Family Fun in Florida

Vincent Raymond DeLeon. 4 years old.

I tell you what, I have no idea where the time went?!

My little man is 4 and so of course we threw a heckuva party and played all day.

Mom and Dad made it and so did Nathan and I.

It was such a great weekend, playing with the boys and just hanging out.

I heart Family Time.

This would be the awesome Water Slide Melissa rented. They just set it up in her backyard and that's pretty much where we stayed all day.

It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.
The Birthday Boy.

A shot of Melissa's backyard before the mayhem started.

Vince got on that slide at 10am when they set it up and didn't get it off until they picked it up at 4pm. Can we say exhausted?!

This was how he started going down the slide. A little nervous at first. By the end he was practically running down it!

Some things never change. Vince drinking and not eating anything. I don't know how that boy has any energy considering he hates to eat!

Aww...I love this little boy!!!

Yes. He. Is. Beautiful.

Just taking a break from the slide.

Of course we had a Pinata. We're Mexican ;)

Family time.

Just kicking it.

Pretty sure Vince loved my card more than my gift. It was a Transformers card that when you opened, spoke to you. I mean that is pretty cool :).

He's so big!

Dad working. As. Usual.

I love watching them play together.

And look at those chunky thighs!!

Check out that face.

I can't get enough of this little chunk!

My parents. How I love them.

Nathan trying to figure out one of Vince's toys. Ha ha.

Adorable.

How precious is this photo?!

Baby Clyde and Grandma.

Vince chasing bubbles.

Running together.

He is such a little ham! Good thing I adore this kid.

Happy Birthday Vince!

Love, Aunt Mimi

Living & Loving Life

The last few weeks have been wonderfully busy. Partially with eating divine treats like these, I seriously have a love affair with Georgetown Cupcakes.

To. Die. For.

They are a part of my DC Itinerary, so when my Arizona parents aka the Weathersbys called and said they were in town, I had to show them the highlights.

Ps. The Peanut Butter Fudge and Chocolate on Chocolate are my absolute favorites.

The Weathersbys. Adorable.

Besides enjoying my own city, I was able to travel to San Antonio this last week for work. A few of my colleagues highly recommended Mi Terra as the place for Mexican in the city. It did not disappoint.

All these treats reminded me of the bakeries in Dublan (Mexico) when I was there student teaching. Oh the memories...

The famous RiverWalk.

The Alamo. It was pretty amazing.

You can't really read it, but it describes how they drew a line before the battle and told those who were were willing to fight to come and join them.

I love that I get to see these places as I travel all over the country,

I mean how awesome is my job?!

To the right of the Alamo there is a sign, it says "Crockett Hotel". How funny is that?

Another perk of traveling the country is being able to catch up with old friends. Here's Scott Ford and his adorable son Mason. Scott and I grew up in Florida together, he and his wife Teresa live in San Antonio with their two beautiful kids, Mason and Dakota. I didn't get to snap a picture of the whole family, but here's Mason putting on a show for us.

I'm so glad we were able to catch up, I really love that. I got home from Texas Saturday afternoon and that evening, Kim, Debbie and I made it out to Olney, Maryland to watch Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" performed outside for FREE. I heard about it on the Washington Post Going out Guide (I get their emails every week and it's the coolest thing, love it!) and so we decided to mix it up and try something new. We had such a good time.

Though the wind was insane- seriously, hurricane like!- and it was a bit chilly, we just huddled together underneath our blankets and enjoyed the show. The actors were incredible, even with the crazy weather and it was such an intimate performance. I really do love these types of things...anything to be outside in the Spring/Summer, and who doesn't love FREE?!

I really have been living and loving life lately.

And it's only getting better with Florida, Arizona, Guam & Hawaii all scheduled for the next month! I love Summer!

NYC in 30 Hours

This is my sister.
If you don't know her, you should.
She cracks me up and any time I get to spend a few hours with her, I'm all over it.
Well she was running a half-marathon (go Melissa!) in NYC this last weekend, so I jumped on a train with my roommate Julie and met her for the day.
We shopped, ate, laughed and just enjoyed a few hours as sisters.
I love her.

While Melissa was getting the breakfast in bed treatment from an awesome Hostess; Julie and I ventured over to Alice's Tea Cup for some poached eggs and crepes. I felt so sophisticated. Very pretty food. Oh and it was delicious too.

How charming is this?

While we were strolling through the city, we had to stop and see the Manhattan Temple. I am just amazed at the beauty of the building, as well as the fact that there is such a haven in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world.

Eating some Chinese food in Chinatown. She cracks me up.

Heaven.
I have found heaven and its full of scarves!!

Cupcakes.
You know we had to stop.
Though I have to say it...
Georgetown's are better!

It was such a great day with Melissa.

I was so glad I was able to spend some sisterly time with her.

Julie and I met up with some of my friends in the city, Leslie and Kristin.
It was so fun to be able to just catch up and laugh.
Oh and we ate at 5 Napkins Burger- it was soooo good!

Julie and I really wanted to catch a show before we left the city, so we got tickets for In the Heights and absolutely loved it (seriously if it comes anywhere near your town, check it out!).
Such a fun musical.
Once we finished there we headed back to Kristin's for a bit before jumping on our 3am train back to DC.
It really was a whirlwind.
But it was wonderful and I'd do again in a heartbeat.
Family, Friends and Food- my favorite things :)

Summer is right around the corner...

I love baseball games. Now, I'm no super fan. I'm not even sure I have a team, I support my local club and just appreciate the overall atmosphere of a ballpark. I love it. The people, the noises, the smells and of course the food.
I finally made it out for my first game this season and hope there are many more to come.

Just a few friends enjoying America's pastime.

Even with my "healthy eating", you know I had to grab a hot dog.
Love, love them!

It really was a great night, made me feel as if Summer weren't so far away.
I'm so ready for endless sunshine.

Monterey

This last week of Travel sent me to the Monterey area of California. I've never been to this part of the Golden State, but it was absolutely gorgeous. We drove down to Carmel-by-the-sea and then took the 17 Mile Drive along the coast.
It was breathtaking.
Definitely one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen.
So as you can see from this post, I was camera happy, but what can I say?
It was heavenly.

Carmel-by-the sea

We went right after the school visit, so yes I'm sporting a suit on the beach. You do what you gotta do.

I love beaches. In all shapes and sizes.

The start of our "17 Mile Drive".

Reminiscent of another heavenly grove.

I sort of love this photo

I'm calmed just looking at this shot.

The Restless Sea. I love that description. Story of my life.

She is a raging.

The solitary life.

Aww...one day this will be the view from my porch.

I loved the coloring of the rocks and hillside.

The Lone Cypress is a must see for all. I just stood there transfixed by the strength of this lone tree and the battle its fought to stand its ground.

I heart this tree. Hence the countless pictures.

Still she stands.

The sun was at the perfect position in the sky as we stood gazing at the Lone Cypress and when I turned around I saw these trees from a distance.
I was so glad I had my camera. Words cannot do justice to the beauty that is the 17 Mile Drive.
What can I say?
It was enchanting.