Pavillion of the Three Friends

Since Renee was in town for the Holidays, Amber planned a nice day trip to the Huntington Library on the 2nd. After we picked up Nay in Rancho, we headed to Juice it Up for some delicious smoothies and Starbucks for pastries! There was no traffic on our way out, but we were surprised to see that the weather in Pasadena was not nearly as nice as it had been at home :(

Once we got through the ticket line, we checked out a nice rock display...It was hard for me to not poke at the displays, but Amber helped me find some self control. We walked through several exhibits and enjoyed many of the gardens. There were not as many flowers in bloom as we had hoped, but all of the plants were still beautiful. Renee even got to pick some tree cotton. My favorite stop was the "Pavillion of the Three Friends" in the Chinese Garden. I thought that it was only fitting that we snap a few photos here.

After we got tired of the cold, we decided to head down Colorado Blvd. in search of the perfect lunch spot. It took us awhile because of all the float viewing traffic, but Amber spotted the perfect restaurant: Islands! We enjoyed soup, salad, burgers, and sandwiches. After lunch we decided to hit the road in hopes of missing some of the traffic. We hit some traffic, but made pretty good time. Renee went to a bonfire with some friends and Amber, Jason, Stephen, and I headed to the Reign Game. What a great day! I can't wait for Renee to visit again!

Happy 2009!!!

2008 was a fabulous year and we can not wait to see what 2009 has in store for us! 2008 taught us a lot about ourselves. Stephen spent most of the year unemployeed and we had to depend on my teachers salary to get us through. We were blessed enough to enjoy 3 vacations, despite our small financial crisis. (Sometimes you have to prioritize :) ) We were able to cruise to the Caribbean in Febraury, cruise to Mexico in May and travel to Hawaii and Kauai in July. Stephen's new business is doing well, and I am more than happy that this school year is half over! (It's a rough group). 2008 brought several home improvements as well. We painted the kitchen, Stephen tackled the backyard, and we recently installed new wood blinds and granite countertops. We are hoping that all home improvements will be completed in 2009! We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with our friends and family and enjoyed a small New Years celebration at our house. What better way to ring in the new year? We had our friends, good food, a camp fire, and of course Guitar Hero! We want to wish everyone a blessed 2009!

Here are a few pictures from our last moments of 2008 and the first of 2009: