COASTAL FLATS WITH THE GIRLS

It had been way too long since I'd seen my lovely girlies, Pam and Lindsay, so we decided to have a girls day at Tyson's Corner. We dined at Coastal Flats, which was delicious, and did what we do best - SHOPPED!! The day was so much fun and we definitely have to get together more often. Love you, girls!

OLIVE GARDEN

Spending some quality time with my purdy mommy at Olive Garden. The food was SCRUMDIDILIUMPTIOUS!!!

THE BIG 3-0

Well folks..........the day has finally arrived where I turn the BIG 3-0!! I can officially no longer claim the twenties and am now referred to by my husband as his 'OLD BAG.' :-)Dave took me to Vegas a few weeks ago to celebrate my birthday and surprised me with balloons and gorgeous roses today. We completed the evening by indulging in fiesta cheese fondue, meats, and chocolate fondue at the Melting Pot. This is becoming an annual tradition. See pictures below..........

@ the Melting PotBirthday candle on top of bite size cheesecake, brownies, bananas, strawberries, marshmallows - you name it! Much better than a birthday cake!

LAS VEGAS FOR MY 30TH BIRTHDAY

Dave is by far the BEST HUSBAND in the world because he took me to my favorite place on earth for my 30th birthday - LAS VEGAS!!! My actual birth date is not until January 27, but I wanted to see David Copperfield and he was only in Vegas through January 11. We stayed at the Luxor, ate at 3 buffets, gambled, shopped, saw David Copperfield and Criss Angel BeLIEve. It was a very 'magical' weekend. (haha - get it because we saw two magicians? ok ok.......moving on) It was the best birthday present ever!! Here are a few pictures from the trip:

Luxor Hotel - the hotel is in the shape of a pyramid so the inside was really cool looking.

Me in front of one of Criss Angel's motorcycles at the Luxor

On the first night, we went to our favorite buffet at Mandalay Bay. As you can tell from the pictures below, we definitely enjoyed ourselves! There were crab legs, shrimp and all the desserts you could ask for!

Dave and I playing some slots before getting ready to see Criss Angel BeLIEve.

This was our second time seeing Criss Angel BeLIEve; however, I'm a huge fan of magic and illusions so I wanted to see it again. This time around, we had seats in Row D so we had a great view of the show. The show was amazing and I would highly recommend it!!

The next day, we went to the Bellagio for their breakfast buffet and I did a little shopping at the Caesar's forum shops while Dave bet on the football games.

Dave and I in front of the Bellagio

Dave and I enjoying ourselves once again at another buffet. This time around - it was breakfast at the Bellagio!

Forum shops at Caesar's Palace

Beautiful view of the Las Vegas strip from the Luxor

On the last night, we went to see David Copperfield at the MGM Grand. I saw him many times when I was younger so I was really looking forward to seeing his Las Vegas show. While we were waiting for the show to start, they asked if I would be willing to participate in the show. I couldn't believe it and of course I said "yes." I was soooo excited that I could barely contain myself. During the show, David Copperfield selected me from the audience and I got to go on stage with him. He placed a paper butterfly on my shoulder and made it turn into a real butterfly right before my eyes. It was amazing and a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. We weren't able to bring cameras into the theater, but here are some pictures outside of the theater.

Thank you to my husband for the best 30th birthday ever! I will never forget it!

BAHR FAMILY CHRISTMAS

Doug and Sara hosted our Bahr Family Christmas this year in Baltimore, MD. They had a good luck brunch which consisted of pork, vegetables, rolls, macaroni and cheese, and many many desserts! The meal was wonderful and we such a nice day spending time with family! A special thanks to Doug and Sara for hosting such a nice event! Here are a few pictures from the Bahr Christmas...........

Dave and I

My niece, Alice, and I - she is getting cuter and cuter by the day!!! The entire Bahr clan opening giftsMy niece, Josie, and I - Dave and I are so lucky to have the sweetest nieces and nephew in the world!
Dave and I with Geez and Mama Bahr
My brother-in-law, Matt, and I

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dave and I had a great New Year's Eve! We took the bus trip to Atlantic City for the night, ate at Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner, did a little shopping, and gambled the night away. It was a blast and we hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!!

Dave and I at Bally's Wild Wild West Casino

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Christmas is one of my favorite holidays because I get to spend it with my entire family. My mom has seven brothers and sisters so it's the one time of year that I get to see my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins. It's the best!
My Mom and I at my parents house. Their house always looks so nice at Christmas time!

My parents

My Dad and ISince my family is so big, my grandma rents out a bed and breakfast to have our Christmas dinner at each year. It's so nice and the food is wonderful! OH MY - Look at that dessert table!! It sure is a good thing I ran that morning because I went in for the kill! My cousin's son, Bradley. He is the best baby ever. I don't think I heard him cry once the whole time we were at dinner.
My cousin, Megan, and I. It was so fun seeing her and her family. I miss her so much and wish we got to see each other more.
My Aunt Nancy and I. She got me the cutest Juicy Couture shoe charm. It was another wonderful Christmas with the family! The only missing links were my hubby and puppy. Dave had to work on Christmas, but I felt good knowing that he and the dog were keeping each other company. Dave even prepared a Christmas meal for himself and Sampson when he got home from work. They enjoyed ham, stuffing, and all the trimmings. That's right - the dog got an entire plate too!! Just like Thanksgiving, dogs need a Christmas dinner too. :-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

CHRISTMAS EVE

Poor Dave had to work on Christmas day this year so we celebrated our Christmas on Christmas Eve by going to Annie's across the bridge for dinner, opening presents, and watching 'A Christmas Story.'

Dave and I at Annie's getting ready to enjoy the delicious cream of crab soup. The soup was followed by crab imperial for me and steak and cake for Dave. IT WAS SO YUMMY!!Beautiful Christmas decorations at Annie's

After Annie's, we went home and exchanged Christmas gifts. We got some really great things, but I was most excited about my Criss Angel Mindfreak Magic Kit. Prepare to be mystified :-)

We hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Ok...........so Dave has now sent me two pictures of my dog jumping into my spot after I leave for work in the morning (SEE EXHIBITS BELOW). After all this time, my suspicions of a large beast sneaking into my bed have finally been confirmed! Sneaky little sucker, isn't he?

EXHIBIT I

EXHIBIT II

CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT TIMBUKTU

It's that time of year again for our annual Christmas lunch with my Aunt Millie at Timbuktu. We indulged in huge crabcakes and spent some quality family time together. Unfortunately, my hubby had to work so I made sure to be a good wifey and brought him two crabcakes!

From Left: (Aunt Millie, Dad, Mom, and I)

From Left: My Dad, Me, and Mom My Mom and I

DINNER AND BOWLING

Nothing better than a good meal and a little bit of bowling with some friends................

Dave and I at the bowling alley

Our good buddies, LaPrade and Jen

Just a few action shots of Dave and I bowling.......take notes people! :-)

Jen and I

ME AND MY BOY