Party like it's MY birthday!

Birthdays have always been a big deal for me. When growing up, my parents always had a nack for making my day special. From mylar balloons (always super cool when you are 10 years old) to presents wrapped in pretty paper and big bows to mom cooking my favorite dinner, they just knew what to do. I give them extra kudos for making my birthday feel like it was just for me...even with Ami's birthday being 2 days later. And the tradition continues to this day.

Thanks to my solid upbringing, my mentality for my birthday was no different this year. I still consider it a day to be celebrated...a day to treat myself to do whatever I darn right feel like. Last Friday was just that day.

It started like any other day...waking up with a healthy body, in a warm home, with an enthusiastic dog and a jovial husband. (As a side note, Nick has been outstanding in the learning about how special birthdays are to the Lopez girls. After I met him, I realized that not everyone puts such emphasis on such a day. Some just let it glaze by. I never understood this and have talked to many friends about it. Lucky for me, wonderful people like Anne Marie and Trevor are on "my side" of the birthday fence. So is Nick...now that he has got to experience a birthday or two of his own with me around.) A blessing in-it-of-itself. But then the calls started to come in; the many birthday wishes from those I love. I kissed the man goodbye and set off for a walk along the waterfront with Charlotte. After a few million raindrops absorbed by my jeans, a delicious cup of coffee from Woods, a little trip to the mall for some shopping, I was happy at home again packing for the weekend. Nick and I hopped in the car and headed down to Gas Works Park in Seattle. It had been eons since I had been there and a first go around for Nick. Though we arrived right at sunset...it was beautiful to see the city light up the sky from afar. t Soon there after, a short drive took us to a Greek restaurant in Freemont for delicious Gyros and red wine. Then to Steilacoom for a quick hello to the fam, a slice of cake and a warm bed. It was a great day.

Saturday was sandwich day - the day between Ami and I's birthday, which was dutifully celebrated by a chill day around the house and a birthday dinner at Marzono's Italian Restaurant on Garfield Street by PLU. If you haven't been there...you must go. You must. Make a reservation, put on something sassy and go. Then order the Gorgonzola Chicken. It is everything creamy, rich and delicious. I am actually still reflecting the fantastic meal. Actually it is the best dinner of 2009. Even though it is only February...I know it will be the best.

So, needless to say, it was another successful birthday: I felt joy in my heart for life, I got to see and do something new with Nick, I spent wonderful time with my family, and received many birthday wishes from friends. Yes indeed, I am a blessed woman!

Lewis Baby gets Showered!

The star of the party: BABY!!!

Last weekend Mom and I threw Matt and Ami's Baby Girl a shower. Twenty-eight adoring fans arrived, making the Lopez home, a full house. The gathering was a 'couple's shower' so any of the invitees (women) were welcome to bring their significant others. I was beyond interested to see if any manly-men would show, beyond the mandatory Matt, Dad and Nick. Would they willingly endure an afternoon of women chatting about breast milk, diaper rash and cooing over the "teensy-tiny, pink socks!" ? To my great pleasure, two confident men swaggered through the door and into the estrogen-filled party...smiles on their face and beer in hand.

Mom created a bountiful spread, as usual...pulled pork sandwiches, pasta salad, various dips with crunchy accompaniments, fruit and cheese trays. Pure Bliss Desserts provided three Ami-inspired cakes: Layered Pumpkin cake with white chocolate shavings atop whipped white chocolate ganache, Spiced Banana cake with cream cheese frosting, and Creamy Coconut cake with freshly-grated coconut flakes. Full bellies for all!

The games were interactive and rowdy, but the men created the best entertainment by showing us the best technique for tying their shoes while sporting a full-term belly. A riot!

Matt and Ami's Baby Girl will be the fashion icon of Ridgefield, Washington...adorning a different outfit three times a day for her first two years of life. Sweaters, pants, onesies, socks & dresses to boot!

Oma and Ami catching up on life.

Getting 26 people's attention is a tough job!

Who said plastic cones aren't in?

Charlotte is adorning some new neck gear this week after coming out of major surgery. Even though the idea of having adorable little Wheaten puppies running around the house crossed our minds, the time, effort and frustration just didn’t seem worth it to us. So she got fixed last week and now has the pleasure of wearing the cone when we aren’t around and at night.
She is such a trooper and is healing well!

Snorkeling

Of course we did some snorkeling. I wouldn't say it was the best snorkeling in the world, but hey...we were in Hawaii...like I am going to complain about ANYTHING???!!!

This one reminded me a lot of rainbow sherbert (my childhood favorite ice cream flavor):

Tiger fish...I think:

These things freaked me out....got way too close for comfort...being all skinny and pointy:

Hike #2 - Na Pali Coast

After that oh-so-adventurous first hike down Wiamea Canyon, Nick and I were beyond confident that our next hike would be a winner.

I will have to ask Nick what the name of the hike even was...since I am terrible with all the Hawaiian names. But anyways, this hike was known for it's extreme beauty, great views and a waterfall at the end. The first two miles paralleled the coast line. After hiking up some cobblestone, with a few switchbacks, the trail opened up with a view of the Pacific Ocean. It was gorgeous. All around us were tropical plants, little trickling streams and vocal birds. I really enjoyed walking up on the cliffs, looking around at the high peaks and just saying to myself: "wow...I am hiking in Hawaii!"

At the 2 mile point, you reach an unswimmable beach. There are endless signs as we approached the beach, warning us not to swim. Once we got there, we understood why: Gigantic waves, folding over onto themselves...one after another after another. Another magnificent demonstration of God's creativity and mother earth's power.
We continued up the trail, heading another 2 miles for the waterfall. Winding trails with many river crossings, bamboo bushes, and crazy shaped trees kept us visually entertained. As we approached the waterfall, we heard it before we saw it. Stretching at least 400 feet high, it came crushing down into a pool of cool water. Surrounded sharply steep cliffs, covered in mini ferns, it was really a sight to be seen. We stood below it, looking up in awe and getting drenched at the same time. A small price to pay to see such beauty. Though I had worn my bikini under my hiking attire, I declined the swimming opportunity. Believe it or not, I was a bit chili and jumping into a rocky pool of waterfall water, just didn't appeal to either of us. So we soaked it up for a bit longer and headed our way back down.

After eight miles round trip, on an "advanced" trail (not too steep, just lots of rocks to crawl over and technical terrain), Nick and I were whopped. As we approached the car, I thanked God for my husband. I always enjoy a good hike with Nick. It is an uninterrupted time to chat endlessly about anything we feel like...since time is on our side. I like to watch him in his element too...so graceful on his feet and respectful of the earth. He takes the time to point out the small things in life that I too often blaze by: the tiny bugs building domes, the discreet pink flowers, the patterns on the leaves. Such a nature guru...much like my father...something I am very grateful to be influenced by.

Kauai - Hike #1

Kauai is known for some awesome hiking, so Matt did a little investigating and picked a hike that was both family friendly and gave us some great scenery.

Waimea Canyon takes up a rather large area on the Western portion of the island. It offered a range of trails for any level hiker. From a scenic flat 2 mile loop to a multi-day backpacking trip along the base of the canyon. The hike Matt chose was somewhere in the middle: 5 miles round trip into the depths of the canyon, and then of course back up.

My sister being the rugged, sporty woman that she is, warmly accepted this 2,000 foot elevation gain challenge. The rest of us followed suite...and we were off! About a 10th of a mile into the hike, the nice compact trail turned into a wet, slippery, rocky, rooty mess. This wasn't enough to turn us around, but it certainly slowed us down...a lot! Down, down, down we went into the canyon...all of us thinking silently to ourselves that in a few hours, we are going to have to hike back up this steep, slick trail. Yikes.

The scene was gorgeous...wide canon walls covered with tropical trees, long waterfalls and even a few goats. About 1.5 miles in, the trail was closed in by a canape of trees. Any hiker knows that where there is shade, there are mosquitoes. All it took was one bite as mom was outta there. The bugs and mud was enough to send her and dad back up toward the car. Looking back on the trip, Matt, Ami, Nick and I gave props to mom and dad for their wisdom and fine discernment at that pivotal moment. But the kids did not follow suite, so we charged on ahead for the end goal: a pool of water flowing from a warm river at the base of the canyon.

With each step, the trail got muckier and muckier. Gone were the attempts to keep our shoes clean and dry. In fact, I lost sight of my shoes more often than not, due to the sloshy mud. The foliage had overgrown the trail maintenance guys, so we were soon bush whacking our way through the forest. I felt more like a native explorer than a day hiker. Keep in mind that by now, my back was so full of bites that it officially lost it's shape and was just one big welt. After many, many exasperated "Are we on the right trail? Should we go back? Do you want to keep on going" from all of us, we arrive at our destination. No, no this wasn't it exactly, but the end result was a bit depressing: A dirty river, no natural pool to swim in, 8 other backpackers crowding the river ledge and even more mosquitoes than on the trail. We stayed long enough to was our legs in the river and get an apple out of the back pack. Then we headed back...retracing our steps and wondering why we didn't turn around when mom and dad did.

Nick came up with a great idea for a guide book on that hike. He would call it "As good as it gets; when to stop on a trail because it just doesn't get any better than where you are right now." We agreed that it would be a great sacrifice on our parts, but at least it would inform the general population when to stop exerting their energy and not waste their time on the whole hike. I certainly don't want to be a downer. The hike was actually really fun, because I like to walk, be in nature and spend time with my family. And it was great watching my sister push herself and her bump up those steep hills...such a trooper...but isn't it true that hikes can be slightly less climatic that anticipated?

Either way, we all made it back to the car with a dirty lower torso, tired legs and a good story. After diving into the cooler for lunch, we headed to Salt Lake Ponds Beach to wash away the trail encrusted on our bodies and enjoy some nice laying time.

All in all, if you go to Kauai, I definate recommend seeing Waimea Canyon...just skip that hike and do the nature loop.

Kauai - The Beaches

Momasita gearing up for a swim:

The highlight for me while in Kauai (and probably 99% of the general population) was the beach. I love a good beach. The warm sand, the clear, blue water, the shrills of happy little people splashing in the waves. It is just a really good place to be. But before I get further into the beach seen, I thought it would be a good idea to explain the geography of the island. Let me paint you a little picture:

The eastern portion of Kauai is all state park property...or better known as the Na Pali Coast. No roads are permitted to be build in this area, therefore only accessible by hikers or boaters. Just south of the Na Pali Coast is the Pacific Missile Range Facility, so rightfully so, no public access is allowed there either. Most of the central island consists of Mt. Waialeale (the wettest spot on earth). With it's impressive, sharp peaks and foliage covered hills...there is no way to build roads through that area. So, the rest of the island (southern, western and northern-ish) is outlined by a series of highways (which is really just one, long connected highway) that parallels the ocean shore. It is shaped, if you will, like a sideways horseshoe. Our condo at Poi Pu was located on the south-western portion of Kauai. A nice location to explore either the Northern beaches or the Southern beaches without a terribly long drive.

As previously mentioned, Poi Pu Beach was a mere 10 minute walk from our condo. So on the days when hanging around the local area sounded good, we packed up our towels, snorkel gear, lunch and strolled down there. But on the more adventurous days, The Mag 6 worked our selves around this island to check out the various beaches that Kauai had to offer.

Haena Beach Park was one of the furthest beaches we could drive to, North of the island. Believe it or not, swimming was not permittable there during the winter months. HUGE, and I mean HUGE waves and undercurrents ruled the seas this time of the year. So we enjoyed our lunch on the beach and watched those crazy waves crash down hard onto themselves. During the summer, this is known for on of the best surfing beaches on the island; where many competitions are held. Tunnels Beach, adjent to Haena Beach, is also known for great snorkeling due to the vast coral reefs and active marine life during those months. Of course we did not opt to override the lifegaurds request to not swim, so no snorkeling in the tunnels for us that time around. And though it was nice to be there and explore for a bit, but we were ready to swim, so we hopped in our cars and backtracked to a calmer shore.

Kilauea Bay brought a nice sandy beach and a cute little hippy-ish town for some shopping. That town brought my first taste of Kauai's homemade ice cream (who's name escapes me at the moment). Delicious but still not as good as Mallards!

A few days later, we were itching to get out once again and headed to Lydgate State Park. A great beach for kids. Supper calm, supper long and rather shallow for yards and yards out into the water. My sister loved this beach best due to the ease of getting into the water. Most of the beaches have waves that crash right onto the shore, then the strong currents pull back out into the ocean. These conditions aren't the best for a 7.5 month old prego woman trying to go for a swim or float. So Lydgate was a good pick. But alas, we were getting a little antsy for more shopping and town exploring, so again, we hopped in the cars and headed to Kap'aa.

Kap'aa was my all time favorite town. Not only because I liked to say the name (pronounced: Ka-pa-a), but it just gave off a great island town feel. Low key, nice people, a good strip of trinket shops and boutique shops to wonder in and out of, food carts and all right smack on the water. My dad decided to skip out on the shopping (big shocker there) in order to get more boogie-boarding time in at a beach up the street. That man was glued to his boogie board the whole trip. Hours and hours of kicking and paddling for a short, but thrilling wave ride. Once we all met up again, dad reported that while at this beach, he was privileged to see Spinner Dolphins. Those that shoot up out of the water and do 4 or 5 360 degree turns before diving back in. I took a mental note of that for later.

(you can see dad heading out there to hit up some wave action)

We hit up a few more beaches here and there on our trip...including Shipwrek Beach which had some rocking waves to boogie board on. One thing I did want to note, was that no matter what beach we went to, we always saw a Monk Seal sunning him/herself on the sand. The first time I saw one snoozing, I was so very sad - thinking that he was dead...washed up from shore. As I walked closer to the roped off section, I read the signage: "Monk Seals are napping. Please do not disturb as they are likely to bike if feeling threatened."

As it turns out, Monk Seals are endangered species due to the depleting food source (over-fished waters by man). There are only about 30 left in that area, and usually choose the same beach to worm themselves on the shore and nap. Pretty cute and sad at the same time.

The Garden Island - Kauai

Take a moment to imagine this: It is 7am and you rise to a warm breeze and the sound of palm trees swaying in the wind. You swagger down a set of stairs and walk to a balcony over looking the vast Pacific Ocean. It is just before sunrise, and after glancing to the left, a sliver of bright light breaks through on the ocean's horizon...almost blinding, yet oh-so beautiful. You continue to gaze in that direction and watch the sun rise inch by inch over the waters and realize that you are witnessing the beginning of another sun-kissed day. That, my friends, was my life for the past 10 glorious days in a place called the Garden Island, or better known as Kauai.

Yes, that's right, us "kids" (Matt, Ami, Nick and I) were yet again completely spoiled with a trip to Hawaii by the ridiculous generosity of Momasita and Papa-Lo. We shacked up in a 3 bedroom condo overlooking the ocean in town called Poi Pu. The nature of this trip was just like any other excursion the Mag 6 take: to live life together, creating memories and enjoying the majestic beauty that the Good Lord has blessed us with.

Our condo was elevated on a bluff, but a short 10 minute walk got us to one of the best beaches on the island. The bluff:Every day brought something new: Sometimes it was just a beach day with the fam...coming and going as we pleased; reading, swimming, snorkeling, napping and eating were the main activities for the day. Other days brought great adventures...hiking, boogie boarding, exploring the different towns and viewing with great wonder that majestic island holds.

I decided to break up each blog a little bit...so the posts to come will show a snippet of our vacation. Words and photos are really quite insignificant to illustrate just what a vacation can be. I will do my best, but really one's self can only internalize just how gloriously relaxing vacation can be when you let-go of everything else and just BE in the moment. I am first to admit that it is a tough thing to do...especially within the American culture of go, go, go...do, do, do. But man-oh-man...it is so worth ditching that and living life as it should: Footloose and Fancy Free!

The fancy-smancy Hyatt Hotel was a short walk from our condo. It was HUGE and Beautiful...you can see a bit of it behind Ami and I.

Andi Chill Day

So yesterday I declared it Andi Chill Day. I decided to run errands (something I actually love to do), but without the hurry, hurry, rush, rush mentality that I usually put on myself. My main goal was to pick up groceries along with a few other household items. Since we just returned from vacation (blogs to follow of course) our fridge was looking beyond barren. I decided to keep Charlotte at home which was better than taking her with me, which I usually do. Sometimes I worry about her being in the car. For two reasons:

1. Being in the puppy stage, she still has a knack for finding non-descript items and chewing them up. Foil was her last discovery...something her intestines don't agree with. I have proof.

2. I tend to have a slight paranoia that someone will think she is too irresistibly cute and want to take her for themselves. This may sound egocentric: "Oh yes, my dog is the cutest, and best dog ever and Everyone wants her." It's not true...I know lots of people who are content with their dog or having no dog, but obviously I have some attachment to her, therefore I get a little protective.

Anyways…due to a current food funk (finding nothing in the house that sounds good to eat) and after watching Iron Chef America, I decided to throw my old shopping patterns to the wind and go after it! Since we operate off a monthly itemized budget, I tend to be very practical with what we purchase and consume each month. Food in our home has a purpose, besides the obvious nutrition factor. I try to diversify each ingredient for as many different recipes as possible. Luckily I am an avid recipe reader - just for fun - so throwing something together doesn't take too much brain power. However…month after month…year after year of buying the same staples…I am done. I want something new! I want something exciting! I want my taste buds to say “WOW! Thank you for that!” I want to sizzle it up a bit. So I did!

Being the ever devoted Costco, Trader Joes and the occasional Fred Meyer shopper I happily and willingly filled my cart with luxuriously different food for our shelves and fridge. Flank steak, mushrooms, pork loin, shrimp, pineapple, ham, red curry paste, basil, tofu, whole wheat pizza dough…it was great! Now this may or may not seem to “out of the box” to you, but that just explains my point: it is so very easy to get stuck in the chicken and spinach rut in life and not mix it up enough.

So last night, once all of our goods were settled (mostly in the freezer…thank goodness for that), I spent some time flipping through my Cooking Light magazines (a subscription gift from my sister last year) and found about 30 recipes that could work with the ingredients I had bought that day. And that was just in 4 issues. I have 12 more magazines to prod through! You may laugh and shake your head…but I love doing this. I find it relaxing. I love the challenge, the journey and, usually, the meal itself. Oh and if you are ever on vacation with me, you will much appreciate it, because I promise to feed you well...on the cheap!


The good news is I didn’t blow our entire food budget and I know I can make it last the whole month (February that is). PLUS, I there was a magical discovery made on my outing: I am proud to announce that Costco is now selling organic apples! I basically did a back flip in the produce section when I saw this. It's been a long time coming!

Christmas

It has been an interesting past week and a half. Nick's office shut down completely the week leading up to Christmas. This was an unexpected surprise...though a bit worrisome at first (financially), I quickly got over it and considered it a blessing. It has deemed to be such a blessed time in our marriage. For me, Christmas has always resembled excitement, joy and total, internal, child-like glee. With Nick and I having the opportunity to spend more time together...especially day time, where we aren't worn out from the ins and outs of a usual day...I feel it has refreshed our marriage and brought us closer together. Plus, I got to share the responsibility of carrying the Charlotte load, which Nick does magically, therefore bringing me that much more happiness and holiday cheer!

Due to the extended vacation time, we headed down to Steilacoom to be with the Lopez clan (or as my dad says, the Magnificent 6) before the big storm blew in the weekend prior to Christmas. Though the heavy snow and ice prevented leaving the grounds via car for few days, we found ways to pass time rather quickly. Games, movies, walks, meals, chats, naps, crafts and all the other things holidays brings to family gatherings. Such a tough life.It was a joy to be with Ami and watch her belly grow with each day. There is something so special about having a sister. I have spoke of this before, but I continue to be amazed of our friendship every time I think about her.

It was an especially unique Christmas, because this year will be the last year being foot loose and fancy free as the Mag 6. Next year there will be a 7 month old chilling around the house (Ami and Matt's daughter, just to be clear). But life goes like that...things change and we must change with them, and in this case, it will be a warmly welcomed change by us all.

Santa Bunny (as my sister says) spoiled me yet again this year. After 10 years of dreaming of owning a VitaMix of my very own, it finally came true. For those of you who are unfamiliar with said gift, swing by your local Starbucks and check out the apparatus that creates those gloriously smooth Frappacinos. That my friend is a VitaMix...or something close. Please don't be deceived, this is no ordinary blender. It can do a lot more than you think. It can make: Ice cream, peanut butter, fondue, soup (yes, that's right, hot soup) and of course any fabulous blended drink of your liking. It blends whole fruit...whole fruit...like a lime or a lemon cut in half! It lives on our counter now and is eagerly awaiting your arrival to show off it's mad skills!

Nick and I decided not to exchange gifts in the traditional fashion this year. Instead we flipped through World Vision Gift Catalog (http://www.worldvision.org/) and purchased goats and chickens for families in Africa to improve their livelihood. We were excited about finding a way to help others...plus I like saying I gave Nick a goat for Christmas.

Nick and I also went outside of the box for Ami's gift and gave her a "Bump and Baby Photo Session" courtesy of Taylor Swedberg Photography (http://www.taylorswedbergphotography.com/). For those of you unfamiliar with this (I was in the same boat just 4 weeks ago), it consists of two photo sessions. The first of a pregnant mom showing off her "Bump." The second, a few months later, of Baby. Hence: Bump and Baby. Ami's first photo session was on Sunday and Taylor did an awesome job. He posted a few shots of her on his website, so check out the link above.

Celebrating Christ's birth and His miraculous life he lived was an amazing way to wrap up 2008. We hope that your Christmas was full of love and joy as well.