Hoorah for Girls Weekend!!!

This picture sums it up! Girlfriends meeting up in LA for a weekend for a nice getaway!! We're all friends from UT and each year we do a girls weekend trip. This year our friend Liz (living in LA) invited us to her place to experience the Hollywood Hills and the Boulevards. How lucky we were to have sunshine and warm weather all weekend and a great host to show us around. Here's a short story line.....

After a night of catching up, we head to Moonshadows in Malibu for brunch on the coastWe then head to a local vineyard for some wine tasting and creative pictures courtesty of my friend Katy (www.katysouthern.com) That night we head to Chateau Marmot for a special suprise "Bachelorette" night out- dinner, champagne and a visit to Hotel Rooseveltthe next day.... we couldn't bypass In-n-Out burgers (a west coast treat!)

and a visit to overlook LA and the Hollywood sign
that night was the Golden Globes. We didn't exactly make it to the Red Carpet- so we created our own GG party at BOA- a sleek celebrity dining spot on Sunset Blvd. and "Bachelorette" part 2- Lingerie shower and a night out on the town! These gals are the best. We might not see each other as often as we liked- but when we do- it just picks up from where we left off. Thank You girls for such a great weekend!

Muchas Fiestas!

Here's to the start of a great 2011! Celebrating New Years and Ricardo's Birthday in Bilbao with the de Abiega's. Delicious spanish tapas for a traditional New Year's dinner (followed by 12 grapes at the strike of midnight) and a weekend of skiing in the Pirrenes.

Christmas Vacation

Home for the holidays and lovin' it!
no cell phone or internet, eating yummy food (a bit too much), meeting good friends, a little wedding planning, spending time with the fam, christmas parties with the neighbors, and even a little snow.

Cracker Barrel with Kellye-O
Lunch out with Lynn, Suz, Addie and Mom (before the 1st and final fitting!)Making cookiesAddie and Babaw- I'm not sure who the gift was for =) Merry Christmas from the Richards!

Holiday Heat

off to Manila- Despite the 90 degree temperatures, it still oddly was beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It's a very big holiday there- lots of christmas decorations, parties, music and shopping. and must say a nice change from last week's weather.

dinner with the team the city Transportation

Divisoria market- more for the culture than the shopping

Winter Wonderland

a week in Copenhagen (snowy and cold, but completely in the holiday spirit)- Christmas Party, a nice Swedish dinner w/ the Engberg's and a week of training.

HOME!

Home for Thanksgiving! and this time I brought my fiance :-)

started with the Cake Boss in Hoboken to sample some yummy cakes and pick out our design. Mauro's in the background, but we didn't know who he was at the time (thus cutting him out) the new World Trade Center already on the 40th floor!

Home in time for Turkey! Addie before she had to give Ricardo his shots =)

learning golf with Babaw- she had us rolling!

we didn't plan to meet up with Meghan- but glad we ran into her at the game

our good friends Jack, Lynn and Lee hosted an engagement party for us after the game. Such a great night with family: Mom and Dad, Rod, Suz and Addie, Aunt Linda and Uncle Steve, cousins Sissy and Annie and their families and adopted family Tammy and Eddie =) Luckily we get to celebrate with you again in April!

visit to Chengdu, China

what a whirlwind! US, Spain, Denmark and China before heading home for the Holidays. Here's a few shots from my trip to the Panda breeding center, dinners out with colleagues and a bit of chinese entertainment.

what a way to nap! they were absolutely adorable- though very lazy guys!

these excercise parks are all over china for adults to use- how funny!

hot pot dinner (famous in the sechuan region)

a changing faces dancer at the chinese opera house