John's Day

For John's Day this year, we decided to keep it low key.  All of the normal people got together at the house on the hill for a celebration.  It was a lot of fun!  It we did dinner in a potluck style so it was really easy.  Indra did the decorating (and did a fabulous job if I might add). 

I went over when I got off work.  I was really excited to get started so Indra and I started the crown making almost right away.  I decided to have an all yellow crown this year.  Here is the two of us working on the crowns:

Because I got there so early, Lauma, Indra and I slowly set up for the party and just kind of hung out and relaxed.  I do have to say, this was one of the least stressful parties we have prepared for yet! 

It is also tradition for the women to make the oak leaf crowns for the men, so when Eriks got to the house after work, I had his crown waiting for him.  At first, the crown was WAY too big, but I made some adjustments and I think it turned out well!

I am always excited to see him when he comes home from work!

Just having some fun!

Eriks and Ron did a great job grilling!

Unfortunately Bob couldn't make it on account of his bowling night, but Peter came.  He is always so much fun!  He he is with Phyllis and Inga at dinner.

Indra and Ron at dinner

Silly Peter

Larissa and Grasin (sp?)  These two are some of Aivars' best friends.

Unfortunately I had to go to bed at 8 o'clock because I had to work in the morning, but from what I hear everyone continued to have a great time after dinner.

Joe Cocker and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Aivars, being the wonderful big brother that he is, gave us some great tickets to go see Joe Cocker and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers!  I was really excited because I have only been to 3 concerts in my life.  The biggest one until now being Dave Matthews.  This was the first big indoor concert I have ever been to.  It was so much fun!  The place where they were playing was in Oakland right next to where the Oakland A's play.

The concert was AMAZING and the lighting was FABULOUS!  Here are some pictures of Joe Cocker.  He was the opener for Tom Petty and The Heart breakers.

This was the only picture I got of us.  Not the best picture in the world, but it will do :)

WOW!  I thought the lighting for Joe Cocker was amazing, well it was nothing compared to the lighting for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers! I am so happy these pictures turned out so well!  Now I can look back whenever I want and be reminded of how amazing the show was. 

Eriks and I had a really great time!  Thanks Aivars!

Don't Ask... Don't Tell...

Moving Time Again!

So... for those of you who don't know......ERIKS AND I MOVED INTO OUR OWN PLACE!  I am just so excited I could burst!  In case you didn't know, we moved into  Eriks' families apartment complex.  There are 5 apartments in it.  Aivars has been living in Apt #5 for a while now.  Well... apartment #3 just opened up (it is a two bedroom) so Aivars went ahead and moved in there so Eriks and I could move into #5.
#3 needed A LOT of work done to it, and Aivars is still living in less then perfect conditions.  The boys have been working so hard to finish all of the repairs and updates.  Both Eriks and Aivars have worked so hard so that we could make this move possible. I appreciate them both so very much!
Our new place is in Downtown Palo Alto.  It is Amazing!  We are a 5 min walk from everything.  I am literally living a dream.  Aside from my family and God, moving to California has been the best thing to ever happen to me.
Decorating is going really well.  I am working hard on keeping things clean, sharp and simple.  I am very excited about the decor in our house.  It is kinda weird though cuz it totally looks like a grown up house instead of a college student's.  Wow! Am I a grown up?  When did this happen!?
Well any whos, I am not going to post any pictures until I am done with the place. (it should be less than two weeks)  Let the anticipation grow!

The Long Awaited Birthday Party Pics!

This year, I decided to do a big birthday party. I have never really had a big birthday party before so this was a real treat. With a lot of hard work, and a little help from Martha Stewart : ), I think it turned out great. It was sure fun! Here are the pics! Enjoy!

MY LITTLE SECRET GARDEN WHERE THE PARTY WAS HELD

THE DESSERT TABLE

DECORATIONS

DESSERT! YUM!

THE FOOD TABLE

WHAT A HANDSOME MAN!

PINATA

EVERYONE SCRAMBLING FOR SOME CANDY

HOW MANY MEN DOES IT TAKE TO LIGHT SOME BIRTHDAY CANDLES?

PRESENTS!

AIVARS AND THE BIRTHDAY GIRL

PLAYING CRANIUM AFTER THE PARTY

 

Day Four of my Idaho Trip

Like the first three days, the last day of my trip was super packed. To start the day off, my family and I went to church.  It was really nice to see all of my old friends.  I was supposed to go to Sunday school with my momma, but I kept getting distracted by all of the people.  I ended up spending most of the class in the hallway talking to all of the fabulous people that I have missed so much.
After church, my momma and I went out to Kuna to visit the new additions to Christi's family.  It was so much fun to play with and hold these little ones!

And of course, I had to get a pic with my three favorite girls!

By the time we got back, it was about time to leave for the airport.  It was a somber to drive away from my family home, but I knew Eriks and I's home was waiting for me.  Before I went into the gate, I was able to snap some pic with my momma and brothers.

My trip to Idaho was a whirlwind.  It was a short trip with so much to do.  The most important thing is that I got to see my friends and family that mean so much to me!

Day Three of Idaho Trip

On Saturday, my family and I got up early and went to the zoo. Our family as a whole are animal enthusiasts to say the least. We love not only being with and seeing animals, but also learning about them. So, as you might imagine, going to the zoo is one of our favorite family activities! We try to go at least three times a year. Here are some fun pictures of Saturday's trip at the zoo:

Almost every time we go to the zoo, my wonderful parents treat us to Dipin Dots. This part of the trip is always really special to us kids. And, as always, we had to take our Dipin Dots pics! : )

For those of you that haven't been to the Boise Zoo in the past couple of years, you need to go! The zoo used to be just mediocre, but now it is fantastic! All of the fundraising the past 8 years or so has really paid off. The African section is spectacular. Not only do they have giraffes, lions, and hyenas but they also have a bunch of other smaller African animals. The learning centers that have been incorporated into the facility have really added to the zoo experience as well!
After our zoo adventure, we relaxed in the shade of Julia Davis park, and had a picnic.

Saturday night, I had the opportunity to hang out with Falon and Shay. It was really great to get together with them, I have really missed those two girls.  It was really a chill evening.  When I first got there, the three of us took Ripley on a walk to the park.  When we got back, Falon brought out the food.  She had prepared a nice variety of appetizers and desserts.  It was fabulous!  It was so nice to just chit chat and snack.  Later in the evening Andrew joined us for a game of Apples to Apples (my fave).  Let me tell you, when the four of us get going, there is no stopping us!  It is always so much fun.  We played late into the night.  By the time I got home, I crashed!  (unfortunately I forgot my camera when I went to Falon's so no pics!)