december baby

CJ and AUD snowshoe for CJ's birthday.

Our first time snowshoeing since the big move!

I let CJ choose what he wanted to do for his birthday and he chose a trip up to China Peak to go snowshoeing. I wouldn't expect anything else from him.

We were going to go to Yosemite, but CJ decided to go to China Peak instead since we had never been up there. China Peak is about an hour and a half (give or take) from Fresno.

I LOVE MARSHMALLOW LANDS!!

Isn't it beautiful?!

Marshmallooooows!

About to gear up and go!

I love snowshoeing because you can go wherever you want. This was such a beautiful place, the picture doesn't do it justice at all!

My december baby

It was cooold. Those gloves were a total FAIL, my fingers were frozen!

Thankfully I got some awesome gloves from my soon-to-be-in-laws and will wear them next snow adventure!

Untouched snow is like walking on some marshmallow fluff!

FYI, we were kinda spoiled when we snowshoed in Mammoth lakes with the beautiful clear, blue skies. It was overcast and cold as heck here -- granted, the storm was coming in, but still.

We got some pink noses after this pic!

Being silly on our way back to the car.

The view leaving our spot.

Merry Miserables!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

I'LL BE I'M HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Also, if you plan (or don't plan) to watch Les Miserables on the big screen... GO!!!

IT IS AMAZING!!! and I totally loved it!!

Have a holly jolly Christmas!

CJ and AUD go to Christmas in the Park, 2008

As Miss Vacaville 2008, the queens and I were invited to Christmas in the Park held at Six Flags Theme park in Vallejo, CA.

Of course I jumped at the opportunity: Free tickets, a chance to light the Christmas tree, & ride some sweet roller coasters!

CJ went as well and though it was a fun experience, it was FREEZING.

Our favorite part were the bonfires located around the park. Yeahhh, spent most our time in front of those.

I spent Christmas in Nevada last year, so this year I am happy to say I will be going home to spend it with family. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

We wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.

Hope you have a HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS!!

Thai V for Mr. Hmong!

CJ and AUD root on Thai for Mr. Hmong

Things you may or may not have known:

1. Audrey moved to Fresno for work

2. Thai is Audrey's friend (since forever -- literally) who is also an RN that moved to Fresno for work

3. Thai is Hmong

4. Fresno has a large Hmong population

5. There is a Mr. Hmong pageant that Thai decided to do

So yes, my friend Thai did the Mr. Hmong pageant & he did a really good job!!

I've known this guy since, what, elementary school & he is one shy dude. 

The Thai I grew up with would have NEVER gotten on stage for anything!!

Though, I wish I spoke Hmong because I couldn't actually understand ANYTHING that people were saying

Me & CJ at the venue -- btw, this pic is first because it is my favorite.

Beforehand we went out for dinner at a sushi place named Maroo

review found on yelp.com here

With our dessert - the BEST I'VE EVER HAD tempura ice cream.

CJ is now in love with this dessert.

On to the Mr. Hmong pageant which was held at Fresno State.

GO THAI!!!!

We weren't being disrepectful, I swear. This was during some intermission -- though I hope it was intermission because the entire thing was in Hmong so we couldn't actually understand what anyone was saying.

In the end, Thai performed great but was not crowned Mr. Hmong. 

I believe he walked away with something more...

He walked away with a confidence that I have never seen in him before.

& coming from a pageant girl -- that is all that really matters!

The table with the modeling pics. Thai is the first photo on the left!

Alex & Felicity

CJ and AUD enjoy a Murder Mystery Party.

If you ever get invited to a Murder Mystery Party, you should automatically confirm attendance.

It is LEGIT fun.

CJ's bro, Trevor, held one earlier this year (?) and it was SO MUCH FUN, so when he invited us to his second MMP, of course I had to make it!!!

For those of you that don't know about Murder Mystery Parties, you can google it like I just did... but if you're lazy like I am, here's my abbreviated description:

The guests are characters in a "story line" -- each person is assigned a character with a little description of themselves & goals of what they need to achieve by the end of the game. Sometimes the players have goals that may be opposite of another player, so it can get REALLY crazy!

 The guests interact with each other (no scripts either, so no holds barred!) to figure out who the "murderer" is and to complete their goals!

Alas, meet our alter egos (?): 

Alex Kirk: a former race car driver & most eligible bachelor in Paris 

and his girlfriend

Felicity Phillips: a dancer that wants to be a singer who thinks her BF is cheating on her with his best friends girl.

Alex & Felicity

Best part of the night: One of my goals was to steal a bracelet from the girl that I "think" Alex is cheating on me with, and CONFRONT him!

*Alex's comeback was "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" --LOL!

So, thank you Trevor, for letting me live out my dream to throw a drink in someones face... Even if it was just invisible liquor, it was COMPLETELY worth it!

Greeting the season!

CJ and AUD snow adventures.

Can I just say that I love C&A snow adventures!!!

I used to be a summer snob... Oh, you know...

"Summer is the best time to do outdoor stuff. It doesn't get any better than summer." 

Welllllll... That is no longer the case.

Yes, we may have more adventures during the summertime (how can we not with the hiking, biking, beaching, laking, etc), but it doesn't mean that we completely neglect nature during the winter.

Winter is great for 3 reasons:

1. holiday season

2. hot chocolate season

3. winter adventures!!

You can read about our first time on a frozen lake here

Our first time ice skating on a frozen lake here

and, my personal fave, snow shoeing here

Let us greet the season with a [hot chocolate] cheers to the wintertime!!

I hope you all find a great reason to go out and enjoy the snow or rain

OR stay in, grab a cup of your favorite hot choc (mine is Stephens Candy Cane hot chocolate -- it's like heaven in a cup... with candy cane) and have a cuddlefest with someone you love!

my first time snow boarding in Kirkwood circa 2008(?)

yeahhhh, I'm not that great -- these were the summer snob days, so 10 degree weather was not my cup of tea!

Fresno fruit market fun

CJ and AUD's first Fresno Fruit Market.

Sumner Peck Fruit Stand and Winery

Location: 14439 North Friant Road, Friant, CA 93626

Hours: Daily 8:30a.m. - 6:00p.m.

CJ and my [awesome] parents helped me move down to Fresno and I really couldn't have done it without them! Thank you mom & dad! I love & miss you already!!

Since Fresno has some great year-round fruit stands, my mom decided that every time she comes down to visit, I will take her to a new fruit stand. I am SO down for that!

We decided on one that was one of the shorter drives away from my apartment.

The Sumner Peck Fruit Stand and Winery.

Driving up to this place, you will see HUGE houses in the distance... This place is out in the country, NOT in the "city" at all so you KNOW those houses are mansions!

You drive up to it and it looks tiny, but very cool looking with glass walls and a huge archway that says "CHEERS TO YOUR HEALTH"

The left side has a shop for people who like cute little trinkets (Christmas themed, right now) and the right side has stuff for the foodies, see below.

This cute set up in the corner of the shop. I loved the white couch with the pink pillows!

FRUIT!! CJ researched and looked up what was "in season" right now...

Their assortment of bottled goodies. Marinated asparagus and other yummies. Also different olives.

Fig bars... I wanted to buy EVERY SINGLE BAG.

I'm actually thinking about taking a special trip up there to grab the Vanilla & raspberry bar one.

Selection of local honey (I grabbed a bottle since I'm hopeful it will help my allergies)

Dried fruits. My mom got the chile dried mangoes. 

I didn't get a chance to try it but it looked delicious!

These looked sooo good. Balsamic Pomegranate, Cherry, & Peach.

I might grab a bottle of this and some oil for dipping at Christmastime.

AND, TO TOP IT ALL OFF.

CJ AND MY FAVORITE PART...

The peanut/almond/pecan/etc table!!!!

OMG, they had little tins for samples of each... I stood there for like 5 10 minutes trying EVERY SINGLE ONE & I kid you not, there were like 5 or 6 bags that I wanted to buy!

CJ loved it too...

We ended up picking up: pears, 4 little jars of specialty jams (pomegranate, peach jalapeno -- SO BOMB, apricot habanero, & fig balsamic), and a bag of raspberry honey almonds -- heaven at first taste!!

Prices were slightly more expensive than I had hoped, but then again, quality food is worth it.

In these next few photos, please excuse my chinky & closed eyes. In order to take this picture I had to look in the direction of the sun. I was literally teary after each photo was taken...

Mommy and me!

CJ and I. Note to self: bring SUNGLASSES next time!

It's going to be difficult to pass this place up to go to some other fruit stand, but then again, I'd rather ALL of them be winners! Can't wait for the next one!

Wishing you were somehow here again

CJ and AUD watch Phantom of the Opera, 2009.

Randomly played my Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack on my iPod and BAM! I realized I never wrote about the C&A adventure to watch it live!

Phantom of the Opera... What can I say? A STAT post-worthy post

 We both love the 2004 film (with Emmy Rossum who totally ROCKS the role of Christine). We often listen sing to the soundtrack in the car, and on long road trips I will put it on to watch during the ride. It is a favorite for us.

CJ bought us tickets to watch it in Sacramento for our two year anniversary.

Before the show he treated me to a yummy hibachi dinner at Hisui. mmmm.

His family just bought a new scooter for Trev so I was just trying it out...

Before the show started!! SOOO excited!

Wish you could see the stage (this was intermission, obviously)

The show was, in one word, amazing.

The actors were brilliant, they had such great voices I was pretty impressed.

The scenery on stage for each scene was phenomenal.

Overall, I thought the show was BETTER than the movie (CJ still prefers the movie).

M.I.A.

I'm sorry it has been over a month since our last post...

BIG NEWS!

AUDREY MOVED TO FRESNO, CA

(Yes, this Suisunian turned Nevadan is now a Fresnan!)

and will be starting a new job at Community Regional Medical Center!

I can't WAIT to fill you in on our last few adventures 

as well as the new adventures to come in Fresno!!!

Other BIG NEWS:

Yes, you see it correctly... a Fresno Panera Bread WITH a drive thru window

Fresno: laziness? or GENIUS?

ALSO
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS FOR WINNING THE 2012 WORLD SERIES!!
It is SO good to be an SF Giants fan!!

RADness

CJ and AUD do Color Me Rad 5k, Reno.

If you have never heard of the Color Me Rad 5k, then you need to find out here.

Earlier this summer I found a Color Me Rad Groupon
(Yes, I Groupon like it's nobody's business... Do you think these adventures come cheap?)
Basically, buy one get one free. & if you know me, you know that BOGO's are a weakness.
Of course, I'm not one to pay to run a 5k without it benefitting a really worthy cause...
Color Me Rad 5k Reno will benefit
Special Olympics Nevada
I am so down for that.

Picked up our gear the day before. Sweet shirt, some stunna shades, race bib, & tattooos!
We also bought some extra "color bombs" -- The race came with one, but um, we wanted MORE!

Us at the starting line in our whites joined by 4,000 of our closest friends...

LOVE CJ in those green sunglasses. 

I bet you that 6 years ago (pre-Audrey) CJ would have NEVER been caught wearing those!!

Pre-race photo!

Side note: volunteers were throwing out t-shirts, hats, color bombs, etc. & CJ caught BOTH an extra color bomb and a T-shirt (like the gentleman that he is, he gave both away to kids)

Here's a video of us before the ColorRADness all started:

We were in the second wave, it was packed with people in really fun outfits!

Wish we got a pic with the dudes dressed up like unicorns!

HERE IS HOW IT WAS SET UP:

There was a designated "track" around the UNR campus of which we ran/walked & there were stations throughout the route where volunteers would...

1. color bomb us into oblivion (& yes, CJ tottttally rolled around on the colorful ground -- twice)

2. splash a little wet color onto us (& yes, we cheated & went through twice -- shhh!)

3. water stations

Coming up to the first color bombing site: furfle!

It was like going into a dust storm of purple awesomeness.

**After the 5k I was sneezing colorful snot like it's nobody's business**

Handsome getting color bombed by me! UNR campus is REALLY beautiful, btw.

Video of CJ color bombing me... Little stinker!

Uphill = stop for photo op

Approaching the finish line!! WEEEEE!!

Pink haze of color

Look at my sunglasses!

His shirt looked AWESOME!!

 

Finish line! YAY!!!!

We were both surprised at how quickly the finish line came.

Quick video of us at the finish line!!! You can tell that EVERYONE was having a blast!!

Showing off our un-ColorRAD skin!

 

CLOSE UP of our colorRAD faces!

FINALE!!!!!!!

LOVE this!!!!!!!

Here's looking at you, kid!

 

RADness his & hers

Just in case you don't understand how amazingly awesome we're covered in colorRAD starchness

Let me put things into perspective...

before

after

awesome.

Our game faces! 

CJ kept looking at me, laughing, & saying, "You look so funny!" --Right back at ya, babe.

Next up, JUMPING PICS!!!

Few videos of our post-CMR high. On our way back to the car!

It's official, WE LOVE UNR!!!!!

A couple that jumps together, stays together...

& yes we are in the middle of the street. Criminals

Outside the Doughboys Donut shop (my fave donut place in Reno!)

If you haven't already decided that you're in for next year, scroll back to the top of this post and 
RE-READ!!!