pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

SOOOOOO... i totally stole this recipe from a friend. thanks debi for sharing!!! they were delicious!!!

DRY
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

WET
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 15oz can pure pumpkin
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

MIX INS
1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional..I don't use them)

GLAZE
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking sheet or stone with non stick spray, wipe off excess. You want a slightly greased surface for these cake like cookies. This needs to be done for the first batch only.
~Combine DRY ingredients, stir to mix.
~Cream together the butter and sugar with mixer.
~Add remaining WET ingredients.
~Gradually add in the mixed DRY ingredients, beating until you have a thick cake like batter. ~Stir in your ADD INS.
~Using a small cookie scoop, drop onto your greased baking pan or stone. Your dough will be thick, sticky and cake batter like. Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Your cookies will be cake/muffin like in texture. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
~Meanwhile, combine GLAZE ingredients. Stir until a smooth glaze forms.
~Spoon or pour the glaze into a sandwich baggie, squeezing it all down into one point. Snip the point with scissors and use as a decorator bag to zig zag glaze across cooled cookies. (or you can spread the glaze on with a knife)
~Glaze will set within 30 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

chicken and okra gumbo

i have been feeling pretty homesick lately and thought a tasty pot of gumbo might help. it was a lot of fun to make because kevin and i made it together. i spent several days searching for some filé (ground sassafras leaves), but it is not available in Vegas... i cried... LOL! however, we made the gumbo without it and it was just as wonderful!! it just reminded me that i'm not in Louisiana anymore! SO... here's our recipe... bon appétit

Chicken and Okra Gumbo

1 whole chicken boiled and deboned
4 stalks celery diced
1 onion diced
2 medium green bell peppers diced
1 16 ounce bag sliced okra
4 cans chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic
2 teaspoons parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and salt to taste


~ heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot, then add 1 cup flour. this is making a "roux" and is used to thicken your gumbo and give it that pretty brown color.

~ it depends on your preference how long you cook the roux. kevin likes darker gumbo and i like lighter gumbo, so we met in the middle... this is what it will look like when it's ready... the longer you brown the flour, the darker it will get... if you cook it too long it will burn!!! so be careful!

~ to the roux, add your mirepoix *cajun style - "the trinity"* that would be your diced onion, bell peppers, and celery. cook them in your flour/oil mixture long enough to get them soft.

~ once your veggies are done add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

~ while you're waiting for your gumbo to boil, if you get a little thirsty, enjoy a nice cold beer from Abita Springs... yep, that would be in Louisiana... actually, kevin worked across the street from the brewery when we lived there! cool huh?!

~ once the broth and veggies come to a boil add your chicken, okra, and your seasonings (garlic, parsley, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, white pepper, Tony's, and salt)

~ return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes. the okra will also thicken the gumbo.
~ serve over rice and with some crusty french bread and a tall glass of sweet tea!

Ahhh... the taste of home!

i do these every year, couldn't resist!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

curried pumpkin and carrot soup

O.M.G. i had no idea pumpkin soup would taste so good!!!! LOL! i am really excited about this because this was my first attempt and i didn't really use a recipe, just played around with the ingredients... hope you guys like it! i'm sure you could do it with more pumpkin instead of the carrots if you want... i may try that next time!

Curried Pumpkin and Carrot Soup *i'm being lazy and don't want to list all the calories, but it ended up making 10 cups and 1 cup was 115 calories*

1 medium pumpkin
4 cups baby carrots
1 onion
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice *for roasting*
1/2 cup milk
4 chicken bullion cubes dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
4 cups milk
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
salt/pepper to taste


- preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- melt 1/2 cup butter or margarine in roasting pan
- clean all of the seeds out of the pumpkin and set them aside for roasting
- peel and cube the pumpkin and cut the onion into quarters.
- combine pumpkin, onion, and carrots in a roasting pan, tossing with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice.
- roast for 30 minutes (or until tender but not blackened) *you may want to cut up the carrots, they were not as soft as the pumpkin after 30 min.*


- let roasted veggies cool.
- add chicken bullion broth and 1/2 cup milk, then puree with a hand blender/food processor/blender.


- mix pureed veggies with 4 cups milk in a large pot.
- season with curry powder, garlic, onion, cumin, salt, pepper, remaining pumpkin pie spice and bring to a boil.
- i topped ours with some shredded parmesan cheese and ate it with french bread. it also sat overnight and got pretty thick... you can add more chicken stock, milk, or water to make it thinner if you like... i kinda liked it thick!

illness

so i have been sick the last few days. monday night i was running a fever of 101.7 and was totally freaking out thinking i had the h1n1 virus or something. turns out, in my opinion because i haven't been to the doctor, that it's just a severe case of bronchitis. the last time i was this sick was when i was a junior in high school and got bronchitis for the first time! what's crazy is that i'm currently not teaching and i didn't get this sick when i WAS in the classroom!! LOL!!

what's worse... kevin was sick before me... and is still way worse than i am. he has to go to work everyday so he's not able to stay home and rest (in my opinion he could take a day or two off, but he's afraid to take any time off because he doesn't want to lose his job... )

the hardest part is that we both act so differently when we're sick. i called my mom on tuesday because i was being a big baby about running a fever and feeling so bad and i just needed my mommy!!! i'm very needy when i'm sick. i want someone to let me put my head in their lap and comfort me.

kevin on the other hand wants to be left alone. i try to take care of him the best i can, but the best thing to do is to do what i can to make him comfy, get him medicine and stuff, and then leave him alone.

he has been super though. he knows how needy i am, and even though he has been way sicker than i have, he has tried to love on me and take care of me the best he can, considering he wants to be left alone.

i'm just ready for the weekend so he can have some time off and get some rest. i hate that he is so sick! :-(

gettin a little personal

most of you know that i was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (pcos) when i was 19 (that would be 10 years ago). i was given medications (ortho tricyclen and metformin) to help with my issues. once i started taking the ortho tricyclen i gained a good bit of weight, at least 50 pounds. during college i was not thinking about staying active. i was tired all the time and well, i made some bad choices. at graduation i was at my heaviest, somewhere around 250 pounds, if not more. i dropped some weight after college and before i got married, but i was still around 235-240 pounds. last summer when kevin and i moved to las vegas, i started eating right and going to the gym on a regular basis. by christmas i had lost 30 pounds! i was at 205!!! that was the smallest i had been in almost 10 years! well, for whatever reason (my lack of self control and will power) i gained 15 pounds back. i have been at 220-225 pounds for months now and i am currently going to the gym 5-6 days a week for 30 min. to an hour each day and trying to watch my calories. i am still very tired most of the time and am always craving things i shouldn't eat!

there is a point to this story, i promise! because of the pcos, my hormones are all out of whack. i have been in a downward spiral for years. my hormone imbalance causes weight gain, the weight gain causes my hormones to be even more imbalanced and so on. well, because of the hormone imbalance and the weight gain, my chances of having a baby have been lowered. it's not impossible, it's just not going to be easy. my doctor says that if i can get under 200 pounds my hormones should start to straighten themselves out and my changes for pregnancy will go up.

in less than one month i will be 29 years old. i had totally planned on having 2 kids by now. i know my plan isn't God's plan and i have to trust that He is control of the whole thing. but i just feel so strange, so many of my friends from high school already have 1 or 2 kids, and i have friends that are currently pregnant, and it just makes me sad. don't get me wrong, i am totally happy and excited for them, i guess i'm just a little jealous.

so... that's where i am right now. almost 29, 220 pounds, and wanting a baby. my goal is to lose the weight i need to lose and keep it off for a while before getting pregnant. it's such a struggle because i do love food so much. not to mention my lack of love for exercise.

i don't know, i guess i just needed to get that out in the open... to acknowledge what i need to do and face it.

if i only had a brain

ok, it's not that i haven't been cooking for the last month. i just haven't taken the time to take pictures of the things i've made. my brain just isn't working right! LOL! anyway, i'm sorry to all of my friends that enjoy reading my recipes. i promise to do better!

on another note, kevin and i have been trying some new restaurants here in las vegas and i'm thinking about "reviewing" them.

what do you guys think?

Veggie Mexi Cassarole

ok, april, this one's for you! so anyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE mexican food... and lots of it! I decided to not eat meat for a week and wanted to make something mexican to eat! I was so happy when I came up with this recipe. The filling was so good we alsmost ate it in some tortillas like tacos!! who knew mexican food could be so yummy and with so little calories!!!

Veggie Mexi Cassarole (1478 calories total/4 servings at 370 calories each)

1 tablespoon EVOO*

2 cups diced onion/bell pepper/mushrooms*

2/3 cup corn *(220 calories)*

1 cup diced rotel tomatoes (40 calories)

1 19.75 ounce can whole black beans drained and rinsed (140 calories)

6 teaspoons taco seasoning (60 calories)

2 cups shredded cheese (660 calories)

8 corn tortillas (208 calories)

1 cup red enchilada sauce (60 calories)

3 pablano peppers seeded and cut in half (90 calories)

- preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- in skillet cook down onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, and corn in EVOO.

- combine cooked veggies in a bowl with diced tomatoes, beans, and taco seasoning

omg this stuff was good all by itself!!

- spray a 3 quart cassarole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

- spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish.

- cut 4 tortillas in half and dip them in the sauce and layer the bottom of the dish.

this part is a little messy

- on top of the tortillas, pour 1/2 of the bean and veggie mixture.

- layer the pablano peppers next and top with 2/3 cup shredded cheese.

if you don't like pablanos, you can use any pepper you like, or none at all!

- after the peppers and cheese, add the remaining bean and veggie mixture.

- cut the 4 remaining tortillas in half and top the bean mixture.

- spread the last 1/2 cup of red enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas.

- cover with the remaining 1 1/3 cup cheese.

- bake covered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, then uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly. everything is cooked, except the pepper. it was a little crunchy when I took it out after 45 minutes. you may try roasting the peppers before assembling the cassarole so it won't have to bake as long. then all you have to do is heat it through and melt the cheese!

mmmm... cheesey mexican goodness!!!!

Zuppa Toscana

This is for my sweet friend, Alissa. I'm sorry it took so long to post it for you!!! This isn't exactly the same because I don't use bacon and I try to make it a little lower calorie than the original. However, in my opinion, it tastes just as great!!!

Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 pound ground turkey

3 tablespoons italian seasoning

1 large onion chopped

8 cups water

2 cans chicken broth

2 teaspoons diced garlic

1 cup cream

1-2 pounds washed and sliced potatoes (I use Russet and leave the skin on)

1/4 of a bunch of kale

- in a large soup pot brown onion and ground turkey in EVOO. season ground turkey with garlic and 1 tablespoon italian seasoning (this makes it more like italian sausage).

- add water, chicken broth, and sliced potatoes and bring to a boil. cook about half an hour or until potatoes are soft.

- add cream and kale and simmer for another 30 minutes.

- serve with parmesan cheese and breadsticks

I don't have the calories for this but I do know that it is lower in calories and fat due to using ground turkey instead of pork sausage and omitting the bacon.

Low Cal Chicken and Tortellini Alfredo

I didn't get a picture of this one. I didn't actually plan on adding it to the blog, but after we ate Kevin insisted that it was so good and I had to blog about it. Who doesn't LOVE alfredo sauce?!? This is a great LOW CALORIE alfredo sauce!!! So you don't feel guilty about enjoying it!

This recipe comes from some ideas I got from Hungry Girl (http://www.hungry-girl.com/). I was kind of in a hurry so I didn't measure everything!

for those who haven't heard of it before...

Low Cal Chicken and Tortellini Alfredo (1850 calories total or 4 servings at 462.5 calories per serving)

Alfredo Sauce (370 calories total or 4 servings at 92.5 calories each)
10 tablespoons powder creamer (80 calories)
4 wedges garlic and herb laughing cow cheese (140 calories)
1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
1 tablepsoon flour (30 calories)
garlic powder*
onion powder*
italian seasoning*
salt and pepper*

*sorry I didn't measure these... I always taste as I cook, and usually don't measure it out*

4 servings tortellini (760 calories)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (720 calories)

- prepare tortellini as directed on packaging
- season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and italian seasoning
- in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil
- brown chicken breasts until done
- remove chicken from skillet and set aside
- add flour to skillet and brown slightly
- in a bowl or cup disolve powder creamer in 2 cups hot water and add to skillet
- add laughing cow cheese and stir to melt
- season to taste (onion powder, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper)
- let simmer until well blended then add drained tortellini and stir
- top each serving of tortellini and sauce with sliced chicken breast

I'm sure I will make this again sometimes, so when I do, I'll add a photo!

Avocado Turkey Burgers

This is for my dear friend Debi! It's an easy recipe, nothing fancy, but we like them! I didn't take a picture, though! The next time I make them I will take a picture and post it for you! I normally only make half of the recipe, but we had company so I made more. I also added a little extra ranch powder... I like a stronger flavor, so you can adjust it for your tastes.

Avocado Turkey Burgers

2 pounds ground turkey (1360 calories)
3 tablespoons ranch dressing powder (40 calories)
3 tablespoons crushed ceasar croutons (70 calories)
1 egg (70 calories)
(1540 calories total or 8 servings at 192.5 calories each)

toppings -
avocado
lettuce
tomato
red onion

- combine ground turkey, ranch dressing powder, crushed croutons and egg
- form the meat mixture into 8 patties
- grill or broil until done (we eat ours well done... not big on undercooked burgers!)
- build your burger! i like mine with mayo and topped with sliced avocado, lettuce, tomato and red onion

Pan Grilled Salmon with Honey Lemon Glaze and Mushroom Brown Rice

Such a nice meal for a hot summer day!! It fills you up but it isn't all greasy and heavy!



Pan Grilled Salmon with Honey Lemon Glaze

1 14 ounces salmon filet (600 calories)
2 tablespoons olive oil (240 calories)
1 tablepsoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon basil
salt and pepper to taste
(840 calories total)

glaze -

¼ cup lemon juice (30 calories)
4 tablespoons honey (240 calories)
1 tablespoon paprika
(270 calories)

- rub salmon filet with rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dill, basil, salt, and pepper
- let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
- heat skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sear salmon about 7 minutes on each side
- wrap salmon in foil to keep warm
- in the same skillet combine lemon juice, honey and paprika
- once the glaze is warm, return salmon to skillet to coat then serve


Mushroom Brown Rice (380 calories total or 2 servings at 190 calories each)

½ cup uncooked brown rice (320 calories)
1 chicken bullion cube (10 calories)
1 tablespoon rosemary
8 brown mushrooms diced (30 calories)
1 teaspoon butter or margarine (20 calories)
salt and pepper to taste

- follow instructions to cook rice
- when you add the rice to the boiling water, also add chicken bullion, rosemary, and mushrooms
- once rice is done stir in the butter, salt, and pepper and serve!

Lemon Pepper Pork Tenderloin and Oven Roasted Veggies

This is a very light and low calorie meal! Pretty tasty too! I used one of those injector needles to get the lemon pepper all through the tenderloin, but if you don't have one, just marinate it!




Lemon Pepper Pork Tenderloin (530 calories total or 2 servings at 265 calories per serving)

1 16 ounce lean pork tenderloin (430 calories)
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine (100 calories)
4 tablespoons lemon pepper (0)
1 tablespoon rosemary (0)

- mix melted butter, lemon pepper, and rosemary then marinate the pork tenderloin in the mixture
- grill on medium heat about an hour to an hour and a half


Oven Roasted Veggies (790 calories total or 6 servings at 132 calories per serving)

2 small zucchini (40 calories)
2 small squash (40 calories)
10 small mushrooms (40 calories)
1 medium red pepper (30 calories)
½ medium onion (20 calories)
1 head cauliflower (140 calories)
4 tablespoons olive oil (480 calories)
1 tablespoon each of rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dill and basil
salt and pepper to taste

- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- clean and cut all veggies into chunks
- toss veggies in olive oil and spices
- coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with non-stick spray
- spread veggies in dish and bake for 30-45 minutes

lemon icebox pie

This is by far the EASIEST pie to make! It is a little tart, but a nice treat on a hot summer day! I also changed it up a little and made a "cherry limeade icebox pie"... it was so cool!!!! I had some problems with it taking a while to set up but if you leave it in the freezer for at least a day it will be fine! LOL!!!! I also didn't include the calories for this recipe... I added them up... and all I'm gonna say is there are a lot of calories in this pie!

Lemon Icebox Pie

1 can frozen lemonade
12 ounces cool whip
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 keebler 2 extra servings graham cracker crust (or 2 regular crusts)

- whisk lemonade, cool whip, and sweetened condensed milk together and pour into crust

- freeze overnight

Cherry Limeade Icebox Pie

1 can frozen limeade

12 ounces cool whip

the juice from a small jar of maraschino cherries

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 keebler 2 extra serving graham cracker crust (or 2 regular crusts)

- whisk frozen limeade, cool whip, cherry juice, and sweetened consdensed milk together and pour into crust

- freeze overnight

- garnish with cherries and limes

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Everyone that knows me KNOWS how much I love Mexican food!! I could eat it 3 meals a day, 7 days a week!!!!! THIS is a wonderful Mexican cassarole that is not only VERY yummy, but also low calorie!! Isn't that awesome?!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

(2777 calories total/8 servings at 347 calories per serving)

4 chicken breasts (720 calories)

1/2 cup chunky salsa (50 calories)

1 can whole kernel corn (180 calories)

1 can pinto beans (400 calories)

1 small can green chilies (20 calories)

1/2 cup light sour cream (160 calories)

1 packet taco seasoning (90 calories)

1 red bell pepper diced (30 calories)

salt and pepper to taste

12 small corn tortillas (312 calories)

2 cups mexican blend cheese separated (660 calories)

1 large can red enchilada sauce (120 calories)

black olives (25 calories)

chopped green onions (10 calories)

- boil chicken, cool, and shred

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- in a large bowl mix chicken, salsa, corn, beans, green chilies, sour cream, taco seasoning, red bell pepper, salt and pepper

- spray 13" x 9" baking dish with non-stick spray then pour 1/2 of the can of enchilada sauce into dish to coat the bottom

- take 6 tortillas and cut them in half then make a layer of tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce

- layer 1/2 of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas

- sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of chicken mixture

- layer the remaining chicken mixture on top of cheese

- cut the other 6 tortillas in half and layer them on top of the chicken mixture

- pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the layer of tortillas

- top with 1 cup of cheese, black olives, and green onions

- bake 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees (until it's all nice and bubbly on top!)

SUPER YUM - SUPER LOW CAL! and the servings are HUGE!

blog overload

i know, i know... i'm such a slacker. i haven't been doing a good job of keeping up with my blog. SO... i have a few recipes that i am going to post all at once so that i can catch up! i hope someone out there is enjoying my recipes, i know i enjoy cooking and experimenting with our meals!!

ahi tuna

(edited: better photo)

O.M.G. this is by far the best thing i've ever cooked!!! i went to costco with my friend emily one day and found this beautiful piece of wild ahi tuna and just HAD to have it! (tuna is kevin's favorite... i was trying to be a good wifey!) so here's the recipe!

Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna (685 calories total or 342.5 calories per serving)

2 6-ounce ahi tuna steaks (180 calories each)
1/2 cup soy sauce (40 calories)
3 teaspoons wasabi paste (15 calories)
salt and black pepper to taste (0)
1/4 cup sesame seeds (210 calories)
2 tablespoons olive oil (240 calories)

- combine soy sauce, wasabi paste, salt and pepper
- marinate the tuna steaks in the wasabi soy sauce mixture for at least 30 minutes
- coat top and bottom of tuna steaks with sesame seeds
- heat olive oil in a large skillet
- sear tuna about 1-2 minutes per side (i like mine a little more medium than rare)
- let steaks rest 5 minutes before slicing

serve with soy sauce and/or wasabi paste.
i also made a mixed greens salad with toasted sesame dressing and curried ginger rice

surprise... sort of

this is a little late, but thought i'd show you guys my new piercing... LOL! before we left for colorado i decided to get my nose pierced! i absolutely LOVE it! it didn't hurt AT ALL!!!! i was so shocked! i also died my hair back all brown. (while on vacay i notice if i put my hair up in a ponytail i had this whole skunk thing goin and it was cool... so it's gone... for the summer at least!)

here's a picture of me after i got my nose done. i was so happy!!! i asked the guy if it was going to make me cry and he said "you're eyes might water a little" so i told him i was going to sit on my hands so i wouldn't try to hurt him while he was sticking a needle through my nose! after the initial stick i couldn't even feel it. so i opened my eyes to see the needle sticking out of my nose!! my eyes did water a little when he put the stud through because it's bend and he had to turn it. it's been 3 weeks now and has pretty much healed up! i love it!

this is after i died my hair back. i really liked the blonde streak in the front but didn't like how it looked when i put my hair up... and i can't have bad hair all summer long! so it's all brown again... for now!

braud family vacation

my brother and sis-in-law left friday morning. my parents left saturday morning. kevin and i left sunday morning. all to meet up in Buena (buh YOU nah) Vista, Colorado. monday we started our week long family vacation. (more pictures on facebook... i'm having a hard time with this stupid blog thing!)

day 1:

we rented jeeps and went down a bunch of bumpy, muddy trails. it was awesome!

me and my nephews! they had a blast!

we got to feed some chipmunks. i wanted to bring one home with me

day 2:

train ride!

the boys wanted the train to go faster!

we got to see a lot of snow!

day 3:

alan, peyton, and daddy at black canyon of the gunnison.

at the black canyon of the gunnison

day 4:

kevin and i rode up to independence pass before saying goodbye to the family.

i have problems.

day 5:

on our way home we stopped at Treasure Falls before heading through Pagosa Springs to Durango.

it was beautiful and cold.

we also got to see a lot of deer on this trip.

and i had to put my feet in the extremely cold water every chance i got!

we had a wonderful time and didn't want to come home. we are so blessed to be able to take these trips and spend time with our family. don't know where we're going next... but i'm ready!

pictures from our san diego trip!

sorry it's taken so long guys... we had just a few days once we got home from san diego to unpack, wash clothes, repack, and leave for colorado! i have more pictures posted on facebook if you want to check them out.

our first view of downtown... going over the coronado bridge

kevin, myself, and susie went to sea world. it was kevin's first trip to sea world and we had a wonderful time!

sting rays are awesome... he was smiling at me!

we were downtown and saw this quote on one of the windows... thought it was interesting!

we also went to our first MLB game! we got to see the Chicago Cubs play the San Diego Padres... surprisingly, the Cubs didn't score a single point!

cabrillo monument. a beautiful view of the ocean!

here we are at the beach... at 6 a.m. it was a first for both of us. our first time to ever see the ocean (the gulf of mexico SO does not count!) we were collecting shells and sand dollars. and kevin, of course, has his cup of coffee!

the water was SOOO cold, but i HAD to put my feet in!!! it was the first time i ever had my feet in the ocean!

this sand dollar is still alive. they are purple and covered in tiny hairs (or legs) that they use to swim through the water. it was cool getting to find a few that were alive!

this was our wonderful tour guide, and my dear friend from high school, susie!