Squash Beatles (which I'd never heard of, as they are rare in California). As you can see we have a lot of Tomato growth and little by little they are turning red. Carrots are getting bigger (almost time to pick) and we've been enjoying the beets all month long!! Adding the Beet Green's to pasta and I've been making yummy Roasted Beet Salad's with Goat Cheese and Candied Almonds!!

I'm very glad we did the garden thing this year! Next time I want to try growing Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, more Beets, more Heirloom Tomatoes, and Herbs!!

Buffy VS. Edward Cullens!! (Just for fun...)

2009-08-06T12:29:00.002-05:00

Summertime in Minnesota (a list).

2009-08-06T12:07:00.004-05:00

The Joys of Summer (here in Minnesota)....

Fresh Summer Fruit!!
BBQ's (Burger, Brats, & Dogs, Tuna Noodle Salad AND Potato Salad...)
Bike Rides
Cabins & Lakes!!
The color GREEN (every where!!)
Sun Dresses
Rhubarb, and anything made with Rhubarb (which grows every where around here)!!
Veggies straight out of my Garden
Mojitos (& other icy beverages)
Volleyball
Thunder & Lightning Storms!! AAHHHH!!!
Patio Dinning (Minnesotans LOVE to eat outside in the summer, can you blame them?!?!)

Not so joyous things about summer....

Sticky, Sweaty...
Retired neighbor mows his lawn, Every. Other. Day. (loud & unnecessary!!)
TOO many Burgers, Brats, Dogs, and Salads made with MAYO = Big Butt
Veggie Garden = Attack of the killer BUGS!!! You should see my swollen leg. Ouch!!
Mostly stupid stuff and/or reruns on non-cable TV.
Haven't made it to any Cabins yet this season...
It goes by too quickly!! :(

More Pros then Cons, and I'm happy... That's my little list, just because!!! If I forgot anything obvious and major, just add it!!

Did you know I love Miniature things?

2009-07-31T12:41:00.009-05:00

I don't know when it started but I've always had a thing for miniatures!! Maybe it's because I myself, am a mini version of a full grown person, I'm not sure! Even as a little girl, my favorite part about playing 'Barbie' was collecting items that fit into a Barbie scale world! I had this little Hello Kitty "dresser" (which was actually designed to hold paper clips, erasers, & other small school supplies) that I used in Barbie's "room" (also known as the chair space under my desk). I would try to find stuff that would fit in the dresser drawers and my goal was to FILL it with small things. I did a pretty good job filling it too. I used small toys (not yet a 'choking hazard' in the 80's), small erasers in the shape of animals, shells, scrap pieces of cloth and pretty much whatever I could find lying around! It was the attention to detail that excited me. Over the years, when I find very small things I tend to hold on to them. The 'bonus' feature of such a small collection is that it doesn't take up any space, it's easy to move, and easy to hide or store away (if desired but who would do that)!!

I have a few pictures of SOME of my collections...

PS. Did anyone watch the TV cartoon series 'The Littles'??? Maybe that's where the love of little things started!!!

These are 'The Littles"!

These are made of glass & I got them in Italy. That is a small sample sized bottle of perfume on the left.

This is a mini glass snail on my finger tip! My dresser at my parents house in the background.

Tiny shells collected in Carmel, CA.

Tiny potted flowers, from my Mom. From some where in Europe, she'll have to remind me where...

Little 'Food Samples' from sushi restaurant in West LA!!! I regret NOT buying them...

Tiny Sake and Candy with 'Cosmetic' set behind it!! That dark round thing in the foreground is a quarter so you can see the scale of the little treats!!! Still regret not getting both of these sets!!! Maybe the next time I'm in LA (or SUE, if you are reading this, I will pay you back, if you go back to this place & they have any sets left)!!! I heart tiny treasures. :)

PS. Will Read for Food.

2009-07-29T13:34:00.003-05:00

Can anyone suggest a good book to read? I'm ready to start a few new books!! Just leave titles in the comment section below...

Thanks Friends. :)

MIA

2009-07-29T13:08:00.003-05:00

Yes, I've been a little MIA on my blog since announcing it! Well, my parents were in town last week and we had a great time and kept VERY busy!! I didn't get such great pics so I'm waiting to see what my Mom got and then I will post some of my fav's and let you know what we did with the rents while they were in town!!

In the meantime, we've just been enjoying our summer!! Lot's of grillin' and chillin'!! We've been going to the gym, going on bike rides and walk/runs on our park trail and I took my first Pilates class at my gym yesterday (not my first time, just my first time in Minne)! It felt good, I think I will go more often! Christian is training for his first Olympic length Triathlon which is in 2 weeks!! He wants to do his first Ironman next August!! I think he is a crazy boy, but I'm very proud of him! He is so dedicated and in great shape to show for it too!!! I will not be doing a Triathlon or anything like that but I will be trying to fit into a wedding dress (at some point) which is pretty motivating too! Also, after a long winter indoors you can't NOT run around outside all summer long in tank tops!! It's so much fun!!

The weather this week is perfect, in the 70's and not too humid at all!! Perfect for reading out in the garden!! And speaking of my garden, the summer squash is growing like crazy and I have about 40 tomatoes so far on the 'Early Girl' but they are still green, can't wait for them to turn red!!! I did dig up one of my carrots and it's super cute!! I'm waiting a few more weeks to pick so they get a little bit bigger! And you can see the beets coming up, they need a little more time too... I will have a Veggie post up soon!!

So, we are still in limbo with regard to moving to NYC. I think it's going to happen, it's just a lot of work getting there (via selling the house, finding jobs, apartments, etc...)! We also get a little distracted sometimes because we are starting to talking wedding a lot lately!! We've been engaged for 6 months and all the planning I've done is to buy a planner (which has not been touched) and a few magazines (LOVE Martha Stewart Weddings Mag)!! We want to fly out to Northern Cal to look into wedding locations as soon as a couple of weeks from now! So much to think about as usual, but I know it will all work out how it is suppose to... Ok, well there is a little update!! Will be back soon with more PICTURES!!! Woo Hoo!!!

Baby Sadie Pictures!

2009-07-15T10:41:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Baby Sadie Cameron while she is still less then 24 hours old!!! Enjoy!

Baby Sadie!
Born: July 13th, 2009

Christian with Sadie.Daddy & his little girl.

Sadie and I.

Mommy and her Sandy Haired Sadie!

Mother & Baby Bonding, so sweet...

Sadie has arrived!

2009-07-14T00:20:00.002-05:00

This evening (July 13, 2009) Edith gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Mercedes Katherine Cameron (not sure on the spelling yet, sorry)! Baby and parents are tired but doing well! She is 6lbs, 5oz, 19" long!! Can't wait to meet her! I'm hoping I get to tomorrow, or very soon!!!

Welcome to the World Sadie!!!

Edith is in labor!!!

2009-07-13T14:33:00.003-05:00

My dear friend Edith Cameron is going to have a baby! Her water broke this morning and she has been having contractions all day. She and Michael stopped by our house this morning to drop off a car key and we decided to take a walk around the cute trail at the park at the end of our street. Is was a nice walk, she was having contractions every couple of minutes so we would stop and rest then keep going. She was still smiling, and joking which I think means she has some time left to go. I just got a text from Michael that he thinks it's going to 'be a while' so maybe after I hear something, I'll write back again!!! It's so exciting!!! We are thinking good thoughts for you guys...

PS. I'm so glad I was to adamant about taking a few pictures of Edith and I this last weekend!! I will try and post one later!

Get In Shape Girl!

2009-07-10T10:48:00.003-05:00

I wanna get in shape (again)!! I'm sick of not fitting into my clothes! So, I'm trying to workout more, eat a little less (and healthier too) and drink less (Soda, Juice, Wine, the works)!! Maybe by posting this I will feel more accountable, but probably not. I think I just need to do it! I have lost 5 pounds since my heaviest weight (but that weight was extreme and I only hit it for a few days after we had a LOT of parties in a row, so don't be impressed yet...) I will let you know of my progress (God willing)!!

Montana for the 4th of July!!

2009-07-08T11:36:00.014-05:00

This July 4th Christian and I met up with my parents in Red Lodge, Montana and had a good ol' time!! My Dad's best friend from college (Dick DeVille) lives in Washoe, MT (population 10 people) with his wife LuDon! Washoe is next to Bear Creek, MT (pop. 3o-ish?) which is about 5 miles away from the BIG city Red Lodge, MT (pop. 2,000)! On the 4th of July (a big, important holiday) the Rodeo comes to town, there is a parade down main street, and plenty of fireworks (Montana has very few restrictions on firework and fire arms)! It's one of the biggest events of the year around these here parts! Every year Dick drives a car in the parade, this year he drove a 1912 Model T!! We stayed in a big log cabin and did a day trip up to Cook City which takes you through a beautiful mountain pass (up to 10,000 ft elevation)!! We also experienced some amazing thunder and lightning storms while in Montana. There is a reason they call it "Big Sky Country", it's so beautiful there!! Here are some fun pictures from our trip...

Sally's Cabin (Harman's Cabin for this week)!

Old Rail Cars in front yard of Cabin.

Dick & Ludon's daughter Dawn, works here, Natali's Bar, Main St. Red Lodge!
(Yes, that's money on the ceiling.)

You get to fling it up there! Here is Christian's turn...

Here is my turn (ok, it took me 5 tries before it stuck)!!!

At the 'Top of the World', Cook County.

"I'm on top of the world!!" (The clouds were actually close to us!)

Dad and Christian look over the edge...

Lisa and Christian, Valley behind us!

Tiny Wild Flowers, 10,000 feet (they stay close to the ground).

Dad getting a good shot of the Mountains. Me getting a good shot of Dad.

Shoshone National Forest, West Summit, Elevation 10,947 ft.

Rain in the distance, gotta love 'Big Sky Country'!

That's the 'Beartooth Peak'.

Cook City Trading Post!

Really HIGH bridge.

Dad looking over the bridge...

What is below!

Inside the cabin, BBQ Dinner!!

Double Rainbow, we had some amazing storms while we were there!!

The Pig Races!! Famous in Bear Creek, MT at the Bear Creek Saloon & Steakhouse!

We didn't win...

Ol' Cowboys, Dick DeVille & Larry Harman drivin' in an ol Deville....

Sunset and Dinner Bell on back porch of Sally's Cabin.

Christian and Lisa at the Parade, 4th of July!

Sue and Larry at the Parade, 4th of July!!

BIG Flag carried by local military men.

Dick & daughter DeEtte in the parade, in the 1912 Model T!!

Cute Puppy.

MINI PONIES!!

Cool covered wagon pulled my mules, the guy even slept in here at night!!

The Budweiser Clydesdale's with cool storm clouds behind them!!

At the Rodeo! Where all the Cowboys and cows line up!!

Cute little cowboy in the making...

Lisa and Christian with Rodeo behind!!

Bull Rides!! Yee Haw!!

In the middle you can see the little town of Washoe, MT. That is Dick and Ludon's house and Ludon's Quilt Shop... That is the town!!

Let the Fireworks begin...

The adult's watch the young kids go CRAZY over fireworks, oh and Christian went a little crazy too, it was fun! Also, we could see the big show in Red Lodge from the yard!!!

Reine. "Fake Cousin!"

2009-06-26T13:16:00.005-05:00

Christian's "Fake" (Step) Cousin Reine came to visit us in Minnesota all the way from Lund, Sweden! He is (like Christian,) a "White Computer Programmer", who loves cars, Apple Computers & iPhones, and making funny jokes (in English, which is speaks very, very well in a charming Swedish accent). While he was staying with us, we went for a long walk in the park by our house, hung out on the patio in the shade, Reine watched us play sand volleyball (and we won 50% or our games, thankfully) and then we ate deep dish pizza (Reine loved it) and went to the opening night of Transformers 2!! I drove Reine back to cousin Jessica's house with a stop for soft serve ice cream (yum, orange and vanilla swirl) and more pizza because Reine really likes pizza... It was a fun and busy couple of days! Here are a few pics from our backyard! We will see you in Sweden, Reine!!! Now I have a "Fake" cousin too, yay!!! :)

Reine, Lisa and Christian.

Christian and Reine!

Duluth Baby, Duluth!!

2009-06-23T14:52:00.005-05:00

Dana and Lisa @ The Tower!Edith(& Baby), Michael, Dana, Nate, & Beth!

Enjoying the view...

I just wanted to say, Edith and Michael, Dana and Lisa, and Nate and Beth, sure know how to have a good time together!!! Thanks for such a fun weekend up 'Nort' in Duluth!!! We had a chance to drink LOTS of wine while playing cards, the game of Golf, (which Dana was winning when we left for our '4th Meal' at Burrito Union)!! We saw the Seven Bridges Park, The Tower, The Superior Beach, ate a LOT of ice cream (ouch!), enjoyed Tapas, had brunch at the New Scenic Cafe (a Cameron favorite), played with the cutest puppies Val and Ace, and locked Michael in a car trunk (which he was fine with since he had his new iphone with him)!!! Too much fun....

DANA (is in Minneapolis)!!!!

2009-06-18T09:16:00.008-05:00

She came to visit a very pregnant Edith-Nicole and of course I get to enjoy Miss Dana too... So far we have gone to a Volleyball Game, had yummy Ice Cream, enjoyed Cuban Food and Tropical Mimosa's (pictured above), and there was a huge Thunder and Lightning Storm!! We are heading for Duluth this weekend!! Yay, Dana Fun!! :)

Edith in Wonderland, Down the Rabbit Hole of Motherhood....

2009-06-16T13:06:00.010-05:00

Well, this Friday night Amber and I co-hosted a baby shower for Edith with the theme "Edith in Wonderland, Down the Rabbit Hole of Motherhood..." It was a 'just for fun' theme and turned out to be a very fun party!! In the backyard I set up a Croquet game, Pink Flamingos, The Cheshire Cat, 'This Way, That Way' signs, and mushrooms! Amber planned some fun games to play, "Baby, The Price is Right", "Finish That Nursery Rhyme", and "True or False, Baby Facts" (which Dr. Erin cleaned up on!!) Thanks for such creative games Amber!! In the house we had a yummy spread of food including Stuffed Mushrooms, Cheese & Veggie Plates, Devilish Eggs, Rhubarb Cherry Bars, 'Eat Me' Cookies, and homemade fancy cupcakes (by Christina)! To drink, we had Sangria and sparkling lemonade for the 'expecting Mothers' (Edith and Rita)! Inside the house was decorated with Playing Cards, Red Roses, Tea Sets, and colorful this and that's... It was a fun event to plan and I was honored to do it for my Edith!

Busy Weekend!

2009-06-08T12:11:00.008-05:00

This weekend we kept ourselves very busy!! Friday night we attended the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus Gala Event! The theme this year was 'Inner DIVA' and it was a lot of fun. They do a cocktail hour with a silence auction (that included lots of theater tickets, art work, fitness classes and handmade crafts)! After that we sat down to dinner with the other United Health Care Folks and enjoyed Free Range Chicken, the 'Heads or Tails' Boa game (a UHG guy won the whole game and won $1000), and an exciting live auction. Christian bid on a 'walk on role' in a play and I bid on a fun, sassy fitness class with some very enthusiastic instructors! We didn't win, though it was fun to bid on the big items! The chorus sang a tribute to 'Diva Women Singers' to finish the evening.

Saturday we hung out and relaxed before Christian's Triathlon by going to the movies along with EVERYONE in Minneapolis (it was pouring rain all day). We saw, 'UP', I cried a few times and really enjoyed the movie... We got home I made a big pot of Spaghetti and off to bed early!

Sunday morning we were up by 5AM getting ready to leave for the Buffalo Tri which Christian did with friend Mitch and Dad Tom! Mel, Joy, and I were their loyal fans braving chilly weather and heavy drizzle all morning. We ate a well deserved breakfast a a cute little cafe in a small town called Medina (I think it's called Country Cafe and it's by the McDonald's), drove home, unloaded, picked up Edith and Michael from the airport and headed downtown to the Target Center for Christian's Brother Andy's high school Graduation!! Congrats to the Class of 2009!!! Here are a few pictures...

We are recovering now, Christian is sore but good and I am in Baby Shower mode, getting ready for Edith's baby shower I'm hosting with Amber, this Friday!!

Andy on the BIG Screen at the Target Center!Maple Grove High Graduation, Target Center.
Christian and Dad Tom after the Race!!
Mitch and Christian at the finish line...
Mel, Me, and Joy!
Christian, Mitch, and Tom.
Christian and I at the Gala.
Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus Gala.
A DIVA.
Us at dinner...

Christian's 30th Birthday BBQ!!

2009-06-02T10:06:00.006-05:00

We had a little backyard BBQ for Christian's 30th birthday, Sunday, May 31st. It was a lot of fun! There was a 50% chance of Thunderstorms but the Gods of BBQ spared us and it was a beautiful, hot summer day! Here are a few pictures from the party...

Party People (finally found some shade too)!Christian and Levi Play!
The Monson Family.
Andy, Casey, and Christian (the sibs).
Hi Levi!!!
Levi showing Jim and Cindy something...
Levi + Chocolate.
Christian's Gifts! Don't eat the book....!!!
Joy and Mitch!
Mark, Rick, ReNae and Christian.
Leo and the FOOD!!!
Christian tries to relight his own cake after I can't, SO WINDY today!!!
Michael, Rita, Edith, and Leo (my preggo friends)!!!
Christian and I at the grill, Happy Birthday Baby!!!

First attempt at Green Thumb-ery!!

2009-05-27T10:28:00.006-05:00

We are starting a veggie and herb garden. We are officially committed to the garden!! I just hope something will grow!! We spent about $65 bucks on supplies, borrowed the tiller, Christian already had the railroad wood so we will see if we get over $65 worth of growth!! I think we can and I know who ever lives here next will do well too...

We are planting two types of Carrots and Beets, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Cantaloupe and several herbs (Basil, Sage, and Thyme)!!

I started some of the seeds indoors with a small green house but didn't have much luck, the summer squash did well and I got a few carrots but no beets. Hopefully they will do better in the grown! I will update the garden stats if anything grows....

Happy Birthday Baby...

2009-05-26T14:29:00.008-05:00

Christian is 30!! We had a fun and relaxing weekend at home! We spent our time, hangin' with the Monson's (Casey is leaving in about a week for Japan and Andy is about to graduate high school), eating out (a little Asia lunch and Christian's favorite Lone Spur Grill for B-day dinner), we had a BBQ on our new grill (veggie and steak kabobs yum...), sat around our new firepit with the fam, when to a movie (we saw Angels and Demons, was ok), lunch with friends and spent the rest of our time setting up our new veggie garden!! I took a few pictures, here they are... Next weekend we are having a little BBQ Party to officially celebrate the Birthday and Christian gets his gift in June (or whenever the new version 'drops'), an iphone!! He is so excited, I'm excited to play with it too!! I'm sure I'm gonna want one too, and hey my Birthday is in October... ;)

Jim and Christian trying out the new grill!My garden guardians...
The backyard!
Beautiful flowers have come up...
Christian building our garden!
Cindy, Andy, and Jim, hangin' by the firepit.

Lisa and Christian in L.A.

2009-05-01T10:38:00.011-05:00

Christian and I took a "just for fun" trip to LA May 14th-17th to visit old friends and to show Christian more of the city (which I did NOT do a good job at the last time he came to visit)!

We headed to Orange County first and had a great time meeting Lisa and Matt Johnson's new son Lukas James Michael Johnson, who is as cute as can be and already a super baby (can hold his own head up and roll over by himself before most babies can do much of anything...), we also got to see Miss Alicia and her little pup Peanut (who Christian LOVES)!! We both enjoyed 'real' Mexican Food (I crave it every day) and we spend some much needed quality time at the beach (the sun deprived Minnesotans)!! After a great time in 'The OC', we headed up to LA and stayed with Sue and Nate in their very cute Burbank flat! In LA we saw White Buffalo Theater Company's original production of 'Nostalgia and Dreams' , ate yummy sushi, visited my old work Spark Woodfire Grill, visited some of my ol' haunts, went to the Santa Monica Pier, drove around in Beverly Hills and visited LACMA on 'The West Side' of town. We even think we saw Michael Jackson in Bev Hills, it was fun to show Christian how crazy the Paparazzi get over the celebs! They were swarming around the unmarked, blacked out SUV like vultures!! All and all we had a great time in SoCal (even thought it was too short of a trip)! Here are a few pics from our trip!!

Lisa and Christian at Spark!!
Sue and Nate at Spark!
Us overlooking Santa Monica Pier.
Sue B. on escalator to the sky at LACMA!!
Daddy Mattie Foot vs. Baby Luke's Foot!!
Mommy Lisa feeding her hungry boy....
Christian holding one month old Luke Johnson!
Christian and Peanut Play and dig, and dig, and dig.....
Us on Laguna's Main Beach.
Christian in front of my old house, 12 Street!!
Us on the beach in Newport Beach, CA!
"Real Mexican Food"!!

Sue BEE...!!!

2009-04-15T20:19:00.010-05:00

My dear friend Sue Boorujy came to visit us here in Minneapolis and we had a great time touring all over the city!! Here are just a few pictures from Sue's adventure in Minnesota!! Thanks for coming here to play!!! Christian and I had a great time with you here, you are welcome back ANY time!!! Love ya!! :)

PS. Will post some of the more historic Minneapolis/St. Paul Pictures in a future blog...

Sue and Lisa at Thai Food!Lisa and Sue @ the top of the Guthrie Theater over looking the Mississippi River!!

Sue with famous "Spoon with Cherry" on a very RARE day when cherry is off for a cleaning!!

My 'David', we call him 'Christian', and he is a work of art....

Spring at last (hope I'm not speaking too soon)!!!

2009-04-09T11:05:00.002-05:00

It is April 9th, it's sunny, clear, and already 45 degrees at 11am (I can't believe I'm excited for a temp in the 40's)!! But, this is a good sign that Spring is here. Boy am I excited!! I just can't wait to go outside, ride my bike, soak in some sun, maybe plant a small garden, and throw open the windows and air the winter out of the house!!! Maybe it's the Easter candy talking or my excitement over Sue B coming to visit next weekend mixed with a little LA vacation in May but I'm in a pretty good mood!!

I want to grill fresh veggies on the BBQ and put on bug spray and canoe on a lake!!

Yup, I think it's the chocolate kicking in...

;)

Jenn Grinels is a ROCKSTAR.

2009-03-25T09:53:00.003-05:00

Jenn Grinels Performing at the APCA Convention, March 2009 in Atlanta, GA....
Well, I am back from Atlanta, GA and finally starting to recover from what can only be described as a totally successful, great, and draining experience. Jenn and I both felt the convention went really well but that it almost did us in!! It is the APCA convention (www.apca.com) which is the "Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities". There were all kinds of acts at this convention from balloon art to juggling and country music bands to singer/songwriters like Jenn and motivational speakers to comedians, it was crazy!! There were also agents, managers, promoters, college advisers and a TON of students from schools all over the country!! And I am told this is the smaller of the college activities conventions.

We were one of the seven sponsors of the Military Reception (the military reps are invited to the conference as well as schools) so after Jenn picked me up from the airport we heading straight to the hotel to set up our outdoor booth, what we didn't realize was that the guests were scheduled to arrive at 5pm. So we ran to the car and changed into our dresses and then ran back to the pool just in time for guests to arrive. Here is what our outdoor booth looked like!! We were very proud of how it looked (considering it was made from our household items)...

And here is our indoor booth!! It turned out great, people were even taking pictures of it because they thought it was so creative! I'd also like to thank Daniel Caron (www.danielsprograms.com) our 'booth neighbor' who was our guardian angel at this convention, sharing tips, mints, and a helping hand when we needed it, you are great!!

Overall it was a great week! We both learned a lot and Jenn ended up booking the second most jobs at the whole convention, GO JENN!!!

Shout Out to Bill Fry, Archie (The Godfather), Susan, Del, Phil, and Eric!! APCA baby.....

I'm Twitterpatted!!

2009-03-13T12:23:00.002-05:00

Well not exactly, but I did sign up.

I guess it's basically a really short blog, almost a text message blog....

Twitter could work for me, as I don't always make the time to finish what I've started. But, who knows!!!

What do you think? Do you Twitter?

PS. I'm curious to read some celeb Twitts, don't know if I'll care about anything they are saying but I might check it out and report back...

Everyone is in a Twitter!!

2009-03-12T18:44:00.003-05:00

What is Twitter?

What's the deal with it?

Is it like a mini blog?

I'm going to go see what it is and get back to you...

Blog ya later!

Lisa

I'm going to Atlanta....

2009-03-11T23:48:00.002-05:00

"Why are you going to Atlanta?"

Good question!!

I am flying out to meet up with Singer/Songwriter Jenn Grinels for a Singer/Songwriter convention!! It's pretty cool and should be a lot of fun!! I'm kinda her promoter!!! She will perform and we will be hangin' in the official "Jenn Grinels Booth". I will be pimpin' her out to colleges and venues and helping her get lots of gigs!!!

I will post some pictures when I get back!! In the meantime, check out her websites!!

www.jenngrinels.com
www.myspace.com/jenngrinels

Turkey Lurkey...

2009-03-10T16:12:00.004-05:00

I know you are thinking, it's March, it's not Thanksgiving!! Well, yes I know that, but I have this 13 pound Turkey taking up my whole freezer!! It was a 'holiday gift' from Edina Grill, where I work a couple of days a week (www.edinagrill.com)!! Also, it's possibly the last big snow storm of the season and it's cold outside so I figured, comfort food!!!

But the real question should be, what was I thinking trying to make a turkey all by myself!!! First of all, it's 13 pounds which makes it a little tricky to maneuver, second it's a bit frozen still (even though it's been in my refrigerator for four days), and third of all, I don't know what I'm doing, are you suppose to pin down the wings or something?? I did remember to take the stuff out and put some onion and celery in it's place. I also poured butter and lots of spices on the outside. So, it JUST went in the roaster (like a giant crock pot) at 4pm, it says it only takes 2 hours in the roaster but I don't know (and after I was finally able to get that puppy in the roaster I looked over at the counter and saw the rack just sitting there, ugh, so I had to take it out and put it back in). I'll let you know how it turns out, we might be having a turkey-less turkey dinner!!

Good news is, even if the turkey doesn't turn out I have made some really yummy sides I KNOW will be great!!

Our menu is: Roasted Turkey with Turkey Pan Gravy, Cornbread Chorizo Dressing, Mashed/Baked Sweet Potatoes, Buttered Corn and Peas, and low fat Pumpkin Pie with Gram Cracker Crust!!!

I'll take some pics and post if they look cool...

Happy March Turkey Day, a celebration of the end of winter (possibly...)!!!

The Wedding Planner (I'm talking about ME)!!

2009-03-10T12:34:00.008-05:00

Well, we are engaged and I couldn't be more excited!!! Christian and I are so happy together, we learn new things about each other everyday and I'm proud to report that (for the most part) they are positive things!! It's one of the first times in my life I can honestly say I just have faith in something and know it's right. Yes, I chomp too loud when I eat and he acts on some things before he thinks about them first (0n occasion and usually involving ebay) but that's about it with regard to 'issues' we have. Of course, I know that can't be entirely true but what can I say, we really get along and we're in a good place right now!

So, now we have a LOT of decisions to make.... It's not just wedding planning but also deciding if we are still moving to NYC and where we ultimately want to end up and if one or both of us is going to be going back to school, not to mention starting a family (but we have a little time before that, hopefully)!!! So, we are both trying to enjoy the happy place we are in.

We are thinking about possibly doing a 'Wine Country' wedding in Sonoma County where I grew up and my parents still live... If we did that we would have a Minnesota Reception too which would be a fun way to extend the celebration!! My brother Eric and his Tina JUST got engaged too which is crazy!! I'm very happy for all of us. I guess someone had better 'pick a date' so the other couple can pick a date at least 6 months apart!! I guess that's the way to go... Hummm, I wonder what they are thinking?? I guess I should ask them!!

We are very excited to plan the wedding but I think we are going to put that off for a little while, while we are deciding about moving, etc... I am open for any wedding advice you may have as I have never planned anything like this before and I know it's never too early to start gathering info and tips!!!

:)

Decisions, Decisions...

2009-03-03T10:19:00.007-06:00

As some of you my know, Christian and I have been talking about moving to New York City for some time. This has been our plan since I moved to Minneapolis, but the times they are a changin'... It's amazing to me how much has changed since I left LA and how much has continued to change since I came here in July!

Since I left LA we all know what the economy has done and how the stock market is stressing people to their core (especially my Dad it seems)!! It's really got us thinking about our timing about moving, and letting go of our 'equity' (aka selling the house). We even wonder if we are going to be able to get jobs in New York (the city hit hardest by this down turn). All of this seems to raise more questions and doubts then answers and decisions, at least in my mind.

But here's the deal.

New York has always been a dream of mine. Yes, I would LOVE to do 'Broadway' or really any theater in NYC but also I've always wanted to just be in the city. I've spend a good amount of time there but wouldn't it be amazing to just have one year in the big apple with the one I love by my side?!? I'm struggling not to give in to my own social pressure. We are engaged, I'm 30, we should be planning our wedding, having babies, going to grad school!! But damn it, I'm not ready to give up my dream of NYC. My baby makin' window is not closing yet, we can plan a wedding in NYC (with the help of my family back in Cali), and school will always be there... And so what if I'm 30?!?! I don't look 30 (so I'm told) and who cares anyway!!!

So, I think we just need to jump. Go for it!! It's just a year and it might be the best year of our life! Plus, my Mom made a good point, a year in NYC is bound to be full of stories for the kiddos!! 'Mommy and Daddy lived in NYC before you were born!' Sounds good to me.

I can only hope it's not too hard to sell the house or find good renters and that the job market isn't so harsh for IT and artist types in New York... Guess we'll find out!!

Maui!!

2009-02-24T19:22:00.013-06:00

Aloha Amigos!!

We had a wonderful time in Maui a week ago. I just wish we could have stayed longer!! Overall, it was a very eventful trip...

We arrived Feb 5th, and were greeted at the airport with Leis by my parents (who had already been in Maui for a week)! It was overcast near the airport, my parents said there was a lot of rain for the few days before we arrived but it quickly cleared as we drove!! Which was a great blessing considering the freezing weather we had just left in Minneapolis!! We headed in our rented SUV to Lahaina's Maui Beach Marriott Hotel where we would spend the next week in a double suite stocked with wine, nuts, tropical fruit and English muffins thanks to The Harman Family's obsession with shopping at Costco (http://www.costco.com/)!!

The first night we arrived to the most beautiful sunset, we had dinner at Longboards Restaurant at the hotel with my parents and their long time friends George and Mary Alice Malkemus! I was having trouble keeping my eyes open due to extreme jet lag (12 hours of flying, 4 hours of waiting in airports, with 3 hours of sleep = JET-LAG)!!! But, I hung in there for Macadamia Nut crusted Fish and a tropical Rum drink with pineapple garnish (which was too sweet for me but very 'Hawaiian') and we did manage to take a few pictures of us with the sunset...
Next day was hangin' by the pool for the ladies, Christian and George did some golfing, and Larry was offering his famous martini's whenever you wanted one!!

We got a chance to walk down to Black Rock with our snorkel and beach gear and met up with some of Christian's family who happen to be in Maui the same time as us!! We got to play in the water all day with his Grandma Monson, Uncle Robin, Aunt Joey, Cousin Gabe, his wife Lissette and son Willy!! Grandma Monson got over her fear of the water and got into the ocean (which I understand is a big deal for her) and I even enjoyed the water more then I usually do, playing in the waves and taking turns snorkeling! Though, I'm still scared of fish biting my toes for some reason!! Geez...

Lissette, Gabe, and Christian even braved jumping off Black Rock itself!! It was a great Hawaiian day!! "Hi Christian!!"
And that evening (which turned out to be just about every evening) we did "Sunset Happy Hour" from our hotel room, which consisted of wine or martini's, good conversations, and taking LOTS of pictures of the sun setting over Molokai!! Here are a few pictures....

The next day we decided to take a day trip in the car (no, not the road to Hana this time), we went around to the other side of the island and had lunch at the famous (and I think, best restaurant in Maui) Mama's Fish House, http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/, located in Kuau Cove on the North Shore!! We had beautifully plated food, and they even tell you the name of the person who caught your fish that morning!! The restaurant is right on the most lovely little beach, here is a picture of us on the beach and one in the restaurant about to dive into lunch!!

We also cruised Paia, did some (bad, sorry,) wine tasting at the one winery on Maui (pretty drive) and stopped in my parents favorite town Makawao!! Makawao is known as Maui's "Cowboy Town"!! They have the BEST little grocery store right on the main drag, called 'Foods 4 Life' or 'Down to Earth', something like that, you really can't miss it (get the Ahi Poke Salad and the Chicken Tarragon Salad)!!
After a day of traveling we needed a day by the pool (and beach) to just relax... Then my Dad wanted to take us to his 'Sacred Trees' and we took a drive the other direction up to a beautiful turn off that looks like this (that is me with the pink and my very tall father, just to give you a point of reference to how huge these trees really are)...

And the beach just past the forest...
And, when we got back to the car, we realized there was glass all over the ground!! Someone had thrown a rock at the car and smashed the window in. We looked in and Mom's purse was gone!!! Shoot!! Good news is we found her checkbook, credit card and ID by the side of the road!!! They just took the cash and tossed the rest, Mom said " I would have given them the $60 bucks if they just asked!", I know you would have... Sorry we didn't find the actual purse but we got the important stuff and no one was hurt!! We did get to meet a very joyful local surfer 'Willy' and he apologised to us on behalf of all Hawaiians (and offered us some local herbs, ha) and the police who came were very nice and helped me sweep the glass off the car seats!! Thanks dudes!! So, that was the low point of our trip but we were all feeling better by the next morning... Nothing a day of laying out in the sun can't cure!!

Our trip is ALMOST over and it's been great. Mom and Dad gave Christian and I the gift of massage!! We end up having a couples massage in a cabana right on the beach!! Was the best massage we've both ever had, thanks Stephanie and Angie!! That night we got ready and had our (now) traditional, 'Sunset Happy Hour"...
and headed to the Lahaina Grill for dinner!! http://www.lahainagrill.com/

We arrived at the Lahaina Grill to find Christian's family (who coincidentally) were just finishing up their dinner to celebrate Robin and Joyce's Wedding Anniversary! They gave us some recommendations from the menu ("The fish for the special was comparable to Minnesota's own Walleye" we were told...) before heading back to their hotel!! Christian and I decide to order the fancy tasting menu as a 'vacation treat' which was four courses of food!! My Dad got the short ribs, yum, and Mom got the fish special (which was the best item of the night, hands down)!! We had a long dinner, lots of conversations, lots of food, lots of dessert, and then the server came by with a glass of champagne for me. She said: "The handsome young man ordered this glass of Champagne for you." I said, "Thank you" and wondered what handsome young man she was talking about, then I realized she meant Christian, duh!! "Thanks Honey! Hey look, I can put a strawberry in it!!" Plunk. A look of horror crossed his face for one second then he said very calmly, but firmly, "Take it out." "Ok..." and I did. Then I FINALLY noticed the special something bubbling at the bottom of the glass, a BEAUTIFUL diamond ring!!! OH MY GOD.... Christian got down on his knee and said, "With your permission and the permission of your parents, I'd like to make you my wife. Will you marry me?" After I picked my jaw off the floor, and choked on my tears, I said "YES!!!" I was very happy and still very full from our four courses of food!! I said, "I just can't believe it! I think I'm going to throw up!!" Ha... I didn't throw up, thankfully. My parents (who were also in shock) did managed to take some pictures....

Now it's time to go back home... All in all, we had a wonderful time on our trip with lots of warm memories (and a tan) to take back with us to chilly Minnesota!! Aloha!!!

Minneapolis Ironman Bike Ride.

2009-02-17T16:13:00.003-06:00

So, I got an email in my inbox a few days ago that I was not too happy about, at first! Christian had signed me up to do the Ironman Bike Ride (30 miles, the shortest ride). Maybe he should have asked me first, I'm sorry, DEFINITELY, he should have asked me first but now I'm glad that he jumped the gun and signed me up! I'm glad because:

A) My "workout for our Maui vacation" excuse is no longer valid as we are back from Maui (details to come in future blog with pics)!

B) We pay for a gym membership (and I should actually take advantage of their spin classes which I used enjoy from time to time).

C) Getting in shape is good. I need to make friends with 'in shape'.

Here is the website:

http://www.ironmanbikeride.org/

So, if you have a bike and are free on April 26th, 2009 please join us on the ride, it will be fun! If you don't have a bike, come anyway and hang out around the finish line (about 6 hours after I've started) and say hi, maybe bring a power drink or cliff bar? I'll be hungry...

Also, if you are a member of LA Fitness, wanna spin with me and Christian??

2009-02-16T22:14:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to say I have my first follower!! Thanks Christian!! Actually, I made him sign up but it turns out he had a really old blog that he is 'refreshing' a little bit too... So, here we are sitting side by side at our computer desks blogging away, isn't life grant! He looks so handsome by the light of the computer screen.

My "25 Random Things" list:

2009-02-14T14:51:00.000-06:00

Here is my list of '25 Random Things', in random order:

1. I'm obsessed with miniatures (I have a mini shell collection, mini glass animals, mini baseball cards, mini furniture, really anything mini I can get my hands on, the smaller the better...) The best part of my collection is the fact that it takes up very little space!

2. I HATE olives (too, Edith)!

3. I'm scared of all sea creatures but love to eat them.

4. I can still do the middle splits and I'm 30.

5. I can read sheet music but I can't play the piano. Though it is on my 'things to learn' list!!

6. I really want to go to India.

7. I love dance movies (I think I own them all) and the first show I remember as a kid was Fame, they were dancing in the street and I thought that was so cool!!

8. I talk in my sleep and sometimes in other languages, so I'm told....

9. I like the idea of reincarnation, that when we are born again so are the people who are close to us and we reconnect again with them in the next life.

10. I was a vegetarian (and sometimes a vegan) for many years.

11. My first boyfriend and my last boyfriend have the same birthday.

12. I can remember laying in my crib with a bottle when I was only 1 1/2 years old (at my first house in San Francisco).

13. Kittens are my Kryptonite.

14. My parents made up my middle name, LuChar.

15. I just made my first snow angel this year!!

16. I have 10 piercings in my ears. 7 on one side, 3 on the other.

17. Pasta hurts my tummy, even if I don't overeat it!

18. I get phone anxiety. I get really nervous right before I make a call.

19. I'm a good bartender.

20. I never get sick of hearing a Fiona Apple song.

21. I'm OCD about checking the time on my cell phone.

22. Every time I get my hair cut I debate with myself (and usually the stylist) about chopping it all off, but then I don't.

23. I wanted to live in Boston when I was a kid.

24. I'm really good at finding lost things.

25. I would love to have my own cafe/shop filled with all the fancy things I always want to buy but can't afford or justify.

Wow, this is my first Blog...

2009-02-03T18:48:00.000-06:00

Hello Party People!!

Lisa here, and I'm blogging!!!

I don't really have any sort of plan for this except that I have been inspired by (and really enjoy reading) Edith's blog at http://edithnicolewithchild.blogspot.com! Plus, this is another venue in which I am able to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away!! Hello California, I hope you are well!! I sure do miss your warmth and sun...

So, I'll keep this first blog a shorty but will add more 'long-y's' soon!