My First Halloween Party

I don’t really like getting dressed all that much, so imagine my dismay when not only did I have to wear a onesie last weekend, but Mommy also put me in a ladybug costume.  Ugh.  At first, I didn’t know what to do, so I threw up on it.  Seemed like a good plan to get myself out of the hat and dress.  Alas, Mommy just wiped up my mess.  So, I opted to fall asleep instead.  Thus, Mommy and Daddy were only able to get one good picture of me.  That should show them not to put too many clothes on me again!

Worst Cooks in America

Tonight, we went to a viewing party for Worst Cooks in America on the Food Network.  Our friend, Kelli, is one of the contestants.  The party was packed and the food was excellent.  I recommend the show for entertainment value and some useful cooking tips.

We won’t ask Steve’s opinion on this one, but sadly, I could have been a viable candidate.  I really have to improve before Baby Vo arrives!

Into a New Decade

Today I turned 30 years old.  I don’t really remember the first three or four years, but I can tell you that I’ve enjoyed the last 25 years.  This also means that I will be the same age when Baby Vo is born as my mom was when I was born.  If nothing else, it will always be easy for Baby Vo to calculate how old its mom and grandmother are!

As with everything else that Steve plans, this weekend was full of surprises and fun.  I have to say that it was by far the best birthday celebration I’ve ever had!  We started by going out for Mediterranean food on Friday.  (We had a Groupon that allowed us to enjoy a full tasting menu.)  The restaurant easily made it into our top 10 LA restaurants, which is funny because it was also featured as one of LA’s hot new restaurants in LA Magazine’s January issue.  While we were enjoying our lamb and risotto, Steve passed me a gift…a beautiful pair of diamond stud earrings!  I had a wonderful pair that I wore for our wedding.  Unfortunately, those were stolen when our house was robbed a few years ago.  I’ve always wanted to replace them and these are perfect.  I love them!

On Saturday, we relaxed most of the day and then we headed over to Jeff and Dana’s house to go to dinner with them.  Steve and Jeff said that they were going to watch a game while Dana and I hung out with little Evy.  I have to admit, I thought it was odd that we were going to dinner in Sherman Oaks considering the Breas live in Santa Monica, we live in mid-city, and Jenny and Brian were driving up from San Diego, but I didn’t question it.  (Sherman Oaks is in the Valley north of Los Angeles.)  Anyhow, Dana and I arrived at the restaurant and we all walked in…passed the other diners…all the way to the back of the restaurant…where we went into a room full of almost all of our friends here in LA!  There were over 40 people there!!

As it turns out, Steve sent out REAL invitations weeks in advance and everyone wanted to celebrate with us.  It was so amazing being surrounded by my friends and I think everyone had a great time.  At the end of the evening, after I blew out the candles on the beautiful cake from Porto’s, Steve and I announced to our friends that we were expecting Baby Vo.  Although some people in the room already knew, the majority were surprised…so all in all, it was a surprise party for everyone.

Today, Steve and I went out to dinner in Malibu at a great restaurant overlooking the ocean.  The food was phenomenal (I had a lobster tail in vanilla sauce) and just being with Steve was the best I could ask for.  He is a great husband and I am certain he will be an excellent dad!!

Let the Parties Begin

It’s the first weekend in December, which means that the season for Christmas parties has officially commenced.  To start out the holiday junket, our friends, Preston and Ashley, hosted a Christmas party at their house.  They had the traditional gingerbread bites and holiday music, but also included the not-so-traditional-but-ever-so-popular game of beer pong with made-to-order margaritas for guests.  (We live in warm, sunny, southern California.  What beverages do you expect guests to drink?!)  Per my new routine, I shied away from the alcoholic beverages and stuck with water.  A few people noticed, but since I’m not a big drinker to start out with, it didn’t seem to trigger any questions.  We always have the best time at Ashley and Preston’s parties and this was no exception.  (Steve had a particularly good time considering he lost a game of beer pong.)

Last night, we attended our church’s Young Marrieds’ Christmas Party.  As always, it was a blast.  We dressed up in cocktail attire, ate bacon-wrapped dates (perhaps one of my new favorite bacon dishes) and sipped on hot cocoa.  Needless to say, it was slightly more traditional than our first party.  Steve, the emcee for the evening (of course), organized a Christmas carol competition.  Our team did a remixed version of Joy to the World.  The men beat-boxed while the women sang.  I’m not even going to pretend that I really participated.  I fully acknowledge that I am partially tone-deaf….hmmm…I guess I should start buying CDs for Baby Vo now so that I don’t have to ruin his or her ears with my singing.