Holiday cookies aren't quite the same anymore..

Okay before I really get started, I don't really know where the need to blog came from but its hit me so here I am. I just got home from work and since its still kind of early in my world I guess I should take advantage of the time I have. Since it seems like this week the shift I'm working all I do is sleep then get up and head back to work. I can't wait until I get an off day to relax some and take care of things around the house. If I get my way I will work on some crafts to decorate the house and some blankets as well. Of course that's after I work on finishing Christmas shopping.
             Holidays are a time for family and traditions that you do with your family or with your family in mind. I lost my grandmother 14yrs ago from a stroke this December on my dads side. Sadly she was the glue to our immediate family and all of our gatherings. I've always known that but now its really hitting me especially since I'm the new Mrs. When my sisters and I were kids every year a week before Christmas our family would meet and our grandmother and grandaddies house and decorate sugar cookies and gingerbread girl and boys that grandmother had made. We'd get to take some home and the rest stayed at her house to be one of a couple of desserts on Christmas day. I've tried to keep the cookie tradition its not the same and unsuccessful! Probably because I attempted them by myself. It'll probably stay that way until Steve and I have kids and they have cousins to do the cookie thing with.
             Being freshly married within the year means Steve and I need to set our own traditions into motion. Like as of now my parents get Christmas Eve and his family gets Christmas day. His mom gets her own day too but its not set yet. There are other things that will become traditions I'm sure. I really wish that my uncles and amazing aunt with my cousins could all get together like we used to but everyone is growing up and far apart so I know it won't happen. But its a nice idea, right? Basically I really miss my grandparents. I know most of you know what its like, I know they're in a better place but sometimes it would be so nice to hug them and have a conversation with them.
             I really need to get a hold of my auntie Carol and get my grandmothers cookie recipes soon. Mmm... its crazy how a scent or a certain food, or pretty much anything can bring back a memory. I love and miss you Grandmother& Grandaddy and Grandma& Grandpa. As of now I'm going to get some Christmas music and keep staying in the spirit. Happy Holidays everyone!!

Raya's Ready For The Holidays

    As always I lost the days in a month and haven't blogged. Lately I've felt like the there's not enough time in the days. Actually if I'm being honest ever since I got my smart phone at the beginning of the month I haven't been on my computer as much. The joys of technology. My poor laptop is feeling neglected I'm sure. Oops!

    Well the Raya house is ready for Christmas. We've been ready since the week before Thanksgiving. I woke up one day and Steve had pulled out the Christmas things from our downstairs closet and had put the tree up. He had taken off the colored lights and put on white ones. I wanted to buy a new fake tree this year maybe a little something bigger or even wait and buy a real tree closer to Christmas. But Steve had other plans. Works for me. This year we're ready for the Holidays. Unlike last year we're not planning a wedding this time. So much less stressful. Its So nice!

     It's our first holiday season as Mr & Mrs. Yay!! So far it hasn't been the best because of my ever changing schedule but we made it work on Thanksgiving. Yummy food and plenty of left overs. I had to work of course but it worked out I think. Steve had planned to go with me to Old Navy to hit up their black friday sale but if you know Steve he's not programmed to stay up very late so I went with Amber& David. We waited outside the Rancho Old Navy for about and hour and a half and froze our butts off! All to come out with some $15 jeans but no Pea coats like we planned. Amber got some stuff too. It was fun! I think next year we'll plan better! Lol. We have a way of working well together. Oh and take pictures too!

      I'm really proud of Steve and I this year. We got into the Holiday spirit early and already started shopping. Yay! I can't wait til Christmas day just to see everyones faces light up as they open their gifts. That's my favorite part! I love to watch peoples expressions as they find what you put thought into for them. Tee hee.

      We still don't have solid plans for Christmas, don't know when or where they will be spent with who for sure. Since its our first Christmas married we kind of have to figure that out. I'm almost sure I have to work on Christmas day: hopefully it stays an AM shift. I know it will all work out one way or another. If all goes as planned we should be with Steves grandmas and everyone on that end. Our parents will have to be fit in somewhere between now and then. Who knows with my crazy schedule. I don't know that I will be choosing my shift to be relief #3 again. Blah! Especially around the Holiday season! Not my best idea EVER! We'll survive like always! 

       Have a great Holiday everyone.

Busy bees lately: One month in one blog

Happy end of September and beginning of October. Its been a while since I've blogged. Life has taken over as usual. Steve actually is the one that pointed out I hadn't blogged since August. Oops!! Since I left you guys Steve and I have been pretty busy. Where should I start?

We celebrated Steves Birthday (hes 28 now). His mom came over the week before with his youngest sister Katelyn and we went to dinner together. On his actual birthday we went to dinner with a group of friends at Buca Di Beppos in Claremont (worst service we've EVER had anywhere, but still fun) and then cosmic bowling as well. We also tried to make it to his sister Saras house that same weekend to see her, Alex, Connor& Sophia but the car that we've been borrowing from my dad wouldn't allow us to make it down there. But we finally did make it down there a couple weeks later.So we got to make it up to them.

It has been the month of items breaking for us... first it was the car and then it was the air conditioner in our condo went out (thats NEVER good with so cal weather!) But thankfully we have a really great property manager/land lord and he fixed it right away. Well he sent someone to look at it that day and the following day he had someone replace the it with a new unit that is energy efficient. Yay!! So now we have a new unit and its saving us a little bit of money in the process too. As for the car problem it has been remedied as well. So we are 2 for 2 for the month of September. :)

Oh I also started a new shift at work. As you may have known I've been on the graveyard shift for almost the last 2yrs. It was fine when Steve and I were dating and okay when we were engaged but now that we're married, I would like to be at home with my hubby as much as possible! So I made up my mind to get off of the graveyard shift! I am now on relief (basically I cover for people who are on vacation or taking floaters). Its not a set shift except for Wednesdays in downtown LA at Gateway. Mostly I've been working the swing shift so I don't always get to see Steve when hes off work but I get to spend more nights with him as well as mornings when we're both off. Its been working out for us. We are adjusting to my ever changing schedules. So far its been pretty decent. I hope that feeling lasts.

Days like today make my schedule worth it. We both had today off. I haven't had a Friday off since I can't remember when! At least 2yrs... I think? We wanted to do something fun together so we hopped on the Metrolink train and went to LA. Steve had never been on the train ever!! We got off the train and then went out to Olivero street, walked around some and window shopped. We saw some really nice stuff but left it there. Lol. Then we boarded the Goldline to Pasadena. I Loooove Pasadena!! Steve had never been there with me. So we stopped at the Mission station for cupcakes at My Sweet Cupcake then out of nowhere it started raining (we were NOT dressed for rain!) Thank goodness it stopped raining and then we went to Old Town Pasadena and did a lot more walking& window shopping. We ended the day walking some more around the gardens. It was a really great day. So much fun!!

Oh! And this month I attempted crispy pops for Haileighs 2nd Birthday (Ambers little one and our niece). I can't wait to see until we make the batch for her party! ::expect pics:: We're ready to see what awaits us in October. So far its a Birthday, maybe some pumpkin carving (I have to clean out the guts, Steve won't. Lol), Maybe some Halloween fun depending on my schedule. Keep you all posted. Going to try and blog some more, I promise! Have a great weekend!

First things first

Hi everybody!!

This is my first time blogging, ever!! I don't know how often I will blog but we'll see. So.. where do I start? Okay let me first start by saying. I'm going to do my best not to vent on this blog. There's a time and a place for that and hopefully this is not it. Even though it might be tempting I won't do it (I don't think.) Lol. My plan is to blog about daily and big events going on in our lives. I stole the idea from a couple people that I knew had a blog so thank you ladies.

We've been married for almost 5months now. Loving every minute of it. Definitely worth all the things we went through to the plan that beautiful day. It was an amazing day. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it. Please make sure that you look at our photographers album at:: www.Carrievines.com clients albums: Raya (there's 3 albums). Comment me for the password or facebook me if you need to. Also take a look at Carrie's blog, shes always updating it with new photo shoots. She doesn't advertise anywhere but through word of mouth. So I'm sharing her creativity.

In the last few months we've been trying to set up our house into a home. So far its working. The next thing on our to do list is fill our MANY picture frames then put them up on our walls. We have a few filled but nothing is on the walls yet. We're not sure where to put them yet. Talking about our home... A lot people have been asking us the inevitable question: When are you going to start a family? Well here's my answer to that, that's between Steve and I. We're leaving it at that for now. I can promise once it does happen and we're ready& comfy enough to we will for sure share that news. That I can promise :)

This month is both my dads and Steve's Birthday. I loooove Birthdays as everyone has known. We don't have any plans for my dads Birthday yet but Steves Birthday is another story. For right now we have plans to do something both together one night and then another day with everyone else that can make it out with us. I think we're going to a Quakes game but that might change. That's up to Steve even though he tells me I should plan his Birthday since he doesn't care either way as long as he's with me. I will never understand why hes like that or why most guys are like that, but either way I can't wait for his Birthday and share the pics with everyone.