Birthday..Thanksgiving..Texas..Andee's visit

It's been a busy couple of months to say the least. Tonight its pouring down rain and cold (can you imagine?) here in California so I figured why not sit down an update the blog.

This past Sunday was my 27th birthday. I had mixed emotions due to the fact I was not going to celebrate it in Texas with my family and friends there. However, my friend Jessica threw me a wonderful dinner party at an Italian restaurant called Alessio. It's located about 20 minutes north of Malibu off the 101. There were about 11 people there....a small but great group of people. The restaurant has a really cozy atmosphere and even a fireplace! The food was amazing. I had a caesar salad and this broccoli, chicken, and pesto dish that was to die for. Probably the show stopper of the night was the dessert plate they brought. Usually the birthday honoree gets a piece of whatever they have handy, but management brought out a turkey sized platter with two pieces of apple strudel, several scoops of vanilla ice cream, one piece of bread pudding and a chocolate mocha mouse in a chocolate Easter egg shell topped with berries. There was enough for everyone and then some! I wish you all could have been there to help me finish it off.

Here is a picture of the group that night....I love these guys!!

The Friday night before my birthday, my friends Jeni and Jeremy Eckman had a Christmas party at their house that included cookie decorating, gingerbread house making, a dance off, and a sock exchange. A fun time was had by all. In the sock exchange I received a Superman ski cap (pictured below.) Here are a few pictures from that night:

The cookies we decorated:
The gingerbread house that was made:

My friend Jeni (the host):

My friend Jessica (who has an amazing singing voice):

The Superman ski cap that I will be rocking out in Colorado next week:

A picture of the group:

Over Thanksgiving I flew back to Texas and the first night I got to see my sorority sister Stephanie who I hadn't seen in years. She currently works and lives in Houston. We had dinner at Escalante's in Highland Village and it was delicious. Stephanie took over my position as Standards Advisor for ADPi in College Station. Here is a snap shot we took at the end of the night.

My mom threw me a small family birthday celebration since I couldn't be there on the 16th. I walked into the dining room and was shocked to see all of this set up. It felt very strange celebrating in November, but what ya gonna do? ;)


I also got to swing into College Station for about a day. It's always good to be back there and see friends (and their babies) I left just six months prior..... has it really been six months?

Holding Madeleine (Susan's little girl):

Holding Reese (Mindy's little boy):

Susan, Lona, Mindy and I at my favorite BCS restaurant.....La Bodega!!

I spent the last couple of hours in town at my friend Amanda's house and then we went over to her sister-in-law Sabrina's for several games of Cranium....we stayed up until about 3 in the morning-it was so much fun! Amanda let me crash in her awesome and newly decorated guest bedroom.

In mid-October my sister and her friend Johnny came to visit me for a couple of days. We had a really great time and it was so good to have Andee back out here. Despite not being able to show them Malibu due to the fires, I think they had a memorable time.

Andee and I at the Getty Museum:

A shot overlooking LA from the Getty Museum....isn't it just gorgeous?

Mr. Bones Pumpkin patch is in West Hollywood. All the celebs (including Seal and Heidi Klum who were recently photographed at Mr. Bones) take their children here, but sadly we didn't see any.
A pic of Andee with her favorite pumpkin:

And me with mine.....

Instead of going to Malibu for beach day we drove down to the OC to check out Laguna Beach....it did not disappoint!

We ate a posh, celebrity-owned restaurant called the "Geisha House". Johnny is the only one who ordered sushi...Andee ordered chicken and I had salmon....it was very good but we had to wait for what seemed like forever, even with reservations!

At the beginning of October my sorority sister Erin came out here to visit another sorority sister whose family lives in Orange County. I met up with Erin in Beverly Hills and we ate lunch at Nate N' Al's famous deli. It was so great seeing not only a familiar Texas face, but an ADPi no less! The only celeb I have seen since I last blogged was Craig T. Nelson (from the show Coach.) I sang in the choir at the Malibu Presbyterian church (where he is a member) two Sundays ago and they were having trouble lighting the advent candle, so Craig T. stands up and offers his lighter to the little girl. The congregation laughed and I just thought to myself "how bout them apples." He was there with his wife and they sat on about the 5th row back. I can't believe he watched me sing! :)


Even though I haven't seen many A-list celebs doesn't mean my friends haven't.....

• Danna sat next to Dennis Quaid at Casa Escobar during lunch (a little Mexican food joint here in Malibu)
  
  
• Gail sat next to Julia Roberts and her daughter while at the beauty salon here in Malibu last Saturday



• My friend Eryn saw Britney Spears on the Pepperdine campus trying to escape the Paparazzi
  
  

I am heading back to Texas for Christmas break on Saturday morning bright and early (5:45am flight.) From Sugar Land, we are driving up to Dallas on the 24th to spend Christmas with my sister and then on the 25th we are driving to Divide, Colorado where my mom has rented a cabin for the week. My sister will fly out the night of the 27th to meet us since she has to work the two days after Christmas (gotta love life in retail.) We are even bringing our dog Toby on this journey. I can't wait! New Years Eve will most likely be spent in Houston celebrating with friends.

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during the past two fires here. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Years if I don't see you before then.

Much love,

Ro