HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Dave and I at home watching the Dick Clark New Year's Eve special..............All I need is my Redskins snuggie, my hubby, and my puppy. :-)

TIMBUKTU FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE

We had a great time on New Year's Eve this year. We went with our friends, Adam and Jen, to Timbuktu for dinner and had some of the best crabcakes. Then, we saw a movie and played it low-key by watching the Dick Clark New Year's Eve special.

Dave and I at Timbuktu

MY CRABCAKES! ;-)

Our friends, Adam and Jen - two of the nicest people you will ever meet.

ANNIE'S FOR OUR POST CHRISTMAS DINNER

Dave took me out to Annie's Paramount Steak and Seafood House for our Christmas dinner and it was so beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. That's right - Don Pablos for lunch and Annie's for dinner. It's the time of year to indulge so I'm taking advantage of that. :-) We had our our rehearsal dinner at Annie's so this is a special place to us.

Crab imperial - YUMMY!

DON PABLOS WITH MELISSA

Melissa and I met for lunch the day after Christmas for our Christmas lunch and gift exchange. I always have the best time with my buddy. We indulged in chips and queso and she got me the best gift ever - A VISA GIFT CARD! It enables me to shop until my little heart is content. Thanks, Melissa!

CHRISTMAS DAY!

We drove down to my grandma's house to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family on Christmas day. It was so nice because my grandma rented a bed and breakfast to accommodate all of us for dinner. There are about 40 of us so it would be too cramped to eat at her house. Afterwards, we all went back to my Gram's house to open presents and have dessert. The desserts were definitely the best part. :-) YUMMY!

(From left) My dad, mom, me, and Dave

Dave and I at the bed and breakfast

MONTERREY MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Dave had a poker tournament Friday night so we grabbed a bite to eat with Matt, Stacey, Blake, and Josie at Monterrey Mexican Restaurant in St. Mary's County before the event. Dave won the tournament so we were really excited.

Aunt Amber, Blake, Josie, and Uncle Dave

CANINE FITNESS CENTER

We took our baby to the Canine Fitness Center in Crownsville, MD for a swim session to get him nice and tired for the night. He was a little hesitant at first, but didn't want to leave by the time the session was over. He was so cute in his doggie live preserver that I just had to share the pictures.

Sampson in his life vest retrieving his toy

NEW YORK CITY

Dave and I took a bus trip to New York City for the day to do some Christmas shopping and see all of the beautiful Christmas decorations. Here are some pictures from the trip:

Dave and I in front of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center

Ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center

Radio City Music Hall

Dave standing in Central Park

View of New York City from Central Park

Dave and I in Central Park

OUR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Our Christmas living room
Our Christmas tree

MIDNIGHT MADNESS!!!!

Yes..........we were among the crazy people who started our Christmas shopping at 10:30 pm on Thanksgiving day. My friend, Melissa, and I went to the Queenstown Outlets to take advantage of the Black Friday deals. It was sooooooooo crowded, but we had a great time.

Melissa and I waiting for Juicy Couture to open it's doors - we got there an hour before it opened. It was a cold and rainy night.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

My hubby had to work on Thanksgiving day so my puppy and I ventured to my parents house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was absolutely delicious! Kudos to my mom for making such a wonderful meal.

My Aunt Millie and I

My mom, dad, Aunt Millie, and I

My dad and I

My baby with his new toy that Aunt Millie bought him - he loved his stuffed alligator

My mom and I
My mom and dad - CONGRATULATIONS on 34 years of marriage - their anniversary was on Saturday!

KANSAS TRIP TO VISIT GRANDMA PIERCE

Dave and I took a trip this past weekend to visit his Grandma Pierce and cousins in Kansas. We had such a nice time visiting with the family. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Grandma Pierce and I in front of her retirement home

Dave and his Grandma - SO CUTE! Dave and I in our room at the retirement home - that's right we spent the night in a retirement home. :-) It was a great experience except for the neighbor who woke us up with their TV at 4:30 in the morning. I guess the older generation really are early risers.

Dave and I with his Aunt Mary and cousins at the Plaza in Kansas City. The Plaza had so many nice shops and we ate at PF Changs for dinner.

Dave, Grandma Pierce and I in front of Mimi's Cafe for brunch on Saturday. The muffins at this place were to die for. :-)

DAVE'S SURPRISE BIRTHDAY DINNER

Me, Dave, and our niece, Alice, at the Original Steakhouse and Sports Theater in Edgewater

From Left: Josie, Sara, Alice, and I at Coldstone Creamery

My sister-in-law, Sara, me, and her sweet baby, Alice

4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TRIP TO LAS VEGAS

Dave and I just got back from our 4 year anniversary trip to Las Vegas and it had to be one of the best vacations I've ever been on. Here are a few pictures from the trip:

SUNDAY - DAY ONE

We ran the marathon yesterday so, needless to say, we were pretty tired on our flights to Vegas, but super excited to start our trip. We were really sore from the marathon so we looked like a bunch hobbling geriatrics walking around the airport. We had quite a few people giving us funny looks. We arrived in Vegas around 11:30 am and went straight to the Mirage to watch the last two minutes of the Redskins game. Then we went to the Bayside Buffet for dinner at Mandalay Bay and went to see Criss Angel's Believe at the Luxor Hotel. See day one pictures below:

The Mirage (our hotel)

Here is a picture of our room. It had a very contemporary look.

A picture of me in the courtyard of the Mirage before going out for the evening

The Bayside Buffet at Mandalay Bay was incredible and was one of the first stops on our food adventures. There's nothing like running a marathon and then stuffing your pallet at a buffet.

Dave in front of the buffet before our first feast :-)

Dave enjoying his meal at the Bayside Buffet at Mandalay Bay

Me stuffing my face at the buffet (Side note: this was my second or third plate. You begin to lose count after awhile)
Just a sample of the delicious desserts

Luxor Hotel

Dave and I went to see Criss Angel's Believe at the Luxor Hotel on the first night we were in Vegas. Here is a picture of the outside of the theater.

A picture of me in front of the Criss Angel Mindfreak store. I'm a huge fan of Criss Angel's show on A&E so it was really cool for me to be there.MONDAY - DAY TWO:

We went to Fashion Show Mall and walked the strip for a good part of the day, ate at La Salsa Mexican Restaurant for lunch, ESPN Zone for dinner, and then went to see comedian Frank Caliendo at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino. See day two pictures below:

Picture of Wynn and Encore Hotel across from the Fashion Show Mall

Fashion Show Mall

Picture of Frank Caliendo and Louie Anderson after Frank's first show in Vegas. He was one of the funniest comedians I've ever seen live. His impression of George W. Bush is right on point.

TUESDAY - DAY THREE

We walked the strip to sightsee for most of the day, went to the Mirage Buffet 'Cravings' for dinner, and then went to see Holly Madison from 'The Girls Next Door' star in the Vegas show 'Peepshow.' Aubrey O'Day also starred in the show. See day three pictures below:

Dave and I were buying our tickets to Peepshow at Planet Hollywood when we saw Holly Madison walk by. I asked her if I could have a picture with her and she was really nice. She is in the process of filming a new reality show called 'Planet Holly' that will highlight her life in Vegas and her role in the Vegas show 'Peepshow.'

Me and Holly Madison from 'The Girls Next Door'

Peepshow ticket booth

Dave and I in front of the volcano at the Mirage

Dave in front of the erupting volcano at the Mirage.

DAY FOUR - WEDNESDAY

We went to the Mandalay Bay buffet for breakfast and dinner. Then, we went to see Carmen Electra star in the burlesque show 'Crazy Horse' I don't have any pictures from the show because we weren't allowed to bring cameras into the theater.

Picture of the outside of the Crazy Horse Theater starring Carmen Electra

DAY FIVE - THURSDAY

This was where our vacation came to an end :-(, but we had a great trip and can't wait until our next vacation to Vegas.